《The Emperor Has Returned》


 Chapter 1 – Regicide

    <h4>Chapter 1 ¨C Regicide</h4>


    God decided to destroy Man and Man rebelled against God in retaliation.


    An emperor arose in thisnd as a result of the rebellion. The emperor cut the gods into pieces and scattered them across the mountains, rivers, and fields.


    ***


    Along with the intense pain, I lost strength in my hands and feet. Blood poured out of my throat and a ck de was sticking out of my chest. The de stank of dead blood that had turned ck as I slowly turned around and faced a young man.


    This young man was my son. The sword piercing through my chest was held by his trembling and blood-soaked hands, and I tried to grab them. He was my eldest son, made from a fragment of my soul, Gerard Gain.


    "Your Majesty," my son said with fear in his voice. Gerard Gain had never felt so much fear even when facing a tough opponent like the Dragon Lord. He was a brave and confident young man who was a role model for the knights. No one doubted that he would be the next emperor, but then I got backstabbed by him. Against all expectations, he betrayed me.


    My throat slowly filled with my own blood. It felt like I was burning all over. I was used to pain, but I had never experienced this kind of pain. I wasn¡¯t sure if the pain was due to the ck de or the person who wielded it. With that one blow, an ordinary person would have been dead without even having a chance to scream. However, I was the emperor of the empire. I was the guardian of mankind.


    It was I who cut the gods into pieces and scattered them across the mountains, fields, and rivers.


    I breathed in and let out a loud shout, causing all the furniture in the room to copse and the ground to shake. Gerard fell to his knees with a thud. He seemed more distressed than me, the one who was stabbed.


    Gerard knelt down with his head bowed, mumbling illogical words. I had so many questions for him as I looked at him. Why was he here when he was supposed to be defending the Eastern Front? How did he manage to sneak past the surveince of the Imperial Guards? How did he get a sword that could kill me, and why did he stab me? Why did he look so unsightly now, even though he¡¯d chosen to betray me?


    But I didn''t ask any of that. The important thing was that he had stabbed me in the back, and that was all there was to it. Betrayal. While it was something I was familiar with, I couldn''t believe that my own son would betray me.


    Gerard¡¯s ck de stuck in my body slowly robbed me of my life, but I stayed still. I could have ripped through Gerard''s soul and elicited a response to my question, but I didn''t do it. I could have all the beings around me apany me in death just by lifting my finger, but I didn''t do it.


    The whisper of some god who had proposed eternal life to me came to my mind, but I did not entertain it. I didn''t think of the potential disasters my death would bring to an empire that had just been established.


    I was simply frozen in ce. I was afraid to think any more. I had spent my whole life fighting a war for the sole purpose of saving mankind. It was a life that was full of death and killing others. I had to give up a lot of things that were precious to me.


    Only my children and my acquaintances were able to bring happiness into the harsh life I lived. But then, I faced betrayal from the child whom I loved the most. The person I cherished and loved the most had plunged a sword into my back. The source of my happiness had betrayed me. Maybe I¡¯d lived my life wrong right from the start; from the very beginning of my life, everything that I''d ever done had been a mistake.


    <i>¡®Don''t ask him anything.¡¯</i>


    That was the decision I reached in my heart as I looked at Gerard.


    I wanted to tell him not to be afraid, and that if my actions of the past were what caused the present, I would ept death as it is. My vision started to blur.


    The ck de that had dug deeply into me was like a worm devouring me. mes shot up from the blood that had flowed down. The de scratched against my bones and made a strange sound. Burning blood flowed down my fingers and the blood felt sticky as I heard something breaking inside me.


    That was how I, Juan Calberg Kennosis, the first emperor of the empire, guardian of mankind, and vanquisher of the gods, passed away in the 47th year of the founding of the empire.


    ***


    In the 94th year of the Imperial calendar, a fire the likes of which only happened once in a hundred years swept through the southern ins, leaving nothing but ashes in its trail.


    "¡ªI was resolved to die back there!"


    No one could tell if the ash-covered boy was screaming or wailing. No one could understand why he was raging so much as he yelled, "Who the hell brought me back to life?!"

 Chapter 2 – The Emperor of Two Silver Pieces (1)

    <h4>Chapter 2 ¨C The Emperor of Two Silver Pieces (1)</h4>


    Yelling was futile in Juan¡¯s situation, however. He sighed as he looked at the clear sky where even echoes went silent. He was even angry at the clouds. He slowly stood up and looked at his body¡ªskinny limbs and small, pale hands.


    <i>¡®About nine years old?¡¯</i>


    Juan¡¯s first thought was that he might have returned to the past.


    <i>¡®But I wasn¡¯t this weak at this age.¡¯</i>


    Based on the amount of mana in his body, his body seemed to have been reconstructed. Compared to when he was the emperor, most of his power had disappeared. All that was left was a measly amount of mana that could barely fill the body. It¡¯d be right to say that he had physical abilities that were normal for his age.


    Juan pondered over the types of magic that he could use. Magic was the basis of his former power, a power that had helped him ascend to the throne and conquer the world.


    From magic capable of splitting the world to magic that could peer into different dimensions and create something out of nothing. All that magic still lingered in Juan''s memories. To be exact, he had mastered all the magic, yet he couldn''t use it because he had no mana. But Juan, who had reigned as the emperor, was born to lead and protect mankind. He was a master of not only magic, but also swordsmanship, hand-to-handbat, tactics, and everything else required for battle. He had developed and pioneered techniques that transcendedmon sense, increasing mankind¡¯s strength to a whole new level. And these incredible techniques remained intact in his mind.


    Juan had once united the continent with his power,manded all mankind, and subdued countless gods and demonic beasts. He had beheaded the god of war with a sword and pulled out the heart of the god of magic with magic. Their bodies had been his spoils. If he had more time, he could have made mankind invincible. But now, his former strength had escaped his hands like grains of sand, and there was nothing left in his current body. With his current strength, even ten million of him could notpare to his old self.


    "Well, I don¡¯t care..."


    Juany on his back in the field, crushing the rustling cinders into dust. The clear blue sky signified that it was a good day to be revived, but also a good day to die.


    <i>¡®Let''s die again.¡¯?</i>


    This was an unwanted resurrection. He didn¡¯t wish to know what year it was or where he was at. He had lived his life without regrets. If he started to think about unnecessary things, he¡¯d only regret it. If he found out what happened after he died and what the exact circumstances were, there was no way of knowing what he would do.


    There were thousands of ways to restore his strength if he decided to do so. And if he did, Juan could dye the empire, the entire continent, and even the whole world red with fire and blood..


    <i>''There''s nothing to stop you from doing it now.¡¯</i> Juan heard a whisper in his head. Juan tried to ignore the voice as he slowly buried his consciousness in a deep slumber once more. He was then woken up by a different voice.


    "Hey."


    He woke up to someone kicking his leg. Juan, who had once been the emperor, opened his eyes slightly¡ªhe had never been treated like that before.


    A man wearing a turban with a mean face was looking down at him. "Who are you? Did you run away because of the fire?"


    Behind him was a carriage with many weak and scrawny-looking demi-humans from various races. Their hands and feet were chained.


    <i>¡®Is he a ve merchant?''</i>


    Juan had banned very. Nevertheless, this was none of his business. Juan had never allowed anyone to stab him in the back either. He knew that no matter how hard he tried, prohibited acts would take ce somewhere.


    "Don''t bother me."


    The ve merchant was dumbfounded by Juan¡¯s attitude, who turned his back on him. He kicked Juan''s thigh one more time.


    "Where are your parents? Are you alone?"


    "My parents'' well-being is none of your business. You ought to take care of your own parents first."


    "You cheeky little punk."


    The ve merchant heard Juan''s answer and concluded that he had been abandoned, because he seemed crazy. Otherwise, there was no reason for a child to be lying naked in the middle of a burnt field. A few days ago, a huge fire had broken out on the Great ins, leaving numerous tribes homeless. A child could be kicked out of their tribe to reduce the number of mouths to feed. The ve merchant dragged Juan, who wasn¡¯t moving, and loaded him onto the back of the wagon. Juan saw the dirty feet of the ves that were in chains, while they nced at him curiously. The moment people stopped bothering him, Juan once again fell into a deep sleep.


    ***


    Tantil was a yellow-colored fortress formed around a huge market in the southeast of the empire, and it blended well with the desert. In the market, spices, ceramics, and rugs from the southern region weremonly sold. But the mostmon thing sold were ves. On the outskirts of the empire, there were many demi-humans who fled because they were abused by humans. There were only a handful of demi-humans that were sessful in society. Even so, the humans or demi-humans caught outside the border were traded as ves. And the Tantil Colosseum was the ce where the ves were most actively used.


    "How many people are there in total?" the supervisor in charge of the ves asked as he confirmed the condition of the new ves.


    "There¡¯s a total of eight of them. Um... "


    ¡°Including the +1 written here? What''s this?"


    ¡°Oh, I was just about to tell you about it. I had a chance to get another ve while I was on my way here.¡±


    The supervisor frowned while looking at the ves. They hadckluster and hopeless eyes. Among them, he found a boy with eyes so deep that he couldn¡¯t see through them.


    The supervisor raised the boy''s chin firmly with his pen. The boy had hollow eyes and a bony figure. Seeing as how there was straw and traces of soot on various parts of his body, he must have been picked up from some random ce.


    ¡°He looks like he¡¯s about to die though.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, supervisor. Look at his hair. ck-haired guys are famous for being tough, aren¡¯t they? And he has all his teeth. I checked him and found no scratches on his fingernails and toenails. He may not look all that great now, but he''ll be useful."


    The supervisor looked at the ve merchant, starting to get irritated. The ve merchant smiled intently and continued,


    "The fire on the Great ins caused many of the demi-humans to run away, so it''s been hard to supply you with them. Didn''t you ask for more ves even if they¡¯re of lower quality? If you really don¡¯t want him, then just pay me for transporting him here...¡±


    The supervisor ignored the ve merchant''s words and took out a purse.


    The ve merchant rubbed his fingers and showed four fingers, causing the supervisor to snort.


    "Four for all of them?"


    "Oh, stop joking around with me. That is just the cost of transporting this guy...¡±


    "I have no intention of giving you that much even if you include that trash over there. One gold piece for the strong young men and eight silver pieces for the women. And one silver piece will probably suffice for that trash.¡±


    "Just the tax for bringing this fellow in cost me five bronze. Besides, considering the distance I transported him over and the food and amodation costs... I won¡¯t have any money left. You should give me at least three silver pieces for him.¡±


    There had been no amodation involved, however, and the ve merchant just lied through his teeth.


    But the supervisor tly replied, "Then take the boy back. I never said I needed a child like him."


    The ve merchant had a bitter expression on his face. He could probably get a little more money if he tried to sell him at the market. But he was exhausted after traveling through the Great ins for days, and it would be troublesome to go around looking for a buyer now. All he wanted to do was take a good rest at his lodging.


    "Then let''s go with two silver pieces! I¡¯ll settle with just the cost price! This¡­"


    "Since we know each other so well, I''ll make an exception and buy at your price this time."


    The two shook hands with each other, while exchanging the same words they would use every time they met.


    On this day, no one knew that two silver pieces had decided the fate of the emperor who had once conquered the world.


    ***


    Juan woke up again because something entered his mouth. He was about to spit it out, but the watery porridge went straight down his throat. Even though he wanted to die, it would seem that he¡¯d instinctively swallow when something entered his mouth.


    When he opened his eyes, he saw a young elf woman with a haggard face. The woman was holding Juan and feeding him the watery porridge. The stone ceiling that he saw for the first time was covered with mold.


    "Don''t be sick, my child. Don''t get sick. My child...." the woman whispered in Juan''s ear. She looked crazy.


    Then someone next to him said, "Kid, you must be surprised, but can you stay still for a second?¡±


    He was a skinny man with round horns simr to a goat¡¯s on his head.


    "She''s a little sick and you seem to have reminded her of someone."


    A spoonful of cold porridge went into Juan''s mouth again as he inadvertently swallowed again.


    Now that someone asked him for a favor, he couldn''t just spit it out. Juan closed his eyes. He felt something rough brushing against his body. It would seem that he had been covered with rags.


    Although his life had been extended, the life of a ve wouldn''t be an easy one. His body probably wouldn''tst long.


    "Damn it, like you¡¯re in a state to sympathize with others¡­.¡± A sarcastic voice was heard.


    The goat-horned man next to Juan stood up with an angry look. The sarcastic bald man also stood up to face him.


    "Do you think you can say anything just because you have a mouth?!"


    "Let¡¯s be straight here! Did I say anything wrong?"


    When the goat-horned man jumped at the bald man, they caused amotion. The ves in the small room crouched to avoid being caught up in it. The goat-horned man was smaller than the bald man, but he wasn¡¯t losing to thetter. Upon hearing themotion, an armed soldier came running.


    The soldier saw the fight inside the cage and pounded the bars with his spear. Only then did the two men fall back.


    "You bastards must be itching to fight since you¡¯re here at the colosseum, huh?¡±


    The soldier poked with his spear into the cage as if wanting to stab them. The ves screamed and ran into the corner. Seeing the frightened look on their faces, the soldier grinned and stuck his spear into the ground.


    "Don''t fight with each other just because you''re itching to fight. You¡¯ll be bleeding in another ce. And you¡¯ll be there way ahead of the others."


    "¡­What do you mean by that?" asked the goat-horned man carefully.


    "Think about why the Tantil Colosseum supervisor bought you guys, including those who were about to die."


    The ves started to feel uneasy. The bald man puffed in anger, pulled his knees together, and lowered his head. The elf woman hugged Juan tightly and repeatedly whispered as if to calm Juan down, "My child, my child."


    Juan''s consciousness was elsewhere before this. Tantil? Colosseum? They sounded familiar to him.


    "Hey." When Juan opened his mouth, the goat-horned man looked at him, surprised.


    "Is this Tantil? Is there a colosseum in Tantil?"


    "You¡¯re a little rude, huh...? Yeah. Tantil is known for its colosseum. Don''t worry. They''ll get booed if they make a little boy like you fight in the arena. They''ll probably use you as an errand boy, since they need ves to serve diators.¡±


    But Juan was no longer listening as more questions popped up in his head. Tantil was the name of thend where he had first killed a god. It was the firstnd on which he had begun to build the core of mankind as the emperor.


    Back in the days when god and man were fighting against each other, there was a god called Talter of Madness on thisnd. Talter would demand human sacrifices from his followers and loved watching the sacrifices kill each other, covering the temple floor with blood. It was madness and blood that filled Talter with power. Until Juan closed down the temple, Talter¡¯s followers called the temple a colosseum. A colosseum had been rebuilt in that very Tantil?


    Things felt strange to Juan. His heart, which had been fully devoted to the work of killing gods for all his life, was pounding weakly. However, Juan suppressed his beating heart.


    <i>¡®I''m no longer the emperor.¡¯</i>


    Juan bit his lips.


    <i>¡®The emperor is dead. Killed by the hands of a man, and the one he trusted the most at that.¡¯</i>

 Chapter 3 – The Emperor of Two Silver Pieces (2)

    <h4>Chapter 3 ¨C The Emperor of Two Silver Pieces (2)</h4>


    Today was the third day since Juan first arrived at the colosseum. The boy wasying still in the corner of the cave. He was surrounded by the noise of pickaxes and harsh breathing. There were ongoing construction projects to expand the colosseum¡¯s underground dungeons. However, there was not enough light on the construction site, let alone equipment.


    There were only broken or chipped pickaxes striking against the wall under the light of a torch. The colosseum was built on a strong stone structure, but this underground cave was dug into ayer of soil and rocks and had no venttion or drainage systems in ce.


    Space in the dungeons was limited, as they were being used to amodate the demonic and ordinary beasts that participated in the colosseum. Thus, they were making space to amodate the ves who were usually treated with contempt. Nobody was overseeing the actual constructions and arranging theyout. There were only guards that were stationed to make sure the ves weren¡¯t messing around.


    Juan came to the underground cave to work like the other ves. Although he was in no condition to be working, he was forced toe to the construction site because they could not let him wander around alone. Juan didn''t do anything and just slowly awaited his death. The supervisor initially ordered the soldiers to throw Juan into the cave of demonic beasts, but the crazy woman stopped them. She screamed and hugged him tightly every time the soldiers approached Juan. The supervisor was not reckless enough to throw a woman into the cave of demonic beasts as well and waste his goods. Instead, he forbade Juan to eat.


    <i>¡®Three days...¡¯</i>


    Due to ack of sunlight, Juan kept track of the days by counting the number of times he was dragged from the prison to the cave and vice-versa. For three days, Juan ate some of the woman''s meals. Juan didn¡¯t want to eat the food, but the woman forced it into his mouth. Juan''s body was made of mana, but mana would constantly be consumed if he didn''t eat any food. The woman''s meal was just enough to keep him alive, but that was all. Juan was all skin and bones¡ªhe was malnourished to the extent that he was slowly but surely dying. Who would believe it if they were told that the revived emperor had died of starvation?


    The hunger didn''t bother him, but what really bothered him was his son''s face that came to his mind every time he opened his eyes. Instead of the imposing and elegant look that Juan¡¯s son had shown him all his life, it was an image of Gerard shaking in fear, with bloodied hands.


    <i>¡®Gerard, if you are alive, are you also suffering?¡¯</i>


    Juan refused to listen to what had happened after his death. Fortunately, the colosseum wasn¡¯t a ce where people spoke about such historical events. The words used here were simple and vulgar. Juan didn''t have to care about them.


    ***


    <i>¡®How much time has passed?¡¯</i> Juan wondered. While the ves were grumbling about when the meals would be served, amotion came from outside. The nking of chains, shouting, as well as the low, bone-chilling growls of a beast. The ves that were digging stuck themselves to the walls out of fright.


    "Hold it tight!"


    A ck wolf the size of an adult man walked into the cave. Its eyes were shining fiercely as if it had already been starved for several days.


    <i>¡®A demonic beast.¡¯</i>


    Unlike ordinary beasts, they were animals that had been transformed because of a god''s curse or whim. Demons existed even among humans. Even now, when most of the gods had died, there were many demonic beasts that survived by reproducing.


    "What? The cave is still under construction?"


    The men who came into the cave together secured the beast''s neck with an iron chain. Not only that, but there were two more men holding chains on both sides. The men looked around and talked. "Well, I think there¡¯s enough space now, why don¡¯t we just release it here?"


    There were outpours of screams and pleas from all over the ce. The men burst into cruelughter. They didn''t really mean to release it in the first ce. These men weren''t guards; they were ves like the ones that were digging in the cave. However, they were diators who had been inside the arena several times. diators who survived more than three battles were treated differently than ordinary ves. Their status was just below that of the soldiers, and most of their duties were simply management tasks, physical training or armed training.


    Among them, the ¡°Champion," the highest-ranking diator, was treated like he had the same position as the manager of the colosseum. Therefore,moners who found it difficult to live a normal life sometimes purposefully became colosseum ves. One of them was a bald man who had just be a diator. Although he had arrived as a ve on the same day as Juan, he had been taken to be a diator before the other ves because of the violent and wild impression he gave. The bald man was acting more violently than the others, as if he wanted to be recognized by the other diators. The diators, who saw the frightened reaction of the ves, pulled the ck wolf back with satisfaction. Because the demonic beast was pulled roughly, it twisted and growled. The starved wolf reacted sensitively to the fear in the air.


    "Looks like ¡®Butterfly¡¯ is hungry," one of the diators muttered while looking around. Who would have expected a demonic beast to have such a name?


    The ves desperately looked away.


    "Is there anyone who¡¯d like to volunteer to help feed Butterfly?"


    Of course, no one wanted to get involved with that demonic beast. However, the diator wasn¡¯t going to just wait for a volunteer. The bald man pointed to some ves.


    "You, you. Come with me."


    "<i>Gasp</i>, I-I have to work here! Over there! There''s a guy who''s not doing anything!" One of the ves suddenly shouted as if he had been waiting for this opportunity before the bald man could even finish calling him out.


    The ve pointed at Juan who was lying down on one side of the cave. Only then did the diators spot Juan for the first time.


    "What the¡ª? I thought that was a corpse."


    "He... He¡¯s alive! I-I saw someone feeding him this morning!"


    "Wait, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m making you do anything dangerous, don¡¯t be so scared... But why is this guy lying down like this? Is he sick?"


    One of the diators approached Juan and kicked him on the leg. Juan''s skinny legs shook helplessly in response.


    "I feel like he¡¯ll break if I kick him too hard. He¡¯s all bones."


    "Th-That¡¯s not true! He may seem skinny, but he actually has some fat on his belly...¡±


    "Shut that thing up."


    The bald man quickly approached the ve, who kept shouting, and punched him in the face. The ve sped his mashed nose and screamed.


    "When did we ever say we''re feeding humans to the demonic beast? What if it gets an upset stomach?"


    Though it was the diators who had deliberately misled them, none of the ves pointed it out. The ck wolf approached Juan, who was on the ground, sniffing curiously. Then a woman''s sharp scream rang out in the cave. "Ahhhh! My child! My child!"


    It was the scream of the crazy woman. The pot she was carrying fell on the floor and soup poured out. The crazy woman came running and hit the wolf in the face. The demonic beast barked loudly at the sudden hit. The diators panicked and pulled the chain to stop the beast''s rampage. They would be held responsible for the losses if the wolf went on a rampage and killed the ves.


    However, the woman constantly whispered, hugging Juan tightly without caring. "My child, I''ll protect you. I''ll protect you.¡±


    Her hands sped together like a hard lock, embracing Juan. The diators barely managed to calm the beast down after a while. It was natural for them to get furious.


    "You crazy bitch...¡±


    The bald man pulled at the crazy woman''s hair. The crazy woman screamed and refused to let go of Juan and so Juan was dragged along with the woman.


    "This bitch is really crazy."


    The diators clicked their tongues at her reaction. She had crazy eyes, scattered hair and was constantly muttering words. She didn''t look like a normal person at all.


    "Is she crazy? It seems like the supervisor is just buying ves thoughtlessly.¡±


    "There''s not much time left for the event, so these guys will be useful. They look good together, a corpse and a crazy bitch."


    The diators giggled as they looked down at Juan and the crazy woman. Then one snuck a look at the crazy woman''s body. The bald man quickly noticed his senior''s gaze, and he grabbed the crazy woman''s face and turned it side to side, showing her off.


    "She looks alright even if she¡¯s a little crazy, right? I think she''ll look fine after washing up."


    "As if we have the time for that.¡±


    A cruelugh spread among the diators. The bald man quickly forced Juan away from the crazy woman. As the crazy woman started screaming again, one of the diators hit her in the stomach. Only then did the woman be quiet.


    "I¡¯ll look after this guy," the bald man dered.


    The senior diators exchanged nces. They chained the demonic beast tightly to a stone pir.


    The crazy woman was then led by the diators to a secluded area inside the cave. The bald man gazed at their backs while smacking his lips. He nced at Juan in his arms¡ªhanging like a corpse¡ªand then dropped him onto the floor. The bald man murmured as if to gloss over his guilt.


    "Since you aren''t working, your mother should work for your share, don''t you think?"


    Juan did not answer. The bald man headed for the crazy woman, not expecting an answer from Juan. The diators were about to begin their advances on the crazy woman in their secluded corner when the bald man asked, "Hehe, seniors. It''s okay for me to look, right?¡±


    "You punk. A newbie ought to just patiently wait for his turn... Wait, what''s up with him?" one of the diators asked. The group turned their heads back slightly and their eyes fell on the bald man. The bald man was flustered at the sudden attention, but soon realized that the diators were looking past him. Following their gaze, the man turned around to find Juan standing behind.


    He was just a skinny boy that was standing there. The bald man¡ªwho had only ever seen him lying on the floor like a corpse since their first meeting¡ªwas a bit more taken aback than the other diators, but that was the extent of his surprise. However, the sight of Juan standing still felt somewhat foreign. An unpleasant silence spread among the diators. Someone whispered, "He''s... alive, right? He¡¯s not an undead or anything, right...?¡±


    Juan didn''t say anything; he didn''t even look at them. He was just standing there. However, the diators stared at him while being very still, unable to even swallow their own saliva. It was as if someone was tightly gripping their necks. The ves werepletely still as well. The only sounds heard in the cave were the sound of low breathing and ttering of chains.


    <i>¡®Chains?¡¯</i>


    The same word shed through the diators'' minds as their eyes turned to the pir where the wolf was tied. The beast trembled as it crouched. Then, it turned and started to shake violently. Each shake caused the clumsily-tied chains to rattle. Simultaneously, Juan raised his head toward the diators. Immediately, the beast broke the chains and ran free. The diators and the ves scattered around while screaming.


    But the wolf wasn¡¯t running towards the diators or ves¡ªit was running toward the exit.


    1. At this point in time, we¡¯re unsure if there are specifically demonic beasts or just demons in general existing amongst humans, since the author used the term ?? (tranted as demonic beasts) here. This will be updated as we find out in the story along the way.

 Chapter 4 – The Emperor of Two Silver Pieces (3)

    <h4>Chapter 4 ¨C The Emperor of Two Silver Pieces (3)</h4>


    "Catch it!" the one diator who stayed calm shouted. The diator closest to the demonic beast grabbed the chain desperately, but he got dragged across the ground. The diators rushed out of the cave before the demonic beast went wild. The only person that remained was the bald man sitting on the floor, with a wet spot on his pants.


    "D-Damn it...¡±


    He tried to force himself to stand up, but he copsed several times on the muddy floor as his legs had no strength. Eventually, the bald man crawled out of the cave. Then his gaze turned toward Juan, who had taken a few steps away from where he had been previously. But Juan didn''t go toward the crazy woman.


    Juan was walking very slowly into the cave. By his feet, there was a broken and chipped pickaxe abandoned by a ve. Juan picked up the pickaxe. It felt strange as Juan''s thin, twig-like arms lifted it and struck the wall. The bald man felt like the whole situation was a bit ridiculous. He had just been about to have a good time when Juan had suddenly stood up, and the demonic beast had gone wild. Moreover, the first thing Juan had done after standing up was grab a pickaxe.


    Above all, the most ridiculous thing was that he was unsure whether he had peed himself when the demonic beast went loose or when he made eye contact with Juan.


    ***


    <i>ng¨C</i>


    The sound of the pickaxe hitting the wall was very satisfying. It caused a fist-sized stone to fall out, followed by mud pouring down.. Juan grabbed the pickaxe again and leaned back. While it seemed hard for Juan to even lift the broken pickaxe, he was using it quite skillfully. It had been a long time since he had done pure manualbor.


    During his time as emperor, just a few magical incantations could create wonders. Even without magic, he had thousands of men who would do things for him. But now, all he had was a pickaxe.


    <i>ng.</i>


    When the pickaxe hit the stone stuck in the soil, his arms went numb. But this also meant that he was capable of swinging with that much power. Juan¡¯s body was unexpectedly good at pure physicalbor. Usually, the underground cave expansion would have been harshbor for a nine-year-old. Pickaxes were heavy even for adults to lift, not to mention they weren¡¯t provided proper meals. Muscles became stronger as they were torn and restored, but it was hard for them to even recover normally in an overworked environment like that, let alone increase in strength.


    But Juan''s body was made of mana, and it was building and maintaining his body. Juan''s weak body meant that the little mana he had was enough to help him recover. Mana frantically healed the muscles that Juan overworked, and his body quickly absorbed the mana in the surroundings.


    <i>¡®In the process, my physical abilities have improved considerably.¡¯</i>


    Such rapid progress wouldn¡¯t have been possible if Juan didn¡¯t have a fragile body or if he had a lot of mana. Although the people around him did not realize it yet, Juan had be much healthierpared to when he first came to this ce.


    Along with his body bing healthier, his mind had be healthier as well. He reconsidered his initial idea of dying just like that.


    <i>''My body will constantly be repaired until I run out of mana, I don''t know how long it would take if I just waited to die.¡¯</i>


    There was a strangely high concentration of mana around here. No, it seemed like that was the case for most underground areas of the colosseum. In some situations, mana naturally aggregated, but this was different. The mana wasn¡¯t clean, it smelled like blood and had a maddening aura. It was not surprising since this ce had once been used as Talter¡¯s temple. However, the mana concentration was hardly any differentpared to the past.


    <i>¡®It could be a good thing, though.¡¯?</i>Juan thought that and then stopped himself.


    It could be a good thing? It was obviously an environment that went against what he wanted. The thought of dying remained unchanged in his mind. But he was now moving, eating, and working, and that was not befitting of a man resolved to die. He tried to erase hisplicated thoughts and just moved without thinking.


    <i>¡®The emperor is dead. The emperor is dead. The emperor is dead.¡¯</i> Juan constantly reminded himself. The emperor was dead and he was just a nine-year-old ve now. It would be difficult for a child to live long in this kind of environment anyway. One would usually be eaten by a demonic beast, beaten to death, or taken to the colosseum. In any case, he would willingly open his arms to any sword trying to cut him down.


    ***


    Ten days had passed before Juan knew it. His arms and legs were still thin, but some muscles had begun to build up. From looking like he was dying, he now looked like he was barely alive. The ves who used to ignore him were taken aback. A nine year old child unexpectedly became a member of thebor force. He was even better than some clueless orzy people. When they had first seen Juan, they thought the supervisor had bought some kind of corpse, but now his reputation had changed considerably.


    The same was true of the supervisor who had decided to buy Juan. He now found Juan to be interesting. But the biggest reaction came from the crazy woman. She especially liked the way Juan changed with each passing day. She was fascinated as she pinched all over his body that had put on weight, and when they slept, she wouldn''t let him out of her embrace.


    Juan, who was unfamiliar with the concept of ''being cared for'', felt slightly repulsed, but somehow didn''t hate it. Juan had no memory of his mother. From the moment he could remember things, he was born with enormous power, had grand magicians as his teachers, and killed gods before he was ten.


    He had been revered as an emperor his whole life. Never once did he remember being a baby or whining as one. He was always in a position where he was leading, teaching, and protecting others. The crazy woman was the one who melted Juan¡¯s heart, which had long since frozen solid. While he was still ufortable with hugs, he was finally alright to hold hands.


    .


    One day while in bed, Juan had asked the crazy woman for her name, but he was unable to have a conversation with her. Juanughed and epted her hug softly.


    "What''s your name?" Juan asked.


    "Yes, my child," the woman answered softly.


    "Name. Your name," Juan repeated, but all he got was, "I won''t let you go again. My child, you can''t walk around alone...¡±


    He heard her heart beating. Her heartbeat sounded like she was saying it was okay for him to wish to live. His shoulders were no longer burdened. He no longer needed to protect humanity or lead it to a better future. He was just ¡°Juan¡±.


    Juan felt really strange about that fact. He had always lived on the edge, risking his life for the safety of mankind, their happiness and their future. That was the only life he knew. But now, he no longer felt any of thosepulsions. At first, he had thought it was because the ves in front of him were just humanoid race ves. But he didn''t feel anything even when he saw actual human ves being brought in from outside the empire. He even wondered if there really was a time when he had been the emperor.


    Everything felt like a short dream, and he wondered if his own past had been a dream too. Of course, that was not true. The pain in his chest, which still felt numb, made him feel like he still had the ck de embedded in him. But in the woman''s arms, Juan slowly forgot the touch of the ck de. The de grew dull and then faded away.


    ***


    "Hey, kid!"


    Juan turned his head to the voice calling for him while at work. It was the goat-horned man, who often bothered him. It had been a mistake to have even talked to him before. Among the mountain goat beastmen, he was quite good at wall climbing, so he was working in another area that was a little more dangerous.


    "You look a lot better than before, when you yed dead.¡±


    "¡­Get lost, Arle."


    ¡°Arle? That¡¯s an archaic word you¡¯re using there. These days, everyone just calls us ¡®beastmen.¡¯ Well, we prefer being called ¡®Arle¡¯ though.¡±


    Juan found his words strangely suspicious. When he was emperor, ¡°beastman¡± was a word used only by extreme human supremacists. Juan, who had lived during the days when humans were the minority, was more familiar with the word ¡°Arle.¡±


    "I''m just saying that because you look much better now. You¡¯re much more active and seem to be eating properly, but... how did you change so much, so suddenly?"


    Now that Juan was working, the goat-horned man would ask him to get the meals. Juan looked like he was sick of doing that. One of the downsides of being reborn was that people wouldn¡¯t obediently shut up when he told them to. Juan put down the pickaxe.


    When the goat-horned man showed up, it meant that it was time to eat. Other ves had already put down their equipment. No one spoke or joked briskly like the goat-horned man. It was normal for ves not to ask each other''s names or mention their own names. They always got involved in idents or were taken away to the colosseum. This was a ce where countless people came and went. There was no point in getting to know each other.


    The crazy woman brought back the meals. Juan didn¡¯t know where or what she was doing, but she seemed to be able to do ordinary things without an issue. It was only when she saw Juan in danger that her mind would be particrly unstable. When Juan picked up the bowl, the crazy woman pped him on the hand.


    "My child, you should pray first!"


    Juan ignored her and brought the bowl to his mouth. The lukewarm porridge had a strong smell, making him wonder what it was made of.


    <i>''Actually, it''s pretty obvious...¡¯</i>


    It probably contained the body parts of ordinary beasts or demonic beasts that died in the colosseum. The expensive parts were sold, while the useless intestines or lean meat were used for their meals. Most of the toxins in the meat disappeared when they were boiled over a strong me until the bottom of the pot got charred. There were definitely people who would still get sick from it, but the good part was that the contents were rich in mana. The average person couldn¡¯t ept mana, so most of it would be eliminated from the body, but Juan was absorbing everything he ate.


    Juan smiled bitterly. Moving, breathing, sleeping, eating, drinking and the sound of prayer seemed to have given Juan the strength to live on and to be stronger. Juan looked around as he chewed on the unidentified meat inside the porridge. Many were just eating like Juan, but there were quite a few people who prayed like the crazy woman. Juan was puzzled at the situation. Most of the gods were dead. He was certain of it, as he had killed them with his own hands. The surviving gods fled to ces from which they could not return. Thus, it seemed that they weren¡¯t praying to the gods.


    "I have no doubt that one day His Majesty will stand up and help us through this hardship...¡±


    The object of their prayer was none other than Emperor Juan.


    Juan felt strange. He was established as the guardian of mankind. But most of these ves were demi-humans and humans that were captured from outside the empire. Juan didn¡¯t know whether to sneer at them for praying to the emperor, or whether to pity them for losing their original object of worship. Not to mention, Juan saw diators, soldiers, and even supervisors praying to the emperor. Juan had seen people praising him in the past, but he hadn¡¯t known it would spread so widely that even the lower sses would do it. Even the goat-horned man was holding his hands together.

 Chapter 5 – The Awl in the Pocket (1)

    <h4>Chapter 5 ¨C The Awl in the Pocket (1)</h4>


    "Why do all of you pray to the emperor?"


    Juan asked the goat-horned man who was still praying. The goat-horned man seemed to be taken aback for a moment.


    "Why, you ask? I never thought about it."


    "The emperor is dead. Just like the other gods. So why are you praying?"


    "He is not dead. Erm, he¡­ he¡¯s asleep. We know because his body still remains intact in the center of the empire.¡±


    "...Does it not rot?"


    Juan tilted his head, and thought that maybe the magicians or extreme followers had done something to preserve his body. The art of making mummies had also been known during his time as the emperor, but he had never imagined it would be used on him.


    "Yes. It is a token of his promise to return in due course, after the spirit of His Majesty has wandered enough."


    "It looks like he¡¯s toote for the ves who are dying here.¡±


    "He suffered from our betrayal, so we are being punished with our current suffering.¡±


    ¡®Our¡¯ betrayal. Juan thought of Gerard who had stabbed him. His death had been due to the betrayal of Gerard Gain. But the people who remained on thisnd seemed to have a slightly different idea. Juan couldn¡¯t understand why these people had to suffer because of another''s sins.


    "That''s stupid."


    Juan could have refrained from saying it out loud, but he said it anyway. The goat-horned manughed bitterly.


    "Did you really have to say that?"


    "Why not pray to the supervisor instead? He is alive, can see you, is strong, and at least if he heard you, he would respond to you. Or praying to the demonic beasts or the owner of the colosseum would be good as well. Either way, it''s better than praying to a dead body."


    "Everyone prays to His Majesty."


    "Sure. And everyone¡¯s equally stupid. The praying method should be changed to hanging oneself. Then people will only pray at a real moment of desperation. Plus, there would be fewer stupid people in the world...¡±


    Juan shut his mouth when he saw the crazy woman praying in the most pious posture in this cave. The goat-horned man patted Juan on the back and said, "I understand you don''t like His Majesty very much. Especially if you''re from outside the empire.¡±


    Juan snorted. The goat-horned man continued talking.


    "I can''t exin it very well, but think of this as me trying to rely on someone that¡¯s better than me. Wouldn''t it feel good if a great person that even the supervisor and the colosseum¡¯s owner can''t go up against was on my side?" the goat-horned man asked.


    Juan then replied, "Do you think that the suffering that''s happening now is just a step towards a better future?"


    The goat-horned man eximed, "That''s right. This is all part of the Great Emperor¡¯s big n."


    Juan then asked, "What do you think is his n for the colosseum¡¯s ves thate from outside the empire?¡±


    "I don''t know since I¡¯m just a colosseum ve. The same goes for you, and thisdy here. But I believe that when the n ispleted, everyone will be convinced of it and be rewarded for the suffering that they are experiencing," the goat-horned man replied.


    "But the emperor was born for humankind, wasn''t he? Do you think mountain goat arles like you will be rewarded when the big n ispleted?¡± Juan questioned him.


    The goat-horned man''s expression stiffened. He stared silently into his bowl for a moment, then smiled and shrugged as if he were embarrassed.


    "Well, maybe like you said, we''re really like grains of sand; sand that His Majesty doesn¡¯t care about in the huge colosseum that he¡¯s making."


    ***


    The supervisor had a headache right from the start of the day. It was due to an order that came from Daeron, the manager of the colosseum. The Emperor¡¯s Birthday celebration would be held a few dayster. The colosseum, which was thergest facility in Tantil, was also a space for events held by the city. The supervisor was already busy preparing for that event, but he received an order that gave him a bigger headache.


    <i>¡®Dyeing the sand? Why sh</i><i>ould</i><i>?we do something so unnecessary ...?.¡¯</i>


    The colosseum floor was covered with sand. The sandy floor was messy with teeth, hair, and dried flesh that hadn¡¯t been cleaned up. Because of this, new sand was regrly brought in to fill the arena. But around this time every year, Daeron ordered people to dye the sand. He didn¡¯t like the white sand and wanted the color to match with the rest of the colosseum.


    Daeron, who was obsessed with the diators'' battles, paid attention to such subtleties. The problem was that sand dyeing was an exhausting task that drained people more than just physically and mentally.


    But an order was an order. The supervisor visited the cave for the first time in a long time to pick ves to dye the sand. He had to select useless ves because he couldn¡¯t use the diators for the task. However, the supervisor saw a strange sight as he entered the cave.


    "Who the hell did this...?¡±


    ¡°Did Rekto do this for fun?¡±


    Innread dot".


    ¡°Rekto? We would have seen that big guy if he came inside the cave, though."


    The soldiers were gathered around one side of the cave walls and whispered among each other. The supervisor was annoyed to see the soldiers loitering inside the cave where the ves were working and asked them, "Did something happen here?"


    "Oh, supervisor. Look at this," replied one of the soldiers.


    As the soldiers stepped aside, a hole was seen in the center of the cave wall. It felt alien because it was a hole almost the size of a person''s height. A huge rock could be seen broken into smaller pieces strewn across the floor; the biggest piece was tall enough to reach a person¡¯s waist.


    "The rock was so big that we had told the ves to leave it be, but we found it broken today," said one of the soldiers.


    "Is there anyone among the ves who could break this?" asked the supervisor.


    "With a pickaxe? That''d be crazy. You¡¯d first break your pickaxe, and your wrists too,¡± one of the soldiers replied.


    The supervisor looked at the broken parts of the rock. Breaking boulders the size of an adult was difficult without professional tools. A stonemason was able to do it, but there was no reason for such a person to be sold to the colosseum. Of course, there were no signs of explosives or fire being used. The supervisor asked the soldiers, "Did you ask the ves about this?"


    "Oh, of course, we asked them. But they said something ridiculous...¡± one of the soldiers replied.


    "What did they say?" the supervisor asked.


    "It''s...." replied the soldier.


    Upon hearing what the soldier said, the supervisorpletely forgot about the sand dyeing. He frowned as he said, "A little boy?"


    ***


    "Come on in." the supervisormanded.


    The door opened, and a scruffy boy walked into the room. The supervisor carefully scanned the boy. He looked grubby, wore muddy clothes, and had greasy hair that seemed to have not been washed for a considerable period of time. That was just how an ordinary ve looked.


    But his eyes were different. It was hard to find any emotions in the boy''s eyes. If there were any, it¡¯d be a slight irritation. The supervisor couldn''t help but find that strange. diators were ranked higher than ves, soldiers higher than diators, and he himself way higher than soldiers. When ves were usually called into the room, they were bound to be afraid or nervous, regardless of the reason.


    The supervisor wondered if the boy was out of his mind.


    "What''s your name?" He asked.


    "Juan," the answer came out snappily. The boy seemed neither crazy nor nervous. ¡®Juan,¡¯ the supervisor thought over his name. He began to admire the boy''s boldness and said, "That''s the same name as the Emperor. It''s a nice name."


    Juan did not say anything in reply. The supervisor asked, "Juan, did you break that big rock in the cave?"


    "Mhm," Juan replied.


    The supervisor thought for a moment about how to respond to Juan''s tone and attitude. Tantil was on the outskirts of the empire, and ves were often captured outside the empire. He had seen ves who couldn¡¯t speak the imperialnguage at all. Juan¡¯s words would be understandable if he was not familiar with the imperialnguage.


    "How did you do it?" the supervisor asked.


    "With a pickaxe," Juan replied curtly.


    "¡­How did you do it with a pickaxe?¡± the supervisor asked again.


    "I struck it," Juan answered curtly again.


    Of course, he could only have struck the boulder with a pickaxe. It was not like anyone could dig through it using the pickaxe like a shovel. The supervisor had an urge to strike Juan''s head with a pickaxe himself. Suddenly, a thought went through the supervisor''s mind as he pondered over Juan¡¯s response. He wore an incredulous expression for a moment before asking, "How many times did you strike that rock with the pickaxe?"


    "I didn''t count¡­ I did it all day yesterday." Juan replied.


    The supervisor stood up and touched Juan''s arm. Then he checked his hands, which had calluses. The supervisor was soon disappointed. Juan was just an ordinary boy, not in a very good shape.


    ¡°That wasn''t a rock that would break even if adults struck it all week, let alone a single day. No, it''s too big to break with a pickaxe in the first ce. So how did you¡ª¡± asked the supervisor.


    "Oh, that¡¯s only if you strike it randomly," Juan cut off the supervisor in an irritated tone. The supervisor didn''t care about Juan¡¯s tone, as he understood the meaning behind his words.


    "Wait. So you struck the same spot all day long?" the supervisor asked.


    Juan nodded, giving a ¡®What''s so difficult about that?'' kind of look.


    The supervisor pulled out a dagger from his waist. Juan raised his eyebrows as he looked at the dagger with the handle pointed at him. The boy gave a look that seemed like he was asking, ¡®What¡¯s that for?¡¯


    The supervisor knew that it was dangerous to give weapons to ves, but he didn''t think a child could do anything to him. Satisfying his curiosity came first, and so he told Juan, "Try striking the desk with this."


    Juan looked at the supervisor suspiciously but epted the dagger. Then he hit the desk as he was told. The hardwood desk was left with a white scratch. The supervisor nodded and said, "Do it one more time."


    Juan sighed and hit the desk again. The dagger struck the exact same spot again. The supervisor fiddled with his lips as if he were nervous at the sight of the dagger having struck so urately at the same spot. Juan had done it at once, without aiming or tensing his shoulders. The supervisor said, "One more time¡­¡±


    <i>Thud, Thud, Thud, Thud, SLAM!</i>


    Even before the supervisor couldplete his sentence, Juan struck the desk five times in a row. On the fifth strike, he stuck half of the de in the desk. However, there was no scratch anywhere else except for the spot where the dagger was embedded. Juan looked at the supervisor with an expression that seemed to ask, ¡®Is this good enough?¡¯


    <i>¡®This boy was telling the truth.¡¯</i>


    There was a saying that went, ¡®Constant dripping wears away a stone.¡¯ If drops of water fell in one ce over hundreds and thousands of years, it would bore a hole through rocks and eventually pierce it. The innate talent needed to swing a dagger in a straight line toward a single point¡ªthat was what this boy had. The supervisor thought, <i>¡®He has incredible talent.¡¯</i>


    Being able to wield and move weapons exactly as intended was proof that he had the potential to be an excellent swordsman. And while he had been a little rude, he had a lot of guts. Nothing would break his concentration if he fought in a real battle.


    <i>¡®He¡¯s not meant to rot away as a ve.¡¯?</i>The supervisor¡¯s job was not limited to just buying ves. It also included keeping them alive and managing them. His main task was more along the lines of recruiting potential diators and getting rid of them if he felt that they would not make the cut. The supervisor asked, "How old are you?"


    "I don''t know," Juan replied.


    "I see. Well, it doesn''t matter. If you grow a little taller and get older, there¡¯s a chance you could beat Rekto and be the champion.¡­ It will be hard to raise you until then, though,¡± the supervisor said regretfully. If Juan had looked 13 or 14, the supervisor would have suggested to Daeron to train the boy as a diator. But Juan was too young. Still, it¡¯d be a waste to let go of this talent. The supervisor thought it would be better to keep Juan within his sight and use him in moments of need.

 Chapter 6 – The Awl in the Pocket (2)

    <h4>Chapter 6 ¨C The Awl in the Pocket (2)</h4>


    "Juan, starting from tomorrow, don''t work in the cave. Instead,e straight here," the supervisor told Juan.


    "Huh? What? I don''t want to," Juan replied.


    ¡°...¡± The supervisor decided that he had to correct Juan¡¯s tone and attitude once he started working at his office. "It seems you don¡¯t understand what I¡¯m saying. I¡¯m saying that I''m going to assign you easier jobs from now on."


    "It''s okay. My life is fine the way it is," Juan told the supervisor.


    "No, your opinion doesn''t matter. You''re a ve anyway, so you just have to do as told,¡± the supervisor asserted. He hadn¡¯t thought that he would need to exin things in such detail.


    Juan looked closely at the supervisor with his arms folded. The boy seemed to be in deep thought and answered shortly, "You¡¯re right about that. But what if I refuse to obey?¡±


    The supervisor pressed down on his forehead to suppress his headache and the urge to shout. Now that he took a closer look, Juan was just a lunatic with a lot of guts. However, even if Juan was crazy, it¡¯d be reckless to waste that talent of his. The supervisor decided to take the gentle approach instead of forcing the boy. If he was going to make Juan the champion of the colosseum, nothing good woulde out of being on bad terms with him after all.


    "You don''t have to swing pickaxes into the wall all day. Isn''t swinging a pickaxe tough work? You don''t have to do that anymore. You can eat delicious food as well. Not porridge, but actual food that you can chew on. You can get fresh air, get some sun, and wash up, alright? I''ll also teach you swordsmanship myself. Actually, no, I¡¯ll talk to Rekto myself and get him to teach you. You could be a diator.¡±


    The supervisor exined repeatedly in the simplest way possible so that Juan could understand. Nevertheless, Juan did not seem to be interested at all. However, as soon as the supervisor brought up the topic about being a diator, Juan showed some interest. The supervisor caught onto that and said, "diators. You''ve seen a lot of diators, right? They¡¯re really cool, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    "As far as I know, diators are able to enter the cave freely," Juan replied.


    "Was that it? You have an acquaintance in the cave, huh? I''ll let you enter the caves freely," the supervisor assured Juan.


    Juan knew how frightened and nervous the ves got when the diators were around. He thought that if he was a diator, no one would dare to bully the crazy woman or goat-horned man thoughtlessly. He no longer felt a sense of duty for humans. But an inexplicable emotion was sprouting in Juan¡¯s heart when it came to those two. It was the same emotion he felt toward those he had once trusted wholeheartedly. Suddenly, Juan''s heart hardened as he recalled the feeling of betrayal he had felt from those whom he had once believed in. Juan had been afraid to face their betrayal, and had even given up his will to live to avoid it. That feeling of betrayal was still lurking, curled up somewhere deep inside Juan, eating away at him.


    <i>¡®When did you be so weak, Juan?¡¯?</i>Juan felt like he could hear a mocking giggle ringing in his head. Even those whom he loved, cherished and protected for decades with his sword and power had betrayed him. So why was he trying to hold the sword again for people he¡¯d known for only ten days right now?


    Juan''s hands were covered not only with the enemy''s blood, but also with his own blood. Juan bit his lips. He didn¡¯t care if he had no choice but to live on. But he didn''t want anything more than that. Nheless, the empty void in his heart longed to go back to the past. Juan then asked the supervisor, "How much am I worth?¡±


    "What? Haha, I used two silver pieces to buy you, but now... I would dly pay a gold piece. No, I wouldn''t mind buying you with a bag of gold pieces. From my perspective, you are the future champion."


    Juan then asked, "Can you release two ves then?"


    "What?" the supervisor replied.


    "It''s a crazy woman and a goat arle. Let them free, and I''ll do as you please," Juan answered. Juan no longer wanted them to get closer to his heart. But if they remained around him, then he was bound to inadvertently open his heart. The supervisor looked perplexed. There was no way he would actually buy the boy for a bag of gold, despite what he had said. It was clearly beyond the supervisor¡¯s power to free two ves. To begin with, the owner of the ves was Daeron¡ªthe manager¡ªnot the supervisor.


    "That''s a bit...¡± the supervisor trailed off.


    "Forget it then. I¡¯ll just stay in the cave," Juan replied as he gave up quickly. It wasn''t a bad idea to rot away in the dark cave either. Living in the darkness without knowing each other''s names and not knowing when they would die. He didn''t even want a better life to begin with.


    The supervisor¡¯s eyebrows furrowed. Juan still acted high and mighty even though he was so considerate towards him. Other ves would have been eternally grateful and crying tears of joy. As a supervisor, he should be the one acting high and mighty, but here he was, lowering himself before Juan. He felt like Juan was looking down on him.


    "Are you mocking me?" the supervisor asked as he mmed the desk. Juan didn''t answer but stared up at him. The supervisor saw the dagger stuck in his desk and unwittingly ced his hand on the sword at his waist. He had realized that Juan might attack him with the dagger. Just the thought of it made cold sweat run down his spine.


    Of course, Juan had no such intentions. Juan then apologized, "I apologize if I¡¯ve offended you in any way. Can I leave now?¡±


    Juan¡¯s attitude further fueled the supervisor''s anger. His sword shot forward at Juan''s face. The tip of the de twitched right in front of Juan''s eyes as the supervisor sneered, "Should I teach you some manners by gouging out one of your eyes? Will you learn humility when your tongue is cut in two? Or maybe I should slice your head off, since it¡¯s so far up your ass anyway?¡±


    The supervisor''s sword slowly moved down Juan''s cheek. The sharp de left a line of blood on Juan''s cheek as drops of blood ran down his face and rolled off his chin. However, Juan did not budge at all. His expression was the same as when he had opened the door to this room: emotionless with a pinch of irritation.


    The supervisor was so nervous that he swallowed his saliva. He felt that Juan wouldn¡¯t even blink if he swung his sword and beheaded the boy.


    He could do practically anything to a skinny boy ve with his authority. But the supervisor stood still for a long time. It would be a waste if he acted recklessly and lost such a talented boy. Then, he thought of something. A better way than simply forcing Juan to obey.


    "Arrogant brat. I guess there¡¯s no helping it since you¡¯re from outside the border. I''ll teach you some manners and how to act civilized," the supervisor muttered as he lowered his sword. He smiled slyly.


    ***


    <i>ng.?</i>The iron bars closed. Juan looked at the bald diator who locked the door beyond the iron bars. The bald diator spoke, "So, the cheeky little one was finally sent here, huh?"


    A ring of keys twirled at the tip of the bald head¡¯s finger. He was all smiles. All the diators had been flogged for letting the demonic beast escape. It was to be expected since they had let the wolf demon run away while messing around during work. But the bald head med it all on Juan. So when he saw Juan being taken towards the prison, the bald man told the soldier he would take Juan instead.


    "Do you know how much trouble I''m in because of that weird trick you pulled back then, hmm? I don''t know what kind of despicable stuff you learned from outside the empire, but...¡±


    "I''ve never learned the art of making other people pee," Juan curtly replied.


    The bald head turned red from embarrassment and shouted, "Shut up!"


    "Did I touch a sore spot? On the way here, it seemed like you were being ostracized by the other diators, but if you think it''s because of that one peeing incident, you''re mistaken. A reputation isn¡¯t built overnight. And there were two more people who peed their pants besides you back then...¡± Juan continued.


    "I¡¯m warning you, shut up! You son of a...¡± The bald head pounded on the iron bars with a spear as he warned Juan. As soon as the sharp, metallic sound rang, the screams and howls of demonic beasts burst out from every direction. The bald head stood up straight, smiled stiffly and said to Juan, "Do you hear that? There are plenty of beasts in this hallway that can¡¯t wait to have a taste of your flesh. You sure hit the jackpot since this ce is much cozier than your usual cave. Oh, it smells a little like animal poop, though."


    This was a dungeon that kept demonic beasts and monsters in captivity. Once the ves expanded their cave to a certain extent, they would pile up bricks to form the sameyout as this ce. The corridor¡¯splex structure was designed and properly equipped to allow the beasts to enter the colosseum whenever the organizers wanted.


    Juan heard the cry of a beast behind him. It was a low-pitched growl that rattled one¡¯s bones. Juan turned around. With the sound of chains scratching the floor, a pair of bright yellow eyes suddenly rushed toward him. However, the beast was only able to take a few steps.


    It was kept hungry, thirsty, and in despair, all in order for a seed of madness to sprout in its mind. The demonic beast roared and shook its front feet while trying to catch Juan. However, the chain tightly restrained it. The bald head told Juan, "That¡¯s your roommate. You''ve seen it before, right?"


    It was the wolf demonic beast that had entered the cave before. However, it wasn¡¯t in a good state, being much thinner and covered with wounds now. It seemed recapturing it hadn¡¯t gone smoothly.


    "He especially likes the flesh and bones of young children since they¡¯re squishy and fragile. That''s why we named him ¡®Child Predator,¡¯" said the bald head.


    "Didn''t you call it Butterflyst time?" Juan asked.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Seeing as how the bald head didn¡¯t answer, the child whatever thing was definitely a nickname he had juste up with.


    The bald head continued, "Well, you have no idea how fearsome the world is yet, seeing as how you always try to argue back. But since the supervisor told me to fix your manners...¡±


    The bald head pulled on a chain that was near the entrance of the prison cell, rattling it. His actions allowed the wolf to take a huge stride forward. The chain became longer than before, and the demonic beast was much closer to Juan now. The distance was close enough for Juan¡¯s legs to reach the demon if hey down facing away from the demon.


    <i>Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.?</i>The beast''s cry became more impatient and desperate than before. Juan looked into the wolf¡¯s eyes. It no longer remembered how it had run away after sensing Juan¡¯s presencest time. The demonic beast had already lost its mind from starvation. The bald head taunted, "Are you finally scared? If you kneel and beg me, I''ll put in a good word with the supervisor for you."


    The bald head giggled and poked Juan in the back. However, Juan looked back at him with contempt. The bald head didn''t like that, so he loosened the wolf¡¯s chain even more.


    <i>Clink!</i> The demonic beast took a step further. Forget lying down, Juan barely had enough space to sit now. The bald head peeked inside to check Juan¡¯s state. He judged that the boy finally felt threatened as Juan stood still and stared at the beast, barely moving a finger. The bald head then said, "You''ll fall asleep smelling the demonic beast¡¯s breath today.¡±


    Juan beckoned to the bald head. The bald head thought that Juan was finally scared and about to beg. But as soon as he leaned over, Juan pulled him by the cor. With a bang, Juan smashed the bald head¡¯s face against the iron bars, breaking thetter¡¯s nose. Juan let go of his bald head with a cheeky smile and said, "Your breath smells worse.¡±


    The bald head grabbed his bloodied face and red at Juan. The wolf began to run wild as it smelled blood. Hearing its cries, the demonic beasts in the other rooms also began to run wild.


    The bald head stared at Juan and began to loosen its chain again. The chain was released bit by bit, and the demon''s teeth approached Juan''s eyes. The bald headughed hysterically as he imagined Juan being scared and snickered, "Go on, pee your pants! You can even poop them if you¡¯re not scared shitless!¡±


    The bald head¡¯s back was covered in cold sweat, however. The supervisor had only asked him to put Juan in a room with a demonic beast that was tightly chained up. What he was doing now was far more dangerous and way beyond his authority. Now, there was barely enough space left for Juan to stand. Juan could feel the demon¡¯s hot breath on his face as the demon¡¯s teeth ttered violently.


    Then, something that no one wished to see happen, happened.


    <i>ng!</i> The starving beast was so excited at the sight of food right before it that it forcefully pulled on the chain tied to its neck.


    <i>ng!</i> Hearing that sound, the bald head tried to tighten the chain on the demonic beast.


    <i>ng!</i> <i>Crack!</i> With the sound of the chain breaking, the wolf rushed toward Juan. The iron bars bent outwards easily as the beast crashed into them. The shock caused the bald head to be knocked back and fall on his ass.


    The bald head hastily looked up. However, what he saw was the scene of Juan¡¯s left arm almost torn off at the shoulder as the demonic beast chewed on it ravenously.


    "A-Aaaaah!"


    The bald head then ran away without looking back, shouting at the top of his lungs.

 Chapter 7 – The Awl in the Pocket (3)

    <h4>Chapter 7 ¨C The Awl in the Pocket (3)</h4>


    <i>¡®How long has it been?¡¯?</i>Juan wondered as he slowly opened his eyes. He felt a slight pain as he twisted his left arm out of the wolf''s mouth. His left arm looked a little red, but he wasn¡¯t sure whether it was because of the blood, or because it had just regenerated. Or maybe it was because he had used the demonic beast¡¯s blood to regenerate.


    ¡°In any case, I''m sorry," Juan murmured as he looked down at the dead beast as it bled from the mouth and neck. The wolf was now way skinnier than before its death. As the demonic beast''s mouth was approaching Juan, he could have just epted his imminent death, but his body had moved too quickly.


    When he had extended his left arm toward the wolf, Juan had been half-certain and half-doubtful of what would happen. His body could restore itself using mana. Thus, Juan spected that he could also use the bodies of demonic beasts¡ªwhich were richer in mana than other animals¡ªto restore his body.


    The moment the demonic wolf bit his left arm, it was almost fully amputated. However, Juan thrust his hand deeper into the wolf¡¯s mouth, because canine beasts didn¡¯t have sharp fangs deeper in the mouth that could tear off limbs. Therefore, they would vomit meat that was toorge to swallow. Juan was prepared to sacrifice his arm as he reached in and grabbed the beast''s tongue. The only reason he could try something like that was because it was a wolf-type demonic beast.


    The wolf was taken aback when it couldn¡¯t bite off Juan''s arm. Juan held on desperately with his arm tucked deep into its mouth. He then dug into a wound near the wolf¡¯s neck and tore off a big chunk of its flesh with his own teeth.


    The demonic beast eventually died, though it was unclear whether it had suffocated to death because of Juan''s arm and blood in its throat, or whether it had died from blood loss because Juan tore away its tongue. Juan had also lost a lot of blood in the process, and his left arm had been barely hanging onto his body from a few strands of flesh. In addition, he had beenpletely exhausted from using several times more energy than when he had been pickaxing in the cave, so he had passed out.


    When he woke up, his arm was restored as if nothing had happened, and Juan thought to himself, <i>''If I had been chewed uppletely, I might have revived inside the wolf¡¯s gut.¡¯</i>


    He didn''t know if that would be a good thing or not. Juan gradually lost the confidence in his ability to die.


    "Hmm," Juan tilted his head as he moved his arm around. He thought he would be in a bad condition because of the blood loss, but his body felt lighter than before. It seemed like he had be much stronger too. His mana capacity had increased ridiculously as well.


    <i>¡®It must be because of the demonic beast.¡¯</i>


    Directly drinking the demonic wolf¡¯s fresh blood and absorbing more blood while regenerating his arm seemed to have helped restore his strength. It wasn''t something he¡¯d want to do again, but this was a notable development. While he didn¡¯t know how much stronger he had be, it seemed possible for him to strengthen his physical ability by using mana now.


    His stomach rumbled. Although he drank a lot of fresh blood, he suddenly felt a strong wave of hunger. Juan knew that he wouldn''t die of starvation because he had mana, but he still couldn¡¯t do anything about his sense of hunger. Juan thought about just enduring the hunger, but his gazended on the beast''s corpse.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    He was having conflicting thoughts until he heard someone calling out, "Kid."


    "Huh? What? Why are you here?¡± Juan asked. It was none other than the goat-horned man. The goat-horned man looked around with a frightened look on his face and mumbled, "I heard you got locked up. The end of this dungeon is connected to where I''m working, so I came to check up on you. What did you do to get on the supervisor¡¯s nerves... Ugh, what is that? What is this smell? A stench of blood? Are you hurt?¡±


    "Not anymore," Juan replied.


    "Not anymore? Wait, what''s that in the back? Is that a demonic beast? Are you okay?¡±


    The goat-horned man was shocked when he saw the scene behind Juan.


    "I''m fine now, " Juan replied.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The goat-horned man looked at Juan, perplexed. His eyes alternated between Juan and the fallen demonic wolf. However, he assumed that the beast had fallen asleep because the dungeon was so dark. The goat-horned man held out an object in his hand to Juan and said, "Take this."


    He gave Juan a hard piece of bread and told him, "The supervisor gave us some bread instead of porridge as a ¡®special meal,¡¯ so I brought you some. I thought you¡¯d be starving since you got locked up."


    Juan thought it would be good to postpone eating the demonic beast''s corpse untilter. He tore off a piece of bread and put it in his mouth. The hard bread became soft from his saliva, and he swallowed it slowly. As he chewed on the bread, he looked at the goat-horned man.


    The goat-horned man nodded and smiled. "Yeah. She¡¯s desperately looking for you in tears. That''s why I came here to check on you."


    "¡­I didn''t ask," Juan said curtly. They were talking about the crazy woman. The goat-horned man simply smiled at Juan¡¯s reply.


    Juan felt lost and wondered about what he should do. He couldn¡¯t just constantly stay by her side, not when they were ves. He also wondered if being apart from him would help her regain her sanity. Juan then told the goat-horned man, "I can''t go out today. They said they''d let me out tomorrow."


    The goat-horned man sighed, "I know¡­ I heard we''re working at the colosseum tomorrow, so I guess we won''t be able to see you during mealtime either."


    "The colosseum?" Juan asked as he raised his eyebrows. The goat-horned man waved his hand and replied, "The work at the colosseum is not dangerous. I heard it''s just sand dyeing or something. It won¡¯t be just me; she''s also going with me. And I''m a highly-skilled worker who can work even while hanging from a cliff, so there''s no reason for them to kill me.¡±


    Juan nodded. He thought it wasn¡¯t going to be a dangerous task if both the goat-horned man and the crazy woman were being sent. While it was just a harmless task of dyeing sand, somehow, Juan still felt uneasy and asked the goat-horned man, "Can''t you just request to work where you normally work?"


    "We¡¯re ves, we can¡¯t do as we please," the goat-horned man responded.


    Juan agreed, "That''s true.¡± His disobedience resulted in him being thrown into jail. Juan thought for a bit and decided to stop worrying. The goat-horned man said, "Well, now that I''ve seen you alive and kicking, I''m going back. If I stay here for too long, I might upset the diator whom I bribed.¡±


    Juan nodded. However, as soon as the goat-horned man stood up, Juan hurriedly grabbed onto him. "Wait a minute." Juan grabbed his own hair and ripped off a handful of it. Then, he skillfully tied his hair into a knot, which caused the goat-horned man to look at him wide-eyed. Juan seemed to have done this many times before.


    Juan handed the knot to the goat-horned man. "Take it to her.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this¡ª"


    The goat-horned man seemed to know what the boy¡¯s actions signified. Juan felt a little flustered since it was more of a military tradition than amon custom.


    Juan warned the goat-horned man, "Don''t say anything unnecessary and just give it to her. It doesn''t mean anything."


    The goat-horn man grinned widely and left with the bundle of hair. After Juan sent the goat-horned man off, he sat down against the bars. He hadn¡¯t thought much when he gave it to the goat-horned man, but now he felt like he had done something unnecessary.


    It wasn''t something he should have done, nor was it the best moment. Furthermore, Juan hadn¡¯t expected the goat-horned man to know what his actions meant, since thetter was a demihuman, but it was possible that he had served in the imperial army. Juan clicked his tongue with regret, but there was nothing he could do about it now. He thought he should ask the name of the goat-horned man when they met again.


    ***


    <i>Rumble.?</i>A group of heavily armed knights arrived near the colosseum on their horses. The person at the forefront had a g with a blue rose on a white background in her hand. The g-bearer slowly stopped her horse as she arrived at the colosseum, while dust clouds followed behind her. A soldier quickly ran to her, because he had recognized the g and knew who had arrived. He greeted the lead rider, "Dame Sina Solvane! What brings the Order of the Blue Rose here...?¡±


    "I''ve received reports of heresy here," a voice replied from behind a helmet¡¯s visor.


    The owner of the voice was an unexpectedly beautiful woman. When she raised her visor, her clean white skin and blue eyes were revealed. The eyes of the soldiers were fixed upon her charming countenance.


    Sina Solvane was the Elite Knight of the Order of the Blue Rose. She moved toward the soldiers with a frown andmanded, "Tell your master that the Order of the Blue Rose is here."


    The soldiers retreated in horror as she approached them.


    "Are you using us of heresy again?" one of the soldiers protested.


    Sina stated, "One can never fully prove their faith in life."


    The soldier retorted, "But Sir Daeron is in the middle of his work...¡±


    Sina cut him off, "I guess your master will have to meet me without any preparation, then. I hope he doesn¡¯t mind."


    Upon hearing that, the soldiers frantically ran to the entrance. The other knights hurried behind Sina, who tied up her horse and walked ahead. One of the knights asked her cautiously, "Dame Sina, it¡¯s this ce again?"


    Sina inquired without turning back, "Yes, are there any problems?"


    "Didn''t you tell the captain that we were headed to a different ce?¡± the knight asked.


    "Then he wouldn¡¯t have given us permission. Do you know how much money that swine makes from the Tantil Colosseum?¡± Sina eximed.


    Startled by Sina¡¯s response, the knight cautiously looked back at the other knights. All of them pretended not to have heard anything. The knight then said, "We all know that the captain is a swine, but won''t this be a problem? This feels like an unauthorized usage of a warrant."


    Sina replied, "There''ll be no problems if we find evidence of heresy here."


    The knight then asked Sina, "Wouldn¡¯t the fact we''ve searched this ce seven times already be a problem in itself? People might say that we¡¯re carrying out targeted investigations. Dame Sina, none of us hate you, but if you keep acting like this, you might get kicked out of the knight order.¡±


    "Ossrey." Sina stopped as she called the name of the knight she had been talking to. She suddenly hit him in the pit of the stomach with her sword hilt, causing him to drop down to the floor and throw up.


    Sina then burst out, "I was born and raised in Tantil! I know what to do to change Tantil for the better. I will do anything to bring down this disgusting ve colosseum that is ruining my hometown."


    ***


    The next morning, Juan heard the dull footsteps of boots outside his cell.


    "Did you sleep wellst ni¡ª What''s this?" The supervisor, who came in with a loud voice, was taken aback because of the disgusting stench of blood. He wondered if the demonic beast had eaten Juan.


    Juan rose from the pool of blood and said, "I thought it would befortable to sleep on because of its fur, but it wasn¡¯t."


    Juan couldn''t sleep for a reasonpletely different from what the supervisor was expecting, but the boy¡¯s reply was as calm as usual. The supervisor''s anger soared because their precious demonic beast was dead, but his desire to obtain Juan suppressed his anger.


    <i>¡®He killed a demonic beast with his bare hands at the?</i><i>age of nine</i><i>?¡¯</i>


    On top of that, while Juan was covered in blood, he didn¡¯t seem to have any major injuries. Juan¡¯s age or physique no longer mattered.


    <i>''This guy''s a preciousmodity.''</i>


    Greed stirred within his heart. It didn''t matter if it was something beyond what he could handle. He asked Juan, "So, have you changed your mind?"


    "I''ve already told you my terms,¡± Juan replied, annoyed.


    Unexpectedly, the supervisor agreed, "Sure, but you may change your mind if you take your time to think about this."


    The supervisor beckoned the soldiers to handcuff Juan''s wrist and dragged him out. Juan did not resist at all. The supervisor thenmanded them, "Let''s go."


    Juan was led by the soldiers as they followed the supervisor. The long hallway under the colosseum was crowded with diators that were training or fooling around as they prepared for the event, and they looked at Juan curiously. In the colosseum, violent diators walked around freely even though they were armed. But a weak boy was being taken away in handcuffs? Just what kind of crime had hemitted?

 Chapter 8 – Sand Dyeing (1)

    <h4>Chapter 8 ¨C Sand Dyeing (1)</h4>


    While walking, Juan looked toward the cave where he would usually be working. Of course, neither the goat-horned man nor the crazy woman could be seen. They must be working at this time. Juan remembered what the goat-horned man had told him yesterday and thought, <i>¡®He did say they''d be working at?</i><i>the arena.¡¯</i><i>?</i>


    He recalled what the Tantil''s colosseum used to look like. The currentyout was simr to the colosseum in his memories when he had infiltrated and killed Talter of Madness. It appeared that they were reusing most of the facilities. However, the people here didn''t seem to know much about the secret facilities and equipment that only the priests of Talter had used in the past.


    <i>''</i><i>We¡¯re headed to the arena.¡¯?</i>It seemed that there was a lot of work to do, since they had even assigned the crazy woman there. But that was exactly why the situation felt strange to Juan. For such arge-scale operation, there weren¡¯t that many workers in his field of view. He suddenly felt uneasy as they arrived at the long staircase on one side of the corridor.


    "Do you know where we are? The diators call these stairs the ¡®Stairway of Glory.¡¯ Even lowly servants and ves can get a feel of the glory on this sand," the supervisor exined to Juan. Juan took a step forward, ignoring the supervisor''s sarcastic words and causing the supervisor to frown as he hurried after Juan. Before they arrived at the arena, they met an unexpected person at the end of the stairs.


    "Sir Daeron," the supervisor called out to the man who stood on the stairs, staring down at the arena. He was an old man with long gray hair tied in a ponytail. His skinny face looked like a wastnd with cracks here and there.


    The supervisor asked Daeron, "Are you here to check on the sand dyeing? It is proceeding smoothly."


    "Yes, I think it looks alright."


    Daeron, who was the colosseum¡¯s manager, lifted a handful of sand and slowly let it go. The crimson sand poured down like an hourss. He then said to the supervisor, "The darker the color, the better. Use as much dye as you need.¡±


    Daeron turned and walked past the supervisor. He never looked at Juan during this encounter.


    The rigid supervisor sighed, messed up Juan''s hair and said, "You¡¯re lucky. If I had received the order one day earlier...¡±


    Juan had frozen from the moment he saw the red sand that Daeron let out in the wind as it had a thick stench of blood. It wasn''t just the stench of dry blood that the diators had shed in previous battles. No, the blood smelled richer and fresher than that. It was blood-stained with fear, not excitement or anger. Juan walked up the rest of the stairs with the supervisor right behind him. The strong afternoon sunlight shone on Juan¡¯s head as his gazended on a red arena. The center of the huge colosseum was filled with crimson sand. There were some dots here and there. Juan''s heart pounded.


    Those dots were dead bodies. Juan had spent his whole life on the battlefield, so he figured at a nce what had happened here. He could vividly imagine everything, as if it had happened right before his eyes.


    <i>The early morning air was cold. There was a tense atmosphere among the ves. The soldiers had a cruel smile on their faces, and before anyone knew it, the soldiers had their first victim on their sharp spear. A man with a half-cut ankle fell down screaming. ves with big and small wounds ran around frantically. The ves quickly ran in all directions throughout the colosseum. The soldiers let them run away and stabbed them from time to time.</i>


    <i>ves that ran or desperately fought back were violently stabbed by knives or spears. The pursuers also stabbed the injured ves once more. No one was fatally wounded. Their hearts needed to beat faster for them to bleed even more. Each of the fallen groaned and screamed. They were dying slowly, and they spilled blood with a revolting smell as their skin became pale. Flies were the only ones joyfully dancing inside this bloody arena.</i>


    Juan¡¯s toes dug into the rustling red sand. The sun-dried blood was coloring the sand in vivid red. <i>¡®Dyeing the sand, huh?¡¯</i> Juan thought. There wasn¡¯t a more appropriate expression for this task. Juan began to walk through the sand in the colosseum arena.


    He saw the figures of a man and a woman not too far away. A pool of yet-to-dry blood drenched his feet as Juan stepped toward them. He didn''t need to walk for long. The two hadn¡¯t gotten very far. That was only natural since the goat-horned man had run with the crazy woman in tow. The goat-horned many on top of the crazy woman, as though to protect her. Mountain goat beastmen had strong legs and were good at climbing rock walls. If he had decided to run away on his own, the goat-horned man could have gotten to the arena wall before dying. He could¡¯ve gotten stabbed at the bottom of the smooth wall after desperately¡ªand unsessfully¡ªattempting to climb it.


    But he hadn¡¯t done so. Instead, he had chosen to die with over a hundred wounds on his body while protecting the crazy woman, who was already on the verge of death. The crazy woman was also curled up, as if she was protecting something with her body. Juan crouched and found what she gripped tightly in her hands.


    It was a clump of ck hair soaked in blood. When Juan had been the emperor, soldiers had a tradition of tying a bundle of their hair and leaving it behind in their hometown before departing.


    The people who kept the bundle of hair were the soldiers¡¯ mothers, or people who would protect it until the soldiers returned, so that they would have someone to go back to. It represented their vow to return no matter what.


    <i>¡®My child.¡¯</i>


    Those words suddenly echoed in Juan¡¯s mind, and he burst intoughter. One of the soldiers asked, "Supervisor, what is it with this guy?" The supervisor responded, "Leave him alone. He must have met someone he knows." The supervisor grinned and looked at Juan''s back and thought, <i>¡®Stupid fellow. If you had listened to me, then you''d have been able to see them onest time.¡¯</i> The supervisor approached the boy, slowly touched his shoulder and whispered in his ear what seemed like an excuse, "Now, Juan, what''s happened is inevitable. The manager ordered me to dye the sand, so there''s no way I could refuse it."


    He then continued his monologue. "Let''s forget about the past and be practical here. Death is a tragedy for anyone, but... being alone is an advantage in the harsh life of a ve. Moreover, what an honor it is for them to be the red soil for the celebration of the 94th anniversary of His Majesty''s birthday."


    Juan wondered, <i>¡®The emperor?¡¯?</i>


    The supervisor continued, "It is much better to face such a noble death than to be eaten by demonic beasts or die in a dungeon without ever seeing the sun. In other words, I¡¯ve given them the opportunity of a lifetime.¡±


    <i>¡®What the hell is he saying?¡¯</i>, Juan thought.<i>?</i>


    "Usually, we would dye thisnd with the blood of strong men, since His Majesty hates weak offerings. So wouldn¡¯t it be a great honor for a demi-human¡ªa mentally ill female elf at that¡ªto offer her blood to His Majesty? She would be the pride of her race.¡±


    <i>¡®Offering blood to the emperor?¡¯?</i>


    The supervisor then eximed, "But the biggest gift of all is you. I''ve never seen a talent like you. I have no doubt that you will be the champion when you¡¯re fifteen, the year that marks exactly 100 years since His Majesty''s birth! His Majesty loves the strong! I will be able to offer His Majesty the greatest gift!¡±


    Juan slowly looked back at the supervisor. The supervisor was filled with ecstasy and narcissism. Juan¡¯s head dropped. The supervisor opened his arms and tried tofort Juan by hugging him.


    But suddenly, something struck him in the chest. A gruesome, bone-crunching sound resounded in the supervisor''s head. He rolled on the floor several times and vomited blood. Several of his ribs seemed broken. He didn''t even know what had hit him.


    "Supervisor!" the soldiers shouted while hurrying towards them. The supervisor looked at Juan with blurred vision and saw the boy¡¯s left arm dangling, bent at a strange angle.


    <i>¡®Did he do it with that arm? Did he punch so hard that he broke his own arm?¡¯?</i>The supervisor frantically looked for the sword around his waist, but all he could find was sand.


    "What are you doing? Try to put up some resistance." Juan spoke while looking down at the supervisor with his pitch-ck eyes, holding the missing sword in his hand. Intense darkness that was deeper than the night swirled in his eyes.


    "Didn''t you say that the emperor hates weak offerings?" Juan whispered as he stabbed the sword into the supervisor''s neck.


    ***


    Sina turned her head to the uproar that came from the colosseum. It seemed to be quite themotion, since she could hear it from the reception room. However, today was not a game day. There was no reason there would be any noises. The manager Daeron also looked toward the colosseum and wondered what the disturbance was about.


    "There seems to be a practice match today." Sina tried to probe Daeron for information.


    Daeron replied, "No, they¡¯re dyeing the sand for tomorrow''s game.¡±


    Sina asked again, ¡°Don''t you have to go check on themotion?"


    "It''s just a little fuss. I couldn¡¯t possibly inconvenience an Elite Knight for a small matter." Daeron smiled.


    Sina felt more ufortable when she saw his smile. Daeron was a very meticulous and cautious man. It would not be easy to find evidence of heresy from him.


    "So, what exactly are you looking for? You said that I¡¯m suspected of heresy, but it''s hard to find a servant as faithful as I am to His Holy Majesty. Both my running of the colosseum and the dedication of one-tenth of my profits to the Church are proof of my faith to His Holy Majesty."


    "Money doesn''t buy faith. If there is even a single act of heresy, no proof of faith will be enough to cancel it out," Sina retorted.


    Daeron smiled and thought to himself, <i>¡®She¡¯s just an annoying irrational fanatic.¡¯</i>


    Sina smiled too. <i>¡®He¡¯s just a murderer who thinks money is everything.¡¯</i>


    Sina then continued, "Anonymous reports suggest that the way the colosseum operates is simr to the rituals held by the heretics that were here in the past, before His Majesty killed Talter of Madness. Do you have anything to say about this?"


    Daeron replied, "It''s just a coincidence. I''m just dramatically reenacting the process where the Great and Holy Emperor killed Talter. He snuck in as a ve and confronted the god. So there are bound to be some simrities to the rituals of those heretics.¡±


    Sina then questioned him, "I hear that most ves die in your reenactments. Are you implying that His Majesty was humiliated and murdered in the confrontation?"


    Daeron then exined, "It''s just a representation of human beings who were helpless under the rule of the gods before His Holy Majesty¡¯s descent. Aren''t there ves who sometimes stand out heroically? The crowd is excited about the advent of such a hero, and when that happens, I dere, ¡®His Majesty has descended!¡¯¡±


    Sina then remarked sarcastically, "The sacred body of His Majesty is enshrined only in the Imperial Pce. Those words could pose a problem.¡±


    To which Daeron replied, "That sounds reasonable and correct. But how can one notpare the image of a hero to that of His Holy Majesty? It¡¯s just an expression of admiration from my uncivilized hometown, so please turn a blind eye to it."


    Sina tried to find loopholes by talking to Daeron, but it was not easy. He acted ignorant and foolish, but he had a solid story. Sina had already anticipated that Daeron would not be an easy opponent. As such, Ossrey and the other knights were already investigating every corner of the colosseum. Unless they found something concrete, it''d be a wasted trip today. This could be thest time they could investigate this ce, so Sina wanted to shut down this colosseum no matter what. The colosseum had been created when she left her hometown to be a knight. Of course, even back then, Tantil had not been in a particrly great state. However, with the advent of the colosseum, the darkness within Tantil had grown deeper.


    It began with the open establishment of the colosseum battles, which used to be secretly held underground before. The scale of the ve market, which profited from the colosseum, had also grown. Blood and life were treated as insignificant, worth only a few copper coins. The effect eventually spread to the general public. As people were traded around, it had be a trend to put a mary value on people¡¯s lives. When Sina returned as a knight, her hometown had beenpletely ruined.

 Chapter 9 – Sand Dyeing (2)

    <h4>Chapter 9 ¨C Sand Dyeing (2)</h4>


    During her knight training, Sina had studied the history of the emperor''s era. Thus, she had discovered that the colosseum¡¯s current activities were simr to what the heretics of old used to do. But Daeron had proven himself as a faithful believer of the emperor. The priests judged that Daeron¡¯s faith and love toward the emperor had no issues, though no one knew if some of them had been bribed by Daeron. Actually, there was a chance that none of them had been bribed. Numerous people were killed in the name of the emperor at the colosseum while others praised and glorified the emperor fanatically, and that was the only thing that mattered to the Church.


    ¡°Speaking of which, aren¡¯t you the one who needs to prove your faith, Dame Sina?¡± Daeron asked.


    Sina frowned and questioned Daeron, ¡°What are you trying to say?¡±


    Daeron then replied, ¡°His Majesty emphasized the importance of obedience and discipline. From what I know, you are not the captain of the Order of the Blue Rose, yet I seem to be seeing you way more often than him. The captain has never seemed to have a problem with me, so could these investigations be your arbitrary and unauthorized actions¡­?¡±


    Sina retorted, ¡°Don¡¯t distort His Majesty¡¯s words. ¡®Submit to a better will. Although there is no wrong, there is always a better.¡¯ And, ¡®The discipline that binds people together isn¡¯t considered submission. An individual is only a small stone, but tied together through discipline, you will be a formidable fortress wall¡­¡¯¡±


    Sina was about to start a lengthy speech about the holy war, but stopped as someone knocked on the door, causing Daeron to frown.


    Sina felt embarrassed for having fallen for Daeron¡¯s provocation, getting agitated and almost starting to ramble. She was here to interrogate Daeron, not to teach him about history. In spite of that, she was the one who had ended up ranting.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Daeron asked.


    ¡°M-Manager, there¡¯s been some trouble at the colosseum,¡± a soldier replied.


    ¡°Trouble?¡± Daeron asked as he got up with a frown but stopped upon seeing Sina. ¡°Dame Sina, it seems today¡¯s not a good day. May I take my leave first?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. If there¡¯s trouble at the colosseum, it would probably involve violence, wouldn¡¯t it? Let me give you a hand,¡± Sina replied. <i>¡®Daeron¡¯s having trouble? This could be an opportunity for me.¡¯?</i>


    Daeron hesitated for a moment but nodded nonchntly. They hurried over to the arena.


    When they arrived, they saw soldiers shouting. ¡°Shoot him! Turn him into a porcupine!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s happening here?!¡± Daeron shouted, causing the soldiers to stand down immediately. Daeron and Sina walked past them and peered into the arena.


    Daeron then muttered, ¡°That¡¯s¡­?¡±


    The situation within the colosseum was gruesome, and there were very few soldiers left standing. Most of them were either dead or screaming as they watched their own intestines flow out. Some could also be seen trembling as they stood glued to the wall. The arena was filled with bleeding corpses, dyeing the sand crimson. There was only one person on his feet in the center of the arena, and he had arrows stuck all over his body.


    ¡°The manager is here! Hold!¡± one of the soldiers shouted. As the arrows stopped, the man who had been turned into a porcupine slowly copsed, revealing the young boy that hid behind him.


    ***


    When Juan had thrust a sword through the supervisor¡¯s neck, the soldiers still weren¡¯t aware of what had happened. Even though this was the colosseum, their opponents so far had only been ves, madmen or drunkards who couldn¡¯t put up much of a resistance. They would have been a little nervous if they had been up against a healthy and strong man, but they couldn¡¯t imagine a ten or so-year-old as their enemy. The scene where the supervisor copsed almost appeared to be a prank, but it certainly wasn¡¯t one, as Juan then charged toward them.


    ¡°A-Arghhhh!¡± someone screamed.


    The soldiers only realized what was happening when they heard a second scream. By then, Juan had already moved on, attacking a third person. Usually, it would be impossible for a child to cut off a person¡¯s head, unless they were swinging their weapon downward with all their strength.


    However, Juan had spent an entire lifetime on the battlefield as the emperor. His experienced eyes could pinpoint the location of the soldiers¡¯ neck joints and cleanly sh through that needle-like gap between the joints. The sight looked ridiculous, as the heads of strong, healthy adult men dropped to the ground one after another. The soldiers wondered if all of this was a dream.


    Juan had cut down six people before he felt troubled due to having run out of breath. Even if they weren¡¯t strong opponents, the soldiers were still armed adult men. They wererger than him and easily outnumbered the boy.


    In order topensate for the differences in their physical abilities, Juan shifted some of the mana that was maintaining his body towards increasing his mobility. Juan could still escape if he used his mana to escape instead of fighting, but he continued wielding his sword.


    He swung, shed, and cut people down. His swordy was concise with no wasted movements. Juan¡¯s motions were simr to a farmer harvesting wheat, but the difference was that he was harvesting human heads. He used repetitive, mechanical movements in order to reduce his mana consumption as much as possible, which only intensified the soldiers¡¯ fear.


    ¡°Don¡¯t charge recklessly!¡± themander shouted.


    Even without his orders, whoever was left among the soldiers had already retreated quite a distance. The trembling spear tips were a clear indication of their terror.


    Themander counted the remaining soldiers and was left in shock at how many had been killed in that short period.


    Fortunately, Juan looked exhausted. Themander thought they would have a chance at winning if they were to continue attacking. But he wasn¡¯t sure if the soldiers would attack at hismand. Even now, his subordinates were distancing themselves from the boy as they nced at themander.


    During this stalemate, Juan managed to take a break and catch his breath.


    .


    <i>¡®This feels strange.¡¯</i>


    When he had been the emperor, his heart would ache at even the loss of one human life as if it were his own. Of course, he understood the value of sacrifice, and he had also ordered his own people toy down their lives on several asions. Those that had sworn fealty to the emperor obeyed his orders willingly, and Juan had ensured that their sacrifices weren¡¯t in vain. As he had mourned them, Juan had med himself for not having been able to do more for them.


    But just now, he had taken numerous lives with his own hands. Yet, strangely enough, Juan didn¡¯t feel sorry for them. He could only hear the voices of the supervisor that worshiped the emperor, the goat-horned man as he mademe jokes, and the crazy women who called him ¡°my child¡± in his head.


    Juan tightened his grip on the sword. The hilt contorted under the pressure and was on the verge of breaking.


    <i>¡®Am I¡­ angry right now? I was worshipped as the guardian of mankind, but here I am, beheading humans in anger at the death o</i><i>f two demi-human ves.?</i><i>My teacher, Dane, wouldugh if he ever heard about this. Or maybe he¡¯d get mad?¡¯?</i>Juan suppressed these unnecessary thoughts, however.


    <i>¡®...Whatever, I don¡¯t care.¡¯</i> He quickly refocused on the ongoing fight. He checked on how much mana he had left, and judged that there was enough to kill the remaining soldiers. The problem was what would happen next. The soldiers around him weren¡¯t the end of it. Even now, there were archers aiming at him from afar.


    ¡°Loose!¡± themander shouted. In response, Juan quickly picked up a dead soldier as a shield.


    Although he was a lot healthier now, Juan still had the body of a frail nine-year-old. While dodging would be easy, he would have to use mana for that. That was unsustainable, since he had limited mana. As such, he used the corpse to block most of the arrows.


    An arrow pierced through the corpse and scraped against Juan¡¯s skin. He endured the pain, gathered his strength and thought, <i>¡®Another opportunity wille.¡¯</i>


    Numerous arrows struck the corpse and a few of them brushed against Juan¡¯s feet and calves. Juan still held onto his breath as he waited for an opportunity. Suddenly, Juan heard someone shouting, and crouched down after realizing that it was the voice of the manager that he had seen just now.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening here?!¡± Daeron yelled.


    ¡°The manager is here! Hold!¡± one of the soldiers shouted. The rain of arrows stopped as Daeron entered the colosseum. Juan dropped the corpse and charged forward from his crouched position. Daeron¡¯s shocked face was within his sword¡¯s reach.


    But before the fear in Daeron¡¯s eyes could change into pain, Juan¡¯s de was stopped. The sound of two swords shing rang clearly throughout the colosseum.


    ¡°Who the hell are you? How¡­?¡± An unknown female knight had stopped Juan¡¯s attack.


    ***


    Sina was taken aback. She had reflexively pulled out her sword to block Juan the moment she saw him charged toward Daeron. She wouldn¡¯t have cared if Daeron died multiple times over. But if he died before she found any evidence of heresy, then a new manager would simply take over his position.


    However, the moment she shed with Juan, she had a different problem.


    ¡°How do you know the Baltic Sword?¡±


    A powerful frontal thrust as one charged forward with their sword¡ªone of the basic sword techniques that all knights of the empire learned. Each knightly order had their own swordsmanship, but they were mainly based on the Baltic Sword that His Majesty had apparently taught his disciples.


    Currently, the Imperial Guards still used the Baltic Sword in the exact same way His Majesty had taught it. Once mastered, it was said to be on par with magic. But even if one had only learnt the basics, it was still a powerful style, practical for livebat.


    Juan¡¯s footwork, swordy, and posture were all perfect; this was no coincidence.


    Instead of answering the question, Juan swung his sword and attacked Sina. She was startled and took a step back, as she couldn¡¯t believe the bloodlust she sensed from such a young boy.


    However, she was a top graduate of the Knight Academy and Elite Knight of the Order of the Blue Rose, one of the knight orders overseeing the Southern Imperial Army. While the Knight Captain was chosen based on experience and leadership, an Elite Knight was chosen purely based on skills, and Sina was talented enough to rise to that position at such a young age.


    ¡°Do you have a teacher? The Baltic Sword is not meant to be taught to just anyone. Even more so for¡­¡± <i>More so for ck-haired barbarians.</i> Sina swallowed her words as she saw Juan¡¯s hair.


    Teaching a ck-haired barbarian that came from outside the ¡®border¡¯ was an obvious act of heresy. It was to the extent that as a knight of the empire, Sina would have to kill Juan right away. Sina looked like she was being pushed back for a second but recovered immediately. She could see that Juan was exhausted, wounded and had really bony arms.


    <i>¡®Did he really ughter all these soldiers and attack me with that body?¡¯</i>


    Sina could kill Juan immediately, but hesitated. She might have found an unparalleled genius. She then shouted at Juan, ¡°Surrender!¡±


    But Juan swung his sword instead of replying. Sina bit her lips and parried Juan¡¯s attack, destroying his sword in the process as it was already chipped and cracked.


    Nheless, Juan still held onto the sword hilt. <i>¡®I guess this is it for me.¡¯?</i>Juan stumbled and copsed on the spot. It was clear he had lost consciousness as the whites of his eye could be seen.


    ¡°This fucking bastard¡­¡± one of the soldiers shouted as he charged toward Juan with a spear.


    ¡°Stop!¡± Sina shouted hurriedly.


    Juan¡ªwho was thought to be unconscious¡ªdodged the spear by a hair¡¯s breadth, grabbed the spear shaft, and pulled. The soldier stumbled and fell before the boy, who then bit off a chunk of his victim¡¯s neck. The soldier squirmed and struggled to get away from Juan, but he eventually stopped moving.


    Covered in the soldier¡¯s blood, Juan red at Sina.


    Sina shivered at the thought that she could have been in the same situation if she had let her guard down and approached Juan. No one dared to approach the bloodied Juan.


    A whileter, Sina finally confirmed that Juan had lost consciousness with his eyes open. It was for real this time. The female knight then picked the boy up.


    Daeron approached her and asked. ¡°Dame Sina, this boy is¡­?¡±


    ¡°A ve diator, it seems.¡±


    Sina smirked at the manager.


    ¡°What are you doing? Shouldn¡¯t you be eximing, ¡®His Holy Majesty has descended!¡¯ right now?¡±

 Chapter 10 – Sina Solvane (1)

    <h4>Chapter 10 ¨C Sina Solvane (1)</h4>


    No matter where you looked, mes engulfed everything. It looked as if the fire had extended to beyond the horizon. Even though they were surrounded by the ocean, the sea of mes did not die down. Within the demon-like mes, no one could differentiate between the living and the dead. The mes surged intensely, as if they were intent on burning down the skies.


    Inside those mes, one man could be seen walking. He walked calmly as if the mes didn¡¯t exist at all. He wore light clothing with a travel pack slung over his shoulder and a longsword on his waist. He suddenly stopped walking when he saw something. He looked above and shouted, ¡°You¡¯re pretty good!¡±


    The ce he was looking at had a dead blue dragon. Its huge body was as big as a mountain but its head was bloodied and stuck in a crater on the beach. A man wearing armor was panting heavily on top of that dragon¡¯s head. Surprised by the voice, the armored man turned his head and greeted the man in light clothes.


    ¡°I... pay my respects to Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Gain, it seems you¡¯ve made quite a mess here,¡± the lightly-clothed man spoke.


    ¡°The negotiations... didn¡¯t go too well,¡± Gain replied.


    ¡°Dragons are very inflexible and arrogant. Did you kill them all?¡±


    ¡°I killed seven ancient dragons... I think those were all. But the Dragon Lord has escaped,¡± Gain struggled to answer while panting heavily.


    ¡°Drink the dragon¡¯s blood, you should feel way better after that. Don¡¯t worry about the one that escaped; I¡¯ve taken care of it.¡±


    Gain¡¯s eyes widened. The lightly-clothed man emptied the pack on him and the head of a blue-haired old woman rolled out from it. The severed section of the neck still had fresh blood dripping out.


    ¡°It seems they had no intention of negotiating from the start. She wanted to raise a tsunami in the eastern sea to divert our attention. I happened toe across her on my way here, so I cut her down.¡±


    Gainughed dispiritedly when the lightly-clothed man acted as if he had just plucked off an apple he had chanced upon. Gain remarked, ¡°It seems I¡¯ve inconvenienced you, Your Majesty...¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a bad idea to try and resolve matters bying to apromise. It¡¯s always a good idea to solve things without shedding blood, but they had intended to backstab us from the start,¡± the lightly-clothed man shrugged. He then continued, ¡°I¡¯m thinking of killing all the adults for this betrayal, as we only need to tame the hatchlings. I¡¯ve already cut down a few on my way here.¡±


    ¡°You want to kill... all the adults?¡± Gain asked.


    ¡°Those who want to escape will escape eventually, but they won¡¯t dare to think ofing back to the archipgo. There¡¯s no way I¡¯ll forgive those who dared to trick my son,¡± he smiled.


    ***


    Juan woke up from his sleep, feeling a slight headache and a sense of unpleasantness. Technically, the memory itself was quite pleasant if he remembered it on its own. The face he hadn¡¯t seen in a long time and the subjugation of the rebellious dragons of the eastern archipgo were nostalgic memories. It had been a while since he had dreamt something¡ªother than the time Gerard Gain had stabbed him in the back.


    Just then, an unpleasant sensation swept across him. He looked around him and found himself in a room with damp and moldy stone walls. There was no one else in the room.


    Juan unknowingly reached out for the crazy woman¡¯s hand, only to realize that she was no longer there; that he would never hold her hands again. At that moment, a great sense of loss overwhelmed the boy.


    It felt like anotherrge hole had opened up in the same spot where Gerard Gain had stabbed him in the past. The sense of loss and despair rooted itself deep in his heart.


    ¡°<i>Urgh</i>!¡±


    Before he knew it, Juan had vomited onto the prison floor. The floor was now soaked with the blood of the demonic beast he had drunk the previous day along, with chunks of some mysterious food. His hands were trembling as he lifted them up; someone seemed to have treated his wounds and bandaged them.


    <i>¡®Even though?</i><i>I should have died, here I am, alive and kicking, while unrted people keep dying instead.</i><i>¡¯?</i>He went into a daze as he realized that strangely enough, he didn¡¯t feel regretful for having survived.


    He had never thought of wanting to live longer, nor did he have any ns for the future. But when he had been soaked in the blood of the soldiers as he attacked them, he hadn¡¯t had any thoughts of dying.


    Juan suddenly checked his mana heart¡¯s condition. The mana heart was different from a physical heart; it controlled the flow of mana inside his body. When Juan had been the emperor, he had pulled out the heart of Mananen Mcleir, the Mana God, and used it as his mana heart.


    Juan still remembered how to utilize the infinite power and strength he used to have, despite having lost it all. He also remembered the method to destroy the mana heart.


    If Juan really wished to die, he could do it easily by destroying his mana heart. It was easier to do than making a fist with his hand. An ordinary person would just lose the ability to control mana if their mana heart was destroyed, but that was not the case for Juan. Since his physical body was made up of mana and recovered with mana, the loss of his mana heart would spell death for him. Juan found it strange that he hadn¡¯t thought of this method in the first ce.


    <i>¡®Did I not want to die?¡¯</i> he asked himself.


    Indeed, it was the undeniable truth that Juan hadn¡¯t really wanted to die. He still had a lot of unanswered questions, things he had to do, and people he cherished. He used to be really happy.


    But he had chosen to ignore all of that and had chosen death instead; he didn¡¯t want to be revived either. Juan realized that he had been avoiding his future because he was scared of it.


    However, something had snapped within him when he had seen the supervisor worshiping the emperor and massacring ves in the name of the emperor. Juan knew that the world he loved wasn¡¯t perfect and also knew the true reality of human nature, but he had strived to make the world as perfect as possible up until his death. Yet, this ce was nowmitting the very deeds he had once banned, and they imed everything was in his name. They killed the people he cherished and used that as worship for his name.


    Juan felt an emotion rising deep in his heart¡ªa dark and disgusting emotion he had never felt before in his life. He no longer wished to look back on what had happened... He had no idea how to describe this feeling, but he had be aware of it and ended up surviving. The crazy woman and goat-horned man¡¯s bodies were telling him that he still had things he had to do.


    ¡°What more do I need to do?¡± Juan mumbled. He closed his eyes and remembered the sight of his hair scattered in the puddle of blood next to the crazy woman.


    Juan had no ce to return to.


    But at the very least, he now wanted to live on.


    Juan struggled to sit up straight. His body screamed from the muscle pain all over. That was to be expected, since he had used mana to forcefully go beyond his body¡¯s physical limits. Fortunately, he didn¡¯t have a lot of mana in the first ce, so he recovered his mana pretty quickly.


    <i>¡®Talter.¡¯</i>


    That was the name that Juan immediately thought of. Dark emotions caught hold of Juan and swallowed him. The boy sensed a very faint energy that he hadn¡¯t been able to sense until yesterday as he had been indifferent toward everything. Juan could sense traces of Talter somewhere within the colosseum.


    Juan was certain he had beheaded and killed Talter. But gods had lives that were more tenacious than cockroaches. Even with some believers and trivial motives, they could be revived. Of course, it¡¯d take them a long time to regain the power they had during their prime, just like the current Juan.


    Juan wore a dreary smile as he came up with the first thing on his bucket list: killing Talter. If Talter had a corpse, Juan would destroy it and grind it into powder. If Talter had a soul lingering around, he would erase it from existence. The manager and his subordinates were practically apostles of Talter, so they needed to be killed as well.


    Killing his enemies was Juan¡¯s field of expertise. To be more specific, killing gods was what he was best at.


    He felt great now that he had a purpose. Juan took up afortable position and shifted the flow of mana headed towards Talter to himself instead. He focused on recovering his mana, but the process was slow. It was like quenching arge, arid desert with drops of water. While concentrating, Juan also reflected on his battle at the colosseum.


    <i>¡®I acted too emotionally.¡¯</i> Juan had often acted as he pleased when he was the emperor, but he no longer had the power to do that anymore. Killing the soldiers was still eptable, but he should have retreated the moment he had to fight the female knight.


    He had no qualms about running away since he was used to making tactical decisions from when he had been the emperor. Moreover, the female knight didn¡¯t seem to be one of Daeron¡¯s subordinates, so there had been no reason to fight and kill her.


    <i>¡®The female knight had pretty good swordsmanship.¡¯?</i>He also remembered her mentioning a ¡®Baltic Sword¡¯ or something like that. Juan didn¡¯t recall giving his sword style such a name. He had simply called it ¡®Imperial swordsmanship¡¯. But the name Baltic reminded him of a man¡ªBarth Baltic.


    <i>¡®The Grand General.¡¯</i>


    Barth Baltic had been thest survivor of the hornsluine race, who had crown-like horns, and a strong warrior whom Juan could entrust his back to. Barth had sworn allegiance to Juan and vowed to kill gods for the rest of his life when they had ughtered all of his kind.


    Juan had taught his own swordsmanship to Barth, whichter became the foundation of the first military that was established in the empire. Although he was the one who had taught Barth, these sword skills had be, in a way, a symbol of Barth Baltic. Hence it was understandable as to why people would name it ¡®Baltic Sword¡¯. Since Juan had established the basics of most techniques known to man, he had way too many styles that could be attributed to him, so he was willing to let Barth have this one.


    Juan smirked at his own childish thoughts. He had felt that his thoughts had be childish ever since he had been reborn as a child. It was natural for someone to behave the way they were treated by others, after all.


    In any case, Juan had made a mistake by not retreating the moment he had shed with the female knight. Had she not held back, he would have died then and there. No¡ªthat wasn¡¯t a guaranteed oue, since Juan would most likely get revived again.


    <i>¡®I need to prepare some countermeasures.¡¯</i>


    Juan had struggled in the previous battle because he had been forced to fight so suddenly. He hadn¡¯t been able to use magic, summoned beasts, or even use his best techniques. Not to mention that at this moment, all those skills would ce a burden on his body. There was not much he could do in a situation where he was restricted so heavily. But Juan did think of one option.


    <i>¡®Magic seals.¡¯</i>


    It was a technique where a magic tattoo was engraved on one¡¯s body in order to reduce both the mana consumption and the time needed to castplicated magic spells. Depending on the mage, there were instances when one covered their entire body with magic seals. But not only was the process usuallyplicated and delicate, one could even die if something went wrong. Also, magic seals shed with other seals if one had too many of them.


    <i>¡®That doesn¡¯t apply to me though.¡¯</i>


    Juan¡¯s body was made of mana itself, so using mana was no different than breathing to him. The problem was deciding on what magic seal to engrave. He didn¡¯t want to have any useless seals, but also couldn¡¯t engrave seals that would consume a lot of mana due to his limited mana reserves. He needed the most useful seal based on his current condition.


    After pondering for a while, Juan thought of something. High-rank magic with low mana consumption that most people didn¡¯t use due to its high difficulty¡ª<i>¡®Blink.¡¯</i>


    It was a useful spell that quickly moved the user to their desired location. However, unlike the spell ¡®Teleport¡¯, Blink simply shot the user toward their desired location. Thus, mages that couldn¡¯t control the magic would end up crashing into walls or people at high speed, making it a highly difficult spell. That was why most magicians used Teleport over Blink.


    <i>¡®But this is very useful for me in my current situation.¡¯</i>


    Firstly, it didn¡¯t require much mana. Second, if he could control it well, he would be able to use it to either attack or escape. Juan focused mana onto the back of his hand, causing a painful crimson pattern to emerge as the mana burned his skin. Using mana to burn a seal into the skin was an extremely advanced technique even among high-rank techniques.


    Juan smiled bitterly as he engraved the tattoo without making a single sound.


    <i>¡®I wouldn¡¯t even need a magic seal if this was my old body.¡¯</i>


    Juan had been able to easily use even the highest-rank magic as if he were breathing, and he could have easily obliterated the entire colosseum with just a bit of mana.


    But that was the past, and this was now. Juan continued to focus on engraving the seal.

 Chapter 11 – Sina Solvane (2)

    <h4>Chapter 11 ¨C Sina Solvane (2)</h4>


    <i>ng, ng.</i>


    Juan turned his head toward the hallway at the sound of someone banging on the iron bars. An unexpected visitor hade to visit. It was Sina Solvane, the female knight whom he had fought before he had lost consciousness.


    She unlocked the door to Juan¡¯s prison cell while the soldiers behind her red at Juan with hostile eyes. Juan tensed up as he thought the soldiers were here to take revenge.


    Sina spoke, ¡°Come out.¡±


    ¡°What for?¡± Juan asked.


    Sina threw a sword at Juan instead of replying. It wasn¡¯t one of the longswords used by the soldiers, but a shortsword that was more suitable for Juan¡¯s current physique.


    <i>¡®If she wanted to kill me, she wouldn¡¯t have given me a sword.¡¯?</i>Juan thought before picking up the sword and following her.


    Sina didn¡¯t cuff Juan, nor was she wary of him. She just asionally checked if Juan was still following her since his footsteps were silent as the boy was barefoot.


    They soon reached their destination, a training ground within the colosseum. Usually, this ce would be noisy with diators training here, but it was quiet now, because it was in the middle of the night. The soldiers remained at the entrance as they kept an eye on both Sina and Juan.


    Sina threw away her torch and turned to Juan. Seeing her actions, he knew what she wanted to do.


    <i>¡®I guess she wants to fight, huh?¡¯</i>


    Juan wanted to preserve his mana for emergencies, and she wasn¡¯t his enemy. His enemies were Talter and everyone rted to the colosseum. So he didn¡¯t want to waste his mana reserves on the female knight, especially since she wouldn¡¯t be an easy opponent.


    But the young warrior¡¯s challenge had ignited a spark within Juan¡¯s heart. Back when he was the emperor, Juan rarely refused challenges. While he felt that he was acting emotionally again, the boy still raised his sword.


    ¡°I am Sina Solvane, Elite Knight of the Order of the Blue Rose,¡± Sina introduced herself.


    ¡°Juan.¡±


    Sina looked puzzled by his name. Juan¡¯s ck hair made him look like someone that was from beyond the borders, since that was one of their characteristics. Yet, he had the same name as the emperor. After some thought, Sina felt it wasn¡¯t surprising, since parents would want their child to have a name that sounded strong regardless of where they were from.


    The two duelists both took short breaths¡­ and started fighting without any warning. The sharp sound of their swords shing rang clearly throughout the training ground.


    Sina took advantage of her bigger physique and swung down hard from above. She wasn¡¯t going to go easy on Juan just because he was a child.


    However,Juan easily took on her onught, and he was even able to retaliate. On his fourth attack, he also stealthily added a little tweak to his offensive.


    Right after thatst sh, Sina quickly put some distance between them and looked at her trembling, numb hands. Although Juan was a little out of breath, he didn¡¯t look nervous at all. The boy looked puzzled when Sina lowered her sword as she exhaled deeply.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°This is good enough,¡± Sina replied.


    Juan understood what she meant, even though he didn¡¯t feel satisfied. Meanwhile, Sina felt conflicted. She had decided to use an ordinary sword that soldiers used instead of her usual weapon to bnce out the fight. She also hadn¡¯t used her full strength during this short duel. But Juan¡¯s performance was beyond what she had imagined.


    <i>¡®In terms of swordsmanship, he might be on par with me... No, he might even be better than me.¡¯?</i>


    She wasn¡¯t confident she could win against Juan if he were taller and stronger. Juan had even understood the purpose behind her request to spar.


    Juan¡¯s mannerisms were not what one would expect from a kid. The boy had even attempted to fling her sword away the same way that she had done to him in their previous fight at the arena. Had she been any weaker, Sina would have dropped her sword.


    ¡°You¡¯re pretty good.¡± Sina praised the boy.


    ¡°You¡¯re quite good yourself,¡± Juan replied.


    Sina felt that Juan was just saying so out of courtesy. There was no way the boy far younger than her meant those words of praise, despite being far more skilled. Yet, Juan had meant each and every word.


    However, she still couldn¡¯tpare to him. If Sina was an outstanding genius who had trained for ten years, then Juan was the greatest genius of history¡ªthe likes of whom had never been seen before, nor would ever appear again in this world¡ªwho had trained for decades in actual battles and wars.


    <i>¡®I did use a lot of mana during that spar, though.¡¯</i>


    Sina hadn¡¯t been an easy opponent. More importantly, Juan had used mana while Sina had used only her physical strength to fight.


    <i>¡®If Barth were here, he''d probably take her in as his pupil.¡¯?</i>


    Since his race had been exterminated, Barth couldn¡¯t leave behind any descendants. Thus, he was obsessed with taking in more and more disciples. If Barth had seen Sina, he¡¯d definitely have taken her in as his pupil.


    ¡°Where did you learn how to use the sword?¡± Sina asked.


    ¡°By myself,¡± Juan replied.


    ¡°Don¡¯t joke with me. Do you think you¡¯re His Majesty The Emperor or something?¡± Sina retorted sarcastically.


    Legends said that the emperor was born alone, grew up on his own, and grasped the principle of all creations on his own. Needless to say, as a knight, Sina believed in that story.


    Juan didn¡¯t answer her and maintained an aloof attitude. He wasn¡¯t going to react to the taunts. Sina¡¯s expression hardened since Juan didn¡¯t deny her words at all.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think that you are on par with His Majesty just because you have the same name. I might overlook this now, but you had best be careful of how you behave in front of others. You¡¯vemitted heresy with that attitude of yours,¡± Sina exined.


    ¡°So what? Are you going to cut my tongue off?¡± Juan retorted.


    ¡°I won¡¯t do such a horrifying thing. I¡¯d rather behead you with one clean swing. How could I do something as horrible as cutting off a child¡¯s tongue?¡± Sina said as she clicked her tongue, looking appalled.


    ¡°Can¡¯t really see the difference between those...¡± Juan replied.


    Sina sat down on the training ground and tapped on the spot in front of her. Once Juan sat down in front of her, she opened a small bag of food. It was just bread, cheese, and water.


    While Juan was able to function with mana alone, he could still do with some food in his stomach.


    ¡°You truly are one strange kid,¡± Sina told Juan.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Juan replied.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t apliment. It has been 47 years since the beginning of His Majesty¡¯s eternal rule, and yet not only do you not revere him, you don¡¯t even fear him. I¡¯ve never seen anyone like you,¡± Sina exined.


    ¡°If I had to choose between fear and reverence, then that wouldn¡¯t be reverence but tyranny,¡± Juan replied.


    ¡°How are you rted to the temrs?¡± Sina changed the topic.


    ¡°The temrs?¡± asked Juan.


    ¡°Don¡¯t feign ignorance. Everyone who knows the Baltic Sword should be rted to the temrs. Even though I was stripped of my position as a temr, I¡¯m still obliged to follow the creed. I received the authority to execute you from the moment I found out that you were using the Baltic Sword from unknown origins,¡± Sina told Juan.


    Juan was puzzled. <i>¡®Is the Baltic Sword something that only temrs can use?¡¯?</i>


    He asked Sina, ¡°I didn¡¯t know about that. And what¡¯s that about an eternal rule? It¡¯s been 47 years since it began?¡±


    ¡°...You¡¯re truly ignorant. His Majesty fell into an eternal slumber because of the vile apostasy. But his sacred body still remains to lead us, residing inside the Imperial Castle without rotting to this day. That is what the eternal rule is. If the false gods ever return, His Majesty will surely rise again and guide us courageously. And it¡¯s been 47 years since the glorious eternal rule of His Majesty began,¡± Sina exined.


    Juan felt that he had heard this somewhere before. After thinking for a while, he realized that the goat-horned man had told him this story previously, albeit with slightly different details.


    Considering how Sina mentioned some ¡®vile apostasy¡¯, it certainly looked like Gerard had been exposed for having killed Juan. While he had hoped for a positive future for Gerard, it seemed unlikely for his son to have escaped Juan¡¯s numerous followers, especially since people were worshiping him like an idol now.


    ¡°Hmm. That¡¯s interesting. A corpse rules the empire, huh?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Even though we may not hear His Majesty¡¯s voice, he can still talk to us via prophecies, omens, and prayers,¡± Sina exined.


    ¡°With things like the sudden appearance of flocks of crows, nightmares, the birth of deformed animals, and the movements of the stars?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Sina replied.


    <i>¡®Seriously, this sounds like a shady cult.¡¯</i>


    Juan smiled as he held himself back from saying his thoughts aloud. He had spent so much time and effort to eradicate such ridiculous behaviors when he had been the emperor, but it seemed like these things were still well and around.


    It seemed like some ridiculous ploy was happening in the empire, and the people were still falling for such obvious lies as they had in the past. But this time round, it was in his name.


    Juan smiled coldly.


    ¡°But there must be someone who¡¯s actually ruling the empire, right? Who is it?¡± he asked.


    Sina answered Juan despite being bothered by his arrogant attitude.


    ¡°It¡¯s Grand General Barth who used to serve His Majesty by his side in the past. He was the one who took down the ¡®Six Apostates¡¯ who dared to try and murder His Majesty and quelled the chaos that took ce in the empire. While that can¡¯t bepared to any of His Majesty¡¯s achievements, Grand General Barth isn¡¯t someone you can look down on.¡±


    ¡°Barth Baltic?¡± Juan asked.


    Juan was puzzled. He had not expected Barth Baltic of all people to be the one ruling the empire. Barth Baltic had been someone who focused solely on killing the gods and had no interest in power or authority. But Juan then shook his head.


    <i>¡®If I had been such a good judge of character, I wouldn¡¯t have been backstabbed.¡¯</i>


    In any case, 47 years had already passed. Most ordinary humans from his time were probably dead by now. Since the members of the hornsluine race had long lifespans, it wasn¡¯t surprising that among those he knew, Barth Baltic was the one still alive. Maybe he had onlye into the position of authority because there had been no one else. But Juan didn¡¯t wish to meet him. He just wanted to observe from afar at most.


    Sina exined what had happened after he had died. The Six Apostates were all people Juan knew personally.


    Gerard Gain, the emperor¡¯s eldest son and the Order of Lindwurm¡¯s Knight Captain, who had plunged the sword in the back of the emperor.


    Winoa Weaver, Captain of the Imperial Guards, who had approved of the assassination and intentionally neglected his duties and reduced the security.


    Dane Dormund, the Grand Magician who had given Gerard the cursed weapon.


    Harmon Helwin, the Grand Duke, who had controlled the flow of information and prevented reinforcements from arriving.


    Ras Raud, the emperor¡¯s youngest adopted son and the Order of Huginn¡¯s Knight Captain, who had raised an army to split the empire.


    And finally, ine Elliot, the emperor¡¯s lover, who had deceived and blinded the emperor.


    They were all people that Juan had loved and thought he knew well. Sina mentioned that most of them had died or escaped during the purge led by Barth Baltic. Among the emperor¡¯s adopted children, his second, Nienna Nelben, and his third, Dismas Dilver, had taken part in the merciless purge.


    Juan closed his eyes, as he couldn¡¯t listen to the details anymore. He heaved a huge sigh upon realizing that Gerard wasn¡¯t the only one who had betrayed him. His own children, teacher,rades, friends, and even his lover had betrayed him. To make things worse, they had also fought and tried to kill each other. This was the truth that Juan had wished to never find out, and perhaps also the reason why he hadn¡¯t wanted to live on.


    Juan bit down on his lips and decided to forget all of this. Since he had already died, all of these things didn¡¯t matter to him anymore; they were things that he couldn¡¯t control.


    Sina spoke to Juan, ¡°You truly know nothing at all. I wonder if it¡¯s because you came from beyond the borders...¡±


    Juan didn¡¯t reply. Sina continued.


    ¡°Honestly, I feel slightly responsible and sympathetic towards you. So, I want you to follow exactly what I tell you to do.¡±


    ¡°Why should I?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°Because you¡¯ll die tomorrow if you don¡¯t do as I say,¡± Sina curtly replied.


    ¡°Oh no! Anyway¡­¡± Juan shrugged.


    ¡°Daeron¡ªI mean, the colosseum¡¯s manager is targeting your life and the vulgar entertainer side of him was triggered. This is a great chance for him to put on a show. Do you understand what that means?¡± Sina asked Juan.


    ¡°What does it mean?¡± Juan questioned.


    ¡°It means you¡¯ll die in the most terrible way that Daeron can possibly imagine,¡± Sina exined.


    ¡°How scary,¡± Juan said monotonously.


    ¡°I¡¯m not joking. You¡¯ll be participating in a match tomorrow. You might be able to beat me, but the opponents you¡¯re facing tomorrow aren''t human. Even the weakest among them would be tough to defeat. And if you do survive tomorrow, you¡¯ll definitely end up dying in the colosseum eventually,¡± Sina told Juan sternly.


    Juan started to lose interest as it was difficult to find out the gist of what she was trying to say among her long ramblings.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s your point?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°I want to save you,¡± Sina said.


    She continued, ¡°If you tell me where you learned swordsmanship, I¡¯ll convince my captain and officially recruit you into our knight order. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s one of the retired knights who taught you anyway. Although right now you can only be said to be a heretic rebelling against the emperor, if you join our knight order, you¡¯ll definitely be a genius that will shock the world.¡±


    Juan stopped eating his bread and stared at Sina emotionlessly, causing her to be taken aback at his sudden change in attitude.


    ¡°There were two other people who said simr things to me before,¡± Juan muttered.


    ¡°...So?¡± Sina asked.


    ¡°I pierced the throat of one of them with my sword today,¡± Juan replied.


    Sina didn¡¯t reply. Juan continued eating his bread and spoke again.


    ¡°The second person stabbed me in the back with his own sword. Judging from these statistics, it¡¯ll be one of the two situations. Either I¡¯ll stab you with my sword or you¡¯ll stab me with yours. Which do you want to be?¡±


    Sina wasn¡¯t able to answer him.


    1. An apostate is a person who willingly betrays and abandons their god and/or religion/sect/cult.


    2. The Lindworm/Lindwurm is a wingless, serpentine dragon.


    3. In Norse mythology, Huginn and Muninn are a pair of ravens that fly all over the world, Midgard, and bring information to the god Odin.

 Chapter 12 – Sina Solvane (3)

    <h4>Chapter 12 ¨C Sina Solvane (3)</h4>


    Juan smirked and shook his hands in refusal, ¡°In other words, I refuse.¡±


    ¡°Think over this again. My suggestion to you does not have any ill intentions. While you are exceptionally strong right now, you still have areas to improve on. The knight order will be able to help you polish your skills, and with proper guidance, you¡¯ll definitely improve much more. You might even... be a temr if you do well, and have Grace bestowed upon you despite being a ck-haired barbarian,¡± Sina told Juan in a serious tone.


    ¡°Grace?¡± Juan questioned.


    Sina replied, ¡°Yes. It¡¯s usually something that only those affiliated with the Church can receive, but His Majesty is magnanimous. Even though I¡¯m no longer a temr, I still have the Grace that was bestowed upon me. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll definitely be one of the strongest people within this empire in the near future. You might be ck-haired, but there can always be exceptions. Sir Barth Baltic is also a demi-human after all.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s a ¡®grace¡¯ though?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°...I can¡¯t believe that someone who doesn''t even know His Majesty¡¯s Grace has the same name as His Majesty, and is able to use the Baltic Sword so well. Did your teacher not teach you these things?¡± Sina eximed.


    ¡°As I said, I¡¯m self-taught,¡± Juan replied.


    ¡°Your attempts toe up with excuses to protect your teacher is admirable. But I don¡¯t care about that anymore, so think carefully before speaking from now on. Grace is a power that is bestowed by His Divine and Holy Majesty upon the followers who obey his will. Using that power, one can demonstrate a portion of His Majesty¡¯s power,¡± Sina exined.


    Juan smiled and said, ¡°Looking at you, it doesn¡¯t seem like his grace or whatever has helped you much. Seems like you don¡¯t like the emperor as much as you im.¡±


    ¡°You little brat, I already told you to watch your words...¡± Sina spoke as she stood up with a stiffened expression.


    She exasperatedly continued, ¡°Get up. Maybe the reason why you¡¯re so condescending towards His Majesty is that you¡¯re from beyond the borders, so you haven¡¯t seen His Majesty¡¯s power before. I didn¡¯t even use his Grace in my fight with you.¡±


    ¡°Are you the type that gives excuses like, ¡®I¡¯m actually left-handed¡¯ when you lose? I¡¯ve seen a few guys like that,¡± Juan taunted Sina.


    ¡°I might be lenient towards behaviors that arise due to ignorance, but as you head towards the empire¡¯s capital, you need to be more careful about how you behave. I want to help you polish your skills no matter what, so I¡¯ll teach you a lesson this time around and show you the greatness of His Majesty,¡± Sina told Juan.


    ¡°You don¡¯t think that long-winded talks make you look more dignified or something, do you?¡± Juan snickered.


    ¡°Silence!¡± Sina eximed.


    Sina¡¯s face reddened as she raised the sword in her right hand. She then tilted it sideways and held the metallic de in her left hand. Juan was interested in the female knight¡¯s actions. While it was a little different from what he remembered, it was simr to a stance he had seen before.


    Sina bent down and abruptly swung her sword. A sudden burst of light filled the whole training ground. Juan couldn¡¯t help but be surprised when he saw that.


    Mana condensed onto Sina¡¯s de and shot out as a beam of energy when she swung her sword, as if to tear apart space.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    The wooden dummies that were on one end of the training ground split in half and fell to the ground. Other than the three dummies that were over ten meters away from her, all the dummies to the right of Sina had been split open.


    ¡°Did you see that? This is the power that His Majesty¡¯s Grace grants. And this is just a small fraction of the power. Grace can manifest in many different forms. If youe along with me, you might be bestowed this power too.¡±


    Sina didn¡¯t look tired at all, despite having discharged so much power. She had a triumphant look on her face as she saw Juan¡¯s surprised look and thought that Juan felt intimidated by the power of the Grace.


    But Juan was surprised for a different reason.


    <i>¡®Isn¡¯t that my mana?¡¯</i>


    The light that came from Sina was indeed Juan¡¯s mana from when he had been the emperor. Mana carried the inherent scent of its user and Juan¡¯s scent could be detected from the mana that Sina had just discharged. The ¡®Grace¡¯ that Sina had mentioned, Juan¡¯s mana that had been mostly lost, and everything he¡¯d experienced so far only led to one exnation.


    His mana still existed somewhere in the world and was being used.


    While Sina called it ¡®Grace¡¯, it was just simple magic. But the casting method and the mana it used, everything was stolen from the emperor. A type of magic activated via prayers. That was the ¡®Grace¡¯ that Sina and the Church were talking about. And this ¡®Grace¡¯ was distributed among a very small group of people, like the temrs and the priests.


    Usually upon one''s death, one¡¯s mana would disperse into nature; but somehow, someone had managed to capture and maintain the emperor¡¯s mana. That person was even distributing the mana as they pleased and was tantly calling it ¡®Grace¡¯.


    ¡°Oh my, you look so surprised,¡± Sina said sarcastically.


    ¡°It¡¯s more like you¡¯ve piqued my interest,¡± Juan replied.


    Juan was curious as to who dared to steal his mana and use it, but he still had no intentions of epting Sina¡¯s offer.


    ¡°That¡¯s all there is to it. I have no intentions of joining the knight order.¡± Juan continued.


    ¡°What? Why...?¡± Sina was puzzled.


    If one became a temr, they would obtain a high social status, even if they had been at the bottom of the society beforehand. Very few could be temrs, and there were a lot of people trying to be one. In order for one to be part of any knight order, they needed to have a certain level of strength.


    ¡°I told you already. I can¡¯t tell you who my teacher is because I don¡¯t have one. And I don¡¯t intend to learn from anyone,¡± Juan replied. If he really had to mention a teacher, it could be said that he had a teacher in the art of magic, but none for swordsmanship. Hence, he didn¡¯t think it was a lie to say that he didn¡¯t have a teacher who had taught him swordsmanship.


    Sina bit her lips. If Juan didn¡¯t cooperate, then she wouldn''t be able to convince Daeron to spare the boy. If Juan revealed his teacher and followed Sina, it¡¯d be reason enough to spare Juan.


    On the other hand, Juan¡¯s rebellious attitude was just proof of heresy. Even though she felt like it¡¯d be a great pity to lose Juan here, Sina didn¡¯t want to feel like she owed Daeron anything.


    <i>¡®It¡¯d have been better if I could just force him to do things my way.¡¯</i>


    But Juan was hard to deal with and Daeron¡¯s soldiers were watching them.


    Sina sighed. ¡°Words really don¡¯t get through to you, huh?¡±


    She hesitated for a while before removing the ring she was wearing and giving it to Juan. Although it was a woman¡¯s ring, Sina could put it on Juan¡¯s finger because his fingers were thinner than hers.


    ¡°This is a ring that my mother passed down to me. If you have this, it should help you survive this ce a little longer.¡±


    It was a silver ring that had exquisite designs carved on it, and while the ring was a little scratched, one could see that it was well maintained. The moment Juan wore the ring, he could feel a boost in vitality and an increase in his physical abilities as the ring¡¯s mana circted through his body. Juan felt like he was now as strong as an average young man even without using his mana. The difference was apparent to him, since his body was extremely weak to begin with. If an adult man wore this ring, he¡¯d only feel an increase in strength of about 30%.


    Juan looked at the ring and asked, ¡°Did your mother serve as an imperial guard?¡±


    ¡°What? How do you know that...? Have you seen this ring before?¡± Sina was stunned.


    <i>¡®That¡¯s because I¡¯m the one who gave these rings out to the imperial guards...¡¯</i> Juan swallowed the words that were about to escape. If he said those words aloud, Sina would definitely make a fuss and tell him to watch his words. Juan was starting to get sick of Sina making a fuss about everything.


    Juan asked, ¡°I think I¡¯ve heard of it before. But isn¡¯t this a ring that an imperial guard only passes down to their sessor?¡±


    ¡°How do you know such random information when you don¡¯t even know what the emperor¡¯s Grace is...? Well, I¡¯m d that you at least know the value of this ring. The symbolism of the ring is indeed more important than the magic that¡¯s imbued in it,¡± Sina exined.


    The ring was something that Sina¡¯s mother had given to her in hopes that she would be an imperial guard. However, Sina had failed to prove her faith in the capital and had been sent to the empire¡¯s outskirts. It was unlikely for her to be an imperial guard in the future.


    ¡°It¡¯s a ring that one always carries on themselves, and passes it down to a youngster who might be their sessor. Once one bes an imperial guard, the strengthening magic in the ring bes basically useless. Needless to say, owning the ring doesn¡¯t necessarily make one an imperial guard, so there are a considerable number of these that have been lost over time. There were three hundred rings originally, but I heard there are fewer than a hundred left now,¡± Sina exined.


    ¡°Is it okay for you to give this to me, though?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°You...¡± Sina trailed off and sighed as she felt that Juan was so clueless about her intentions.


    Sina continued, ¡°Survive. I¡¯m telling you to survive and make it to the capital.¡±


    ¡°Oh, is that it?¡± Juan smiled as he shook his hands dismissively, ¡°I was intending to go there even if you didn¡¯t give me this.¡±


    Sina¡¯s face brightened up at Juan¡¯s reply. However, Juan hadn¡¯t said that to make her happy; in fact, it had been for selfish reasons. Someone had been making use of his name in the capital, inciting people to worship him all the way to the outskirts of the empire, and even making people perform blood rituals in his name. And there were also ridiculous things going on, like the temrs, the church, and the ¡®Grace.¡¯


    The man who used to y gods was now being worshiped as a god himself. Things couldn¡¯t get more ironic and nonsensical than this. A dark emotion filled Juan¡¯s heart. He had to see for himself what on earth was happening in the capital.


    His second goal after killing Talter was going to the capital. He was going to show the people in the capital how gods were killed. He was going to make those who ruined the empire he had left behind suffer by dyeing the capital with their blood, just like how blood had been spilled across the colosseum arena.


    Sina flinched at the smiling Juan, as she suddenly felt like she had just made a mistake. It felt like she had awoken something that shouldn¡¯t have been awoken.


    Juan asked Sina, ¡°You said the manager is an entertainer, right?¡±


    ¡°What? Yes, he does have such a personality...¡± Sina replied.


    ¡°That¡¯s great. I guess I¡¯ll y along with him then,¡± Juan said.


    Before Juan went back to the capital, he had to take care of this darn god of blood and madness.


    ***


    Juan was escorted by Daeron¡¯s soldiers to his prison cell. Meanwhile, Sina remained behind and stared for a long time at where Juan had been sitting. A weird feeling lingered from their meeting.


    ¡°Dame Sina,¡± Ossrey called out as he revealed himself from his hiding spot behind a wall.


    ¡°Everything¡¯s fine,¡± Sina replied.


    ¡°Will this be okay? The boy looks really suspicious even at first nce. He might cause some problems,¡± Ossrey asked.


    ¡°Just leave him be. He¡¯s not a bad kid. I¡¯ll take care of this matter,¡± Sina told Ossrey.


    Just as Ossrey had mentioned, Juan did look suspicious in various aspects. However, Sina felt something beyond just a sense of familiarity from Juan, and that triggered something intrinsic within her.


    <i>¡®This feels like when I saw His Majesty¡¯s holy body.¡¯</i>


    However, Sina immediately shook her head because it was a foolish and heretical thought. She then spoke to Ossrey to shift her thoughts elsewhere.


    ¡°Did you find any clues in regards to Talter of Madness?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes. We were able to find some leads, thanks to you diverting their attention. While nothing is certain yet, the majority of the colosseum¡¯s structure definitely matches the blueprint you showed us. Based on the blueprint, the colosseum itself is some kind ofrge-scale contraption,¡± Ossrey exined.


    Sina asked, ¡°A contraption¡±?


    ¡°Yes. We still need to look further into this but... based on the blueprint, there¡¯s an underground space in the shape of a pyramid below the colosseum, and it¡¯s even bigger than the colosseum itself. It seems to be some kind of underground cistern, but we¡¯re unable to find out why or how it¡¯s being used. However, if Daeron knows what its function is and is using it, then this is more than enough evidence to suspect him of heresy,¡± Ossrey exined again.


    ¡°I see. Since the event is tomorrow, I¡¯m sure there¡¯ll be some movements. Let¡¯s continue looking into it until then,¡± Sina said.

 Chapter 13 – Repaint (1)

    <h4>Chapter 13 ¨C Repaint (1)</h4>


    The grandstand of the colosseum had been fully packed since early in the morning. Today¡¯s diator match was a huge one that had been advertised for a long time: a bloody battle between a monster and a human. This had people brimming with excitement. Sightings of monsters or demons were rare in the outskirts of the empire, unless an event was taking ce.


    In the past, when the emperor had been killing gods, numerous legendary monsters had been killed along with them. Monsters or demi-humans were generally created to fulfill the needs of the gods. Because of that, the death of a god was directly connected to the survival of a species.


    Eventually, the demi-humans became the ve ss in the society, while demons and monsters were driven close to extinction. What remained was just a handful of monsters living beyond the borders.


    Tantil¡¯s citizens, as well as spectators that came from all over the world, were excited as they talked about today¡¯s match.


    ¡°Of course, the champion, Rekto, will win! Have you forgotten how he asked for three people to fight against him in the challenge match and won against all of them?¡± one of the spectators asked.


    ¡°Even so, he¡¯s only the strongest within Tantil. I heard that the manager brought Centurion Rampage from the eastern city just for today¡¯s event. Even though he¡¯s retired, do you think his centurion title was just for show?¡± one of the spectators boasted.


    ¡°A retired diator that gambled his life away should just get lost,¡± another of the spectators sneered.


    ¡°Yeah, even though Rekto looks a little ugly, he¡¯s better,¡± one of the spectators added on.


    ¡°You fools, they¡¯re both still just humans. Among the monsters that will be appearing today is a one-eyed giant that they caught from beyond the borders. How would a monster that could only be subjugated by an army be defeated by a few ve diators?¡± yet another of the spectators snorted.


    ¡°Hmm, a one-eyed giant? Isn¡¯t that a little far-fetched?¡± one of the spectators eximed.


    ¡°Well, you never know. If they really managed to get a one-eyed giant here today then...¡± another spectator trailed off.


    The manager heard themotion among the spectators from where he was seated. He sat closest to the arena, yet still had the best view in the colosseum. Despite hearing the spectators¡¯ excited voices, Daeron¡¯s face remained stiff.


    Although he carried a hardened expression usually, it was even worse today. Even the grandstand filled with enthusiastic spectators could not change his stiff expression. His subordinates were inevitably nervous around Daeron, since he was especially sensitive in times like this. At that moment, someone approached him thoughtlessly.


    ¡°It looks like the spectators want me to get out there quickly,¡± remarked Rekto, the champion of diators at Tantil.


    Rekto would usually be on standby at the participants¡¯ waiting area, but Daeron had called for Rekto because he wished to check on his condition.


    A swordsman with a cold and indifferent face stood nkly behind Rekto. The swordsman was skinny and had muscles built in the right areas; byparison, Rekto¡¯s huge physique was rather plump.


    ¡°Rekto, Rampage,¡± Daeron greeted the pair as he walked towards them, tapping them on their shoulders.


    Daeron continued, ¡°Looks like the spectators have great expectations for today¡¯s match, I have faith in your performances today.¡±


    ¡°Kahaha, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll snap the neck of this bony man here!¡± Rekto roared.


    ¡°How much would I be getting for this match? I¡¯d like to get it in advance and bet all of it on myself,¡± Rampage asked Daeron.


    ¡°Ha! Looks like you¡¯ll be a penniless beggar then! Oh, I guess you won¡¯t need the money since you¡¯ll be dying anyway? Kahaha!¡± Rekto sneered at Rampage.


    ¡°I¡¯ll put some of my winnings on your grave,¡± Rampage smirked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk big at this point, the prize money will be given only to the victor,¡± Daeron told both of them.


    Rekto and Rampage¡¯s eyes narrowed at his words. While their lives might have always been a mess, they had climbed to where they were today using their own abilities. They had noticed what Daeron was trying to hint at.


    ¡°Well, is there really going to be a one-eyed giant?¡± Rekto asked.


    ¡°...What a fool. Do you think we would have missed seeing a one-eyed giant in the colosseum? You wouldn¡¯t say something so ridiculous if you¡¯d actually seen one in real life,¡± Rampage ridiculed.


    ¡°It could be a small one, couldn¡¯t it?! If I cut off the head of a beanpole like you, then you¡¯d be shorter too, wouldn¡¯t you?!¡± Rekto raged.


    ¡°Not a one-eyed giant, but someone as dangerous as one,¡± Daeron smiled, but still did not disclose who it would be.


    Rekto and Rampage became nervous. If Daeron said that, then things could be really dangerous.


    They each recalled the terrifying monsters they knew as they went down to the waiting room, but what came to Daeron¡¯s mind wasn¡¯t a monster or an outstanding diator, but a certain ve boy. <i>¡®If it weren¡¯t for that fanatic¡¯s interference¡­¡¯</i>


    Daeron had felt his whole body tingle with excitement from the moment the boy took down the guards and charged toward him. He had realized the boy¡¯s potential as he watched the boy fight with Sina. The senses of an entertainer thaty dormant within him awoke. He hadn¡¯t experienced much excitement in thest few years despite living and investing his entire life in the colosseum.


    Rekto and the rest of the other champions weren¡¯t as interesting, so much so that Daeron had been considering the former¡¯s retirement. But it was different when he saw Juan; the young boy¡¯s bloodlust was so strong that Daeron felt like he went back into the past when he had just been a young merchant.


    He was sure that Juan was the real deal, based on the reports of the soldiers who he had arranged to monitor Sina. There was no way he would miss this opportunity because he had been waiting for the birth of a hero. Perhaps this was the reason he hadn¡¯t given up on diatorial matches. If things went ording to ns today, then a new hero would be born. Daeron prayed, <i>¡®Your Majesty, please show your presence here.¡¯</i>


    ***


    The doors to the arena opened up as the ve diators ran onto the crimson sand. The spectators cheered wildly for the ten participants fighting in the first match.


    Most of the participants were either demi-humans or ostracized races, so this was the first time in their lives that they had been cheered on like this. Amongst the frenzied excitement, the usually cowering participants raised their swords or waved in return. But they were mere baits ced in the field to hype up the atmosphere.


    ¡°Aaaahh!¡± a scream was heard less than thirty seconds after the match started.


    The spectatorsughed, booing at the diators who died pathetically, as if the cheering from earlier hadn¡¯t happened at all. Juan silently watched the ve diators die one after the other from behind the iron bars. <i>¡®Things are exactly as they were in the past.¡¯</i>


    The only thing that could be said to be different was that Tantil¡¯s citizens used to suffer at the hands of the heretics, but now, they were the ones going crazy over the fight. Juan felt extreme disgust boiling up from within.


    On the field were three desert trolls against ten diators. Desert trolls were notorious for hiding within the sand and ambushing passing animals or travelers. They were also known to be more tenaciouspared to normal trolls and had poison in their blood. But what made them fatally dangerous was their grip strength, which was several times stronger than a normal troll. Moreover, people found it hard to catch them or even spot them since they hid in the sand.


    The spectators were actually more excited at the appearance of the desert trolls than the diators because they were usually the strongest monsters in other diatorial matches. Typically, stronger monsters would appear as the matches progressed, so the spectators were inevitably excited, looking forward to the subsequent matches.


    The ten diators were all ughtered without having been able to put even a scratch on the desert trolls. It was to be expected though, since the diators weren¡¯t trained to wield swords, not to mentioning up with strategies.


    A diator could be seen with chattering teeth as he stood by the side of the colosseum. He seemed to be quite the coward in contrast to hisrge and muscr build as his hands trembled.


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t be so scared. Desert trolls can smell fear. Look at that kid, he¡¯s totally unfazed,¡± another diator said as he got annoyed at his tremblingrade. The trembling diator nodded and hugged himself tight, but it didn¡¯t do him any good. The annoyed diator didn¡¯t continue speaking; he, too, started trembling in fear.


    Juan was the only one who looked unfazed.


    ***


    ¡°Next!¡± someone shouted as the colosseum cleared. The iron bars before Juan rose, and he felt someone push him from behind. Juan ran towards the arena with the rest of the diators. The bright light that greeted him stung/blinded his eyes, the spectators¡¯ cheers deafened Juan. With mouths stained with blood, the desert trolls smiled devilishly at their new victims.


    ¡°A-Ahh...¡± one diator who stood beside Juan groaned as he peed in his pants while another diatorforted the others, saying that they could win if they fought together. But he couldn¡¯t even hear what he was actually saying.


    The roaring of the cheers gradually died down as they spotted Juan. A kid who looked less than ten years old was in the field? A kid in ragged clothes who only had a short sword in his hands, with no other armor or defensive tools. It looked as if the kid was sent into the arena by mistake.


    Children weren¡¯t sent to fight in the colosseum usually; while there might be some perverts who liked to watch women or children get killed, sending a kid to fight in this event which was meant to celebrate the emperor¡¯s birthday was more like sphemy.


    As the whispers in the colosseum got louder, some of them started to jeer at Daeron. The desert trolls couldn¡¯t care less about all of that as they approached the group who had entered with Juan, while swallowing their saliva as they sniffed the delicious smell of fear that came from them. But another party had also entered the colosseum at the same time.


    ¡°Line up!¡± The diators from the other party started marching in sync in response to the order. Rampage and six diators, each equipped with a spear and a shield, stood in formation on the left side of the arena. They looked like proper soldiers as the color of their outfit and spear heads were the same.


    ¡°Ohhh... Are they from the military?¡± one of the spectators spected.


    ¡°They sure look like it,¡± another replied.


    The spectators¡¯ attention quickly shifted over to Rampage and his small squad. Rampage had been a centurion who used tomand hundreds of soldiers in the rebel-infested East. Although he currently only led six squad members, it was more than enough to take care of the desert trolls. They weren¡¯t worried that the desert trolls would break their defense formation at all.


    ¡°Kahaha, Rampage. I guess you¡¯re only confident of winning when you¡¯re behind a shield and a spear, huh?¡± Rekto taunted Rampage as he and his subordinates entered the colosseum from the other side. They were half-naked while carrying all sorts of oddly shaped weapons and shouted, provoking not just the desert trolls, but also Rampage.


    ¡°Rekto! Rekto! Rekto!¡± The spectators went crazy at Rekto¡¯s provocation. While Rekto was reckless, he was Tantil¡¯s Champion and knew how to stir up a crowd.


    Juan and his party had been long forgotten. The desert trolls growled and became wary as they were surrounded by more diators, who all looked much tougher than the previous group of prey.


    The desert trolls quickly decided on and locked onto their first target instinctively: the weakest of the groups, Juan¡¯s party.

 Chapter 14 – Repaint (2)

    <h4>Chapter 14 ¨C Repaint (2)</h4>


    ¡°A-Ahhhhhhhh!¡± the man who peed his pants screamed, throwing away his sword and shield while running to the back.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do that!¡± Another one of the diators screamed, but the desert trolls didn¡¯t lose sight of the target, who had already turned his back on them, rushing towards him.


    The man who tried to escape banged on the iron bars while screaming, ¡°Let me go! Something¡¯s wrong...!¡±


    <i>Crack!</i>


    The man¡¯s head was bitten off. Juan¡¯s party scattered in all directions when they were hit by the desert trolls¡¯ sudden charge.


    Fortunately, no one else was killed in the process, as the desert trolls only went for the single weakest target that they had instinctively locked on. However, it was hard for Juan¡¯s party to gather again, as everyone was scrambling to survive. It looked like a better option to stick with Rekto or Rampage aspared to Juan.


    <i>¡®This worked out great.¡¯</i>


    Juan thought it was for the better to have his party scattered out like this. At least, he was confident that he wouldn¡¯t be caught by slow monsters like these desert trolls, since there were other targets weaker than he was. Knowing that he had to face other monsters besides the desert trolls, it was important for him to conserve his strength.


    Juan smiled as he watched his fellow party members get caught by the desert trolls, then looked at Rampage and Rekto¡¯s parties. Unlike earlier, Rekto had stopped provoking the desert trolls.


    <i>¡®He must have arrived at a simr decision.¡¯</i>


    The desert trolls slowed down, less inclined to fight as they were either exhausted from the hunt or full from devouring their prey. Dull monsters made the best prey. Other than the first victim, the desert trolls had also mercilessly torn apart two more victims.


    The spectators went wild when the bloody scene urred. The desert trolls started to focus on eating as they had plenty of time; the bodies from the previous group had been cleared away too quickly for them to get any time to eat. The desert trolls ate ravenously as they had been starved for weeks. As they ate, they started to feel a little full.


    While they were busy eating, Juan began searching intently for something in his surroundings. In Juan¡¯s memory, it was something that could only be discovered while standing in the field.


    <i>¡®I¡¯m sure it¡¯s somewhere here.¡¯</i>


    As soon as the desert trolls were done eating, the other parties started to make their moves; the trolls were easy targets now that they were full. Once they ate well, the desert trolls¡¯ movements became dull so as to preserve the nutrients they had just gained. They would dig underground to sleep until new victims came in a few days¡¯ time, which was why they were at their weakest during this time.


    Rampage was the first to make a move. The desert trolls growled and put up their guard as Rampage and his party moved slowly and steadily towards them, as one cohesive whole. The trolls no longer wished to fight, as they were already full, but Rampage and his squad were hell-bent on killing them.


    ¡°Kill them,¡± Rampage ordered.


    Three spears instantly popped out from the gaps between the shields. The spears only grew bigger in the desert troll¡¯s eyes.


    The spectators cheered wildly as the first troll roared when its eye got pierced and started thrashing around. The troll died soon after. Due to their metabolism slowing down, they had a slower regeneration rate than normal.


    The remaining two desert trolls bellowed but did not charge at anyone. Instead, they picked up skulls or bone fragments and threw them at the diators¡¯ shields. Rampage and his soldiers moved as one while they advanced and pressured the desert trolls.


    One of the desert trolls howled as its head got split apart by Rekto while it was retreating.


    ¡°You fight like a bitch, Rampage!¡± Rekto sneered at Rampage.


    ¡°Crazy bastard,¡± Rampage eximed as he clicked his tongue and took a step back.


    The desert trolls were taken down as Rekto and his party ambushed them from behind. While Rekto and his party stole the credit for killing the desert trolls, Rampage didn¡¯t care, since he was looking at the bigger picture. After all, this wasn¡¯t the only fight that would be taking ce. They would be facing stronger and stronger monsters with five more matches to go. Leaving Rekto and his party to kill trivial mobs like the dull desert trolls was sufficient.


    The spectators went wild again as Rekto spilled the desert troll¡¯s blood all over the ce; he even cut off the head of one of the desert trolls and pretended to drink its blood. Of course, Rekto didn¡¯t really drink it, because he knew that the desert troll¡¯s blood was poisonous. However, the spectators still loved his performance.


    Daeron smirked at the act. If Daeron had an obsession with setting a stage for great and entertaining performances, then Rekto had a natural talent for acting. Perhaps that was why he was able to hold his title as a champion for a long time. While Rampage was an amazing warrior, he had no showmanship like Rekto.


    <i>¡®Finally, the third actor.¡¯?</i>


    This actor, whom no one was expecting, had yet to appear. Daeron had high expectations from the third actor and expected him to be the dark horse of the matches for this event. He searched the arena for Juan but couldn¡¯t spot him, as thetter had hidden himself while waiting for the right time to strike.


    Daeron didn¡¯t think that Juan had been killed by the desert trolls, but started having some doubts when he couldn¡¯t see the boy anywhere despite scanning the area repeatedly. He leaned out from his balcony with shock on his face.


    <i>¡®The boy¡¯s not here.¡¯?</i>


    Juan was nowhere to be seen within the colosseum.


    ***


    Juan had started to hide from the moment people were focused on the desert trolls; no one had paid any attention to him. The arena was an open area, so there was nowhere to hide, but the corpses, blood, and sand were enough for Juan¡¯s small stature. He camouged himself by covering himself with blood and sand.


    <i>¡®And now... Stealth.¡¯?</i>


    Juan spread his mana around himself like a fog to hide his presence. It wasn¡¯t really magic, but more of a trick that used delicate control of mana. Even though Juan lost most of his mana, his control over mana was as skillful as ever.


    He was able to hide his body in the sand like a snake that was hunting its prey. Blood that was being spilled on the ground was permeating into the sand; there was blood everywhere. Meanwhile, he was able to monitor the whole colosseum and feel the movement of the blood in the sand. It felt as if there were thousands of snakes in the sand, as the strands of blood were being pulled somewhere by mana.


    In the past, all Juan had to do was decapitate Talter in order to kill him. But now, his priority was to find Talter, who was hiding. Juan suspected that Talter was at the end of where the blood flowed to.


    <i>¡®But... The amount of blood is too little.¡¯?</i>


    The amount of blood was insufficient for Juan to find Talter; something else needed to be done in order for him to find who was drawing in all this blood. Juan nced at where Daeron was seated. Daeron looked the most suspicious as of now, but Juan couldn¡¯t feel any evil intent from him.


    <i>¡®Looks like he needs some motivation.¡¯?</i>


    While Juan was waiting, the arena had turned into a mess. After the desert trolls were all killed, both Rekto and Rampage¡¯s parties began to provoke and growl at each other. While they swung their weapons at each other, almost injuring the opponent, they had yet to sh with each other.


    This was a signal for the next monster to be brought in. Juan noticed the signal and observed the movements that urred beyond the closed iron gates. Below the manager¡¯s seat, a soldier pulled on a chain attached to aplex device, opening the northern gate.


    <i>¡®It¡¯s over there.¡¯</i>


    Juan crouched and shot forward in an instant.


    <i>¡®Blink.¡¯</i>


    As Juan¡¯s surroundings faded away, his body felt like it was pulled forward, and Juan arrived at the ce that he was aiming at. When Juan passed by one of the ve diators, that person only felt as though a gust of wind had passed by him. Juan stood right beside the iron bars and saw two soldiers as he peeked inside. Using the short sword, Juan stabbed the neck of the soldier who was looking outside in an instant.


    ¡°K-Kugh...¡± The soldier groaned.


    ¡°Huh? What happened? Hey, what¡¯s wrong?¡± the other soldier asked.


    Juan squeezed through the iron bars; the bars were designed to stop full-grown humans or monsters, not a skinny child. The other soldier pulled out his sword as soon as he spotted Juan, but Juan beat him to it and stuck his sword into the soldier¡¯s sr plexus. Juan didn¡¯t feel sorry for them at all. He then swung the sword towards the ground to get rid of the blood that had dirtied his sword.


    ¡°It looks exactly the same,¡± Juan thought aloud as he looked at the device. Everything looked just like when he had beheaded Talter in the past. Talter¡¯s believers at the time had created all sorts of devices in order to amuse Talter.


    <i>¡®To think they¡¯d celebrate their emperor using the same devices that had been used to entertain the god killed by the emperor.¡¯</i>


    Juan raised his head and watched the diators who made strange groans as they swung their swords for money, as well as the crazed spectators that were throwing out money to witness the pathetic sight in the colosseum. He then looked at the ground that had soaked the blood of the crazy woman, the goat-horned man, and many others.


    Juan suddenly felt better while gazing at the scene within the colosseum. It felt like a blindfold that he had been wearing for a long while was lifted.


    <i>¡®Yeah, this is what the world is like.</i> <i>While someone tries to clean up the world, another dirties it intentionally. There was no need to be disappointed or upset at this fact. Getting back-stabbed was also nothing surprising.¡¯</i>


    ¡°They¡¯re confident that they will never be taken down, huh?¡± Juan said to himself as he decided to remove their blindfolds in the same way his own blindfold had been removed.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see how you enjoy these games yourself.¡±


    ***


    A humongous snake crawled into the arena as soon as the northern gates opened. It was so big that it looked like it could wrap around the colosseum. The spectators cheered with shock in their voices, ¡°WOAHHHH! What the hell is that?¡±


    ¡°A serpent? Is that a serpent? No, serpents live in the seas!¡± a spectator eximed.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean that a sea snake can¡¯t move onnd!¡± another spectator refuted.


    ¡°How on earth did they bring that here?¡± another spectator wondered aloud.


    Rekto was taken aback by the size of the snake; there was still a while before the matches were done, but something this big had already appeared? It could easily be the boss monster of the match on any other day. Rekto looked up at Daeron only to see his face remain unchanged.


    <i>¡®He¡¯s not intending for us to die here, is he?¡¯?</i>While it was normal for champions to die, he didn¡¯t want to die like this. He hoped to die while fighting another champion.


    ¡°Rekto! Let¡¯s encircle it! We¡¯ll attract its attention while you attack it!¡± Rampage shouted. Rampage was shocked by the size of the snake as well, but he hadn¡¯t earned the title of centurion for no reason. Rampage struck his own shield to attract the snake¡¯s attention.


    The snake hissed and tried to swallow Rampage and his party in one shot, since they were in a line with their shields up. However, the snake failed and decided to wrap Rampage with its tail. Rekto used this chance and ran up to the snake. The snake trembled violently as Rekto¡¯s scimitar pierced through its scales.


    ¡°How many pieces should I cut this humongous snake into...?!¡± Rekto stopped halfway as he realized that the western gate was already starting to open. He couldn¡¯t believe that a new gate was opening before the current match was even over. Flustered, Rekto looked at Rampage and saw that he was flustered as well. However, Rampage wasn¡¯t looking to the west, but toward another direction. The eastern gate was opening as well.


    It didn¡¯t stop there; monsters were starting to enter the colosseum from all directions.


    ¡°What the hell is going on?!¡± Rekto yelled. At least ten types of monsters, including desert trolls, slimes, mountain lions, and giant ants poured into the arena.


    The spectators cheered at the overwhelming, unprecedented scene. But it didn¡¯t take long for those cheers to turn into jeers when the diators in Rekto¡¯s party were swept up into the waves. The spectators had expected them to fight like heroes, not suffer a one-sided ughter.


    ¡°W-What do you think you¡¯re doing...?!¡± Rekto hollered as he looked up at Daeron, but Daeron appeared stunned as well.


    Dozens of orcs broke down Rampage and his squad¡¯s defense formation as they isted and surrounded them. Blood and pieces of flesh flew up from where their squad was.


    Rekto¡¯s survival instincts kicked in when he saw Rampage and his squad being overwhelmed by the monsters. Something had gone very wrong.


    ¡°Get lost, you monster bastards!¡± Rekto shouted. He tried to kill the approaching desert troll from underneath the snake, but his scimitar had gotten stuck in the snake¡¯s body.


    The snake started to il violently as it was swarmed and attacked by monsters. Rekto grabbed onto its scales, desperately hanging on for dear life. He would be immediately killed if he fell.


    ¡°Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!¡± Rekto screamed.


    The snake stiffened after it iled for a while and eventually fell to the ground. As its head fell on the grandstand, a few of the spectators were instantly crushed. After a short period of shock-induced silence, a new wave of panic spread across the colosseum.


    ¡°Arghhhhh! Someone, save me!¡± a spectator screamed.


    ¡°What the hell do you think you are doing?! Don¡¯t push me! Stop pushing...!¡± another spectator screamed.


    ¡°Where on earth is the security team?!¡± another spectator shrieked.


    These people who had been enjoying themselves while watching others get ughtered, were now crying and screaming in despair as they were the ones getting ughtered instead.


    Because all of them swarmed to the exit, no one could get through, and some of them died from either pressure or suffocation. But that wasn¡¯t the end of it. The railings of the colosseum were bent inwards, and another pathway up was opened.


    Monsters began to climb up the path or on the snake¡¯s corpse, and they soon started to mercilessly ughter the spectators who were stuck there. Blood flowed all over and seeped into the ground of the colosseum.


    ¡°My goodness...¡± Rekto, who was stuck below the snake, eximed as he witnessed the disaster. However, this was an opportunity for him. There were much fewer monsters in the arena aspared to just a few moments ago, as most had gone after the spectators. He managed to pull himself out from under the snake; it felt like he had a sprained ankle, but he was still able to move.


    ¡°I must survive. I¡¯ll survive and...¡± Rekto trailed off as arge shadow covered him from above. Rekto looked up and saw a bright sun and a huge shadow. That was thest thing he ever saw.

 Chapter 15 – Repaint (3)

    <h4>Chapter 15 ¨C Repaint (3)</h4>


    ¡°What the hell happened here?!¡± Sina eximed in shock at what she saw happening in the colosseum. She had never liked the ve fighting, but was still worried for Juan. After some pondering, she had decided toe and bear witness to Juan¡¯sst moments. But the result was something she would never have imagined. All four gates to the arena had been opened, with monsters swarming in, and the entire ce including the grandstand, were flooded with blood.


    ¡°S-Save me! Save...-¡± the scream of a spectator awoke Sina, who had been stunned by the scene in the colosseum, out of her stupor. She quickly drew her sword and severed the troll¡¯s arm, but the man¡¯s arms had already been bitten off. The man convulsed, dropping to the ground.


    ¡°Ossrey! Command the knights! Save the spectators and bring them to safety! Get the most junior knight to go and request reinforcements from the Knight Order headquarters!¡± Sina ordered.


    ¡°Yes, Dame! What are you intending to do?¡± Ossrey asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to ask Daeron how he intends to contain this situation! Get moving!¡± Sinamanded.


    The Order of the Blue Rose spread out quickly and started fighting back against the monsters in the area. The knightsmanded the colosseum¡¯s soldiers and panted as they cut down the monsters, but there were a few that seemed too hard even for the knights to handle.


    <i>¡®Just how on earth did they bring such strong monsters here?¡¯ Sina wondered.</i>


    Although Sina had been hearing that the colosseum had gone above and beyond in this celebratory event for the emperor¡¯s birthday, this was way too much. Sina went to the balcony with the intention of demanding an exnation from Daeron.


    The door to the balcony had already been destroyed, and a huge spider with a fat stomach was trying to squeeze its way in while trolls were hanging by the railings. The soldiers resisted the monsters as they stabbed away at them, but only a few drops of green substance came out of those monsters. They weren¡¯t able to pierce through the monsters¡¯ skin.


    The spider suddenly used its front legs to skewer one of the soldiers and put him into its mouth. The soldier screamed agonizingly as his insides spilled out. Meanwhile, Sina swung her sword in a circr motion while running toward the spider. A bright light shone, cutting off the spider¡¯s head and legs. Sina then stormed inside the balcony as she stepped over the spider.


    She grabbed Daeron by his cor the moment she saw him and yelled, ¡°Daeron! What the hell is all this?!¡±


    Daeron waspletely frozen, drenched in cold sweat. Sina had never seen him so flustered even though she had interrogated him many times. Clearly, this was no longer a situation within his control.


    ¡°I-I... I just wanted to see His Majesty descend...¡± Daeron stuttered. Just then, a troll climbed up using the railings and Sina killed it, spilling its blood everywhere. Daeron, who was sshed with the blood, was startled and groaned at the stinging pain.


    Sina pulled him up by the cor and shouted, ¡°PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER! The spectators will all die if we don¡¯t control this situation right away!¡±


    Hearing this, Daeron regained some of his senses and pointed to somewhere within the colosseum.


    ¡°T-The control room is over there! You can control the gates there!¡± Daeron stuttered.


    ¡°It¡¯s toote! All these beasts of yours have already entered the colosseum!¡± Sina replied.


    ¡°No! I-If we close the gates now, the worst situation can still be avoided...¡±


    <i>Crack¡ª thud!?</i>


    While Daeron was still stuttering, something broke down. Daeron shuddered in fear while Sina looked toward the source of the sound. One side of the colosseum had copsed as something appeared within the dust clouds, its size so big that it made one wonder how it could have been hidden. Its face only had one huge eye in the middle.


    ¡°A one-eyed giant? How did you even get that...¡± Sina mumbled, looking in disbelief. She had no idea how they could even hide something like this within the colosseum and why it only appeared now.


    The one-eyed giant was about eight meters tall and caused the whole ce to tremble with each step. As it walked inside the arena, it noticed someone: Rekto. The giant trampled him right over, as he stared nkly at it. And that was how the champion of Tantil¡¯s colosseum became a pool of blood, without the chance to even scream.


    ¡°Ha. Haha... It came up in the end...¡± Daeronughed hysterically. Sina felt dizzy hearing Daeron¡¯s hystericalugh. There would be even more deaths if a one-eyed giant made its way here. Even if the entire Order of the Blue Rose was here, they still wouldn¡¯t be able to prevent the huge number of deaths that would be caused.


    <i>¡®Only a Priest or someone higher in rank could sort out this situation...¡¯?</i>Sina thought, but her train of thought was interrupted. Someone very small had appeared from the control room: it was Juan, who had been missing this whole time.


    ***


    Releasing the locked demonic beasts and monsters had been extremely effective; arge amount of blood gathered, strengthening the flow, making it easier to track down Talter¡¯s location.


    Juan hadn¡¯t intended to kill everyone in the colosseum, but their deaths didn¡¯t sadden him either. In any case, his objective had been achieved.


    ¡°Is it this fellow?¡± Juan wondered as he stared at the one-eyed giant, but concluded that it wasn¡¯t the main body used to draw in mana, even though he could feel Talter¡¯s mana from it. To top it off, he could sense that the one-eyed giant was forcefully raised. It was probably sent to clean up the current situation.


    <i>¡®It could be Talter¡¯s avatar too.¡¯</i>


    It wasmonce for the gods to groom avatars in order to influence humans more aggressively. While this one was still a young one-eyed giant, mana had been forcefully injected, making it abnormally huge.


    <i>¡®Would I be able to take this guy on?¡¯?</i>Juan wondered.


    He found it rather amusing that he was questioning whether he was capable of taking down the avatar, when it wasn¡¯t even Talter¡¯s main body. It was wiser for him to run away when his body was so weak, but he had no intentions of doing so.


    After having killed so many gods, there was no way he would let one of their avatars go. It seemed that the one-eyed giant still hadn¡¯t realized Juan¡¯s presence. The giant continued attacking everything indiscriminately as it was irritated by the surroundings¡ªthe sunlight that it was seeing for the first time, the stench of blood, and the screamsing from all directions.


    ¡°Juan!¡± Sina called out to Juan from behind, and ran down to the arena as soon as she saw him. She looked like she had cut down a few monsters, as she was covered in their bodily fluids.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here, now! We must get out of here first!¡± Sina shouted.


    Juan stared nkly at Sina, wondering what she was talking about. But he soon realized that his situation probably looked dangerous, like he was on the edge of a cliff; he was just a child in the midst of numerous monsters. Juan replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, you go on ahead first. I still have unfinished business here.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense! Do you know what that is? That¡¯s...¡±


    ¡°A one-eyed giant,¡± Juan cut her off. ¡°It¡¯s around six years old and it¡¯s been raised to that size forcefully, with mana; the proof is the traces of torn skin on it. Because of how fast its bones grew, it had a lot of growth pains. And now that it has been forced into a noisy and bloody environment, its violent tendencies have be more intense. But it¡¯s still not as strong as other one-eyed giants of the same level, since it¡¯s been kept underground this whole time without needing topete at all. This guy¡¯s just very confused right now.¡±


    Sina¡¯s jaw dropped at the long exnation Juan had just given. No one would believe this was the analysis of a nine-year-old. Furthermore, something that Juan said caught Sina¡¯s attention.


    ¡°You said it stayed underground the whole time? Are you saying that this monster was raised below the colosseum?¡± Sina questioned.


    ¡°You probably know this already, but¡­ this colosseum is the former temple of Talter and has an incredibly huge underground space; it¡¯s a space made for the gods, and it was sealed after Talter was executed. They probably raised it there,¡± Juan exined.


    In Talter''s days, tons of corpses and other offerings to Talter had filled these tunnels, turning this ce into a hell on earth. Appalled by the sight, Juan had ordered the underground space to be sealed after killing the god, so the tunnels had been abandoned. But as Daeron had been developing this ce into the colosseum, he had secretly opened up this area for the monsters to live in. Juan could deduce that much from how the tunnels were constructed and the flow of mana.


    They had probably brought the one-eyed giant in when it was smaller, and Juan could imagine what had happened after that. Talter¡¯s mana was the problem here; Juan might not know the details, but Talter¡¯s mana had chosen this one-eyed giant youngling.


    Upon noticing the elerated growth of the one-eyed giant, Daeron must have hoped for its death by sealing the whole ce off. But Juan had released all the imprisonment devices within the colosseum, causing the one-eyed giant to be drawn outside by therge amounts of blood spilled in the arena.


    ¡°Daeron, that bastard... He evenmitted such atrocities...¡± Sina cursed.


    It didn¡¯t seem to ur to Sina that Juan had been the one who had released all the imprisonment devices. Juan didn¡¯t think there was a need for her to know either, since she probably would not understand. On the other hand, Juan had driven countless beings to their death or killed them himself when he had been the emperor. The only difference was that the ones dying now for the sake of Juan¡¯s objectives were humans.


    ¡°We¡¯ll convict Daeron of his crimester on, let¡¯s get out of here first!¡± Sina urged Juan.


    ¡°I said, you can go ahead first. Go save others if you want. I¡¯ll take care of myself,¡± Juan replied, annoyed as he waved his hands.


    Sina looked nkly at Juan and mumbled, ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do as I¡¯ve always done, kill monsters,¡± Juan replied as he jumped lightly.


    <i>¡®I need to make that giant shorter first,¡¯?</i>Juan thought as he charged toward the one-eyed giant.<i>?</i>He used Blink as he flickered by the giant¡¯s ankle while leaving a long cut on it. The giant bellowed at the unexpected pain and grabbed its ankle. Because Juan had hidden himself quickly, the giant wasn¡¯t able to tell what had injured it.


    <i>¡®It¡¯s too shallow...¡¯?</i>Juan thought. He had seeded in cutting the giant¡¯s Achilles tendon, but the tendon had three thickyers in order to support the giant¡¯s enormous body. Juan clicked his tongue at the sight. Now, the giant was on guard, while Juan had not gained much from it. At least, he had gotten the giant to bend down, and that was good enough.


    ¡°It¡¯s quite a shame though.¡±


    Juan kicked the floor again and used Blink. Hended on the sr plexus of the one-eyed giant, but it wasn¡¯t able to feel him. To the giant, the thing that had cut its Achilles tendon was a tiny mosquito, and so it started to swat about, while Juan''s goal was something else. He used Blink again to get around the one-eyed giant and managed to blind it with the sunlight by making it face the sun. The one-eyed giant bellowed, causing everyone in the colosseum, including the monsters, to stumble; some people even fell to the ground. White fluid and blood flowed down the giant¡¯s face as Juan shed across the one-eyed giant¡¯s only weakness, its eye, with an old short sword.


    The one-eyed giant fumbled to look for its unseen enemy, but it couldn¡¯t find Juan anywhere. Juan had already used Blink and jumped into the air. At the peak of his flight, he turned his body and struck down like a lightning sh into the middle of the one-eyed giant¡¯s forehead.


    <i>Clunk</i><i>!</i>


    ¡°Ugh!¡± Juan groaned as he got flung off, along with the sharp sound of iron breaking. Despite plunging down at an incredibly fast speed, he was unable to pierce through the one-eyed giant¡¯s skull. Juan clicked his tongue as he realized that he had made a mistake by trying to end this fight quickly; if he had been strong enough to send mana into his weapon, then his weapon would have been strong enough to end this fight already. Juan staggered and tried to stand up.


    The one-eyed giant growled as it bled from its eye and forehead. Due to having lost its eye, it had now be even more violent than before. As it swung around recklessly, it crushed arge scorpion demon beast in an instant.


    <i>¡®Looks like I can¡¯t get near it now.¡¯</i>


    While Blink didn¡¯t consume a lot of mana, it ced a huge burden on one¡¯s body, since it was a technique that elerated the user¡¯s movement. It was even harder to endure for an untrained child¡¯s body, and much more so for Juan, whose body was already sore all over from the side effect of the mana seal engraving process.


    <i>¡®I can only use Blink two more times.¡¯?</i>


    Juan would need one use of Blink to escape the colosseum, since he couldn¡¯t possibly fight all the demons on his way out. However, the one-eyed giant needed to be taken down so that the tracks leading to Talter could be clear.


    The one-eyed giant suddenly stopped in the middle of its rampage and looked at Juan with its injured, bloody eye. Juan tried to get up, but his legs couldn¡¯t move properly because of the side effects from multiple uses of Blink. The one-eye giant swung its arm down from high above as if it was swatting a fly.


    There was no way Juan could dodge this. Even if he survived it, he¡¯d be critically injured and the rest of the monsters would probably kill him off. Juan wasn¡¯t even sure he had enough mana to restore his body if that happened.


    ¡°Juan!¡± Sina shouted as she threw something toward him.


    Juan caught the sword without a second thought and shed forward immediately. This was not one of the colosseum¡¯s old swords, but the sharpened sword of an empire¡¯s knight. The one-eyed giant bellowed again as Juan used the sword to sh at its hand.


    Sina looked at Juan in shock. She had thrown her sword at Juan without thinking, but not only had Juan caught it as if he had been waiting for it, he had also managed to cut off the giant¡¯s hand.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve held a decent sword,¡± Juan remarked as he struggled to stand up. As Juan¡¯s mana flowed into the sword, it responded with a buzz and trembled slightly. Although it was a one-handed sword, Juan had to hold it with both hands because it was too big for his current size. He faced the one-eyed giant and lowered his body, while blue-colored mana started to cover the sword. The one-eyed giant stopped iling around in pain and looked at Juan as if it were being controlled, just as it had a while ago.


    Juan used Blink and disappeared; he had been waiting for the one-eyed giant to stop moving. On the other hand, Sina had not even realized that Juan was gone when she noticed that the one-eyed giant had stopped its rampage. Sina looked up and saw a fine crack slowly expanding on the one-eyed giant¡¯s head.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    Followed by a loud crack, streams of blood started to rain from above the colosseum.

 Chapter 16 – Rise from the Ashes (1)

    <h4>Chapter 16 ¨C Rise from the Ashes (1)</h4>


    Sina couldn¡¯t believe what she was seeing. She hadn¡¯t been able to follow Juan¡¯s movements; all she saw was Juan shing into the one-eyed giant¡¯s arms, soaring into the air and bouncing off.


    Sina had thrown her sword at him only when she felt that he had been in extreme danger, only to see Juan catch it and swiftly split the one-eyed giant¡¯s head into two. She found the fight to be beyond shocking. In fact, it was more fitting to call it an execution instead.


    <i>¡®That was so incredible... Would I be able to win against him with my blessing? Maybe...¡¯</i>


    Juan looked exhausted after shing around thrice. If Sina could endure three of those attacks, she could win. But she wasn¡¯t confident that she could take even one of those swift attacks. That wasn¡¯t all; that movement also negated the disadvantage that Juan had due to his small body. He used minimal movement to effectively kill his target, throwing himself into harm¡¯s way without any hesitation. Sina feared Juan¡¯s future potential


    <i>¡®It¡¯s like he¡¯s the embodiment of the Baltic Sword.¡¯</i>


    Sina was appalled at her own thoughts; the creator of the Baltic Sword had been His Majesty, the Emperor and its direct sessor was General Barth Baltic. The words ¡®embodiment of the Baltic Sword¡¯ implied that Juan was either Barth Baltic or His Majesty himself. Sina shook these disrespectful thoughts away.


    She now med herself for cking on her training after moving from the capital to the border. On the one hand, the knights at the border were very muchckingpared to those she had met in the capital. On the other hand, Sina herself had thought she had done it all when she had be an Elite Knight at the young age of 20, and she had acted conceited for a while.


    She bit her lips as she looked at Juan.


    <i>¡®I need to start training again.¡¯</i>


    ***


    Juan heaved a long sigh. While he had pushed himself beyond his limits, it had been worth it. Juan looked down at Sina¡¯s sword¡ªit wasn¡¯t an excellent sword, but it was well-maintained. Juan missed the two-handed sword that he had sharpened at the smithy himself, but even if he had it now, he wouldn¡¯t be able to wield it.


    Juan then climbed onto the one-eyed giant and dug into the skull that he had split open. He dug ferociously into it and climbed inside, almost getting himself drowned in the blood and brain fluid due to his small stature. Behind the one-eyed giant¡¯s eye, he managed to find the dark red glob of liquid that he was looking for. It squirmed in Juan¡¯s hand as he held it, and Talter¡¯s mana could be felt clearly from it. Juan threw the glob of dark red blood outside and it dashed in a specific direction. At the same time, all the blood in the colosseum followed it as well.


    <i>¡®That¡¯s where it is, huh?¡¯</i>


    ¡°Juan!¡± Sina shouted as she approached.


    Sina then asked, ¡°Are you hurt anywhere? You look like you¡¯ve pushed yourself beyond your limits...¡±


    ¡°Thanks for the sword, it¡¯s pretty good,¡± Juan replied as he returned the sword to Sina.


    Before Sina could reply, Juan picked up a broken heavy sword and followed the glob of blood as it headed toward the balcony. The eerie room was filled with a horrifying amount of blood that was flowing from all over the colosseum. The blood squirmed, coagted and gathered in the center of the balcony.


    Daeron, who was by the railings, looked at Juan as he cried, ¡°U... Uuuuu...¡±


    He crawled toward Juan with his hands trembling, not caring about the blood that had gathered in the room.


    ¡°His Majesty... has descended...¡± Daeron mumbled. He had simply said this out of formality thus far, but he now meant it after he saw what Juan had done in the colosseum.


    ¡®<i>His Majesty has descended and he¡¯s appeared in front of me.¡¯?</i>


    This was the only thought in Daeron¡¯s mind.


    Daeron was 76 years old and he remembered what it had been like when gods had still been around in this world. Of course, he remembered what His Majesty had done and grew up listening to His Majesty¡¯s heroic tales.


    His own father was a ve kidnapped by Talter¡¯s apostles as a sacrifice. The emperor, who had been still young back then, had appeared, killed Talter, and freed the ves. That story had amazed Daeron so much that it was also the reason why he was so obsessed with Tantil¡¯s colosseum. He greatly wished to see the birth of a new hero in a ce where humans and monsters fought it out. And now, he¡¯d witnessed the hero of heroes, the emperor, with his own eyes.


    ¡°His Majesty has descended, His Majesty has descended¡­¡± Daeron repeatedly mumbled as he crawled to Juan on his knees. Juanughed, amused as Daeron kissed his sandy feet. It had been just yesterday that Daeron ignored Juan while he was being dragged into the bloodied colosseum, but now he was on his knees, kissing Juan¡¯s feet.


    ¡°So only a devout believer recognized my return,¡± Juan muttered.


    Juan raised the broken heavy sword and struck down urately at the gap on the stone te that was in the middle of the balcony. He then used the sword as a lever to lift up the stone te and saw a space barely as big as a fist. Juan put his hand in it and took out something.


    ¡°This is where it¡¯s been hiding¡­ what a sneaky bastard,¡± Juan eximed.


    It was a weirdly-shaped ss bottle with dark red blood swirling inside. The dark red blood tried to get away from Juan¡¯s hand, but it wasn¡¯t strong enough.


    ¡°Juan! What... the hell is that?¡± Sina asked, astonished at the sight as she entered momentster.


    Juan shook the bottle around as he said, ¡°Talter¡¯s blood.¡±


    t.ly/3iBfjkV.


    ¡°T-Talter¡¯s blood?! Why is that here?¡± Sina questioned.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know either. It was probably done by one of Talter¡¯s believers. It seems like someone looked for a part of Talter''s body and tried to use the blood from the colosseum to revive him,¡± Juan exined.


    Sina pointed her sword at Daeron with widened eyes. Heresy was considered one of the gravest crimes, on par with treason, and based on what Juan was saying, Daeron had actually tried to revive a god.


    ¡°Don¡¯t kill him; he¡¯s got nothing to do with this. He¡¯s just a crazy bastard who¡¯s obsessed with putting on a show, like you said. The person who hid this here took advantage of Daeron¡¯s obsession with entertainment to do what they wanted,¡± Juan told Sina.


    Juan lifted the bottle and peeked into it. The dark red blood thrashed around as the screams of humans and monsters could be heard from within the bottle. Evil energy was leaking in all directions, but it looked like Daeron wasn¡¯t affected by it. Whoever had hidden this dark red blood here didn¡¯t think they needed to control Daeron.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter! Now that I¡¯ve discovered concrete proof of his heresy, I won¡¯t overlook it! We¡¯ve got both the evidence and the charges against him so we¡¯ll first interrogate him and then decide on his crimes afterward! He¡¯ll definitely be executed!¡± Sina shouted.


    Juan heaved a sigh as he said, ¡°Where¡¯s the proof?¡±


    ¡°What? The evidence is in your hand...¡± Sina trailed off. Her eyes widened in shock as Juan opened the cap, raised the bottle, and drank the liquid inside.


    ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Sina screamed.


    As Talter¡¯s blood flowed into Juan¡¯s throat, Sina tried to grab the bottle, but she was toote. She could do nothing but observe Juan to see if anything was different.


    Most of the bodies of the gods defeated by the emperor had disappeared, but a few of them had been stolen and hidden, as there were people who tried to eat the bodies of gods to gain their power. All such instances ended up in a disaster.


    Now, Juan had turnedpletely still.


    ¡°Juan!¡± Sina called out desperately.


    ***


    <i>¡®You¡¯re always getting in my way, huh?¡¯?</i>A familiar voice said in Juan¡¯s subconscious.


    When Juan had first heard that voice, it had beenughing like crazy. Thatughter had slowly turned into chilling screams, and now, at the end, it was nothing but a tired, frail murmur.


    ¡°Talter, if you didn¡¯t want me to get in your way, then you shouldn¡¯t have been born,¡± Juan replied.


    <i>¡®Fool, I simply let my guard down before because I didn¡¯t know what you were capable of. I only suggested ying with offerings for entertainment...¡¯?</i>


    Juanughed, as he had indeed been too reckless when he had faced Talter. If Talter hadn¡¯t been his first target, Talter would probably have been hard to deal with. After all, Talter was a god of madness that enjoyed battles. It was normal for Talter to have let his guard down, since Juan had been an unknown kid when Talter had first met him.


    ¡°And as a result, you were punished severely, weren¡¯t you?¡± Juan taunted.


    <i>¡®Iughed when I heard the news of your death, but now you¡¯ve revived as a weak and useless child, huh?¡¯</i>


    ¡°You sure you should be saying that when you¡¯ve lost to a child twice? And you ought to think about how <i>you?</i>look now before you criticize my appearance,¡± Juan retorted.


    Talter raged, <i>¡®Fool! Your arrogance ends right here. Now that you¡¯ve drunk my blood, your body will be consumed by madness. Although you look weak, you must be pretty useful, since you were able to defeat my subordinates.¡¯</i>


    Juan broke outughing at what Talter said, ¡°I¡¯m arrogant? You should take a look at yourself.¡±


    Talter suddenly felt chills running down his back, even though he didn¡¯t even have a physical body. He hurriedly tried to take over Juan¡¯s body, as he felt uneasy, but Juan was totally unfazed.


    Talter was shocked¡ªeven though he used up all his mana, it was nowhere near enough to take over Juan. He realized that the chills he felt stemmed from fear, because of the overwhelming gap in strength between him and Juan. It was as if he was floating in an empty world with nothing tond on, and in that massive space, Talter¡¯s mana was nothing more than a little droplet.


    ¡°You¡¯re nothing more than a mana potion to me,¡± Juan whispered.


    ***


    Sina was holding Juan in her arms when she suddenly felt heat rising from his body. She reflexively let go of him. Juan fell to the ground as his skin began to tear.


    <i>Rip</i>¡ª


    mes surged out from the tears on his skin, evaporating the surrounding blood and burning the clothes that he was wearing. Juan eventually became engulfed in mes. Shocked, Sina tried to douse the mes with a cloak, but the cloak caught on fire as well.


    Sina shrieked desperately as she stepped back from the mes. ¡°Juan!¡±


    The mes continued to burn Juan, heating up the air and making it hard to breathe. Unfortunately, Sina wasn¡¯t able to withstand the heat, so she quickly dragged Daeron out of the room. mes started to creep out of the room itself and the chances of Juan being alive was slim. Sina was devastated at the thought of Juan¡¯s death.


    ¡°Juan...¡±


    Momentster, however, a boy walked out from within the mes, propping himself up against the heated walls. Sina watched in disbelief as the boy patted off his own charred skin, which turned into ash and scattered away.


    Daeron was also in disbelief. He was reminded of the great fire that had happened across the great ins recently. No one had found out what had caused that great fire, and an ash-covered boy had been sold to the colosseum shortly afterward.


    ¡°Hmm... Looks like some of the difort is gone,¡± Juan said, looking at his naked body. He had grown older, looking like a 12-year-old now.


    ¡°That Talter bastard is only worth three years of growth...? Looks like he waszy in gathering mana,¡± Juan talked to himself.


    Juan¡¯s body would be reconstructed based on the amount of mana he had. Thus, he experienced rapid change the moment he absorbed Talter¡¯s mana. If Talter had been in his prime, Juan would have experienced exponential growth, but Talter had been so weak that he was an embarrassment amongst the gods. It had probably not been long since Talter had nted his body in the colosseum.


    Juan was worried about how long it would take for him to get back to his prime condition. That said, he was still pretty satisfied; after gaining some muscle on his scrawny body, he now looked somewhat decent. But it was still just a child¡¯s body, so Juan thought, <i>¡®I guess if I want to restore my body, it¡¯d be a good idea to absorb corpses.¡¯?</i>


    In various parts of the empire, there were gods that Juan had sealed, along with the inheritance that he had left behind. If he absorbed those, then his body could be restored much faster.

 Chapter 17 – Rise from the Ashes (2)

    <h4>Chapter 17 ¨C Rise from the Ashes (2)</h4>


    ¡°Juan... what in the world... just happened?¡± Sina asked Juan, staring nkly at him.


    Juan smiled at Sina as her heart pounded heavily. Juan¡¯s smile felt like it had touched something deep within her soul.


    ¡°Rebirth within mes. Isn¡¯t there a legend about this?¡± Juan remarked.


    Sina flinched at his question. There was a well-known legend where the emperor abandoned his old body and was reborn within mes. Sina muttered, ¡°...That¡¯s impossible.¡±


    ¡°Doubt is a proof of faith,¡± Juan remarked sarcastically. It was an attempt to taunt Sina, who aspired to be a temr, but Sina was not amused. She could no longer overlook Juan¡¯s words.


    ¡°I know that you¡¯re not an average person, but this is uneptable,¡± Sina responded.


    ¡°What incredible faith you have,¡± Juan snorted. He had no intention of trying to convince her.


    Meanwhile, Daeron crawled toward Juan and handed him the cloak he was wearing. Juan took the cloak and looked down at Daeron while saying, ¡°I have no intentions of proving who I am to you, epting your allegiance, or bing your object of worship, but I am quite curious about how you¡¯re so certain about who I am.¡±


    Juan then looked right back at Sina, but saw no hesitance in her eyes. He imagined her answers would be <i>¡®You¡¯re not strong¡¯?</i>or <i>¡®There¡¯s not enough proof that you¡¯re the emperor.¡¯</i>


    But Sina¡¯s answer surprised Juan.


    ¡°I believe that when His Majesty looks at his people, his eyes are filled with benevolence and love. That¡¯s the kind of person our emperor is.¡±


    Juan''s eyebrows twitched at what Sina said.


    Sina continued, ¡°There¡¯s only hatred and emptiness in your eyes. I can¡¯t believe that you¡¯re the emperor, no matter what kind of concrete evidence you present to me.¡±


    Juan became silent for a while after hearing Sina¡¯s answer, and grasped the broken heavy sword in his hand tightly. The atmosphere between the two of them became chilly. Juan stood in the deadly silence and then sighed. ¡°It was all because of my eyes? How ridiculous.¡±


    Juan fiddled with the sword in his hand and looked at Daeron who was prostrated in front of him. He asked, ¡°Is there any reason why I shouldn¡¯t kill him?¡±


    ¡°So that he could receive a fair trial? Because he¡¯s your follower?¡± Sina answered.


    ¡°Wrong. I¡¯ve already decided to kill this guy after Talter,¡± Juan replied.


    Juan struck Daeron¡¯s head with the broken heavy sword so quickly that Sina had no time to respond. Sina squealed as she saw Daeron¡¯s head simply separated from his body and dropped onto the ground.


    .


    Juan then looked at the colosseum and mumbled, ¡°No one will try to open the colosseum again, right?¡±


    ***


    Ossrey saw the mes that surged out of the manager¡¯s room¡ªthat was the direction that Sina had gone in, and it was a pretty huge fire. While he was worried for Sina, he couldn¡¯t afford to check on her; he couldn¡¯t even control the spectators who had fallen into panic due to the monsters that had flooded into the colosseum.


    ¡°The knight order is about to arrive! Hang in there for a while more!¡± Ossrey shouted.


    ¡°Ossrey!¡±


    Ossrey didn¡¯t have to wait for long before Sina called out to him.


    ¡°Dame Sina! Have you found a way to resolve this situation? What did Daeron say?¡± Ossrey asked.


    ¡°Daeron is dead,¡± Sina replied grudgingly, causing Ossrey to be shocked.


    Sensing the shock in his eyes, Sina shook her head and exined, ¡°I didn¡¯t kill him. The culprit has run away. We need to chase after him now, so we need to gather the members of the knight order...¡±


    Sina trailed off as she saw the current situation¡ªit was a total mess, with rampaging monsters and spectators who ran everywhere. If she gathered the knights for a chase, then the damage would go out of control. Ossrey was also worried about that.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have any knights to spare for that, and we also have the fire that broke out to deal with...¡± Ossrey remarked.


    ¡°...¡± Sina became silent, feeling conflicted. If they lost Juan now then there was no telling when she would find him again. But there were people dying in front of her eyes right now.


    Sina didn¡¯t need to think for very long before she replied, ¡°Go tell the city security team to lock up the city. I¡¯ll stay behind and protect the people.¡±


    ***


    It was noisy and dark; every time the ground trembled, dust fell off the clumsily built walls. When Juan had disappeared from her sight, Sina assumed he had escaped this ce, but it had actually been the opposite; Juan had gone underground, from where the monsters came out.


    <i>Kieeeek!</i>


    A desert troll screeched as it broke through the ground. The moment its rough hands tried to grab onto Juan¡¯s leg, he easily avoided it by lifting his leg. The desert troll¡¯s eyes widened; it had thought that it would definitely catch Juan¡¯s leg. Meanwhile, Juan was already in the air.


    <i>Crack¡ª?</i>


    The short sword pierced through the back of the desert troll¡¯s head as Juan applied his body weight to it. The desert troll copsed without even putting up a fight. Juan struggled as he tried to pull out the short sword; it took him more time to pull out the short sword than it had taken him to kill the troll. <i>¡®While my body¡¯s condition is better now,</i><i>?I¡¯m still too light</i><i>.¡¯</i>


    He didn¡¯t know how much mana would be needed to restore his body. He already had way more mana than a normal full-grown man would have, but his physical age had stopped at around 13 years old and there wouldn¡¯t be any huge difference if he didn¡¯t exert strength or use mana. Juan touched his upper abdomen, where his mana heart was located. While he had absorbed Talter¡¯s mana, it was stillcking incredibly whenpared to the real gods. His condition was still almost as bad as when he had just been resurrected. Whenpared to the capacity of his mana heart, the mana he had at this point barely filled the bottom of it.


    It was also hard to say that his physique had grown proportionately to his mana.


    <i>¡®There¡¯s still too much that I don¡¯t know about,¡¯</i> Juan thought;<i>?</i>things like why he had been revived, and on what principles his new body functioned. It wouldn¡¯t have mattered if he had given up on life, but things were different now.


    <i>¡®If I could control how I look, I would like to look rougher and sturdier.¡¯</i>


    Unfortunately, it seemed Juan had no control over that. While the mana could heal his injuries, it didn¡¯t y any part in forming Juan¡¯s appearance. He would have to physically work out just to train his body like any normal human, or start taking in the relevant nutrients. Of course, doing so wouldn¡¯t take him too much time to achieve his desired look.


    As he wandered underground, he found the path that he had been looking for. Juan had mixed feelings as he saw the unsealed path ahead of him. It was a dungeon that Talter¡¯s apostles had made¡ªthey used to bring monsters, ves, or those they had kidnapped through this path.


    The ground here always used to be red, because people who resisted were executed on the spot as an example for the rest. After Juan executed Talter in the past, he had ordered all the secret pathways to be sealed, but there was no trace of it being sealed right now. Daeron had probably opened up these pathways to use the dungeon as a ce to keep the monsters.


    Juan slowly walked further in. It was a good thing he didn¡¯t have to open up the pathways himself. He was intending to use these secret pathways to get out of Tantil. Since people wouldn¡¯te in here, he didn¡¯t have to worry about anyone getting in his way.


    As Juan went further in, darkness swallowed his surroundings, but Juan continued on without any hesitations. Despite it having been decades since he hadst been here, he still remembered what the path had been like. He walked in silence, staring into the dark and stopped when he heard soundsing from the other side. It sounded like flesh being torn and bones being crushed, like something was eating a human. Juan stared into the empty darkness while holding still. Whatever was on the other side had stopped eating and growled upon noticing Juan.


    Juan could smell the unique, bloody stench of monsters. Meanwhile, he took a step forward without grabbing his sword.


    <i>Roar!?</i>


    <i>¡®A demonic beast, huh?¡¯</i>


    As Juan continued to walk forward without stopping, the demonic beast roared at Juan a few more times, but it didn¡¯t charge at Juan. <i>¡®Demonic beasts do have sharper instincts than monsters.¡¯</i>


    There were monsters that were more sensitive, but they couldn¡¯t bepared to demonic beasts. The only times a demonic beast would ignore its instincts, would be when it was driven into a corner or when its life was at stake.


    Before Juan even took three steps, the demonic beast turned and ran away. Since it had eaten its fill, it wanted to avoid unnecessary fights.


    There was an unfinished corpse left where the demon stood; it seemed to have been dragged from somewhere, as there was a long trail of blood. Juan followed the direction where the stench of blood was the strongest.


    ¡°...This ce,¡± Juan muttered.


    Juan discovered a door not far away with faint crimson light seeping out of it. He opened the door and looked inside to see a huge space in the shape of an inverted pyramid that was made out of red bricks. The scene in front of him made his gaze turn cold. The surrounding walls were studded with smaller stones dyed in blood. There was a hole in the ceiling that was also stained with blood, and directly beneath it was a mountain of deformed corpses of humans, demonic beasts, and monsters, along with arge pool of blood. The stench of rotting corpses and blood made Juan¡¯s head throb in pain.


    It seemed this was the ce where the corpses from the fights were ¡®taken care of.¡¯<i>?</i>This ce was a corpse disposal nt as well as a breeding farm.


    <i>¡®Why did I think that sealing this ce would have been enough? Why did I think that humans would stop doing foolish things if I took care of Talter? Why did I not smell the disgusting stench of this ce back then?¡¯</i>


    Every single thing about this ce seemed to be criticizing and mocking Juan¡¯s foolishness. Juan slowly walked down the stairs as the monsters and demonic beasts that were eating the corpses stopped and stared at Juan warily. They didn¡¯t approach Juan, as they had lived a long time just eating corpses. As Juan went down the steps, he saw a wall decorated with the symbol of Talter, now badly damaged. The symbol of the emperor, a circle with a cross sticking out of the circle, was shoddily engraved on top of it along with some words.


    <i>Praise The Emperor!</i>


    That symbol seemed to be giving praise to the emperor on top of the piles of corpses. Juan stepped on the corpses, sinking down as the dried bones crunched. Eventually, another pool of blood was formed at his feet. Within the pool, there were numerous corpses, blood, and bones. In the midst of it all, Juan thought of two people; two people whose traces, names or how they were doing could not be known.


    ¡°Looks like I¡¯ve made a mistake,¡± Juan admitted one of his regrets among the many regrets he had for the first time. Juan took out his rusty and chipped short sword¡ªit seemed perfect for what he wanted to do. He ced the de of the sword on his hand and slowly cut it, causing fresh blood to overflow from his hand. As soon as Juan imbued the blood with mana, the blood caught fire as if it were oil and started to burn the corpses. The demonic beasts that watched this started to growl loudly, but they started to run away after they saw the pool of blood catch fire. The fire started to burn wildly and spread everywhere in an instant uponing into contact with the fat from the corpses. The fire then spread to the hundreds of those pathways within the sealed underground, while Juan mumbled as he spilled more blood and added to the fire.


    ¡°Let it all burn! It¡¯d be better for there to be a new start out of the ashes.¡±


    1. So far, the author uses both ?? and ??? in the raws, and thus we had it tranted as demonic beasts and monsters. We¡¯ll see if they¡¯re actually any different down the road!

 Chapter 18 – Inquisitorial Trial (1)

    <h4>Chapter 18 ¨C Inquisitorial Trial (1)</h4>


    Huge tongues of mes swallowed up the Tantil Colosseum, the fire spreading all over as if the colosseum was made of straw. Fortunately, the colosseum was built a distance away from other buildings so there was no way the fire would spread over. Otherwise, there would probably be only ashes left in the wake of the raging fire.


    ¡°Sina, this...¡± Haselle, Captain of the Order of the Blue Rose, mumbled as he came a step toote.


    Both Haselle and Sina were horrified at the sight left behind by the raging fire¡ªthe colosseum looked like hell itself. While most of the spectators had been evacuated, not all of them were; it was a difficult task to aplish while monsters were roaming around in the colosseum. Even sealing up the colosseum was a questionable decision.


    Just then, fire started to rise up in various ces all over the colosseum. The monsters and demonic beasts started rampaging behind the iron bars as they could not get out.


    ¡°Did you do this?¡± Haselle asked Sina, since he knew how much Sina hated the colosseum. Sina shook her head, but she couldn¡¯t confidently tell Haselle that she had nothing to do with it.


    The fire slowly died down, but it had swallowed everything, not leaving even a single piece of bone behind. The colosseum that had once looked grand was now only left with ashes and soot. Juan stood quietly in the middle of those ashes.


    While the fire itself had died down, the heat could still be felt via the hundreds of pathways in the underground cavern. Juan liked the fact that there was no longer the repulsive rotting stench of corpses, nor could they be seen.


    There was only one thing that shone brightly in the cavern.


    Juan found a short sword stuck at the bottom of the reverse pyramid where he had seen the first pool of blood. His own sword had long melted away from the heat, but that short sword still burned crimson red even after the fire had died down.


    Juan pulled out the short sword, feeling its intense heat permeate his body. The sword glowed fervently for thest time and slowly dimmed, as if Juan had absorbed the heat, then returned to its normal dark gray state.


    Juan then realized that it was used for Talter¡¯s rituals¡ªit had been absorbing the blood of sacrifices from before people even started recording history. No one had cared about it after Talter had died, so no one knew it was hidden here. Juan had thought the short sword would respond to him since he had absorbed Talter, but nothing happened. Even knowing that Talter would not be killed that easily and would definitely rise again eventually, Juan was confident in taking him down again.


    <i>¡®In any case, it looks like I obtained a decent weapon.¡¯?</i>


    It was a natural thing for the victor to im the weapon of their enemies.


    Juan took a step forward, and an unknown ck object crumbled beneath his feet.


    ***


    ¡°I smell something seditious from that ce.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe that sphemy has taken ce within my parish!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a sphemy against His Majesty¡¯s authority!¡±


    The old man shook his head as he spoke each line. He seemed to be constantly moving, with his trembling legs and fidgeting fingers; even his eyes were busy darting around. He looked very bizarre; insane, even. He sat at the farthest and highest spot in the Inquisitorial Tribunal, but no one dared to look at him.


    ¡°I could smell the stench of apostasy from the moment that mere merchant stepped onto our holynd!¡±


    ¡°Even if the person whomitted apostasy is dead, his body must not be left as it is!¡±


    ¡°It must be flogged until its limbse apart!¡± the old man eximed, making the others lower their heads simultaneously at what the old man said. Everyone in a position of power within Tantil was involved with Daeron in one way or another. The situation was vtile, and they could lose their lives anytime.


    ¡°We need to catch the heretics!¡±


    ¡°Only the blood of the evil heretics will be able to wash their sins again!¡±


    ¡°His Majesty¡¯s great name must be built upon blood and ashes!¡± The old man shouted agitatedly.


    ¡°However, there¡¯s an order to things.¡±


    ¡°Bring Sina Solvane to trial,¡± the old man mumbled as he calmed down.


    ***


    ¡°...Bishop Rietto is in charge of the inquisitorial trial?¡± Sina asked, looking taken aback. She had expected to be summoned into an inquisitorial trial, since not only was she involved with Juan, she had also been present throughout the whole incident. She had also abused the knight order¡¯s search pass. But Sina had thought this would be handled within the knight order, or maybe by the Priest. She hadn¡¯t imagined that it would be handled by a Bishop.


    Ossrey scratched his head as he said, ¡°I didn¡¯t know he was the Bishop at first nce. He looked a little... agitated.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what everyone thinks of him at first,¡± Sina replied while biting her fingernails. She recalled her first meeting with Bishop Rietto. She had had the same thoughts as Ossrey¡ªthat Rietto was a crazy old man. However, he was a truly capable man. Even though he was not the only Bishop of the empire¡ªthere were another twenty-three¡ªit took more than just faith to be put in charge of the parishes in six cities, including Tantil.


    ¡°Does he have a special talent or something?¡± Ossrey wondered aloud.


    ¡°It¡¯s not so much a talent... It might be the Grace. That¡¯s what Bishop Rietto said himself,¡± Sina replied.


    ¡°Grace?¡± Ossrey asked.


    ¡°He said that he can hear what His Majesty says,¡± Sina answered.


    Ossrey looked at Sina with disbelief; there were tons of madmen who said they could hear His Majesty¡¯s voice. There were even people who imed themselves to be His Majesty himself. Ossrey wished to ask more, but Sina didn¡¯t want to discuss further whether that was true or not.


    ¡°It¡¯s said that Bishop Rietto¡¯s mind was split because His Majesty¡¯s voice was too strong, and so he now has several personalities. The personalities would discuss among themselves and speak on behalf of His Majesty,¡± Sina exined.


    ¡°If he¡¯s able to hear His Majesty¡¯s voice, then can¡¯t he just do as the emperor says without any discussion?¡± Ossrey questioned.


    ¡°It¡¯s as you said: just a discussion with its topic repeated over and over again. The conclusion has been fixed from the get-go. Just think of him as an elderly man who has the habit of repeating his words,¡± Sina said.


    Innread dot".


    ¡°While I don''t know if it''s real or not, his habit makes him quite hard to understand...,¡± Ossrey remarked.


    ¡°Regardless of whether it¡¯s real or not, he wouldn¡¯t be a bishop if it were all nonsense. There were also instances when he knew about things that he couldn¡¯t have known about. While he might be a fanatic, he¡¯s not just any fanatic. Even though he might look a little out of his mind, he¡¯s greatly respected by the Priests,¡± Sina added.


    The power struggle among the Priests that Sina had seen in the capital was pretty intense; there were times when a Bishop was changed four times within a six-month period. But Bishop Rietto survived in that cutthroat environment and had led as Head Bishop for eight years; that was proof that he was not just the average zealot.


    ¡°If he¡¯s the real thing, then... you don¡¯t have anything to worry about, right? All of us at the Order of the Blue Rose know of your innocence after all,¡± Ossrey said.


    ¡°I hope so...¡± Sina trailed off; she didn¡¯t know if what she had done was eptable in the eyes of Bishop Rietto, who was His Majesty¡¯s ardent worshiper. After all, she had been expelled from the capital because her faith had been called into question. Rietto would definitely condemn someone if he suspected even a whiff of heresy from them.


    ¡°In any case, it¡¯s not a good thing if he¡¯s the judge, since there aren¡¯t any jurors.¡± Sina continued.


    ¡°There aren¡¯t any jurors?¡± Ossrey asked.


    ¡°Bishop Rietto insists that there is no need for jurors, since he¡¯s able to represent the opinions of multiple people. He says that he is able to evaluate, judge and decide on the sentence by himself,¡± Sina exined.


    Such a ridiculous act could only be done by someone who was at least a Bishop.


    The door to the trial room opened and Haselle came out of it. They could see how tired he was by the dark circles under his eyes.


    ¡°Sina, it¡¯s your turn.¡±


    Ossrey¡¯s face stiffened as Haselle spoke to Sina. She elbowed Ossrey lightly to tell him that everything was going to be okay, and walked to Haselle.


    Haselle was so fat that it was hard to believe that he was the captain of a knight order; in fact, one would question whether he could even wield a sword properly. Nevertheless, he indeed held the highest position in the Order of the Blue Rose.


    ¡°Captain, I¡¯m sorry for causing you trouble.¡± Sina apologized.


    ¡°You should have thought of that before you entered the colosseum,¡± Haselle replied.


    While Sina couldn¡¯t retort to that, Haselle did not actually me her for what she had done, since no one could have foreseen everything that had happened. There had been four hundred casualties during the disaster in the Tantil Colosseum two days ago. A disaster on such a scale was unprecedented in Tantil. The whole city was in shock, and even the capital paid attention to this incident. There were also rumors that this was all done by a heretic teenage boy.


    There were rumors that the heretic teenage boy came from beyond the borders and brought disaster with him, that he was a corrupted child who had gotten sucked into evil because of the arduous ve life, or that he was a heretic priest. There were all sorts of unpleasant and ominous guesses as to who that heretic teenage boy was...


    ¡°...Is it true that you met that boy?¡± Haselle asked Sina in passing.


    ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± Sina replied.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say here. Damn it... Please tell me that boy was the arsonist,¡± Haselle pleaded.


    However, Sina couldn¡¯t simply answer ¡®no.¡¯ Juan was definitely no ordinary child but he did not look like an evil heretic to her, like what the rumors said. Juan felt somewhat noble, yet also like a walking corpse; he was filled with anger, yet also felt somewhat pitiful. He felt holy, yet also ominous to the extent that he should not be left alone. Sina didn¡¯t know if Juan could even be considered a human, based on all of these things she felt from him.


    Before Sina entered the inquisition trial, Haselle grabbed onto her shoulders and said, ¡°Whatever you¡¯re going to say... you don¡¯t need to be too honest.¡±


    Sina smiled bitterly.


    Haselle continued. ¡°I know how you think of me, and you might think I¡¯m saying this for my own good, but I¡¯ve already given up on bing sessful a long time ago. What I¡¯ve gone through can¡¯t even bepared to what you¡¯ve gone through. Those capital bastards, and Bishop Rietto¡­.¡±


    ¡°I know that, Captain,¡± Sina replied. While Haselle was one of the most materialistic people Sina knew, he was not evil. He had escaped from the capital to the borders because he wanted to live in luxury while epting bribes. He acted more like a corrupted official than a captain, but he wasn¡¯t heartless. That had been good enough so far, but it seemed like he would need to be a more honest knight after this incident.

 Chapter 19 – Inquisitorial Trial (2)

    <h4>Chapter 19 ¨C Inquisitorial Trial (2)</h4>


    Sina Solvane entered the courtroom. The walls of the courtroom were nted inward, symbolizing His Majesty overlooking the audience. The walls met the ceiling at an incredible height¡ªrepresenting the scale of the authority of the Church.


    It was said that the criminal seated at the defendant¡¯s stand would be able to see a ray of light through a window located at the highest point of the courtroom if they craned their neck backward until it hurt. That represented His Majesty¡¯s mercy.


    <i>¡®But no criminal would be able to see that.¡¯?</i>


    The used were never allowed to lift up their heads in a trial. Even Sina walked into the courtroom with her eyes on the ground.


    This trial was different from the usual ones, as the inquisitorial trial was meant to pass judgment on people rted to charges of heresy. The results of the trial were usually harsh and strict, making it the subject of fear.


    Sina had tried searching for the window whilst observing a few of these trials, but she had never been able to locate it, as it could only be seen from the defendant¡¯s stand.


    ¡°Sina Solvane.¡±


    ¡°Elite Knight of the Order of the Blue Rose.¡±


    ¡°Your mother served as an Imperial Knight and was honorably discharged due to injuries.¡±


    ¡°You graduated with excellent results as a Temr in the Holy City of Torra.¡±


    ¡°But there are records of you quarreling with Priests frequently.¡± Rietto briefly summarized Sina¡¯s past as soon as she sat down.


    There was reproach in Rietto¡¯s words at the reason for Sina¡¯s transfer to the borders, despite her excellent performance and family background. Arguments with Priests were no small matter; the heaviest sentence for sphemy was execution in some regions.


    ¡°As you know, Tantil¡¯s colosseum isn¡¯t an ordinary location.¡±


    ¡°Neither was the incident that urred here a few days ago.¡±


    ¡°Especially since such a disrespectful incident happened on the emperor¡¯s birthday!¡± Rietto eximed.


    The 134 deaths and 289 injured didn¡¯t seem to matter to him at all; not even the growing fear and tension in the city mattered to him.


    ¡°Based on your report, you¡¯re the only survivor, despite being in contact with the culprit!¡±


    ¡°You forged your captain¡¯s warrant and conducted an illegal search!¡±


    ¡°There was also information that you were intimate with the culprit that caused such great damage!¡± Rietto continued.


    It seemed that some of the soldiers who had witnessed Sina meeting Juan that night had survived the fire. Sina knew how things looked like for her and carefully spoke. ¡°Your Excellency¡ª¡±


    ¡°Be quiet!¡± Rietto shouted, before Sina could even continue her sentence.


    ¡°I can smell the stench of heresy from you!¡±


    .


    ¡°How impertinent! How dare you try to defend yourself in my trial? Do you doubt my judgment?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s sphemy that I won¡¯t endure as the proxy of His Majesty!¡± Rietto eximed.


    This preposterous situation made Sina felt like she had returned back to the days when she was still in Torra, quarreling with fanatic Priests as she protested against their sophistry. However, things were different now; the situation could get worse if she spoke any further.


    ¡°I already know of all the corrupted things you¡¯ve done!¡±


    ¡°As well as how you¡¯ve been stripped of your temr position because of yourck of faith!¡±


    ¡°And also how you disobeyed the authority of your superior!¡± Rietto stated.


    Sina wanted to say that this was all irrelevant to the matter at hand, but she could only listen quietly. Such a one-sided trial could not be considered fair. She could only hope that there was a slight chance that some rumors of Bishop Rietto were true.


    ¡°You need to undergo the holy purification! The most fiery purification there is!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been too long since you¡¯ve felt the incandescence of the purification.¡±


    ¡°You must be burned. I want to burn you to the point your face and your limbs shrivel!¡± Rietto''s bones cracked as he shouted agitatedly¡ªit felt as if his neck was about to break from the sheer passion.


    After he finished his lines, he suddenly lifted up his head and shouted, ¡°Instead of catching the culprit, you instead wasted time on those lowly peasants! Don¡¯t you know that His Majesty should be your highest priority as a knight? In that light, you are an utter disgrace!¡±


    <i>¡®I¡¯m done,¡¯?</i>Sina thought. She had kept her silence for long enough.


    ¡°Is it the job of a shepherd to drive his sheep off the cliff and chase the wolves?¡± Sina asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t sully my court with your heresy! YOU are the pestilence that¡¯s making thend sick and killing all the livestock!¡± Rietto shouted.


    ¡°His Majesty did not rise to the peak to kill the wolves, but to guide the sheep. We, the knight orders, are sheepdogs that help¡ª¡±


    <i>FWIP!</i>


    A sharp sound ripped through the air, and Sina¡¯s speech was interrupted by searing paining from her back. The Temr that apanied the Bishop was holding onto a whip, ready to use it again. A bloody gash had appeared on Sina''s back.


    <i>¡®I got into trouble again.¡¯?</i>


    Sina med herself for not being able to stay quiet as she remembered how she had quarreled in the same way with the Priests when she had been studying to be a knight.


    Rietto stared murderously at Sina as he said, ¡°That is enough. I have heard enough of your heresy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard the holy message from His Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Lock this fool in solitary confinement while she awaits judgment.¡±


    ***


    ¡°You should have just held it in,¡± Ossrey said while giggling.


    ¡°It feels like I¡¯ve said that to myself hundreds of times, but I might have died of anger if I held it in any longer,¡± Sina replied.


    Ossrey applied ointment on Sina¡¯s back, which had turned into a mess from the whipping. It was as if the whip had barbs on it. It took a while for the bleeding to stop.


    ¡°Although this is an expensive ointment, I don¡¯t think you will be able to avoid scarring,¡± Ossrey remarked.


    ¡°It would be considered a miracle if I got off with just one whip despite having talked back to the Bishop,¡± Sina replied.


    ¡°The younger ones in the knight order might even like what you did,¡± Ossrey told Sina.


    ¡°That¡¯s if I can still continue to stay in the knight order,¡± Sina responded.


    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine you doing things like weaving clothes¡­ I think you¡¯ll probably harvest fruits using your sword in the fields,¡± Ossrey said jokingly.


    ¡°My father did teach me how to work in an orchard when I was young. Thinking back, he might have been preparing me for it in advance based on my personality. Well, the scenery in an orchard is decent, so it might not be such a bad idea,¡± Sina chuckled.


    But Ossrey wasn¡¯t able to do the same. There was no way that the punishment would end with just getting expelled from the knight order. That wasn¡¯t the kind of punishment that the inquisitorial trial would dish out. One was either guilty orpletely innocent. It meant that they would either be punished mercilessly, or receive no punishment at all¡ªit was one or the other.


    Rietto had a lot of reasons to be suspicious of Sina and had not given her any chance to defend herself. There was good reason for Rietto to think of Sina as an aplice even if he did not think of her as the main culprit.


    For an incident of such arge scale, someone definitely had to take the me for it and the Elite Knight of a knight order was a good target. Even if Sina survived this, she would be left half crippled.


    ¡°Ossrey,¡± Sina called out.


    ¡°Yes, Dame Sina.¡± There was a little hesitation in Ossrey¡¯s reply.


    ¡°If I can no longer fulfill my duties as a knight, please find Juan for me. You¡¯re the only one other than me who¡¯s seen what he¡¯s truly capable of. You must catch him,¡± Sina said.


    ¡°What... do you want me to do with him?¡± Ossrey asked.


    ¡°He¡¯s not the one who brought about the disaster as per the rumors. While he¡¯s not an ordinary boy, there is something mysterious about him. We can¡¯t get rid of him. I have a feeling that whether he bes a disaster or our savior depends on our actions,¡± Sina exined.


    ¡°Putting aside your overestimation of his abilities, is this something that I can do alone?¡± Ossrey asked.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I can¡¯t trust youpletely in this; it would be best if I could do this together with you,¡± Sina said as her dryughter echoed in the prison cell.


    Just then, the sound of approaching footsteps came from the prison corridor. Sina put her clothes back on despite the pain it caused. The door opened and in came the Temr who had whipped Sina back at the trial. While Ossrey red at him, the Temr did not care about Ossrey at all. The masked Temr looked down at Sina and said, ¡°Sina Solvane, it¡¯s time for your sentence.¡±


    Sina was taken aback. Although sentences for inquisitorial trials were usually quicker than regr trials, it had been less than an hour since the trial ended. She felt a sense of foreboding, but the sentence¡­ was something that no one had expected.


    ***


    Juan quietly climbed atop the tree and looked below. There was a stag looking around cautiously. It had strangely bloodshot eyes, with strangely shaped antlers that had leaves and vines tangled around them.


    It was a perfect target. Juan jumped from the tree and struck the back of the stag¡¯s head, in the gap between its spine and skull with the short sword. The stag copsed on the spot without a single scream.


    ¡°Phew...¡± Juan let out a breath. He felt that this was good enough as practice for improving his ability to move stealthily. Trying to hide his presence from a beast in the forest was something entirely different from doing it in a colosseum full of blood, stench and chaos. While he was a little rusty when it came to hiding his presence, because he had not done it for a long time, he got used to it quickly. As the emperor, he had to be skilled in hiding his body before he got his original abilities back. He thought of getting stronger as he slowly trained in the basics, like he had just done.


    <i>¡®Time to eat.¡¯</i>


    Juan¡¯s body was made of mana, and while he did not need to eat if he had enough mana, it would be better for him to eat something, so that he would not feel hungry and he could reduce his mana consumption. He was not just trying to fill his stomach.


    Blood spurted out as Juan used Talter¡¯s short sword to cut the stag¡¯s artery. He then put his mouth on the cut and drank the stag¡¯s blood. The sight of a child drinking the blood of a deer in a dense forest was a horrifying one.


    Juan felt mana flow into him after he drank a certain amount of blood.


    <i>¡®As expected, it does replenish my mana.¡¯</i>


    Juan replenished his mana just like how he had identally done with the demonic beast¡¯s corpse back in the colosseum.


    While they had less manapared to the demonic beasts, the beasts in this vicinity nheless had a decent amount of mana, enough to replenish what he consumed as he trained.


    Juan looked up after he drank his fill. He saw an ash-colored tower faintly beyond the dense forest.


    <i>¡®These beasts probably have so much mana in them because of the energy that¡¯sing from there.¡¯?</i>


    Beasts were drawn to ces that had dense mana, and they sometimes turned into demonic beasts in those ces. The ash-colored tower was one of the ces where mana had gathered in abnormal amounts. There was a high probability that more ferocious beasts would appear as he neared the tower.


    However, he did not n to head there right away. His first destination was the capital.

 Chapter 20 – Ash Tower (1)

    <h4>Chapter 20 ¨C Ash Tower (1)</h4>


    Juan infused mana into Talter¡¯s sword that he¡¯d been using for hunting. Streaks of blood could be seen on the gray-colored short sword. As Juan cut into the deer¡¯s skin, the metallic smell of blood filled the air. The de easily separated the hide and meat from the corpse.


    <i>¡®This is pretty useful.¡¯</i>


    Besides, infusing Talter¡¯s mana which had yet to fully assimte in Juan¡¯s body into the short sword made it several times stronger. Talter¡¯s consciousness might have disappeared; however, his mana was still active and filled with evil energy. It was only a matter of time until the assimtion process waspleted, but it was still unstable. There were instances when Juan had used too much energy when activating Talter¡¯s mana. The density of Talter¡¯s mana was much higher than expected, even when he had set the colosseum on fire.


    <i>¡®It could be influenced by my emotions, but it does not hurt to be careful.¡¯?</i>


    Having the ability to amplify his explosive power coulde in handy in the future. Besides,bining it with Talter¡¯s short sword would increase the synergy several times over. It could be a good thing to a certain extent that Talter¡¯s mana had yet to fully assimte with Juan; there were instances when madness was more necessary than meticulously calcted actions.


    Juan had no qualms about using the weapon of the god of blood and madness, which was created using countless sacrifices. After all, it was just a tool, and Juan was not in any way repulsed by the idea of using the spoils he had obtained from his enemy. Juan had obtained much better equipment back when he was still the emperor, but he had them all sealed or destroyed. However, he was nowcking in every way.


    <i>¡®And the number of lives I¡¯ve taken is in no wayckingpared to Talter.¡¯</i>


    .


    It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to call Juan a butcher if he were to include his time as the emperor. It would be ridiculous if he refused to use the sword, considering the lives he himself had taken.


    Juan dismembered the deer in no time, hanging its hide on the tree, and left its meat for the other beasts in the forest, since it was too heavy for him to bring everything along.


    Juan sensed a massive presence. It was to be expected, since the odor of blood had filled the air. This wasn¡¯t anything like a wolf, as it was causing tremors with each step it took. A brown bear as big as the trees came out from beyond the trees.


    <i>¡®Is this a demonic beast?¡¯</i>


    Looking at the deformed muscles, teeth, and unusually gigantic size, it had to be due to the mana in the area.


    The brown bear looked at Juan and just snorted, not giving a damn about Juan as it was attracted to the delicious-looking deer behind him. It wouldn¡¯t chase after Juan even if he ran away now, but Juan grasped his short sword.


    ¡°It¡¯ll probably take the whole day to skin this guy.¡±


    ***


    The smell of blood traversed the vige where most vigers made a living by hunting. Hunting the beasts attracted and affected by the Ash Tower¡¯s mana was their main source of ie, but the beasts were also highly dangerous, contributing to the high fatality rate of hunters in the vige.


    For the hunters who had such a hard time hunting those demonic beasts, the sight of a hooded young boy dragging a pile of hiderger than himself was absolutely horrifying. Moreover, there was a bear¡¯s head on the top of that pile. The bear¡¯s eyes were so huge that Juan could probably fit through their sockets. A few of the hunters tried talking to Juan, but theirrades held them back. Uneasiness filled their eyes.


    Juan stopped in front of a store that had various pieces of leatherid out on disy. The owner of the leather store had been watching Juan from afar, wide-eyed, and ran out quickly when Juan arrived at his store.


    ¡°You¡­ really killed the demonic brown bear all by yourself?¡± The store owner asked.


    Juan nodded with a tired expression on his face; the brown bear had been a much tougher opponent than he had initially thought. Unlike those demonic beasts he had fought in the colosseum, the demonic beasts in the mountains were on apletely different level. They were several times more dangerous.


    It was to the point that when the demonic beasts threatened the vige¡¯s safety, every hunter would be mobilized, and they would at times also hire mercenaries to eliminate the threat.


    However, Juan had just killed one of those demonic beasts all by himself.


    Juan touched his chest, which felt numb as the massive brown bear had broken several of his ribs when it copsed on him. It wasn¡¯t that bad, considering the fact that he had taken it down without using any mana at all. Juan had decided to not rely on mana for the time being since he needed to restore his body¡¯s condition back to normal. He might not be able to use mana at all even during emergencies.


    ¡°Ho, I thought there was something different about you. I guess those whoe from beyond the border are different, huh...? I guess I should tell the master that there¡¯s no need to form an expedition anymore, though some of them will be disappointed,¡± the store owner said happily after confirming the authenticity of the hides. In fact, the man had helped Juan a few days back out ofpassion, thinking this young beggar boy had gathered the hides from corpses lying around in the forest.


    While he knew that Juan was from beyond the border just by his ck hair, Juan didn¡¯t look dangerous at all. It was only when he found out that Juan had killed the demonic beasts with that short sword alone that he finally felt fear. However, his greed for money overrode that fear.


    The Church didn¡¯t have any actual influence deep into the mountains, and they definitely didn¡¯t have any influence over this vige. Thus, the leather merchant decided to put Juan to good use instead of worrying about whether the poor boy was possessed by evil spirits.


    His belief in Juan did not fail him, but the leather merchant hadn¡¯t expected the young boy to be able to kill a demonic beast himself.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be generous with your reward this time around, so kill more demons and bring them to me.¡± Satisfied with the harvest, the store owner paid Juan a sizable amount for the hide. Not only could the hide fetch a high price, there was even a high bounty for killing the bear. Thus, it was a good deal for the store owner.


    ¡°What the hell?!¡± A loud voice could be heard from across the vige as one of the adventurers in a group shouted at an old hunter.


    Embarrassed, the old hunter tried to appease the adventurers. ¡°There¡¯s nothing I can do about this situation either¡­ What can I do when he has lost his leg?¡±


    ¡°Go to the hunter association and get someone to rece him, then!¡± the hunter shouted back.


    ¡°I told you already, didn¡¯t I? There have been frequent sightings of demons recently... And there were some terrible rumors about what happened in Tantil. Who would want to go into the Ash Tower at a time like this? You should just go back and stop being so reckless,¡± the old hunter responded.


    ¡°DAMN IT!¡± The leader of the party shouted as he grabbed the old hunter by his cor but got pulled away by the other members of his party. Most of the vigers were either a part of the hunter association or the old hunter¡¯s family. Picking a fight with him, who was like the vige¡¯s elder, would do no good to them.


    ¡°Oh¡­ it¡¯s that young man who entered the Ash Tower half a year back and returned with a pale face. Seems like another one gave up their expedition this time round,¡± the leather merchant mumbled.


    ¡°They¡¯re trying to go into the Ash Tower?¡± Juan asked the store owner.


    ¡°Such brats appear from time to time. They are drawn by the rumor that His Majesty kept the treasures of the heretics in that tower and sealed it. Disregarding the impertinence of their intentions to mess with the seal ced by His Majesty, there¡¯s no way that seal can be broken by mere adventurers like them,¡± the store owner said as heughed at the adventurers, but he turned away when they red at him.


    The old hunter continued to appease the adventurers, ¡°There¡¯s nothing I can do to help anymore. We¡¯ll definitely reward you handsomely if you hunt a demon near the Ash Tower and bring it back, but there¡¯s no one within the hunter association that¡¯s foolish enough to follow you there.¡±


    ¡°I spent everything I have on this expedition!¡± The party¡¯s leader eximed.


    ¡°You may try looking for another party member in another city then. You might be able to find someone who wants tomit suicide there,¡± the old hunter snorted.


    The adventurers were angry but they couldn¡¯t say anything. It seemed like one of the members had dropped out because of an injury.


    As Juan looked at them, he was reminded of the group that he had started and traveled the continent with. He snorted unwittingly and thought, <i>¡®Something like that probably won¡¯t happen again.¡¯?</i>


    Juan realized that the adventurer party was staring at him. He turned to look at them, but they quickly looked away. He knew why they were staring at him.


    <i>¡®Guess it¡¯s time to leave.¡¯</i>


    He had stayed in this vige for long enough; it was about time the rumors that started from Tantil reached this ce. While he couldn¡¯t move faster than the rumors, he wanted to avoid unnecessary conflicts.


    ***


    Juan left the vige as soon as he got the store owner the items he needed.


    As he had expected, the adventurers that had made a fuss in the vige started to follow him soon. Although they tried to follow Juan secretly, Juan could sense them easily.


    <i>¡®Five of them, all armed.¡¯</i>


    Juan heaved a sigh; he did not want to get into an unnecessary fight, but he had no intentions of letting the situation get worse.


    Juan picked up his speed and then suddenly hid in the trees. Not long after, the adventurers that were looking for him frantically passed by. There were exactly five of them, as he had sensed. Juan decided to hunt them like he hunted the beasts. He charged toward the hooded woman in the rear.


    ¡°Ugh!¡± The woman gasped and fell as Juan ced the short sword on her neck and kicked her in the thigh. It was only then that the other party members turned around.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Juan asked. He could still kill them after hearing what their objectives were. And since they were heading to the Ash Tower, it¡¯d be hard for any of them toe back alive anyway, so Juan didn¡¯t feel sorry about having to kill them.


    ¡°Wait a minute!¡± It was the adventurer who was yelling back in the vige. He looked like a warrior, as he had a sword and a shield. Juan assumed that he was the leader.


    ¡°Brat, are you alone? Where are the others?¡± The adventurer asked.


    Juan didn¡¯t feel the need to answer; instead, he applied light force on the woman¡¯s neck. The woman groaned as she started to bleed.


    ¡°If you¡¯re too noisy, I¡¯ll make you quiet for good, so don¡¯t push it,¡± Juan said to the woman.


    The woman understood Juan¡¯s words and immediately became quiet. The attitude of the leader changed after seeing the horrifying scene.


    ¡°I¡¯m Huxle. What¡¯s your name?¡± the leader asked.


    ¡°Juan,¡± Juan replied curtly.


    Just then, one of the adventurers whispered to Huxle, ¡°Boss, this guy¡¯s hair color...¡±


    Huxle quietly nodded as he noticed Juan¡¯s hair color.


    Juan had expected that. People were always curious and scared of those who were from beyond the borders; gods were believed to still exist there, since the blessings of His Majesty had not reached them.


    The residents of the empire could not understand the people who lived beyond the border where it was unstable, but Huxle reacted differently aspared to the usual reaction.


    ¡°It seems you¡¯re alone¡­ We don¡¯t intend to fight you,¡± Huxle told Juan.


    It wasn¡¯t the first time that Huxle had seen someone from beyond the borders. They were typically sensitive like beasts and cautious to the point of paranoia. While they were useful and good to hire, they caused the other team members to be ufortable around them, and Juan looked very simr to those from beyond the borders.


    ¡°You said you¡¯re Juan? Can we talk?¡± Huxle asked.


    ¡°We¡¯re talking right now, aren¡¯t we?¡± Juan retorted.


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. So... where were you heading to?¡± Huxle asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m the one who asked a question first,¡± Juan answered.


    It was obvious that Juan knew they were following him, so it was pointless trying to avoid Juan¡¯s question, and what they were after was probably what Juan had already guessed. In that case, he had a few more questions for them.

 Chapter 21 – Ash Tower (2)

    <h4>Chapter 21 ¨C Ash Tower (2)</h4>


    Huxle felt some guilt and thus avoided looking into Juan''s eyes but eventually spoke, ¡°I¡¯ve heard of some strange rumors recently.¡±


    ¡°Rumors?¡± Juan questioned.


    ¡°They said some kind of demon appeared in Tantil, killed Daeron in a horrible manner, and controlled the monsters to ughter the people there. Even the knight order lost pathetically to that demon and ran away.¡±


    ¡°...¡± Juan remained silent.


    ¡°Even the bishop got involved to deal with the demon, so they locked Tantil down for a week to prevent anyone from escaping, but still couldn¡¯t catch it in the end. They even requested reinforcements from the capital to deal with the demon. But the demon¡¯s actual identity was¡­¡± Huxle trailed off.


    ¡°A ck-haired teenage boy?¡± Juan smiled drearily as he finished Huxle¡¯s sentence. That response sounded threatening to Huxle. The other party members unwittingly tightened the grip on their weapons.


    ¡°Did you already know about this rumor?¡± Huxle asked Juan.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard it until now,¡± Juan replied.


    It was true, at least to Juan, since he hadn¡¯t been to ces with many people. However, he was the one who had caused thatmotion, as well as the small incident with Sina, so all of this was to be expected. Juan had also expected this party to have recognised him when they started paying attention to him back at the vige.


    Huxle concealed his nervousness and observed Juan cautiously. ¡°We¡¯re not here to fight you. In fact, I have a suggestion.¡±


    ¡°A suggestion?¡± Juan asked, intrigued.


    Putting aside whether Juan was a demon or not, he was still a thirteen-year-old ck-haired boy. But Huxle approached Juan as he truly believed there was ¡®something more¡¯ to him.


    ¡°We believe those rumors to be exaggerated. The heretics probably caused trouble, and you, someone from beyond the borders, got swept up in the incident somehow. That said, seeing you now, the rumors might not have been an exaggeration either.


    Huxle continued after taking a deep breath. ¡°...It doesn¡¯t matter if you¡¯re really the demon; it¡¯s not like I work for the emperor. Instead, it is actually the Church who is stealing my rice bowl¡­ they¡¯re worse than demons.¡±


    Huxle¡¯s party was bewildered. Huxle had decided to take a gamble, thinking that he had nothing to lose. Thus, it didn¡¯t matter if what he said was true or not.


    ¡°If you¡¯re going to the holy city, Torra... The Ash Tower is just slightly off course on the way there. Have you been there before?¡± Huxle asked, to which Juan nodded in response.


    Delighted by the response, Huxle continued. ¡°We¡¯re headed there in search of the hidden treasures. There are rumors that His Majesty hid and sealed the heretics¡¯ treasures there after exterminating them. Actually, even if those rumors are exaggerated, there are people who collect items found in those historic sites.¡±


    Juan smirked. It was true¡ªthere were precious treasures hidden in the Ash Tower. But Juan hadn¡¯t just left them there because he was a nice person.


    ¡°If you treasure your life, it¡¯s probably better to look elsewhere,¡± Juan said.


    ¡°But¡­ we have prepared for a long time for this Ash Tower exploration. We¡¯ve even talked to those who survived the Ash Tower. In fact, this would be my third time doing it. I''ve made thorough preparations for it, so I believe I¡¯ll definitely seed this time around¡­ I just want to make sure everything goes smoothly,¡± Huxle exined, hinting that he wanted Juan to help them.


    ¡°Huxle!¡± The woman who was still being held captive yelled before Juan could even reply. Juan nced at her. It was clear to him what roles each of their party members had, except for this woman.


    ¡°What are you doing? I only hired you because I trust you... there was no mention of bringing a kid like this along!¡± The female captiveined.


    ¡°Be quiet!¡± Huxle shouted back at the woman.


    Huxle continued, ¡°I have already used up everything I have for this exploration! Didn¡¯t you promise me rewards if it seeded? Fuck, if I fail again this time, I¡¯m really done for! I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s a heretic or a kid, heck, I would even bring a demon along just to ensure sess. No, I would even sell out the emperor¡¯s corpse, if that¡¯s what it takes!¡±


    The others covered their mouths in shock and some of them even made the sign of a cross at the disrespectful things he had said. The woman bit her lips. Huxle looked at Juan and was surprised to see Juanughing to the point of covering his mouth.


    ¡°Pft, ahahaha. Sorry, this is just so interesting,¡± Juan replied, looking extremely satisfied. ¡°There¡¯s no need to sell out the emperor¡¯s corpse. I like you.¡±


    ¡°So...?¡± Huxle asked.


    ¡°After listening to what you said, I think it¡¯s not a bad idea to go to the Ash Tower, but you must ept my condition,¡± Juan said.


    ¡°What condition?¡± Huxle asked.


    ¡°When we reach our destination, I¡¯ll choose the items first. I don¡¯t really care what happens after that, you guys can take whatever you want,¡± Juan dered.


    ***


    Sina Solvane looked at the gpole she held with a strange feeling. A spear decorated with His Majesty¡¯s symbol and a fluttering g. It was an honor for any knight to be a gbearer, even if it was only once in their lifetime. Sina hadn¡¯t thought that she would be given another chance to be the gbearer after escaping from the capital.


    ¡°Dame Sina, you seem surprised. No, should I be calling you ¡®Pursuit Unit Captain¡¯ now?¡± Someone called out from behind.


    Sina turned around to see a sickly-looking pale man, and instantly felt the still healing scar on her back throbbing.


    ¡°I would be lying if I said I¡¯m not surprised, Inquisitor Kato,¡± Sina replied. Sina had thought this man was just a temr, but he was in fact an Inquisitor, which was an even higher rank. She now understood why he carried a whip and not a sword.


    ¡°Bishop Rietto decided to give you one more chance, instead of punishment, by the grace of His Majesty. You must live up to his grace,¡± Kato reminded Sina.


    ¡°Honestly, no one expected this at all,¡± Sina responded.


    ¡°That¡¯s to be expected. After all, it¡¯s hard to figure out what Bishop Rietto has in mind. However, he¡¯s someone who would do anything for His Majesty. You detected the seed of evil within the colosseum early on, kept an eye on them and did all you could to protect the citizens. That was what Bishop Rietto paid notice to,¡± Kato exined.


    Sina wanted to say that this was totally opposite of what Bishop Rietto had said in the court, but she kept her mouth shut. If she pointed out their shamelessness, his attitude would just turn for the worse.


    ¡°...That¡¯s right. And I¡¯m the only one who knows the target¡¯s face and has talked to him before. So I agree that I should be leading the Pursuit Unit,¡± Sina replied, pushing her thoughts aside.


    ¡°Thank you for epting this mission so positively. Oh, and Bishop Rietto has ordered for me to join the Pursuit Unit as well,¡± Kato announced.


    Sina nodded; she had expected that someone from Bishop Rietto¡¯s side would join her in the pursuit of Juan. An Inquisitor would hold quite the weight in the pursuit unit.


    ¡°If what you¡¯ve reported is true, then the holy relic I received would be of great help.¡± Kato continued, taking out a ss box that contained a sheath.


    Sina immediately felt His Majesty¡¯s holy energy from it. This relic was definitely not meant for decorative purposes; it was a legitimate holy relic that would normally be stored well within the capital.


    .


    ¡°This is...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a legitimate holy relic. It¡¯s something that His Majesty made himself. It¡¯s hard to exin how it works, but it¡¯s able to track the location of its target,¡± Kato exined.


    Something felt off. When did things get so urgent that they had to use a holy relic? The Church¡¯s quick reaction aroused Sina¡¯s suspicions.


    ¡°You seem pretty surprised,¡± Kato remarked.


    ¡°The truth is, I am. I couldn¡¯t get much help from the Church even when an incident bigger than this urred. I guess Bishop Rietto isn¡¯t the only one that has taken an interest in this incident,¡± Sina replied.


    Kato pointed to the skies as he smiled. ¡°Everything moves as per the will of His Majesty who sits on his throne.¡±


    Sina stiffened. Kato¡¯s words were used often by normal people, but it had a different meaning when used by Priests in the capital. The ¡®throne¡¯ was a political way of referring to the high-ranked officials in the holy city, Torra.


    Sina was confused. <i>¡®Why would the capital take interest in what happened on the border?¡¯?</i>


    ¡°The investiture ceremony is about to begin. Let¡¯s hurry; the gbearer shouldn¡¯t bete,¡± Kato reminded her.


    Sina nodded and got onto her horse. Led by the Order of the Blue Rose, the Pursuit Unit¡¯s mission was to go after ¡®Tantil¡¯s demon¡¯. And today was the ceremony to mark the beginning of the new unit. Sina pondered over why Kato had revealed the capital¡¯s involvement in this pursuit mission. It was either a threat, or to spur her on by letting her know that the capital had her back. Either way, the only certainty was that it would affect Sina greatly. The gpole in her hands felt way heavier than Sina had imagined.


    ***


    This was the third time that Huxle visited the Ash Tower; the first two times had not ended well. The fact that he survived was something he had to be thankful for. Since Huxle was lucky enough to survive twice, it could be said that he had already used up all his luck in this lifetime, but he had still decided to do a third exploration.


    <i>¡®I must seed this time.¡¯</i>


    Huxle remembered a pregnant woman whom he had met in a bar back in his hometown. She must have already given birth to a cute child, since she was due while he prepared for the Ash Tower expedition. But all Huxle had were gambling debts and battle scars. Huxle had decided to get a grip on his life after he saw the pregnant woman, but mercenary work was all he knew. A mere silver-ranked mercenary could not possibly make enough money to sustain a family. He needed arge sum of money for that.


    That was when a woman hade to him and suggested an expedition to the Ash Tower. She even promised to give him arge amount of money and also half of the treasures found there. Initially, Huxle decided he would never go back to the Ash Tower after his two failures, but he couldn¡¯t reject the woman because of her tantalizing offer. To make things even better, she mentioned that Huxle could still get the reward even if the expedition were to end in failure.


    ¡°Boss, will that kid be alright?¡± One of the party members, Benson asked Huxle.


    ¡°...Benson, he must have some kind of talent to make a living in the empire,¡± Huxle replied, to which Benson snorted at Huxle¡¯s reply.


    Huxle felt like Benson was not qualified to doubt Juan, since Benson had been kicked out of a guild after being caught rummaging through hisrades¡¯ items.


    ¡°Honestly, you only wanted to ask him for help because you thought this boy had otherpany, didn¡¯t you?¡± Benson questioned Huxle.


    Huxle had thought that there might be a few more people from beyond the borders backing Juan up, but it seemed like that was not the case, since they had not appeared and also because of Juan¡¯s attitude towards them. It was almost like he had gambled the sess of this expedition on Juan.


    ¡°And when you talked about selling out His Majesty¡¯s corpse, we thought you simply said that out of anger since we knew about your situation... But that kid over there simplyughed when he heard it,¡± Benson told Huxle.


    ¡°Yeah, I saw that. It could be because he¡¯s from beyond the borders, so he doesn¡¯t respect His Majesty as much as we do,¡± Huxle exined.


    ¡°But there¡¯s no need for him to be so happy over what you said! That kid must have a screw loose or something. Isn¡¯t he actually kinda horrifying?¡± Benson eximed.


    Huxle did not answer him.


    Benson slowly walked over to Huxle and whispered to him, ¡°If the situation calls for it... we could tie him up and hand him over to Tantil too, can¡¯t we?¡±


    They all knew that there was a huge bounty on a ck-haired boy through a mercenary guild even before they joined this expedition. Benson seemed to be after the bounty more than the reckless expedition. Huxle had thought of it as well; he responded with a sigh and pushed Benson away.


    ¡°Let¡¯s observe how this goes first.¡±

 Chapter 22 – Ash Tower (3)

    <h4>Chapter 22 ¨C Ash Tower (3)</h4>


    They hadn¡¯t even reached the Ash Tower yet and one of the party members was already coveting the treasures. No one said anything, but the other party members had abnormal expressions on their faces¡ªeven Benson, a thief who frequently stole even from his ownrades.


    Cerm was an illegal mage. Mages were forbidden from casting magic besides the emperor¡¯s Grace, which the Church had monopolized. There was only a small group of mages that were allowed to conduct research on the emperor¡¯s Grace.


    Cerm had managed to keep his identity as a mage secret up until he did something crazy¡ªhe set fire to the house of a girl he had a crush on. He managed to escape, but the Church marked him as a heretic due to that incident. He abhorred the thought of having any involvement with the Church, as they had been chasing him for a long time.


    The shield-wielding warrior, Torrell, who opposed Juan joining the party at first, was a silver-rank like Huxle. He was also an alcoholic. Due to his hand tremors, Torrell had to tie his hand tightly to the shield with bandages before entering battles, afraid that he might drop it midway. Nevertheless, he continued drinking while on the road.


    Lastly, Anya, thedy who sponsored this expedition. Her name was obviously an alias. It seemed like she was in the party as part of the condition for her sponsoring the expedition; however, she was of no value to the team at all. They suspected that she could be from a noble family and enjoyed going on adventures.


    This didn¡¯t seem like a normal party in any way.


    Huxle chuckled bitterly. <i>¡®Well, I¡¯m in no position to criticize them since I was kicked out of the guild due to my mountain of debt.¡¯</i>


    There weren¡¯t many who were willing to join the Ash Tower expedition; understandable since their lives mattered more than money. Thus only those with huge life issues were in this party.


    This expedition team was already a rag-tag group, but it was now made worse with everyone walking on pins and needles because of Juan.


    Huxle had thought that adding some heretic brat to the current teambination wouldn¡¯t make any difference. He then decided to make conversation with Juan, slowing down his pace.


    ¡°What?¡± Juan said before Huxle could start the conversation.


    Huxle thought that Juan was quite talkative for someone who came from beyond the borders.


    ¡°Uh, um... I just thought it¡¯d be nice for us to get to know each other better,¡± Huxle replied carefully.


    ¡°I¡¯m not curious about you at all,¡± Juan replied curtly.


    ¡°...You were alone before you joined us, right? Where were you heading to?¡± Huxle asked.


    Juan replied without any hesitation, ¡°The capital.¡±


    ¡°Holy city, Torra? Why would you go there...? Do you know what kind of a ce that city is?¡± Huxle asked. If someone from beyond the borders went to the holy city, they would get caught in all sorts of troubles. They might even meet a priest halfway and get burnt at the stake, without any trial.


    ¡°I know it all too well,¡± Juan said with an unfathomable smile.


    Huxle thought, <i>¡®There¡¯s definitely something up with him, but I can¡¯t tell what it is.¡¯</i>


    ¡°Why are you going to the Ash Tower? How are you so sure there¡¯s something inside?¡± Juan questioned him back.


    Huxle was a little surprised, but still replied, ¡°...In the past, there was a city here.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh.¡± Juan nodded.


    Huxle continued. ¡°There was a nameless tower that had been around that city for a long time.No one knew what the tower was and only used it as andmark to find directions. One day, the fog demon king, Grunbalde, came to the city and enved the whole city by devouring it with fog. The vigers could not do anything and just helplessly watched as the demon king slowly sucked the vitality of the residents, growing stronger and stronger. Back then, there weren¡¯t any gods protecting humans and Grunde hadn¡¯t interfered with the other divine beings either. But then His Majesty eventually appeared.¡±


    ¡°Is that a folktale?¡± Juan asked.


    Huxle continued his story, ignoring him. ¡°Listen to the end. Grunbalde decided to make a bet with His Majesty after he found out what His Majesty was capable of. The bet was to y hide and seek until dawn broke, with the loser bing the ve of the winner. Since Grunbalde was the fog demon king, it was impossible for anyone to find him, but His Majesty epted Grunbalde¡¯s bet. Grunbalde immediately turned into fog and hid all over the city.¡±


    Huxle smiled as Juan started to show interest from this point on.


    ¡°Instead of wandering around to find Grunbalde, His Majesty turned into the sun to brighten up the city like it was already midday. As His Majesty evaporated the fog, Grunbalde escaped to the tower. His Majesty chased after Grunbalde and burned him alive. That¡¯s how the nameless tower became the Ash Tower¡ªit was covered by Grunbalde¡¯s ashes,¡± Huxle finished his story.


    ¡°What a boring ending,¡± Juan remarked.


    ¡°Sure, but what¡¯s important here is that all the treasures that Grunbalde plundered from the city were stored within the tower. Regardless of what anyone says, those are treasures plundered from a whole city,¡± Huxle exined.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re risking your life just for treasures that you¡¯re not even sure exist?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°It exists,¡± Huxle said firmly. ¡°I saw it with my own eyes when I went on my first expedition there. I was just a porter at that time so I stayed outside the tower. I waited for the expedition team that went inside for a few days, but they never came back¡ªthey fell off from the top of the tower one after the other. While their corpses fell all over the ce, one of the corpses was holding a few gold coins in his hands. I picked them up, got them appraised and they turned out to be items from before His Majesty¡¯s era.¡±


    Huxle had led the second expedition but had failed pathetically because he was severely underprepared. But things were different this time round. Juan did not show any reaction even after hearing what Huxle said.


    Juan said indifferently, ¡°That story is a little different from what I know.¡±


    ¡°About Grunbalde?¡± Huxle asked.


    ¡°Yeah. From what I know... The emperor never epted Grunbalde¡¯s bet, but instead suggested something crazy instead of hide and seek,¡± Juan responded.


    ¡°...What?¡± Huxle asked with a bewildered expression.


    Juan continued as he smiled, ¡°Grunbalde put on a cloak of fog and escaped the moment he saw the emperor. He only suggested a bet with the emperor because he got caught. The bet and the reward were the crazy ones. The reward was as you said, the loser would be the ve of the winner but the rest of the contents were totally different.¡±


    ¡°What was different?¡± Huxle asked.


    ¡°The emperor didn¡¯t negotiate with gods, demons and spirits. He preferred to use violence and would use it if he had the time to talk with them. The emperor asked Grunbalde why they would talk it out if there was a simpler way. He then dragged Grunbalde to the top of the tower and burned him alive with sunlight. The part about the tower being covered in ashes was the same as your story,¡± Juan answered.


    Huxle¡¯s jaw dropped and looked at Juan in astonishment. Huxle quickly regained himself as he shook his head and replied, ¡°Is that what¡¯s known beyond the borders? You ck-haired bastards sure are irreverent. You all made His Majesty out to be some kind of barbarian.¡±


    ¡°In your story, the loser had to be the ve and Grunbalde was killed as well. Since the emperor simply killed his ve, I think it¡¯s hard to tell which story was more barbaric, isn¡¯t it?¡± Juan asked.


    Huxle was speechless. He hastened his pace and shuddered instead of replying to Juan. Huxle thought, <i>¡®Darn heretic bastard.¡¯</i>


    ***


    The party finally arrived at the Ash Tower. They hid in the thickets as they observed the surroundings of the tower. There were several beasts that were attracted by the Ash Tower¡¯s energy. The beasts were natural enemies but simply wandered around the tower instead of running away.


    ¡°...There¡¯s a demonic beast here too,¡± Torrell said as he clicked his tongue. There was a demonic rabbit that ate away at a wolf with a bloodied mouth. It was definitely a ludicrous sight, but no oneughed. Too many people hadnded themselves in the wolf¡¯s situation when they let their guard down.


    ¡°What should we do? I don¡¯t think it¡¯s been here for long, but it¡¯s still a demonic beast. Shall we put out a bait or wait for it to go away by itself? Or...¡± Benson smiled as he trailed off and continued. ¡°Shall we see what the kid is capable of?¡±


    The party, including Huxle, was filled with anticipation. If Juan demonstrated his capabilities to the party who was still doubtful about his abilities, then Huxle would be able to rein in the party again.


    Instead of replying to them, Juan chose to kick Benson in the butt. The others stifled theirughter, as they watched the man tumble out of their hiding spot. However, what happened after was definitely not part of theical act.


    The beasts in the area all turned and looked at Benson, who froze on the spot.


    ¡°Take up yourbat positions!¡± Huxle shouted. rmed, most of the beasts ran into the forest. But a stag, much too obsessed with the tower¡¯s energy, started to run toward them. Right before the stag charged into Benson, Torrell jumped right in front of Benson and stuck his shield into the ground. Torrell groaned as a huge impact knocked into the shield and pushed him back.


    ¡°Cerm! Prepare the restraint spell! Benson, get up, you pig!¡± Huxlemanded.


    ¡°A-Alright!¡± Benson stuttered.


    The stag roared and shook its head around as Huxle breathed out and struck its neck.


    Its blood rained onto the party. Huxle¡¯s face was covered in blood as he moved along with the stag¡¯s head.


    Fortunately, Torrell was able to get his shield off the stag.


    ¡°Boss!¡± Torell yelled, sessfully getting Huxle¡¯s attention behind him.


    Huxle was shocked to see the demonic rabbit charging ferociously at them as he struggled to remove his sword from the stag. Torrell managed to throw himself in front of Benson, acting as a shield, before the demonic rabbit could bite off his neck. However, Torrell flew from the impact of the rabbit¡¯s charge. Huxle decided to give up on his sword and pulled out a dagger. If he lost anyone here, the raid would definitely fail.


    A stench began enveloping the demonic rabbit, it hopped swiftly from left to right, charging toward Huxle once again. Huxle swung his dagger at the rabbit but it was able to dodge his attack easily. Just as the rabbit was about to take a leap, it suddenly copsed to the ground in a crouched position.


    Cerm was now pale and in cold sweat, as he had barelypleted the restraint spell.


    Huxle quickly thrust his dagger into the demonic rabbit with all his weight behind it, before the restraint spell wore off. However, he only injured it slightly, as his dagger could not pierce through the demonic rabbit¡¯s thick skin.


    The spell wore off soon after, and the rabbit started thrashing about wildly and hopped about, almost close enough to throw Huxle off.


    ¡°Boss!¡±


    Huxle took a breath, prepared to fight the rabbit. However, it ran away deep into the forest. The party stared nkly at the disappearing rabbit as they panted, catching their breath.


    ¡°Why did it run?¡± One of the party members asked.


    ¡°...I guess it became a demonic beast not too long ago. I heard they would do that if some of their instincts still remained,¡± Huxle exined.


    Huxle was filled with light injuries as he was dragged around by the stag and the demonic rabbit. Torrell seemed to have suffered a slight concussion when the demonic rabbit charged into him. Fortunately, no one had suffered any severe injuries, but everyone was bloodied and exhausted, as if they had just fought an intense battle. It was natural for them to feel faint since they just had an unexpected fight with a demonic beast.


    They turned to look at Juan with bloodlust.


    ¡°How pathetic,¡± Juan said disappointedly, but Huxle¡¯s party could not say anything to Juan.


    Juan scanned the bloodied party members slowly and mumbled, ¡°I thought you guys were strong, since you wanted to raid the Ash Tower, but to think you¡¯re all this weak. I¡¯m embarrassed for wanting to see what you¡¯re all capable of. Do I even need to waste my time dealing with you guys?¡±


    Huxle wanted to scream at Juan for not doing anything at all, but was not able to do so because Benson had turned on Juan first.


    ¡°Fucking bastard...¡± Benson fell t on his face after taking a few steps. He had been so afraid when the demonic rabbit charged at him that he had now lost all strength in his legs. Benson turned red with embarrassment, but Juan didn¡¯t even bother with him.

 Chapter 23 – Ash Tower (4)

    <h4>Chapter 23 ¨C Ash Tower (4)</h4>


    ¡°Boss, can we really trust that punk? Must we really bring him along?¡±


    ¡°I-I agree, we might all die because of him.¡±


    ¡°Boss, while I trust your judgment, that kid is a total nutcase. Regardless of whether he¡¯s strong or not, we already know what will happen to us if we go into a dangerous ce with a lunatic like him, don¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°He might even backstab us¡­ I definitely won¡¯t let him walk behind me.¡±


    The party members took turns expressing their unhappiness before Huxle could even say anything. Anya kept to herself, while Juan was openly enjoying the others opposing him from joining the expedition. Huxle pressed his forehead. The biggest problem now was whether Juan was strong or not. If Juan had shown them what he was capable of, then Huxle could try to push for Juan to join the party; however, that was not the case.


    ¡°You look like you have a lot of thoughts. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s much to consider; that ce is dangerous for that boy anyways. We ought to send him back before it¡¯s toote.¡± Anya approached Huxle and spoke to him.


    ¡°Miss Anya.¡± Huxle could not say anything more since he could not reject the financer¡¯s suggestions just like that. And Huxle felt like the party might not do the expedition at all if he insisted on bringing Juan along. Huxle racked his brains for a solution.


    After thinking for a while, Huxle finally spoke. ¡°...Let¡¯s do it like this. We¡¯ll leave Juan here and then try raiding the Ash Tower ourselves first. If it feels like we can do it, we¡¯ll continue by ourselves. If not we¡¯lle back for Juan and raid it together with him. Think of him as a backup n.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be tough in there though.¡± Juan smiled and fiddled with Talter¡¯s short sword. ¡°I¡¯m thinking of climbing the tower regardless of whether you guys are going with me; there¡¯s no reason for me to wait until your corpses drop out of the tower. If this is how it¡¯s going to be, let¡¯s just go our separate ways here and I¡¯ll go into the tower first. You guys can choose to follow me or not, I don¡¯t care.¡±


    ¡°What kind of nonsense is that...?! That¡¯s not a ce that a kid should be going into! Do the people from beyond the border treat their lives so worthlessly?¡± Anya shouted, her face going red.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like those that are within the borders treat their lives preciously. What a weird reaction that was,¡± Juan retorted.


    Huxle thought over what Juan had said; if Juan wasn¡¯t suicidal, then that meant Juan was indeed different. If Juan was crazy like what the rest of the party said, he would definitely die within the tower. Huxle had prepared thoroughly so that he would not die within the Ash Tower. Going into the tower without equipment was equivalent to suicide.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do it that way then,¡± Huxle replied.


    ¡°Huxle!¡± Anya shouted.


    ¡°I¡¯m the leader of this expedition group! Didn¡¯t you choose to invest in this expedition because you trust my decisions?¡± Huxle answered firmly.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Juan replied. ¡°In any case, I only decided to join you guys because of your leader¡¯s attitude. I¡¯ll take it that we¡¯re moving separately now. No issues with that, right?¡±


    Juan walked ahead of the party bound for the Ash Tower. The moment Juan¡¯s hands touched the Ash Tower, the surface of the tower, which otherwise looked solid, shook and dispersed like smoke. The fog had covered up parts of the tower that had already copsed, so there was more than one entrance into the building.


    ¡°Some advice before you enter,¡± Juan said as he looked back at the party.


    ¡°Advice?¡± Huxle asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m just giving you guys advice because you guys look sulky. Firstly, the thief. You¡¯re too slow for the role. You need to take advantage of the gaps that appear in a battle, instead of just thieving work. Then again, you¡¯re too timid to do anything. Since you didn¡¯t do much just now, I don¡¯t have any more advice for you.¡±


    ¡°Y-You bastard, what did you just say?!¡± Benson eximed.


    ¡°As for the mage, you need to be faster with your spell casting. I don¡¯t know where you learned your magic but it¡¯s obvious you quit in the middle of learning. Were you using Kenannguage while casting? Thatnguage has far too many unnecessary words and grammar. Learning just the basics with it would be good enough; it¡¯d be best for you to move on as soon as possible. Personally, I¡¯d rmend you use the Feltguage instead.¡±


    ¡°F-Feltguage? Who would use anguage that is used so rarely...?¡± Cerm retorted.


    Juan continued to give advice, ¡°Or just learn the abbreviations and engrave seals. Since it¡¯s easier to pronounce, there are fewer difficult words that¡¯ll cause you to stutter. Next up, shield-wielding warrior. Alcohol will get to you first, even before the monsters while you¡¯re in there. You¡¯ve been feeling tired and unwell, right? I doubt you¡¯ll even live for long with those yellow eyes of yours. You ought to take care of your body if you¡¯re not good at anything else. You should angle your shield slightly upwards when you¡¯re blocking. Choose to deflect your opponent¡¯s attack instead of blocking it if they¡¯re stronger.¡±


    ¡°...¡± Torrell kept quiet.


    Juan continued, ¡°Huxle, you¡¯re the most decent among them but don¡¯t risk your life on low probabilities. It¡¯s obvious that you¡¯re tied down by gambling debts. You¡¯re the kind that really shouldn¡¯t be gambling. You need to be as conservative as possible; you¡¯ll definitely live longer if you don¡¯t do anything reckless. Don¡¯t just trust your fighting instincts, learn how to use a sword properly. Didn¡¯t the guild teach you any? I thought they would though... Lastly, you, woman.¡±


    Anya visibly stiffened as Juan suddenly called her out.


    ¡°If you¡¯re not going to be doing anything in a battle, don¡¯t go telling themander what to do in the midst of it. What you¡¯re doing isn¡¯t just ruining the fight, you might get yourself backstabbed. Respect themander.¡± Juan finished his speech and entered the fog.


    ¡°W-wait a minute...¡± Anya wanted to say something but Juan had already disappeared into the fog.


    There was a moment of silence within the party after Juan disappeared; they all knew that the things he pointed out were true.


    ¡°Ha, look at him acting all great while saying things that anyone could say...¡± Benson mumbled but no one responded to him. Juan had been with them for less than a day and gave those pointers after he observed them in a single battle.


    ¡°...Boss, what should we do?¡± Torrell asked Huxle. Huxle was disappointed that Juan could not join their party, but it was not a bad idea to follow Juan from behind as well, since it didn¡¯t look like he would die the moment he entered the tower.


    ¡°Check your equipment and go in right away, nothing good wille out ofgging behind him,¡± Huxlemanded.


    ***


    Huxle went through ast check on all the items, which he had pestered the magicians and alchemists from the magic tower, to prepare for him. Some of the items could be considered to be illegal in the eyes of priests. However, he believed that the items were sufficient for this expedition despite the high price he had to pay.


    ¡°We¡¯re going in,¡± Huxle announced.


    Torrell held up his shield and took the lead. Huxle, Benson, Cerm, and Anya followed behind, as they each grabbed the shoulder of the person in front. The fog was so thick, they felt like they were walking in water as it hindered their vision and made it hard to breathe. With their visions hindered, the only thing they could do was follow what they held onto. Holding back their groans, the group took cautious steps forward.


    The fog thinned out not long after. Huxle looked around and breathed in deeply, observing the change in surroundings. The fog flowed down the half-copsed tower. The fog was still thick but they were now able to see their surroundings. The tower was just totally deste and empty-looking.


    Torrell looked around, covered in cold sweat and turned to Huxle, ¡°Boss, I don¡¯t see the kid.¡±


    ¡°...Don¡¯t worry about that kid, let¡¯s try to do this by ourselves first,¡± Huxle answered.


    Huxle focused intently to identify the changes since hisst trip here. Despite the ce being empty, it didn¡¯t mean that there was nothing here at all. There was a very faint change¡ªa part of the fog flowing near the ground was disrupted. And then, a few of those disruptions urred simultaneously in various ces.


    ¡°There¡¯s movement,¡± Huxle informed the team.


    ¡°Pardon?¡± Cerm responded.


    ¡°Cerm, prepare the spell I told you to,¡± Huxlemanded Cerm while taking out something from his supplies.


    The flow of the fog that was moving quietly suddenly charged towards their party. Unlike Huxle, the rest had not realized what had happened at that time.


    ¡°Close your eyes!¡± Huxle shouted as he threw a ball into the air.


    Cerm finished his incantation at the same time and fired magic at the ball. The ball stayed in the air as a blinding light shone and engulfed the tower. The fog within the tower was pushed away as the bright light filled the tower, as if curtains were being drawn, and shadows were revealed. The ¡°shadows¡± were stunned and didn¡¯t move at all.


    ¡°KILL THEM ALL!¡± Huxle shouted and charged forward while shielding his eyes from the light and shed at the unseen monsters. The party had been briefed about what to do in this situation several times; however, it was their first time executing it. As such, they moved slower than Huxle. The party started to fight the unseen monsters that were protecting the tower.


    The monsters themselves weren¡¯t exactly invisible; they simply used the mana of the Ash Tower to camouge themselves. Adventurers would usually get killed here before they could do anything, but Huxle had already known about this beforehand. There were people who threw ink at the monsters when fighting against them, but they couldn¡¯t possibly apply ink to all the monsters when they had no idea where they were. For this reason, Huxle purchased a sh bomb to use here instead.


    Because the monsters of the Ash Tower lived in darkness, they were weak against light. The strong light from the sh bomb was the perfect item to expose their shadows. Huxle got this idea from the story of how the emperor turned into the sun and dispersed the fog.


    ¡°The light¡¯s getting dimmer! Gather up!¡± Huxle shouted and threw another sh bomb, as the light had started to dim and the shadows were fading away. He had enough of these, since he had spent all he had to purchase the supplies.


    The camouged monsters were flustered by the unexpected reaction from the party and moved about as they surrounded the party. However, they did not dare to approach the ball of light in the air recklessly.


    ¡°Boss! They are not moving!¡± Benson shouted happily because he had finally done something useful.


    The party got excited as they were able to overpower the fearsome enemies. But Huxle was unable to hide his unease. Juan had entered earlier than them, so there should either be fewer monsters or Juan¡¯s corpse lying there. But neither of these was the case.


    <i>¡®Where is Juan then?¡¯?</i>


    Just then, Huxle heard strange thunder-like sounds. Loud sounds of impact could be heard from above and beyond the fog, as roaring sounds echoed and the ground shook. Huxle was taken aback as he looked up. The tower was moving.


    ***


    Sina Solvane saw an indistinct tower beyond the forest. Her body was stiff and tired all over, as she had been rushing without any rest for days and nights after the pursuit squad was formed. This was the same for the other knights as well.


    ¡°That¡¯s the Ash Tower, huh?¡± Kato remarked.


    Sina really didn¡¯t want to talk to him, but she couldn¡¯t ignore him since he was the Inquisitor.


    ¡°That¡¯s also the ce where His Majesty¡¯s wisdom shone like the sun,¡± Sina replied.


    ¡°It¡¯s now just a corrupted sacred ce. I¡¯ve heard that irreverent people have entered that ce to find the treasures hidden in it, although they probably added on to the number of corpses inside.¡±


    ¡°His Majesty has said that humans are not just loathful beings that are greedy. They are also capable of love and courage,¡± Sina retorted.


    ¡°It seems you¡¯re well-versed in the scriptures,¡± Kato said.


    ¡°I know what needs to be known,¡± Sina replied.


    In order to quarrel with a professor of Torra¡¯s knight academy, one had to know the scriptures extensively, which Sina did. This caused her rtionships with the professors to be strained. While His Majesty was perfect, those who recorded his words were not. Because of that, the scriptures had errors or inconsistencies. The problem was that those who cited the scriptures only liked to use portions that benefited them. Sina realized that using sound arguments to deal with these people would render them speechless.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hurry up then. The sheath is desperately looking for its owner,¡± Kato said as he looked at the ss box. The sheath in the ss box was trembling as it pointed towards the Ash Tower. Based on what Kato had said, that was where Juan was, and they had indeed found traces of Juan in the vige that they had passed.


    Sina did not understand how that worked and felt uneasy but still followed what Kato said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand why Juan is there, didn¡¯t you say that he was heading for the capital initially?¡±


    Kato red at her when he heard the question.


    ¡°Would a person who¡¯s left Daeron¡¯s treasure vault alone be here for the treasures? There¡¯s no way he would do that. He must be after the evil weapon that His Majesty had sealed. He must want to use it as his own weapon after sullying His Majesty¡¯s holiness,¡± Kato exined.


    Sina remained silent. While she did not want to agree with what Kato said, she could not help but remember the sight of Juan drinking Talter¡¯s blood. Neither beasts nor humans who visited the Ash Tower were sane. They were all either criminals, people who had nothing left to lose or heretics. Sina and the Order of the Blue Rose pursuit squad continued towards the Ash Tower.

 Chapter 24 – Covered by Fog (1)

    <h4>Chapter 24 ¨C Covered by Fog (1)</h4>


    <i>¡®They¡¯re pretty good,¡¯?</i>Juan thought as he watched Huxle¡¯s party fight from a mid-level beam. The item that Huxle had prepared seemed to be more useful than Juan had thought. Although he hadn¡¯t seen any during his reign as the emperor, he could figure out its functionality and how it worked.


    <i>¡®The fog demons are still around, huh? Although I don¡¯t think that they are wandering outside the tower...¡¯?</i>


    Even after Juan had burned Grunbalde to death, these fog demons remained, wandering around in the city. Attracted by the tower¡¯s mana, they eventually entered it, just like the humans who became Grunbalde¡¯s sacrifices. However, these fog demons were not strongpared to demon beasts outside, as the Ash Tower continuously took power from them. However, they assimted with the energy that ruled the Ash Tower, which brought about their camouged form.


    Anyone who first encountered these demons would definitely get caught off guard, resulting in casualties; however, it wasn¡¯t difficult for Juan at all. Huxle¡¯s party would be able to counter these demons without any deaths if they knew how.


    <i>¡®It might be hard for them to reach the top floor though.¡¯</i>


    Juan quickly left Huxle¡¯s party behind as he climbed the tower. The fog demons didn¡¯t notice him as Juan had erased all traces of himself; even if they did, Juan swiftly stabbed them in the neck before they could react to his presence. However, Juan didn¡¯t absorb their blood as it was heavily contaminated with mana from the Ash Tower.


    <i>¡®He¡¯s still as influential as ever.¡¯</i>


    It was surprising to see how much effect Grunbalde had after all these years.


    Juan had never thought that Grunbalde was still alive, unlike Talter. Rather, he was thinking of the relic Grunbalde had left behind. Juan had sealed the relic in the tower, in case it fell into the wrong hands. The relic was what gave Grunbalde the nickname, ¡®Fog Demon King.¡¯ Juan was now after that relic himself. If the relic¡¯s power was still the same, it would be really helpful to him in the future.


    ¡°That¡¯s that, but things have gotten out of control during this period...¡± Juan mumbled as he killed the camouged eagle that flew by. Things had gone out of control here; people did not raid the tower often due to the fearsome rumors about the Ash Tower and the Church¡¯s constant surveince. People would have long found a way to defeat the fog demons easily had they strategized their attack. However, the real danger within the Ash Tower wasn''t the fog demons¡ªit was the Ash Tower itself.


    <i>Krrrrrr</i><i>.</i>


    Juan heard the sound of rocks moving, and realized that the moment that he had been waiting for hade. The broken walls and pirs started changing positions on their own. Those outside the tower would not be able to see these changes; it was an illusion created by the fog.


    Juan quickly jumped away from the floor as it started to fall apart and reassemble. The Ash Tower¡¯s fog cascaded down like a waterfall, creating a series of shapes. Just as one of these shapes was taking form, Juan threw himself onto the huge shape and barely climbed on top of it.


    ¡°©¤©¤©¤!¡±


    Whatever the Ash Tower had created was silent, but there was a queer sound that made Juan¡¯s body tingle and feel heavy. Juan looked down momentarily as he clung on. There was an empty space beneath his feet; Juan couldn¡¯t find a trace of the floor he stood on previously. The Ash Tower had reassembled to create the upper body of a gigantic golem. The iplete golem had fixed itself to the wall, looking down at the intruders.


    Juan smiled at the golem and said, ¡°You¡¯re still the same.¡±


    The golem was a creature that Juan created with magic to protect Grunbalde¡¯s relic. This golem was one of the first ones he had created, so it looked iplete and out of shapepared to the others. Even though several decades had passed, only small amounts of moss had grown between the cracks on the golem as it silently carried out its mission.


    The golem groaned as it moved towards Juan. Juan was slightly expectant, but the only thing that came crashing toward him was a massive hand.


    Juan quickly dodged. The wind pressure that came from the attack was so strong that Juan¡¯s body almost got swept away.


    Juan clicked his tongue and used Blink. Juan¡¯s body bounced into the air andnded on the golem¡¯s shoulder.


    The golem attacked Juan as if it was trying to swat a fly, twisting its joints in ways humans could not.


    <i>¡®As expected, it can¡¯t recognize me because I don¡¯t have enough mana.¡¯</i>


    The golem could not recognize Juan. He was very weak, and thus, the golem treated him like an intruder.


    Juan was speechless. His power right now was like a mere grain of sand on a beach whenpared to his power at the time he had made the golem.


    <i>CRASH!?</i>


    Juan barely dodged that attack. He hadn¡¯t expected the situation to turn out this bad, but still had to acknowledge it. For him to get to the top of the Ash Tower, he had to make the golem submit to him; however, only the emperor could make the golem submit. As he was now, Juan was too weak to be acknowledged as the emperor. On the other hand, if he destroyed the golem, it would be impossible for him to climb to the top. In other words, the golem was made so that only the emperor, Juan, could possess Grunbalde¡¯s relic.


    <i>¡®I¡¯m starting to regret my decisions.¡¯?</i>


    However, that didn¡¯t mean that it was impossible for Juan to defeat it with brute strength. There was one more method he could use, even though it was slightly more troublesome.


    Juan started to move in a peculiar way. The golem moved busily as it followed Juan. As it attacked Juan, it also changed the structure of the Ash Tower. While Juan avoided the golem¡¯s hand, he also had to keep dodging the walls and pirs that suddenly shot up from the ground.


    <i>¡®Seems like I can¡¯t use Blink either,¡¯</i> he thought. If he was hit by a falling rock, he would be a bloody mess.


    The golem twisted its body at a strange angle, extended its arm and swung it around. Juan barely avoided the golem as its pir-like arm struck the tower¡¯s wall, creating a thunderous sound.


    Juan hadn¡¯t felt the golem¡¯s speed to be very quick when he had first made it. However, for Juan who was a mere thirteen-year-old now, the golem¡¯s strength and speed were overwhelming. Juan unwittingly felt his heart start racing.


    ¡°Nice power!¡± Juan shouted excitedly. It had to be at least this strong to carry out hismand for half a century.


    As the golem¡¯s fist mmed into the wall that Juan was holding onto, small but sharp pieces of rock brushed past his cheek, causing blood to be spurted out.


    Juan gasped; he had no choice but to use Blink to avoid falling.


    The golem transformed its body in an instant, making a huge wall in Juan¡¯s path as if it had anticipated Juan¡¯s move.


    <i>¡®</i><i>It immediately</i><i>?recognized the fact that I am using Blink?</i><i>after seeing me use it just once.¡¯</i>


    Juan admitted that he had been negligent, and the price he paid was excruciatingly painful. The golem mmed Juan¡¯s body against the wall like it was swatting a fly.


    Blood sprayed on the wall where the golem¡¯s fist struck and there was a loud sound as if a ball had exploded.


    The golem continued to swing its fists as if it was mashing something, creating a hole in the wall. After a while, the golem slowly recovered its fist, as if it had determined that it had fulfilled its duty and now had to get rid of the other intruders. It turned its gaze towards the bottom.


    At that moment, the golem suddenly lost its bnce. It then realized that it had destroyed the main structural parts that had been supporting its body. Although there wasn¡¯t much difference at a nce, it was enough to knock down the golem that had lost its bnce.


    <i>Crash!</i>


    The golem¡¯s body crashed into the wall and started to fall towards the bottom of the Ash Tower.


    ***


    ¡°Aaah!¡±


    Huxle¡¯s party screamed as they were rmed by the falling boulders. An unseen monster the size of a human was crushed by a boulder. Gruesome sounds of things being squashed could be heard from all around them.


    Huxle dragged the others along with him and fell backward due to the unexpected event.


    Rocks continued falling for a while.


    Benson¡¯s shoulder was dislocated, while Cerm looked like he had a concussion, but no one had any major injuries.


    Huxle was worried that the Ash Tower had copsed, but it didn¡¯t seem like it, much to his relief. It was just that, there wasn¡¯t a next floor for them to advance to.


    Huxle was at a loss. At this rate, it looked like they would have to do some rock climbing. Huxle asked, ¡°Is everyone alright?¡±


    ¡°B-Boss, just what in the world is that...?¡± Torrell asked, pointing in front of him.


    Huxle¡¯s gaze turned to something that was obscured by the fog and dust. At first, it looked like a huge pile of rocks, but as he looked at it closely, it looked like it was squirming. Torrell¡¯s face turned pale. Huge boulders and pieces of rock that fell from above were being dragged towards that huge pile of rock. Something was recovering its broken body within the cloud of dust. Its body was huge, with each part being several meters long. They immediately recognized that its limbs took the shape of a stubby human.


    ¡°It¡¯s a golem... The thickest arms that held up His Majesty¡¯s throne¡­ They really exist,¡± mumbled Anya, and Huxle overheard this. She looked like she was happy and in awe. However, Huxle had no time to pay attention to her, because the golem started to move once again.


    ¡°Shit! You didn¡¯t say that we would be fighting that!¡± Benson screamed.


    Huxle hurriedly covered Benson¡¯s mouth, but his scream had already caught the golem¡¯s attention.


    The golem moved its heavy body and approached the party. The sight of its overwhelming size and weight that shook the tower¡¯s foundation stunned Huxle. Huxle imagined himself turning into a bloody mess if he was crushed by those gigantic feet.


    ¡°R-Run!¡±


    The loud steps from the golem were slow, but it was still faster than the party. When Huxle desperately ran away, he noticed Cerm standing at the same spot, still mumbling iprehensible words. Huxle was not the type of person who would abandon hispanions, but he just couldn¡¯t go back to get Cerm.


    Just then, Cerm suddenly spread his arms towards the golem as he finished a short incantation. Raging mes hit the golem. Hot mes twisted around the golem, evaporating the surrounding fog.


    Huxle was dumbfounded, as he had never seen Cerm use such powerful magic before. He had thought that Cerm was merely a timid illegal mage, but to think that he possessed such power! Huxle started to have high hopes, but they onlysted until the golem started to lift its foot in Cerm¡¯s direction.


    Cerm continued to stand still with his arms outstretched. The golem¡¯s foot flew toward Cerm, and Huxle cursed at himself while pushing Cerm away.


    <i>BOOM!</i>


    .


    Huxle closed his eyes tightly, feeling regret about his failed life, but he did not feel as much pain as he thought he would. It was unfortunate that he could not see his child, but it was okay since he no longer had to live a life of failure and pain...


    ¡°Boss! Run away from there!¡± Torrell shouted, his deep voice causing Huxle¡¯s eyes to open.


    A familiar shield had appeared in front of Huxle. It was the imperial shield that Torrell brought out with him when he deserted the army. Compared to other shields, it was heavier and bulkier, but it was the same shield that had saved him hundreds of times. Today, it was trampled on and dented badly. Torrell had created enough space so that the lower half of Huxle¡¯s body would not be crushed.


    ¡°Why¡­?¡± Huxle asked as he crawled out.


    ¡°What do you mean by why? It¡¯s because I can¡¯t see my stupid Boss get tricked by that sly barmaid and die a painful death!¡± Torrell screamed an answer.


    ¡°Get tricked?¡± Huxle muttered.


    ¡°To hell with pregnancy. I¡¯ve seen that girl trick innocent mercenaries for money! That girl just wanted money. You¡¯re the only one deluding yourself about having a married life!¡± Torrell eximed.


    ¡°What? Then why didn¡¯t you say that before? Why did you make me risk my life for this expedition?¡± Huxle asked.


    ¡°Err, about that...¡± Torrell hesitated, but answered in the end. ¡°Because I¡¯m certain that it¡¯s my child.¡±


    Huxle didn¡¯t know how to reply. Meanwhile, the golem had started to move once again. He thought that if they continued to stay there, they would be a part of the floor. He grabbed Cerm with Torrell¡¯s help and started to run. However, their movements were much slower than before. It was obvious that they would be crushed by the golem.


    Huxle justughed. To think that such a well-prepared expedition woulde to a futile end and he even lost the purpose of the whole expedition. He was so speechless that he could onlyugh. He could feel Torrell, who was next to him, stare at him as if he was looking at an idiot.


    The moment the golem lifted its foot above them, a heavy force struck its head. The golem stumbled and stepped right next to Huxle, causing them to roll to the side like fallen leaves.


    ¡°Wh-what was that-?!¡± Huxle stuttered as he hurriedly looked up at the golem.


    He saw a small shadow on top of the golem¡¯s drooping head. Huxle couldn¡¯t figure out what that was; it looked more like a blood clot than a human, while mes wereing out of random ces on its body. The person wore rags, but even the rags were on fire.


    Huxle was startled as he thought another monster had appeared, but then he spotted that ¡®thing¡¯ holding onto a short sword. It was the same short sword that Juan held. However, unlike before, the red short sword shone with a fancy pattern while that thing¡¯s skin burned brightly. That was the moment Huxle realized that the ¡®thing¡¯ he was staring at was Juan. Juan¡¯s face was not the face of a young boy that Huxle had seen so far¡ªit resembled the face of a bloodthirsty berserker.

 Chapter 25 – Covered by Fog (2)

    <h4>Chapter 25 ¨C Covered by Fog (2)</h4>


    Juan¡¯s head felt hot; he felt hatred for someone he had never seen before, along with resentment for something he had never experienced. His body was burning up with all the world¡¯s rage and hatred. Thirst for blood consumed him. A normal person would have lost themselves facing this intense madness, but Juan maintained his sanity.


    He enjoyed this madness.


    ¡®<i>Talter, it¡¯s time to hunt.</i><i>¡¯</i>


    Juan let the madness control his body, as if he was a hunting dog beingmanded. Talter¡¯s blood spread throughout Juan¡¯s body as Juan felt his body be hot.


    Juan stepped harder onto the head of the golem underneath his foot. A crack appeared in the golem¡¯s head, and little pieces of stones flew out.


    The golem struggled harder than before, realizing that Juan was the real threat. The golem¡¯s body turned 360 degrees, flinging Juan away. Juan¡¯s body flew up into the air and then plunged back towards the golem. Talter¡¯s short sword dug into the golem.


    In the split second that the golem took to react, Juan stabbed his short sword repeatedly, sending pieces of stone scattering everywhere. The sharp pieces of stone scratched Juan¡¯s cheek and the blood that came out burned, turning into red smoke before disappearing.


    The golem attacked once again, but was unable to even touch Juan. Even when the golem tried to throw him off, Juan was able to regain control of his movement, flinging his body back and kicking against the walls. He resembled a swarm of wasps that kept flying back to attack after being swatted away multiple times.


    The golem seemed to be iling its arms and legs from fear.


    Whenever Juan was swatted away, he pounced back and damaged the golem. This cycle continued over and over, simply too fast for the human eye to catch.


    The golem moved the Ash Tower as itsst resort, trying to limit the space in which Juan could move. But that also restricted its own movements. It tried to crush Juan as it pushed its own body against the wall, but it looked like it was impossible. Huxle almost felt pity for the golem as he watched this happen.


    ¡°My goodness, what is that...¡±


    ¡°...Is that really a human, Boss?¡±


    Huxle had no confidence that he could give them a satisfying answer. What they saw was neither god nor human; maybe ¡®demon¡¯ would be more fitting. He recalled that Juan was often dubbed the ¡®demon of Tantil.¡¯ He was now certain that the rumors were indeed about Juan.


    ¡°That boy... What is he trying to do?¡± Anya muttered beside him.


    Huxle then realized that Juan was not attacking randomly. He hadn¡¯t realized it because of Juan¡¯s quick movements, but all of Juan¡¯s attacks were concentrated on the top of the golem¡¯s head, as if Juan¡¯s thought-out movements were all meant to achieve one purpose. The golem knew this, but could not stop it.


    ¡°...Could he be performing surgery maybe?¡± Huxle asked. He had heard that there were mages who did such things. It was a way to preserve themselves, given that the Church severely limited the usage of magic, but it was said to be veryplicated and delicate work. Juan was performing surgery on the golem.


    He was making an incision, picking off and cracking the top of the golem¡¯s head. Just then, Juan¡¯s world turned red. The second batch of Talter¡¯s blood had been used up.


    Juan had changed Talter¡¯s mana into blood and then divided it into ten. He had never used it freely before, so he felt anxious; fortunately, its effects turned out to be much better than he had expected. Juan¡¯s physical abilities were receiving a greater boost aspared to when he used his own mana.


    <i>¡®It¡¯s about three minutes per use. These would be useful for emergencies.¡¯?</i>


    Juan turned his focus back to the golem¡¯s head. He slipped between the golem¡¯s fingers that continueding for him, while at the same time stabbing at the golem which was trying to defend itself by gathering pieces of stones. In between the falling stone pieces, Juan could see the bright blue rune that he had been aiming for. As soon as Juanid his eyes on the rune, he felt the urge to rip it out of the golem. But just at that moment, the golem¡¯s hand appeared above Juan¡ªit had created a third hand to attack Juan upon realizing that he was a difficult target.


    As the rocks crashed and crumbled, Juan vanished in the midst of the falling dust. Huxle¡¯s group screamed in shock as they saw many broken rocks falling like rain. Those were the golem¡¯s fingers.


    Juan stood atop the golem¡¯s head, covered in dust. He looked down with an annoyed face. <i>¡®I got too excited.¡¯?</i>


    Juan had gotten hot-headed as soon as he found his target. Although Talter¡¯s blood awakened his hunting instincts, it also suppressed his logical side. Thankfully, he still managed to destroy the golem¡¯s fingers with the second portion of Talter¡¯s blood, and also cleared his hot-headed mind.


    <i>¡®At least I¡¯ve achieved my goal.¡¯</i>


    The golem tried to attack Juan again after it failed. All three of its hands reached for its head, while Juan hacked away at the golem¡¯s head repeatedly. He secured the blue rune and poured his mana into it.


    ¡°Stop,¡± Juan ordered the golem.


    At that moment, a sound akin to rocks grinding against each other emanated. When the movements of the golem that were strong enough to shake the tower stopped, a frightening silence descended.


    Juan whispered again, ¡°Get up.¡±


    The golem followed Juan¡¯smand with a deep groan. The Ash Tower, which looked as if it were about to fall any moment, stopped shaking.


    Juan had made a connection with the core, as the golem was unable to detect his mana. The golem would not attack him further, now that Juan had properly established himself as itsmander.


    The golem was being powered with the mana from Grunbalde¡¯s relic. Thus, Juan had been worried that it might have contaminated the golem, but the golem obeyed as soon as it recognized Juan as the emperor. It obeyed Juan¡¯smandspletely, just like in the old days. Juan felt his heart bleed that he had hurt such an obedient golem.


    ¡°H-hey! Are you okay?¡±


    Juan smiled as he heard Huxle¡¯s voiceing from below.


    ¡°Get rid of the intruders,¡± Juanmanded.


    The golem raised its arms and swung them down to the ground in response to Juan¡¯smand. Huxle¡¯s group screamed as they rolled to the side, avoiding the attacks. The golem continued to move its arms, sweeping them across the ground and crushing everything in its way. It left just enough space for Huxle¡¯s group to stand in.


    Huxle¡¯s group stood there, panting; they could only watch as the golem destroyed everything within reach. Gray blood sttered across as the fog demons were hit by the golem¡¯s arms with no chance to hide or escape.


    ¡°Having a golem is sufficient to protect the Ash Tower,¡± mumbled Juan. ¡°There is no need for these insects.¡± He felt happy and refreshed as he watched the fog demons get ughtered.


    Most intruders were killed by the fog demons, but there were some who had managed to save themselves. Huxle¡¯s group was most likely the only ones to survive their encounter with the golem. They soon realized that Juan was controlling the golem.


    ¡°Just what is he...¡± Anya blurted at the unexpected sight. Of the group, only Anya watched Juan as her eyes shone.


    ***


    Juan used the golem to get to the top of the Ash Tower after it got rid of all the fog demons. The top of the Ash Tower was a room filled with fog, unlike the lower floors. The fog leaked out through the space between the window and the wall. In fact, this fog-filled room was the source of the tower¡¯s mana and the golem¡¯s base of operations; it was what made the Ash Tower what it was.


    In the center was the thing that caused the fog. Juan slowly made his way through the fog. His vision was soon blocked. There was an unpleasant humidity apanied by the smell of wet ashes.


    Juan closed his eyes. He recalled the foggy city as he smelled the thick fog¡ªthe city that was engulfed by fog, moss and vines that had grown by sucking the moisture of the fog.


    Humans resembled ghosts as they were one with the fog and moved around like shadows. Their bony feet dragged their shoes, the sound of their weightless footsteps echoing.


    In the city square, there sat an old man in a chair.


    <i>¡®Seems like I can¡¯t run anymore.¡¯</i>


    <i>¡®...¡¯?</i>


    <i>¡®I should¡¯ve at least tried to fight back¡­ I was gonna eat you once you got tired, but I guess you were waiting to expose me to the sun.¡¯</i>


    <i>¡®...¡¯?</i>


    <i>¡®I suppose you¡¯re a powerful man of little words. It¡¯s hard toe across such an outstanding young man nowadays. I like you, but I assume you don¡¯t care either way.¡¯?</i>


    <i>¡®...¡¯?</i>


    <i>¡®A handshake¡¯s purpose is not for one to break the other person¡¯s hand. Young man, be thankful that I don¡¯t possess a physical body. You don¡¯t seem like you¡¯ve learned your manners, but I guess being rude is part of the charms of being young.¡¯?</i>


    <i>¡®...¡¯?</i>


    <i>¡®I¡¯ve heard the rumors about you being a god-devouring monster. I wouldn¡¯t have expected a monster like that to be a human. If only you appeared a bit earlier...¡¯ the old man trailed off. ¡®It¡¯s fine. I couldn¡¯t have avoided death anyway, but I do want to offer a bet.¡¯?</i>


    <i>¡®...¡¯?</i>


    <i>¡®I already lost the game of hide and seek, so we¡¯ll do it like this. Can you be a great king?¡¯?</i>


    <i>¡®...¡¯?</i>


    <i>¡®I was a foolish king. I thought that if I sold all my people and everything I had for power, I would be able to protect more humans by bing a new kind of being. However, all I have left are these ruins. Do you think you¡¯d be any different?¡¯?</i>


    <i>¡®...¡¯</i>


    <i>¡®You seem to believe that you¡¯ll only leave behind what is great, perfect and eternal. We¡¯ll make a bet based on that. The loser will be the winner¡¯s ve.¡¯?</i>


    Juan didn¡¯t need an old ve. The old manughed all the while he was dragged away, even when he was scattered around as ashes. Hisughter rang throughout the entire city. When the fog cleared away, the dried-out city went up in mes like dried timber. Having had a foolish king that fell to the tricks of a demon, the city disappeared without a trace. As Juan reached out his hand to crush the king¡¯s ashes, something softly wrapped around his hand.


    Juan opened his eyes, the heavy fog slowly being swept away. In his hand was a dark gray cloak instead of the ashes of the old man. He could feel the great power that had once dominated the tower along with the evil intent within. He hesitated for a second, wondering if he deserved to wear this cloak. Maybe it was actually him that lost the bet against the old man? But he didn¡¯t hesitate for long. The old man was dead anyway, and Juan never agreed to that idiotic bet. The winner was the one that remained alive. He had no reason to agree to a foolish king¡¯s bet that sold his citizens over to a demon. Besides, Juan still had a chance to make things right.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t lose, Grunbalde. I didn¡¯t lose my territory, and I... am still alive,¡± Juan muttered as he put on the cloak. The fog moved around with Juan in its center.


    ¡°The loser should now serve as the ve.¡±

 Chapter 26 – Covered by Fog (3)

    <h4>Chapter 26 ¨C Covered by Fog (3)</h4>


    The fog started to dissipate; the moisture from the Ash Tower dispersed, creating huge dark clouds in the sky. As the fog enveloping the Ash Tower dispersed, the tower¡¯s original appearance slowly became visible. It wouldn¡¯t be surprising if the tower copsed right there and then, but the golem inside was supporting the tower so that it wouldn¡¯t copse.


    Huxle¡¯s party held their breath as they watched Juan slide down the golem¡¯s arm. The golem put Juan on the ground respectfully with both hands, as if serving its master. By then, Juan¡¯s body was almost fully recovered, his skin looking like that of a three-year-old.


    ¡°How did he do that...?¡± someone muttered.


    ¡°Since he¡¯s someone from outside the border, don¡¯t you think he used some strange sorcery?¡± another asked.


    The sight of Juan going berserk and smashing the golem¡¯s head was still fresh in everyone¡¯s mind. Although Juan looked like his usual self right now, his presence was still enough to make them freeze.


    However, something else soon grabbed their attention. It was the Ash Tower¡¯s treasure.


    Unlike before Juan entered the Ash Tower, he now donned a gray cloak over his shoulders. They did not know what exactly it was made of, but it almost seemed like something not from this world. It was light and moved gently. Instead of looking like fabric, the cloak looked like it was an illusion made of fog that had gathered and taken the shape of a cloak.


    ¡°Grunbalde¡¯s gray cloak...¡± Anya, who stood next to Huxle, mumbled nkly.


    Huxle grabbed her arm reflexively, asking, ¡°What in the world is that item? It doesn¡¯t look like your everyday treasure¡­¡±


    ¡°...It¡¯s an evil weapon that was once worn by the fog demon king, who swallowed up a whole city. It¡¯s the only relic that remained after His Majesty burned Grunbalde to death, but honestly speaking, you can think of that item as Grunbalde himself,¡± Anya answered.


    ¡°Oh my gosh!¡± Huxle eximed.


    ¡°On top of that, he has Talter¡¯s short sword used in sacrificial rituals. The more the short sword draws blood, the sharper it bes, eventually bing sharp enough to cut through even steel. Moreover, it''s a weapon so evil that the Church would definitely go after it if they ever saw it. My gosh, I can¡¯t believe I only noticed it now,¡± Anyamented.


    Huxle wondered just who the hell Anya was, for her to know all that. It would make sense if she was after Grunbalde¡¯s gray cloak from the start¡ªafter all, it wasmon for antique merchants or merchants who sold magic items to visit forbidden ruins.


    Huxle gulped. If what Anya said was true, it wasn¡¯t just a powerful magic item but a weapon left behind after His Majesty killed the gods. Unlike in the past, getting hands on powerful magic artifacts now was an almost impossible feat with the seals ced by the emperor and the Church¡¯s interference. Now that this artifact was known to have been used to gain control over a city, it was impossible to imagine the amount of money people would be willing to pay for it.


    ¡°Boss, the item that he has...¡± Benson started, his eyes stained with greed.


    Huxle thought that if he were to get his hands on one of Juan¡¯s items, it would change his life. But as soon as he saw Benson¡¯s eyes, he decided to give up his greed right there.


    ¡°...Stop. Everyone has their ce in life. You can¡¯t me anyone if a Temr passing by decides to decapitate you. Well¡­ not unless you¡¯re a crazy bastard who can defeat a golem with just a short sword,¡± said Huxle.


    Benson came to his senses as he recalled how Juan had looked as he attacked the golem, but he couldn¡¯t hide his regrets.


    ¡°I understand¡­ but we should at least get something out of this expedition as well, since we went through so much. It¡¯s like his sudden appearance took away everything from us,¡± Benson grumbled.


    Torrell nodded lightly, in agreement with Benson¡¯s protest.


    To be fair, they were the ones who had agreed to go on their separate ways with Juan and even decided to follow behind him, but were now eyeing the rewards shamelessly. Huxle felt the same.


    Huxle looked at Anya. Everything depended on what Anya wanted, since she was the sponsor of the expedition and the one who had promised the rewards.


    But she was expressionless.


    Frustrated, Huxle approached Juan and mumbled hesitantly, ¡°Err... Umm, good work. You¡¯re really... strong. Sorry for not believing in you.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter,¡± replied Juan.


    ¡°Hmm, okay. Then that¡¯s good, but... how much treasure was up there?¡± Huxle asked, a hint of hope in his voice.


    ¡°Treasure?¡±


    Huxle started to get anxious as he thought Juan was feigning ignorance. He had seen Juan use the golem to climb up the tower earlier. If Huxle wanted to climb up the tower, which could soon copse, he would require the golem¡¯s help as well.


    ¡°Umm, didn¡¯t you promise that you would choose an item first and it was fine for us to take the rest?¡± questioned Huxle.


    ¡°Ah I did, didn¡¯t I?¡± Juanughed. ¡°Though, this was the only thing up there.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°All of Grunbalde, as well as his city, was burnt to the ground, and all its valuables disappeared along with it. The story about the tower¡¯s hidden treasures was all made up. If there had been a treasure, the emperor would have used it to fund the empire. Why would he do something as useless as sealing it away here?¡± Juan exined.


    ¡°N-No way, I saw it!¡± Huxle eximed.


    ¡°Other adventurers have been here, it wouldn¡¯t be strange if they obtained a few items from other expeditions and took the treasures. The situation might have been different if we were talking about the Ancient Dragon Age or the Winter Age, but it hasn¡¯t even been a hundred years since the emperor¡¯s era and...¡± Juan walked past Huxle¡¯s side and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t we part ways before we came to the tower?¡±


    Huxle was speechless. Benson went up to Huxle and muttered something in his ear. Huxle looked shook.


    ***


    The party decided to stay overnight at the Ash Tower as the sun had started to set. Although the Ash Tower had disappeared, the monsters that were affected by the tower¡¯s mana continued to roam the forest, making it dangerous to find their way around at night.


    Juanid on top of the golem and looked up at the sky. The moisture that had been trapped inside the Ash Tower was released and had filled the sky. It seemed like there would be rain soon, as he could hear the faint sound of thunder and smelled rain in the wind.


    <i>¡®Is that all of Grunbalde¡¯s mana?¡¯</i>


    It was unfortunate that the mana from the relic had mostly escaped when he acquired Grunbalde¡¯s gray cloak. He could probably use at most one-tenth of its original power, which could only call forth the fog. Juan wondered if it was a side effect of being sealed over a long period of time. While it would take some time to recover the cloak¡¯s power, it was well worth the wait.


    As he mused, Juan smelled blood in the air, which soured his good mood. Something approached Juan covertly. The golem had sensed the same presence and moved almost stealthily. The iing party halted their movement almost immediately.


    ¡°Boy, I want to speak with you,¡± a female¡¯s voice could be heard.


    It was Anya. The only person in Huxle¡¯s party whose identity Juan couldn¡¯t figure out.


    Juan rolled over and looked down from atop the golem. Anya, who was covered in blood, looked up at him with a tired expression. Juan realized the smell of blooding from her was a mixture of several people, namely Huxle¡¯s party.


    ¡°So, you killed all of them,¡± Juan said.


    ¡°Yes, they were nning on killing you while you were asleep. They would have all been killed by the golem if it wasn¡¯t for you. They couldn¡¯t have possibly imagined that their dinner would contain sedatives. I¡¯m not sure if this is enough to buy your trust but... Anyway, this is a present for you.¡± Anya dropped something at the golem¡¯s feet. It was Huxle¡¯s head. Anya then dropped all her armor and equipment on the ground to prove to Juan that she was unarmed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll praise you for your courage, but you aren¡¯t skilled when ites to beheading,¡± Juanmented.


    ¡°I thought I could end things quietly, but this guy had some tolerance to the sedatives and woke up in the middle... Decapitating all of them was hardbor, so it would be good if my hard work paid off,¡± Anya exined.


    Juan ordered the golem to kick Huxle¡¯s head to the side. Huxle¡¯s head rolled until it hit the tower¡¯s wall and stopped.


    ¡°The head is useless. His head was something I could get myself easily when he insisted that we sleep here overnight. I¡¯m more interested in your intentions.¡±


    Juan knew from the beginning that Anya was the most skilled person in Huxle¡¯s party; that was why during his first encounter with the party, he had held her captive. Juan also knew that she was not on this expedition just for the treasures.


    ¡°What¡¯s your motive? Were you also after the gray cloak?¡±


    ¡°No, but our initial goal might be the same,¡± Anya smiled timidly and pointed underneath Juan.


    ¡°The golem?¡±


    ¡°The thickest arms that support the throne. The giants of the underworld were made in preparation for the return of the gods. They are the most significant symbols representing that His Majesty has not yet abandoned us. Yes, I came here to find a way to control the golem.¡±


    Juan rubbed his chin. Yet another disappointment from being reincarnated was that he had no facial hair. Rubbing his bare chin just felt weird for him.


    ¡°After His Majesty, the Emperor, started his reign, the majority of the golems in the empire fell asleep and became buried in moss and dirt. But ording to ¡®our¡¯ intelligence, the Ash Tower was a ce where one of the remaining few still-moving golems were in this empire. I thought I would be able to find a way to control the golems at the Ash Tower.¡± Anya continued.


    Meanwhile, Juan evaluated Anya¡¯s skills. In his eyes, Anya seemed to specialize in assassination instead ofmon swordsmanship. Although she had an adequate grasp of magic, it was not of a high caliber. With these skills, she would have found a way to take on the golem. Even then, it would still have been hard for her to obtain the gray cloak, unless she found a way to control the golem.


    Juan recalled all the golems that were spread throughout the empire. When he was the emperor, countless golems had been made. Particrly in the north, where an army of golems was made to be the shield against humanity¡¯s ultimate enemy, the Crack. But right now, they were all asleep.


    ¡°You want to control the golems? Why?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°So I can destroy the empire,¡± Anya answered unexpectedly.


    Juan grinned slightly¡ªhe liked unexpected answers. Indeed, if she found a way to control the golems, she would have immense power in her hands; destroying the empire wouldn¡¯t be difficult at all.


    ¡°I thought you were one of those crazy people that follow the emperor since you were talking about him, but it seems like you aren¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t misunderstand. We really are devoted to His Majesty. But the current state of the empire is not what His Majesty desired. Rather, it¡¯s being led by a group that is goingpletely against the will of His Majesty,¡± replied Anya.


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying your group is a group of people who are crazy in a different way,¡± Juan remarked.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what you think of us. Don¡¯t you have your ownints about the empire? If you do, please tell me how you¡¯re able to control this golem. Does it have something to do with Grunbalde¡¯s power? Wait¡­ I think you were able to control it before you even got his power.¡± Anya appealed to Juan.


    ¡°I just did it,¡± Juan replied curtly.


    ¡°Boy¡­¡± Anya tried to ask further.


    ¡°Just give up if you aren¡¯t able to do the same,¡± Juan responded.


    Anya bit her lip. Juan could see her eyes tremble from the greed and conflict ying out in her head. Fortunately, she didn¡¯t do anything rash.


    After a pause, Anya continued, ¡°I guess it can¡¯t be helped. I¡¯m sure an opportunity wille; after all, we will never stop... What are you going to do with that golem, then? Are you going to bring it around with you? It¡¯ll be very conspicuous.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Juan replied nonchntly.


    Anya picked up the weapons she had dropped and put them on her belt. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m interested in what you¡¯ll do from now on. From the Tantil Colosseum to the Ash Tower... Where will you go next? Rembelle¡¯s undergroundbyrinth? Mananen McLeir¡¯s Sanctuary? You might even go all the way to His Majesty¡¯s throne,¡± said Anya.


    She didn¡¯t realize that the things she just said aloud were Juan¡¯s real intentions. Not wanting to reveal his intentions, Juan justughed.


    ¡°As you progress, there¡¯ll be a point where luck and skills just won¡¯t be enough. We¡¯ll meet again then,¡± Anya told him before disappearing into the Ash Tower¡¯s shadow.


    Juan felt Anya¡¯s presence disappear. Only the golem and himself remained. Juan slowly stroked the golem and wondered if he had just wasted his time listening to that story. He simply wanted to greet his friend whom he had not seen in a long time.


    The Ash Tower would now disappear, which meant that the golem was no longer needed, since it had nothing to protect anymore. Moreover, it would cease to operate since Juan took the gray cloak. Of course, that did not mean Juan could bring the golem around with him. Not only was it too conspicuous, he did not have nearly enough mana to both move the golem and use the gray cloak properly at the same time.


    Juan slowly approached the blue rune that was embedded at the top of its head and stroked it, as if that rune was something precious to him.


    ¡°You did well,¡± Juan whispered as he hugged the golem. He then stabbed the embedded blue rune with his short sword and pulled it out. The golem¡¯srge body trembled, and like a dying candle¡¯s me, it slowly slumped over. At the same time, the Ash Tower which had maintained its unbnced shape began to copse, and dust surged from it along with a strange sound.


    Juan held the rune fragment in his hand and stood in the middle of the newly created ruins.


    ¡°Rest now, I¡¯ll finish what you started.¡± Juan turned and walked away from the Ash Tower¡¯s ruins.


    He suddenly realized that it was humans and not monsters or beasts that were in the forest surrounding the Ash Tower. Before he could identify their numbers, he felt his body suddenly be heavy. Juan stumbled and lost his bnce, his vision suddenly turning red. Flustered by the sudden change, Juan tried to stand up, but it felt like a thousand pounds were weighing him down.


    An unfamiliar energy pulsed throughout Juan¡¯s body. It was Talter¡¯s blood. Juan wondered if Talter¡¯s consciousness had awakened, but quickly concluded that it wasn¡¯t the case, as he couldn¡¯t feel Talter¡¯s consciousness anywhere.


    A drop of Talter¡¯s blood was consumed against his will, causing arge amount of mana to fluctuate within him. After that, yet another drop of Talter¡¯s blood was consumed.


    ¡°Ughh!¡±


    Talter¡¯s blood drew out an incredible amount of power, and Juan had to do everything in his power to find bnce between Talter¡¯s and his own mana that was seething and flowing backward. It felt like his whole body was boiling up. He copsed, but just before he passed out, he heard a voice.


    ¡°Ha, I thought he would already be under control by now. Amazing¡­¡±


    Juan painfully lifted his head. Before him stood an unfamiliar man, as well as Sina Solvane and the Order of the Blue Rose.

 Chapter 27 – Pursuit (1)

    <h4>Chapter 27 ¨C Pursuit (1)</h4>


    Juan pulled himself together as he tried to figure out his current situation. While he did not feel anything strange from either the members of Order of the Blue Rose or Sina, he felt that there was something different about the man who stood in front of him. To be precise, he felt a familiar energy from the ss box in the man¡¯s hands. He soon realized that whatever was inside that box was suppressing him.


    ¡°Ugh...¡± Juan groaned as the mana within his body thrashed around. Juan suppressed most of his mana in order to ensure that it did not consume any more of Talter¡¯s blood. While Juan did not know what the item in the man¡¯s possession was, he had a feeling that it was capable of controlling Talter¡¯s mana, since his own mana wasn¡¯t affected by it at all.


    ¡°You look like you¡¯re in a lot of pain. This can¡¯t be helped¡­ after all, all that awaits a heretic who defies authority is suffering,¡± the pale man snickered.


    Juan could only listen to him helplessly.


    Sina stepped forward as she could not take it anymore. ¡°Let¡¯s not cross boundaries here, Sir Kato. Wasn¡¯t your mission just to help me capture him?¡±


    ¡°Capture him? Ah, that¡¯s correct. In fact, I was the one who did all the capturing while your knight order did absolutely nothing.¡± Kato sneered.


    Sina wanted to argue that Kato did not do it using his own power, but using the power of His Majesty. However, she could not, as Kato was ranked higher than even a Temr.


    Juan struggled to break out of the hold and stand up.


    ¡°Looks like I can¡¯t let my guard down around you,¡± Kato smirked as he held up the ss box. Something inside the ss box shone even brighter, suppressing Juan. Only then did Juan realize what was inside the ss box.


    <i>¡®The sheath of Talter¡¯s sacrificial short sword!¡¯?</i>


    When Juan killed Talter, he could not find the sacrificial short sword that the sheath belonged to. Magic had then been cast upon the sheath because that short sword was a good medium for Talter¡¯s revival. That sheath was used to suppress and control Talter¡¯s power, but Juan had no idea that it would one day be used to suppress him.


    Since Talter¡¯s mana had nowhere to go, it could only thrash around within his body, slowly ripping the inside of Juan¡¯s body to shreds and starting to leak out from his stomach. This made Juan feel like he was about to explode.


    t.ly/3iBfjkV.


    Juan red at Kato with bloodshot eyes, causing Kato to take a step back when their eyes met. Kato then held onto the short sword on his waist with a resolved look.


    Seeing Kato head toward Juan, Sina quickly grabbed his arm and asked, ¡°What are you trying to do?¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯m trying to execute a heretic here,¡± Kato responded.


    ¡°...Our mission is to capture, not to execute,¡± Sina retorted.


    Kato sighed as he remembered what Sina was known for. Despite possessing exceptional skills, she had frequent quarrels with Priests and was thus kicked out of the capital due to her faith being called into question. If she had been more flexible, she would have been promoted to a Temr by now.


    ¡°Look, only Talter¡¯s mana reacts to this sheath; not yours and certainly not mine. The power of His Majesty, the almighty Emperor that suppresses Talter¡¯s mana as well as other simr mana, resonates with it. It¡¯s something so delicate andplicated that only His Majesty could have done it. If this boy isn¡¯t an apostle of Talter then he would not be suppressed by the magical seal of this sheath that was ced by His Majesty,¡± Kato rified.


    ¡°To use that to justify execution...¡± Sina trailed off.


    ¡°Dame Sina, Bishop Rietto has given you a precious opportunity here. In fact, even greater powers are watching your every move. It¡¯d be best if you watched what you say from now on.¡± Kato warned Sina as he red at her with hostility.


    Sina knew that Kato had tagged along with the intention to kill Juan from the start, and she also knew that authorities with more power than Bishop Rietto had given that order. But the thing that perplexed her was that she had no idea why the capital and its higher-ups were so interested in Juan.


    Just then, Ossrey grabbed Sina¡¯s arm and shook his head. He respected Sina and had thus decided to save her because he could not just stand by and allow her to go against the Inquisitor. Kato had a satisfied look and turned to Juan as Sina stood down helplessly.


    ¡°...Poor thing.¡± Kato mocked Juan, but his eyes widened when he saw Juan struggling to get up.


    ***


    Juan listened carefully to their conversation as they quarreled, especially the part about how Talter¡¯s mana was being suppressed. Juan had ced the magic seal on the sheath a long time ago, so he had almost forgotten about it, but the magic seal was made pretty sloppily due to the fact that he was new to magic at that time. The principle behind it was so simple that even him, in his current state, could replicate it.


    Furthermore, Juan¡¯s current body functioned almost in the same way as the magic seal on the sheath did. Pulling himself together, he used the mana in his body following this principle. Talter¡¯s mana started to thrash around in response, but it did not matter since it was within Juan¡¯s mana heart. As Juanpressed his mana intensely, Talter¡¯s mana continued to thrash around even more violently.


    ¡°Ugh...¡± Juan groaned, vomiting blood as the mana tore Juan apart from within.


    Juan¡¯s n was close topletion. He formed a thinyer of mana to engulf Talter¡¯s mana andpress it. It soon resonated with Talter¡¯s sheath.


    <i>¡®It¡¯s weakening.¡¯?</i>


    But Kato did not notice the sheath trembling.


    Juan felt the suppressive force weakening, and slowly pushed the power back into the sheath.


    Kato turned around with the intention to finish Juan off, but Juan had already stood up halfway.


    ¡°...Poor thing.¡± Along with Juan¡¯s words, Talter¡¯s sheath exploded in Kato¡¯s hands and its fragments pierced into Kato¡¯s body. Kato¡¯s hand, which had been holding Talter¡¯s sheath, was nowhere to be seen.


    ¡°Arghhhh!¡± The pale face that snickered just moments ago was now bloodied in an instant, along with a shriek.


    The members of the Order of the Blue Rose quickly pulled out their swords and hurriedly surrounded Juan, but Juan¡¯s body continued to convulse violently.


    <i>¡®This isn¡¯t good,¡¯?</i>Juan thought as his body consumed another two drops of Talter¡¯s blood. The mana that Juan had been using to suppress Talter¡¯s mana was no longer there and he fought desperately to get it under control again.


    At that moment, Sina and Juan flew forward and¡­


    <i>nk!?</i>


    A metallic sound reverberated, and Sina felt as though she had just crashed into a huge cliff. Before she could get a grip on herself, she was flung to where the other knights were at.


    ¡°Ugh...!¡± Sina was unable to breathe. She felt as though she was being trampled by a horse even though it had just been one collision. A few of the knights rushed forward to help Sina. She looked at Juan, but Juan did not look normal at all.


    Juan walked toward Kato as his breath turned red and red at him with bloodshot eyes. Based on the power that sent Sina flying, Juan could easily get past the knights and kill Kato. He stopped and stumbled, while Kato continued screaming while looking at the empty spot where his hand used to be. While the Order of the Blue Rose hesitated, Juan took a few deep breaths and charged toward Kato.


    ¡°Stop him!¡± the knights rushed in front of Juan at Sina¡¯s cry.


    <i>Thud</i>¡ª


    A dull sound reverberated. This time around, no one got flung away like Sina did; that was just Juan¡¯s short sword swinging weakly against another sword.


    The once nervous knights were now confused. Juan seemed to be in excruciating pain whenever he moved. Sina soon realized that Juan was suppressing himself.


    He had not lost his rationality. Juan did not swing his short sword even though he was convulsing. He was, in fact, trying his best to suppress Talter¡¯s mana.


    <i>¡®It would be easier to just kill them all,¡¯?</i>Juan thought to himself.


    He wasn¡¯t sure if killing one or two of them would help his situation, but he was certain that once he started killing them, Talter¡¯s madness would go on a rampage. If he allowed that to happen, it would consume a lot of his strength and he could not afford to do that since he would notst long. Juan went on the defensive against the knights as he thought of his next step.


    <i>¡®I¡¯ll only kill him.¡¯?</i>


    His target was Kato.


    There was something about Kato that got on Juan¡¯s nerves. It wasn¡¯t simply because he was strong; there was a certain uneasiness that felt like insanity.


    Juan slowly gathered his strength. He felt like he had to get rid of Kato now, or it would onlye back to haunt him in the future.


    ¡°KILL THAT BASTARD RIGHT AWAY!¡±


    The knights fumbled toward Juan upon Kato¡¯smand. They gained confidence when they saw Juan back away, but Juan was able to barely dodge the flurry of attacks. As the knights managed tond a few scratches on Juan, they decided to attack more aggressively.


    Sina suddenly felt uneasy, because Juan was not the type to go on defense, he would usually either try to ughter everyone, or n a counterattack after he escaped.


    Unable to shake off the uneasiness creeping up, Sina grabbed her sword, stood up and tried to join the battle. However, she copsed as she was still too weak.


    Ossrey quickly rushed to support Sina and assured her, ¡°Dame Sina, there¡¯s no need for you to join in the fight, it seems the rest can take care of him.¡±


    ¡°...Fog,¡± Sina muttered.


    ¡°Pardon?¡± Ossrey asked.


    ¡°Why is there suddenly so much fog?¡± Sina mumbled as she saw a thinyer of fog that covered her hands.


    Just at that moment, she remembered the bizarre story of the Ash Tower, about how it was actually made of fog and not walls. However, Sina had not seen the Ash Tower on her way here. A thought shed through her mind and she shouted at the top of her voice, ¡°PROTECT THE INQUISITOR!¡±


    At Sina¡¯s abruptmand, the knights turned to look at her, confused.


    Juan grinned as the fog thatid low on the ground surged up with a p of his gray cloak.


    ¡°W-What¡¯s happening?!¡± The knights fumbled, taken aback. Although the fog was not thick, it was enough to cover their vision for a moment. Juan used Blink in that instant, and flew toward Kato swiftly like a snake in a straight line. Kato simply stared as the short sword¡¯s tip flew toward him.


    <i>Thump.</i>


    Juan frowned. A dull sound rang¡ªOssrey had blocked Juan¡¯s attack with his shield in the nick of time, jumping in front of Kato. Juan swung his short sword again, but instead of the shield breaking apart, only its topyer peeled off, revealing a crest. The crest represented the emperor, a white crow with red eyes engraved on it.


    ¡°A Temr... The White Crow Temr Order¡¯s shield?¡± one of the knights mumbled in disbelief.


    Juan tried to attack through the shield¡¯s blindspot but an unseen dome of energy had enveloped Kato and Ossrey. Juan had no choice but to use Blink<i>?</i>again to escape the knights¡¯ encirclement.


    Fortunately, Juan didn¡¯t have to worry about going berserk because Talter¡¯s mana was fully consumed. Juan was able to breathe more easily when he became weaker after shing with Ossrey¡¯s shield. Ossrey¡¯s shield seemed to have been imbued with a magic that could absorb strange energy.


    <i>¡®It was my mana just now.¡¯</i>


    Juan could feel what was called the ¡®Grace¡¯ imbued in the shield that Ossrey had equipped.


    ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there! He¡¯s getting away! Kill him immediately!¡± Kato screamed at the knights and they moved to surround Juan again. Juan gave up on trying to kill Kato and decided that there was no need for him to deal with them here.


    ¡°That¡¯s an interesting toy, brat,¡± Juan uttered as he looked at Kato.


    The knights were taken aback, as they had no idea who he was calling a brat, but Juan ignored them. He turned around and fled while the knights were distracted. A few tried to stop him, but Juan used Blink<i>?</i>once more, disappearing into the fog.

 Chapter 28 – Pursuit (2)

    <h4>Chapter 28 ¨C Pursuit (2)</h4>


    ¡°Any leads on the bastard?¡± Sina asked.


    Ossrey shook his head causing Sina to bite her lip. It had been two days since Juan escaped from right under their noses at the Ash Tower.


    They were approaching the Laus Mountains, which divided the capital and the south. A strange fog had been following them wherever they went, forcing them to split up into smaller units for the search, but to no avail.


    ¡°We¡¯ve decided to pause the search because the fog was too thick. Our knights keep getting ambushed as well. Although there aren¡¯t any casualties, Captain Haselle also agrees that there won¡¯t be any progress even if we continue. Does that kid have some kind of ability allowing him to cast fog?¡± Ossrey reported.


    Sina felt frustrated as she looked at the fog outside the tent. She was afraid that Juan was hiding somewhere underneath all the thick fog. Juan was already tough to deal with despite being a child; if they were to be ambushed by him in this fog, they would have no chance of winning against him.


    ¡°This fog is definitely not a natural urrence, it reminds me of the story that the Ash Tower¡¯s outer walls are made of fog. Maybe this is rted to the Ash Tower¡¯s copse,¡± Sina remarked.


    ¡°To think that he even obtained the Ash Tower¡¯s power... Just what is he? Even His Majesty¡¯s relic didn¡¯t work on him,¡± Ossrey spoke anxiously and bit his lips.


    Sina regretted the fact that she could not do anything herself as she looked at Ossrey.


    Sina was being treated in a temporary tent. Although she did not suffer any major injuries, she had bruises all over her body, and her dizziness did not go away. Had a Priest been here, she would have been healed immediately. The only person with a Priest¡¯s Grace was Kato, but he was bandaged all over his body and had turned half insane.


    Sina spoke as she looked at Ossrey, ¡°I¡¯m curious about Juan¡¯s identity, but there¡¯s something that I¡¯m even more curious about. Since when did you get the White Crow Temrs¡¯ shield? I don¡¯t recall hearing that you¡¯ve received the title of a Temr.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m embarrassed to say this, but Sir Kato lent it to me. He said that you would be his sword, and asked me to be his shield. I¡¯ve heard of others getting severely punished when they weren¡¯t authorized to use Temr equipment, but Bishop Rietto apparently permitted temporary use,¡± Ossrey exined, blushing.


    Sina had never heard of someone who was not a Temr using a Temr¡¯s equipment. It was a great honor to receive such blessed equipment as it was not essible to most. It would make more sense to just dispatch one of the Temrs themselves.


    Sina was frustrated with all the various exceptions made recently. A normal knight borrowing a Temr¡¯s equipment as well as the Inquisitor who tried to pass himself off as an assassin. She felt as if she had been swept into some huge conspiracy.


    ¡°You should have reported that to me first,¡± Sina remarked.


    ¡°Um, Sir Kato said that I¡¯d probably never need to use the shield... And that if we seed, Dame Sina and I¡ª¡± Ossrey hurriedly closed his mouth.


    ¡°What about you and I?¡± Sina questioned.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I guess all this doesn¡¯t matter, since Sir Kato is in this state. Plus the relic needed to track that Juan bastard is broken...¡±


    Sina found Ossrey¡¯s attempt to change the topic suspicious, but there was a much bigger and more important issue at hand.


    She muttered, ¡°If this fog isn¡¯t natural, it¡¯s going to be tough continuing the pursuit. We might have to stop it all together. I can¡¯t think of any way to catch him... Hopefully Kato doesn¡¯t lose his sanity any more than he already has. Logically speaking, it¡¯s better for us to stop here.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll stop here though. I saw him grinding his teeth in anger earlier,¡± Ossrey remarked.


    ¡°That¡¯s why this is a problem. There will be an even bigger problem if we continue like this,¡± Sina responded.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Ossrey asked.


    Sina frowned and hesitantly said, ¡°Just a bit further ahead is Raven¡¯s Land.¡±


    However, Ossrey looked clueless. It was only then that Sina realized how weak their knowledge was regarding the empire¡¯s history.


    She sighed and asked, ¡°Do you know about Ras Raud?¡±


    ¡°Ah, one of the Six Apostates...¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ras Raud, thest adopted son of His Majesty, was one of the six who led the assassination. During the assassination, Ras¡¯ Order of Huginn was supposed to enter the capital from the south, but failed. They were stopped at the Laus Mountains by General Barth Baltic¡¯s Order of the Capital,¡± Sina exined.


    ¡°Oh, I think I¡¯ve heard about that. They made the mountains steeper in order to stop the Order of Huginn...¡± Ossrey responded.


    ¡°...I think that¡¯s a bit exaggerated, but they did aplish a great feat. Because of them, the Six Apostates were isted and eventually met their doom. But it¡¯s said that, unlike the others that were disbanded, the Order of Huginn is hiding somewhere within the Laus Mountains, waiting for the empire to divide and biding their time. Ras Raud won¡¯t just ignore Juan.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, in that case...¡± Just as Ossrey was about to ask a question, a knight soaked in rain stepped into the tent.


    ¡°Dame Sina, the Inquisitor is asking for you.¡±


    ***


    ¡°What is this nonsense?!¡± Sina eximed.


    The rain was pouring, but the Order of the Blue Rose was preparing to move out despite the rain. Even with all themotion, Sina could only hear the loud beating of her heart.


    ¡°As I¡¯ve already said, Dame Sina. Our goal is to capture that heretic and kill him immediately,¡± Kato said firmly. Wrapped all over in multipleyers of bandages with blood and pus oozing out from various spots, Kato¡¯s appearance was strange, to say the least. His voice sounded rough as if a fragment of the sheath had hurt his throat.


    ¡°Our goal is to capture and kill that heretic bastard immediately,¡± Kato ordered.


    ¡°I won¡¯t argue any further on that since he carried out armed resistance, but isn¡¯t it enough to just organize a search team like what we had nned initially?!¡± Sina argued.


    ¡°How?¡± Kato questioned.


    Sina could not answer his question. The relic needed to track Juan was gone, the thick fog made it difficult for the Order of the Blue Rose to see anything, and the sudden downpour was erasing Juan¡¯s tracks. There was no way for the heavily-armed knights to chase after Juan.


    ¡°Maybe with wanted posters, or we could create a special force...¡± Sina suggested.


    ¡°Do you think that''ll work?¡± Kato asked.


    Sina could not reply.


    ¡°Just behave yourself and carry out my order,¡± Kato warned Sina.


    Sina bit her lips as she red at him for some time.


    Sina eventually swung her fist down onto the desk in front of her in frustration and cried out, ¡°But how can we burn down a vige full of civilians?!¡±


    Kato red back at Sina without any reaction to her outburst. ¡°Purification is the way to deal with apostates.¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t that from decades back?!¡± yelled Sina. ¡°It wasst used in Tantil before I was even born! Such tactics that had been used to capture the instigators of His Majesty¡¯s asassination, you wouldn¡¯t be be able to get away with them in this day and age, even as an Inquisitor .¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still used in the west.¡±


    ¡°The west...!¡± Sina was speechless at Kato¡¯s ridiculous reply. ¡°... I do not wish for my hometown to be like the west. The people there are barely surviving in that hell. I¡¯m not doubting Creed General Dismas¡¯ faith, but I don¡¯t want to follow in his footsteps. I¡¯m sure the other knights feel the same.¡±


    ¡°I am afraid I have to agree with her, Sir Kato,¡± Haselle remarked as he walked into the tent. It was unusual for him to say that, since he had taken a back seat and handed most of the authorities to Sina, who was the Captain of this Pursuit Unit.


    One could feel Kato¡¯s deep frown through hisyers of bandages. Instead of seeing the wrinkles on his face, one saw blood seeping through his bandages as he asked, ¡°And your reason for saying that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s simply an issue of what¡¯s possible and what¡¯s not. If we start wiping out every vige wee across, it¡¯ll dy our pursuit. I agree that we should look for him everywhere thoroughly, but if he is on the run and not hiding, that will set our progress back significantly.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll mobilize another knight order then,¡± responded Kato.


    ¡°Do as you wish, but I don¡¯t know if there would be a knight order that¡¯d be willing toe all the way here in the mountains in the midst of a downpour just for this task. It would even be tough for us to dispatch someone to deliver the message in this weather,¡± Haselle refuted.


    ¡°You say that, but aren¡¯t you just afraid of the Raven¡¯s Land?¡± Kato mocked.


    Haselle didn¡¯t react to Kato¡¯s mocking. ¡°It would be a lie if I said I wasn¡¯t afraid, but I¡¯d like to say that there is no one in my knight order who would run off if they were to face one of the apostates. Please reconsider this, Sir Kato. Whether it would be better to have everyone fight as heroes and meet their deaths while at the same time, also fail to capture the boy; or to return now, admit our failure and ask the capital for help. The choice is yours.¡±


    Haselle left just as suddenly as he entered after finishing his sentence.


    Sina was slightly flustered that Haselle had helped her, but everything he said was right.


    Kato frowned but he remained silent. As Haselle had said, it was clear that the Order of the Blue Rose was not willing to cooperate with Kato, and he realized that he had no other choice; at least within the Order of the Blue Rose.


    ***


    Just as a raindrop fell onto his forehead, arge two-handed sword fell toward Juan. It was so slow that Juan dodged it easily.


    The knight quickly pulled back his sword after he missed and swung yet again. This basic move was awfully slow and full of loopholes.


    It was clear as day that this knight was heavilycking in realbat experience, just as expected of a knight stationed in this remote area in this peaceful era.


    Juan dodged another swing, and then an iing stab. He stuck out his leg and tripped the knight.


    The knight fell to his knees as he iled. From this angle, there was no way Juan would get hit even if the knight swung his sword.


    Juan had countless ways to kill the knight but he just dodged the sword instead.


    <i>¡®This reminds me of the time when I used to train knights.¡¯?</i>


    There was a time when humans were no different from mountain bandits. Juan taught them, transforming them into an imperial knight order with enough power to control the empire, but that took a very long time to achieve. The Order of the Blue Rose was not that weak, but to Juan, there was not much of a difference. He thought that they were alright for a knight order in a remote area.


    ¡°Y-you bastard! Kill me now if you¡¯re going to!¡± the knight eximed. He seemed to have lost morale, but he was still swinging his sword.


    Juan decided to grant the knight¡¯s wish. He took out his short sword as the knight stabbed his sword at the air clumsily. As the knight¡¯s sword and the short sword shed against each other, they made a loud screech. The knight let go of his sword in fear as sparks flew. Having already gotten into range of the knight, Juan let out a sigh. Instead of stabbing the knight, he kicked the man¡¯sher region.


    The knight fell to his knees, gasping.


    Juan knocked out the knight by striking the back of his head.


    <i>¡®The third one.¡¯</i>


    He had more or less figured out the knights¡¯ skills. Juan was using body strengthening ability with mana to increase his mobility. Talter¡¯s short sword was pretty useful as a weapon, but it consumed a lot of mana to heal when Juan got injured. Since he was already pretty light to begin with, his attack style naturally involved hitting and dodging quickly.


    <i>¡®Even so, these knights are too slow.¡¯?</i>


    Juan had once faced humans as an enemy when he was an emperor. On that asion, he had approached them with utmost tolerance. But not anymore¡ªhe felt no guilt even if he killed every single human he came across.


    ¡°But their standards are so low...¡±


    Juan wasn¡¯t as angry as he had been back in the colosseum, and there was nothing to gain from killing them. Thus, he felt no desire to kill.


    Had he felt some kind of threat from the enemy, he¡¯d have wanted to kill them, but he felt no threat at all. He felt that the standards of the knight orders had declined over time.


    <i>¡®Of course, it¡¯s partly because these bastards do only what they have to do.¡¯?</i>


    It was hard to deny that this was partly Sina Solvane¡¯s fault as well.


    Juan had liked Sina the most out of all the people he had met after his reincarnation. He did not feel good about hurting her colleagues. He felt annoyed, but decided that this amount of generosity was good enough.


    Sounds of the pouring rain filled the forest, as the moisture and the cloudsbined.


    <i>¡®It¡¯ll be hard for them to track me anyway.¡¯?</i>


    Even with multiple knight orders, since they had no divine relic to track him, it was only a matter of time before they would lose himpletely.


    Just as he was about to leave, he felt the presence of knights from across the fog.


    <i>¡®Are they looking for theirrades?¡¯?</i>


    He didn¡¯t need to assess their skills anymore. Juan slowly hid himself with the gray cloak. As long as he did not make any movements, the knights wouldn¡¯t be able to find him hidden within the gray cloak in the fog. He waited a long time, but no knights came.


    However, a faint scent of blood came from beyond the fog. Juan stayed hidden in his gray cloak and went in the direction where he felt the knights¡¯ presence.


    There stood a woman with red lips and her hair tied up in a ponytail. It was Anya. She pulled a stiletto out from the neck of a knight as she greeted him. ¡°We meet again, boy.¡±

 Chapter 29 – Pursuit (3)

    <h4>Chapter 29 ¨C Pursuit (3)</h4>


    Juan took a look at the condition of the fallen knights. They were killed so swiftly that they did not even have the chance to scream.


    For Anya to be able to kill the knights who had been wearing heavy armor so quickly meant that her skills were way better than expected.


    <i>¡®It might even be because of the clothes she¡¯s wearing.¡¯</i>


    Anya now wore a ck leather armor that was easy to move in, different from what she had on before. A faint trace of mana could be felt from it.


    ¡°I thought something happened here because the fog was so thick. Did you like my goodwill gesture, boy?¡± Anya asked.


    ¡°Is that the only way you know how to show your goodwill?¡± Juan refuted.


    ¡°That¡¯s because it didn¡¯t seem like you¡¯d enjoy sweets,¡± Anya responded.


    Juan remained silent as Anya swung her stiletto to shake off the blood on it and put it back into its sheath.


    ¡°I watched what you did just now. I thought you would kill the knight but you stopped. These jerks are the dogs of the empire; there¡¯s no need to spare their lives. That thick bloodlust that came out of you was real, so why did you spare him? Did you feel sympathy for him at thest moment?¡±


    Juan stayed silent.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to answer me since I like how you don¡¯t speak a lot. But I never imagined you to be the sympathetic type¡­ that¡¯s why I was wondering about the reason you did that. You¡­¡± Anya said as she smiled, looking curious.


    ¡°I still have a lot of things I don¡¯t know about the empire,¡± Juan said, but he thought it was funny since he had once ruled over the empire.


    He felt like there was some truth in what she had said. As time passed by, Juan felt like there were more and more things he did not know about the empire, including the things that he had intentionally ignored.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to hate what you don''t know, that is why you¡¯re bing weaker,¡± Anya told Juan.


    ¡°I¡¯m bing weaker?¡± Juan asked in a sarcastic tone.


    ¡°I¡¯m not talking about physical strength, I¡¯m referring to your heart. Regardless of whether it¡¯s physical or emotional strength, they¡¯d get stronger the more they¡¯re refined. But it seems there isn¡¯t anything testing your heart at the moment,¡± Anya exined as she approached Juan, reaching for his wet hair and lifted it with her finger lightly.


    ¡°Seeing as how your heart has weakened so drastically ever since the Ash Tower, you¡¯ve met a nice person, huh? I wonder who that person is. The only people you¡¯ve met ever since you left the Ash Tower should have only been that clumsy knight order though. Why did you end up liking a knight of all people?¡± Anya asked.


    Juan did not reply.


    ¡°You want to be stronger, right? I can tell when I see how you behave, but you won¡¯t be able to be as strong as you want at this rate,¡± Anya whispered near Juan¡¯s ears.


    ¡°If you want, I can give you a ¡®present¡¯ to help you be stronger,¡± Anya said.


    <i>¡®Sina Solvane¡¯s life.¡¯</i>


    While Anya didn¡¯t say Sina¡¯s name out loud, it was as if she had whispered it.


    Juan suddenly grabbed tightly onto Anya¡¯s finger. Before Anya even realized what was happening, Juan had bent her finger at a weird angle; it sounded like a branch snapping. Anya grabbed her finger in pain but Juan did not stop there. He then punched Anya¡¯s stomach with all his might.


    ¡°Argh...!¡± Anya gasped, the blow sending her flying. She took deep breaths as she fell to the ground. While Juan did not punch a hole through her stomach, Anya was not able to breathe properly.


    Juan then used his toes to lift Anya¡¯s chin up.


    ¡°This is the perfect eye level we should have.¡±


    Anya opened and closed her lips as if she wanted to say something, but Juan ignored her, ¡°If you dare say you want to give me a ¡®present¡¯ again, your life will be the next present for me.¡±


    Anya nodded furiously at Juan¡¯s words. Juan turned around to leave as Anya remained on the ground.


    ¡°Wa... Wait a minute...¡± Anya barely spoke those words quickly as she gasped for breath.


    Juan stopped at her words. Anya then crawled towards Juan as she pulled at the grass on the ground. Juan frowned as she looked messy with wet leaves all over her.


    ¡°I... I¡¯m sorry...¡± Anya apologized hoarsely. ¡°I... simply wanted to... be on friendly terms with you... but... it seems I have a talent for making you unhappy. If... you tell me... what you want... ¡±


    ¡°Never appear in front of me again,¡± Juan stated firmly and left.


    ***


    Juan looked down from the top of the mountain as he wondered how much time had passed.


    The mountain was not steep, but it was slippery because of the fog and autumn rain.


    He had been walking for two days after his fight with the Order of the Blue Rose. It would have been normal if he had been tired, but he just felt a little sore in his legs. After all, his rate of recovery was faster than the rate of his muscles breaking down from just walking. Thanks to that, his stamina had actually increased.


    <i>¡®I guess I don¡¯t have to worry about the pursuit squad, the problem would be...¡¯</i>


    Juan nced back upon feeling the presence of Anya, who was still trying to catch up after a day. She had been desperately trying to catch up to Juan because of the lead that Juan had, but it was obvious that she was tired. It was pretty hard for a human to cross the mountains in rain without any sleep. The distance between her and Juan had been growing due to her injuries as time passed, but she finally managed to catch up.


    <i>¡®Should I just kill her?¡¯</i>


    That might actually make things a lot simpler, but strangely, Juan did not feel like doing it.


    Anya had a familiar smell. The unique smell of someone who had a void somewhere within them.


    <i>¡®She¡¯ll probably give up after a while.¡¯</i>


    Just then, he saw a vige at the feet of the mountain. Since Anya was already exhausted, Juan thought she was likely to either faint or stop tracking him.


    Juan headed towards the vige but when he approached it, he smelled something strange. While it was faint because of the rain, Juan could definitely smell blood. Juan walked toward the edge of the vige that had the fewest people. It was a small settlement, with about eight families.


    Juan slowly ventured further into the vige. The road was muddy from the continuous downpour in thest few days. With every step he took, mud and blood stuck onto his feet. Bloody water could be found everywhere. All the doors of the houses were open and the houses were in a mess, but there were no corpses in sight.


    The blood had been spilled not too long ago, since the bloody stench was so strong and had not been washed away by the rain.


    After searching for a while, Juan found some faint traces left in the vige¡ªthere were footprints that were deeper than the others. Those were footprints of people who wore heavy armor.


    Juan could easily imagine what had happened here. People wearing armor arrived at the vige, forcefully dragged those living in the houses and lined them up in the rain for unknown reasons. Rough interrogations then took ce as the armed people made a mess of the houses. Among those armed people, some probably carried forbidden items. They were not bandits, because bandits would not go through all this trouble. Some of the vigers attempted to resist and got pierced through the chest with a spear. The rest of the vigers got scared as the ughter began. The armed people did not care about covering what they did here. The only trace of the ughter was in the middle of the vige.


    Juan found a ck g on a well, with a white crow and the emperor¡¯s symbol. There was a revolting smell of blood that came from the copsed well. The corpses could not be seen as the rocks had buried them. As the rainwater and corpses filled the well, blood instead of underground water came out of it.


    ¡°Horrifying, right?¡± Anya¡¯s voice could be heard from behind. She looked pale and gasped for air as if she was about to die. Her wet clothes that stuck to her body made her look smaller than she already was.


    ¡°Not really, such things weremon in the past,¡± Juan replied indifferently.


    In the past, gods used to create races or destroy them for the sake of their amusement. They were cruel and acted on their impulses because the strong had no need to be afraid of others or be polite to them. That was just how it was for the gods.


    There was a race known as Hornsluine. They were the strongest race of all. They split the continent into three kingdoms and ruled over them. One day, they decided to defy the gods. Due to this, their race was annihted within a week. The only survivor was Juan¡¯srade, Barth Baltic.


    Living in that age allowed one to see all sorts of strange sights. The current times felt rather peaceful aspared to the past.


    ¡°Looks like youe from a pretty ruthless ce too. I guess things like purification would happen beyond the borders from time to time, right?¡± Anya said.


    ¡°Purification?¡± Juan questioned.


    Anya pointed at the well that was in the middle of the vige. She had applied a splint on her broken finger.


    ¡°If a vige is suspected of heresy or if someonemits a crime, the whole vige is interrogated. I don¡¯t know what those beyond the borders call this, but you could call this ¡®plundering¡¯. This is just how nobles earn money and have fun. Or it could simply be a kind of stress relief for the knights. I heard it was the worst in the western parts, but such things happen from time to time in remote areas as well, since there¡¯d be no repercussionsing from those poor people,¡± Anya exined.


    ¡°They killed them to get rid of traces indicating that they plundered this ce?¡± Juan asked as he looked at the traces of what had happened in this vige.


    It was as Anya said. It seemed like the vige was ughtered for the sake of plundering or just because someone was bored.


    But Juan had different thoughts. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡± Anya responded.


    ¡°It seems this was rted to me,¡± Juan answered.


    While there were traces that the vige had been plundered, there were also traces of interrogation. The interrogation was not done for fun; it felt like it was done with proper procedures. They started with children, then women andstly, men. They did it so they could get information from a big crowd of vigers.


    ¡°This is rted to you¡­? Could this have been done by the Order of the Blue Rose? No, I don¡¯t think they¡¯ve caught up yet... But if that¡¯s what you think it is, then it should be the case,¡± Anya responded.


    ¡°It¡¯s not them. Something¡¯s closing onto me,¡± Juan said as he looked up at the shadow of death that roamed the vige. Something was looking for Juan and Juan caught onto its stench.


    ¡°This is a familiar smell,¡± Juan said as he thought, <i>¡®The smell of war.¡¯</i>


    ***


    [Find the ck-haired boy. Find him, kill him, burn him and feed his ashes to the beasts.]


    The Temr that wore a white crow mask folded the letter and put it away. Along with the heavy rain that had been going on for days, it was a moonless night.


    The temr¡¯s white mask stood out a lot in the dark. It actually looked more like a crow¡¯s skull than a mask.


    The white crow that stood on the temr¡¯s shoulder gave a long cry as he stood up. He wore massive heavy armor and also had a rectangr shieldrge enough to cover his huge body.


    He lifted a hammer that was as big as a child up with ease, and said as he looked around, ¡°My soldiers.¡±


    The Temr had a trained body, along with equipment that had the emperor¡¯s Grace. The temr¡¯s voice alone exerted enough pressure to grip one¡¯s heart; his low voice caused the soldiers to flinch.


    They were the Order of the White Crow, formed with the express purpose of chasing after Ras Raud, one of the Six Apostates. They were famous for being the strictest and also most tenacious in pursuit. Many soldiers had their heads cut down by them because of wrong actions or answers.


    ¡°There are no heretics in this vige either,¡± the Temr stated as he looked at the old man who lived through the interrogation.


    The soldiers had used purification as an excuse asionally, but they had never experienced a ¡®real¡¯ purification like this one.


    The Temr sealed off the vige thoroughly. He started his interrogation from the youngest and weakest of the vigers by breaking their fingers like a machine, one by one, and eventually gouged out their eyes. It was so cruel that a few of the soldiers opposed the Temr¡¯s actions; they were all dead and floating in the well.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to pity those who have decided to get out of His Majesty, the Emperor¡¯s protection.¡±


    The remaining soldiers maintained silence at the Temr¡¯s words.


    ¡°Inquisitor Kato¡¯s orders are still effective. We¡¯re heading to the next vige,¡± the Temrmanded.

 Chapter 30 – Templar (1)

    <h4>Chapter 30 ¨C Temr (1)</h4>


    ¡°Ugh, what the hell is this? Man, it¡¯s fucking pouring¡­,¡± said a man who seemed to be a merchant.


    He stepped into the tavern with his wet clothes dripping rainwater. The tavern owner let out a chuckle while instinctively receiving the drenched items from the man. There were already people gathered around the firece to dry their wet clothes in the rtively small hall. They were all victims to the continuous downpour outside.


    ¡°It¡¯s not even the monsoon yet¡­ why is it raining so heavily?¡± someone grumbled.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard the rumors? Apparently, there¡¯s a huge mess in the south,¡± the tavern owner responded.


    ¡°A mess?¡± Someone asked.


    ¡°Seems like a demon appeared in Tantil, murdering a huge number of people there, and even brought down the Ash Tower. Everyone¡¯s saying that it¡¯s a sign that something ominous will happen, which includes this downpour. There are even people saying that the gods areing back,¡± the tavern owner answered.


    ¡°His Majesty is still clearly in the capital, so that¡¯s bullshit,¡± the merchant shot back, but he fidgeted with his rosary as if he was bothered by what he had heard.


    Juan and Anya watched the entire interaction y out from a corner table. This vige was on a major route going through the Laus Mountains; thus, there were many eyes and mouths. It was the perfect spot for gathering information. No one would take notice of the woman and small child.


    ¡°It looks like those bastards are not around here yet,¡± Anya remarked.


    ¡°They would be pretty loud if they were,¡± Juan replied as he spooned soup into his mouth. It had been a long while since he had eaten cooked meat. The warm feeling in his stomach felt good.


    <i>¡®There is one person that bothers me, though,¡¯</i> Juan thought.


    While looking through the traces left in the viges, he had found tracks of someone who seemed to be a lot heavier than others; however, it did not seem like he was abnormally huge. It was impossible for a normal human to function with such a heavy load, but the tracks seemed to indicate that whoever it was, they did not struggle.


    ¡°Do you know of anyone who can move like a normal person even with heavy armor on?¡± asked Juan.


    ¡°Huh? Maybe the Temrs?¡± replied Anya.


    ¡°Temrs?¡± questioned Juan. Although he had heard about them from Sina, he had yet to meet one.


    ¡°A normal soldier is just a normal person with training, while a knight is an elite with special training. However, Temrs are said to be chosen by the empire as His Majesty¡¯s spears. The sharpest and most threatening ones. Therefore, there are only twelve Orders with Temrs in the empire, and each one has only thirty Temrs,¡± Anya exined.


    ¡°Why is that?¡± asked Juan.


    ¡°His Majesty¡¯s Grace can¡¯t be handed out to just anyone. Every piece of Temr equipment is bestowed His Majesty¡¯s Grace, even their belt and shoes. For a person other than the Temrs to possess even one of those items is a grave crime worthy of execution. That also includes damaging Temr equipment. Although if a Temr¡¯s equipment is lost, it¡¯s highly likely that the Temr is sentenced to death.¡±


    ¡°...They¡¯d kill such a talented and trained individual just for losing equipment?¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t just about losing equipment; they are also losing His Majesty¡¯s Grace. Apparently, it¡¯s aplicated and long process to make those pieces of equipment, and there are rumors that it¡¯s impossible nowadays.¡±


    In short, the temrs were the elite of the elites among those under the empire¡¯s rule.


    Juan tried to imagine what the temrs were like as he recalled the battles with the knights of the Order of the Blue Rose, but it proved difficult. In the first ce, he had only seen Sina use the Grace.


    ¡°What do you think your chances would be if you fought a Temr?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°I would never fight one in public,¡± Anya replied.


    ¡°Because they¡¯re that strong?¡± Juan questioned.


    ¡°That¡¯s one reason, but the other reason is that fighting a Temr in itself is a felony. You would have a bounty on your head if you so much as put a scratch on their equipment. Plus, the Temrs will do anything and everything to protect their equipment. They¡¯d rather die with their enemy than get their equipment taken from them. If that happens, their Order will definitely seek revenge. That¡¯s why I try not to put myself in a situation where I¡¯d have to fight one,¡± exined Anya.


    That was just how troublesome of an opponent they were, both in battle and post-battle.


    ¡°But you¡¯re already an enemy of the empire,¡±mented Juan.


    ¡°My master also told me to avoid fighting them if possible. He said that it¡¯d get troublesome if one of us fought them and they got onto our trail because of it. It¡¯s already difficult enough because of them,¡± replied Anya.


    Juan was more interested in the fact Anya had a master. He had allowed Anya to follow him without saying anything because he had thought that at least she wasn¡¯t going to be a burden. Anya wascking in several ways, but she was quick at understanding when taught; hence, Juan was curious about this ¡®master¡¯ of hers.


    ¡°What kind of person is your master?¡± Juan inquired.


    ¡°My master? Hmm... He doesn¡¯t really talk about himself... But my master once worked for His Majesty, before His Majesty was assassinated and sat atop the throne as a corpse the way he is now.¡±


    ¡°Hm,¡± Juan mused.


    ¡°I¡¯m not very knowledgeable about things that happened so long ago. I can¡¯t even begin to imagine it. I can¡¯t even believe that just a hundred years ago, the gods were alive and coexisted with divine beasts and demonic beasts. But to think that my master was alive then and even saw His Majesty... He might sound like an old man from what I said, but he actually has a pretty young face,¡± Anya rattled on.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I asked. Didn¡¯t he say anything about what he did during the time he served the emperor?¡± asked Juan.


    ¡°That¡¯s not something I can say, even if it¡¯s you. I can tell you if you join us, though!¡± Anya said as she winked.


    ¡°How foolish.¡± Juan clicked his tongue. ¡°How are you guys enemies of the empire when your master worked under the emperor?¡±


    ¡°The empire now is no longer the empire that His Majesty left behind. It¡¯s Barth Baltic¡¯s, or maybe the Church¡¯s. You must have faced a lot of trouble in the empire because of your ck hair, right? I don¡¯t think that¡¯s what His Majesty would¡¯ve ever wanted,¡± Anya retorted.


    ¡°How would you know? You¡¯ve never even seen him,¡± Juan shot back.


    ¡°My master has!¡± argued Anya.


    ¡°Barth Baltic has seen him too, though,¡± Juan refuted.


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re right. I didn¡¯t even think of that.¡±


    <i>¡®This conversation¡¯s going nowhere¡­¡¯</i>


    Juan realized that arguing with Anya on such a topic was meaningless. If Sina¡¯s beliefs were unbending like steel, Anya¡¯s beliefs were transparent; others¡¯ colors could easily be reflected onto her beliefs. On the other hand, somewhere within the emptiness in her heart, there was a lighthouse so stable that it could not be shaken.


    ¡°But you still want to bring down the empire,¡± Juan said.


    ¡°Yes, since that¡¯s what my master has decided. It¡¯d be nice if you¡¯d help us too,¡± Anya responded.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s always been like this. Killing to resolve a problem when there¡¯s one. The gods were like that, and it would seem like you and I are too. I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll change in the future,¡± Juan snapped as he smiled coldly.


    ¡°But I¡¯m good at it. Is it wrong to solve a problem using a method you¡¯re good at?¡± Anya asked with her head tilted in confusion. ¡°Aren¡¯t you good at it too? His Majesty is the best at killing. After all, he killed all of those who ruled over the old era and opened a new one.¡±


    ¡°...¡± Juan remained silent.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen the weapon that His Majesty used to wield. I thought it was a great weapon for killing. I was amazed¡­ His Majesty was knowledgeable on problem-solving methods fit for someone of the highest authority such as himself. I think my master is pretty good as well, probably because he used to be well-acquainted with His Majesty. He even has stuff that His Majesty used to use.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡±


    Juan was used to ttery, considering he had once been the emperor, but this kind of praise was foreign to him. People preferred topliment him in a roundabout way, using terms like ¡®heroic achievements¡¯ and ¡®legendary achievements¡¯ rather than directly mentioning his killings. Byparison, Anya was rather blunt


    There was something about what Anya said that bothered him. She had said that her master had ¡®stuff that His Majesty used to use.¡¯ Not knowing exactly what that entailed, Juan was curious.


    <i>¡®It¡¯d be nice if those were weapons.¡¯</i>


    Juan recalled the various weapons he had back when he was the emperor. Like Anya said, all the weapons were specialized for battle, so it was difficult to know what her master had.


    <i>¡®The spear is the best,¡¯</i> he thought. Juan used to have all kinds of weapons, but his favorites were a spear and a sword with the names Telgramm and Sutra respectively.


    Telgramm meant lightning, and Sutra, the shame of gods. Telgramm was most suited for battle against an army, while Sutra was suited for fighting just one opponent. Since there were no beings now as strong as those in the past, Juan felt that just Telgramm would suffice.


    ¡®<i>I should figure out which ones they have.¡¯</i>


    He decided to find out more about Anya¡¯s organization.


    Just at that moment, the door of the tavern flung wide open. Yet another person soaked in rain walked in as he mumbled curses. The people in the hall smiled bitterly as they weed the neer. On the other hand, Juan¡¯s eyebrow twitched when he caught the scent of blood.


    The smiling tavern owner went to take the man¡¯s coat but flinched when he saw the person¡¯s face. ¡°What, did you see a ghost or something?¡±


    ¡°U-ugh. D-damn it,¡± the man muttered as he copsed to the ground, causing amotion in the tavern. The people in the tavern¡¯s hall were merchants that traveled through dangerous ces, so they hurried to help the man.


    Innread dot".


    They took his coat off of him, wrapped him in new towels, and sat him by the firece. Meanwhile, the tavern owner returned with warm wine for the man to drink. He calmed down after a while.


    ¡°What happened? Were you in an ident? Or did you meet a demon? It doesn¡¯t look like you were injured,¡± questioned the tavern owner.


    ¡°I-it would¡¯ve been better if I had¡­¡± the man shivered.


    ¡°Then did youe across a monster? What about yourpanions?¡± the tavern owner asked.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m alone. It wasn¡¯t a monster... I met a Temr,¡± replied the man.


    The hall buzzed with whispers as the tavern owner''s expression stiffened.


    ¡°A Temr? Did he have a white crow banner? If it¡¯s the White Crow Temr Order, they patrol this area sometimes... It sure would be frightening to see them in the middle of the night,¡± said the tavern owner.


    ¡°T-they weren¡¯t on patrol. T-there¡¯s a vige I visit often¡­ there were...¡± the man trailed off.


    The hall¡¯s atmosphere went cold.


    Even though the man had not finished his thought, everyone knew what he wanted to say. There were asional rumors about the actions of the Church, but not many people had actually witnessed them.


    ¡°If it¡¯s because of the heretic bastards then they¡¯re doing the right thing to get rid of them all!¡± yelled out one of the merchants after he cleared his throat.


    ¡°The Temrs are working hard even in this nasty weather! All the sh-and-burn farmers are heretics! Heretics!¡± the merchant stopped talking at the res of others. No one criticized him since everyone knew why he said those words.


    ¡°They¡¯re finally nearby,¡± said Juan as he got up.


    ¡°Should we get out of here quickly?¡± asked Anya.


    ¡°Well,¡± Juan replied as he reached out for the Talter¡¯s short sword at his waist, ¡°you said the Temrs¡¯ equipment is great, right?¡±


    ***


    Temr Arwain was following the route to the vige that the merchant had escaped to.


    The merchant had run off after he witnessed the purification. It wasn¡¯t a problem for someone to witness the purification, but the merchant running away was a problem. There was no reason for a model citizen of the empire to run at the sight of a Temr. He needed to interrogate the merchant.


    ¡°You guys wait here,¡± Arwain ordered.


    The soldiers were positioned outside of the vige. They let out a sigh of relief; they had been anxious that another terrible massacre was afoot.


    ¡°Will it be okay? Shouldn¡¯t we carry out a search operation?¡± The captain asked, trying to stop the Temr with words he did not mean. Other soldiers red at the captain for his offer, but fortunately for them, Arwain shook his head.


    ¡°That vige is exemry. They pay their taxes on time and hold prayer services for His Majesty often. It might scare them if troops suddenly barge in on them in the middle of the night,¡± replied Arwain.


    The captain was at a loss for words at Arwain¡¯s thoughtful attitude. He wondered if this was the same person who had just crushed people with a hammer. He nodded silently in response.


    Arwain walked toward the vige in the rain.


    He was the youngest of a high noble family in the empire¡¯s capital. His father had arranged for him to join a Temr Order because of his talent inbat, in an attempt to make a connection with the Church, the center of the empire¡¯s power. It cost a tremendous amount of money, but anyone who was trained in swordsmanship and held respect for His Majesty would be interested in joining a Temr Order.


    Arwain dly epted the honor, but his happiness did notst long. Life in the Temr Order was tedious and boring. There were no opportunities to utilize the Grace and the equipment with the Grace of His Majesty that he went through so much to earn. Naturally, this caused Arwain¡¯s attention to be turned to the position of Inquisitor.


    A small decorative doll or even a trivial folk religion were a symbol of heresy to Arwain. When he plundered through mountain viges, he always found some signs of these things. Everyone shook in fear when he was dressed in equipment bestowed with His Majesty¡¯s Grace. Arwain was severe in his punishments toward heretics. On the nights after a massacre, Arwain always dreamed that he had be the emperor. A nice dream where everyone in the world knelt before his imperial authority.


    Seeing Arwain approach from afar, the soldiers guarding the vige hurriedly opened the gates. Everyone in the area recognized the symbol of the white crow.


    ¡°A merchant should¡¯vee by here,¡± Arwain said to one of the soldiers.


    ¡°Ah, y-yes. There¡¯s only one tavern here. He must have gone there,¡± replied the soldier.


    Arwain nodded and started to walk, every step he took echoing throughout the vige.


    People scrambled to close their windows and doors as they stole fearful nces at the white crow temr. Arwain suddenly stopped while he was headed toward the tavern.


    ¡°... I thought this was an exemry vige. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d find you in a ce like this,¡± Arwain muttered inmentation.


    ¡°Seeing your armor, you must be the person I¡¯m looking for,¡± Juan responded.


    A small boy stood in the center of the vige square in the heavy rain, ck-haired, as per Kato¡¯s description.

 Chapter 31 – Templar (2)

    <h4>Chapter 31 ¨C Temr (2)</h4>


    Arwain raised his shield. He was not so foolish as to lower his guard just because Juan looked like a child. Demons existed even in the body of a young child or in the form of a weak woman. This cautiousness was an iron-d rule of the Order of the White Crow.


    Even amongst such demons, the rxed appearance of the young boy in front of him seemed particrly different. There was a distinctive aura emanating from him, almost as if he was not born the way normal humans were.


    ¡°You are definitely the offspring of a demon,¡± Arwainmented.


    Juanughed at Arwain¡¯s serious tone and replied, ¡°I was feeling slightly expectant because I heard Temrs were the emperor¡¯s sharpest spear, but it seems that you are the same as everyone else. If you guys want to get something done, you should have at least sent someone with a decent brain. I will give you the name ¡®Crabshell.¡¯¡±


    Arwain¡¯s face slightly twitched at Juan¡¯s provocation. Apart from members of his own Order, there had never been anyone who looked so rxed even after seeing his Temr armor. Even provincial nobles were careful with their words when they saw his Temr armor. He had initially thought that the boy did not recognize the armor, but that did not seem to be the case based on what the boy was saying.


    ¡°..... Blind or insane?¡± Arwain asked.


    ¡°Choose whichever you prefer to be, Crabshell,¡± answered Juan.


    Instead of replying, Arwain started to slowly walk toward Juan. Each footstep was heavy enough to leave deep imprints in the mud, yet each step was also agile. Arwain was almost like a moving tower due to the heavy armor and shield he was wearing. He was simr to a golem, yet subtly different.


    Juan was not able to win against the golem. Rather, he was only able to ¡®stop¡¯ the fight because he had gained the authority tomand it. If Juan had to destroy the golem, he would have had no choice but to give up. However, Temrs possessed a simr defense to golems and also had the questionable ¡®Grace¡¯ to protect themselves.


    <i>¡®How should I remove that shell so I can eat the meat inside?¡¯</i> Juan wondered, spinning his short sword with his fingers as he watched Arwain getting closer.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to answer, I will assume that you are both blind and insane,¡± Arwain said.


    At that moment, Juan dashed towards Arwain. The moment the mud started tangling his feet, Juan was already hitting Arwain¡¯s shield.


    <i>ng!?</i>


    Juan rose into the air along with the harsh sound of something hitting the shield. He was a little surprised. He had nned on using the momentum while Arwain was unprepared to slide beneath the shield. However, Arwain had blocked him with the shield and even sent him flying into the air.


    .


    Arwain was also flustered. He had already expected that Juan would be different, but Juan¡¯s movements exceeded his expectations. He would not have been able to block Juan if his shield had not received His Majesty¡¯s Grace.


    Arwain swung his hammer in Juan¡¯s direction as Juan fell. A heavy lump of steel that an ordinary person would not even be able to lift with both hands flew toward Juan. Juan twisted his body and narrowly dodged. The hammer got caught in his white cloak, but the two unraveled softly like smoke.


    ¡°You there, what magic are you using?!¡± Arwain shouted.


    ¡°What nonsense are you suddenly spouting?¡± Juan retorted.


    The moment his bodynded on the ground, Juan once again rushed toward Arwain. As if foreseeing the attack, Arwain raised his shield. Meanwhile, Juan moved slightly upward instead of rushing in from the front.


    <i>¡®Blink.¡¯</i>


    Talter¡¯s short sword headed straight toward the gap in Arwain¡¯s helmet.


    Arwain was flustered by the sudden change in Juan¡¯s trajectory, but he quickly lifted his shield and deflected Juan¡¯s attack. Due to Arwain¡¯s actions, Juan hit the decorations on top of Arwain¡¯s helmet instead of the gap in the helmet.


    ¡°Ughh!¡±


    Arwain stumbled from the blow to his head. It was a good opportunity for Juan, but he was also in no condition to move since he had been struck by the shield while using Blink.


    Arwain repositioned his helmet and swung his hammer. Juan dodged dangerously while rolling in the mud.


    ¡°What in the world...? You despicable heretic bastard!¡± Arwain yelled.


    ¡°Damn, removing this crab shell is quite difficult,¡± murmured Juan.


    ¡°You rude heretic bastard!¡±


    Arwain¡¯s head started heating up with anger. Up until this point, Arwain had never been hit on the head during any of his missions. If anyone left a mark on his armor or shield, he would retaliate by crushing his opponent. However, he did not know how to retaliate against this kind of reckless assault.


    ¡°My body, my armor, my weapon were all bestowed and Graced by His Majesty! They are not something someone like you can casually touch!¡± Arwain shrieked while charging toward Juan.


    Juan slightly dodged to the side to avoid the quick head-crushing blow. The force of the weapon alone was enough to make Juan¡¯s slender body stumble, and the entire vige trembled from the heavy impact.


    Hearing themotion, several vigers and soldiers came and surrounded the two from a distance. However, nobody dared to approach them carelessly. Everyone could tell that even a small graze from Arwain¡¯s hammer was enough to make mincemeat out of them.


    <i>¡®Just one hit would be enough to crush me.¡¯</i>


    Even if he blocked with Talter¡¯s short sword, he would still be crushed into the ground along with the short sword. Arwain¡¯s attacks were heavy and destructive, while his weak points were covered perfectly by his shield.


    Juan acknowledged that facing Arwain was more difficult than he thought. It seemed like a good idea to stop narrowly dodging each blow.


    Time flew by quickly with Juan not getting any time to recover. Meanwhile, Arwain did not tire even when wielding such a heavy shield and hammer, and he constantly attacked Juan. In fact, his movements were actually getting faster.


    ¡°You rat-like bastard!¡± shouted Arwain.


    Juan saw Arwain ring at him when he smashed his hammer into the ground right in front of his nose. Upon looking closely, he could see that Arwain¡¯s body was subtly glowing. Juan caught the familiar scent of mana from Arwain.


    <i>¡®That must?</i><i>be the Grace</i><i>.¡¯</i>


    Arwain¡¯s skills themselves were nothing special. His skills were better than those of the Order of the Blue Rose, but they were below that of Sina. However, the Grace emanating from his armor strengthened his body, making him fast and strong. Even with Talter¡¯s short sword, it seemed like it would be difficult to prate him without strengthening the short sword. If Sina were to fight with a Temr one-on-one, it would end with Sina¡¯s defeat. That was how strong a Temr¡¯s equipment was.


    Juan could not think of other ways to defeat Arwain head-on in his current state. He had thought that Arwain would be dull as his body was big and heavy, but that was not the case. Juan had also thought that by constantly evading him, he would tire Arwain out, but that too ended up not being the case.


    Arwain possessed perfect attack, defense and stamina, but his skills were nothing special. Not that they were important anyway, with such an overpowering advantage. Juan thus began to realize the reason why the Church emphasized ''faith¡¯ over ¡®skill¡¯.


    <i>¡®But it''s disappointing.¡¯</i>


    For someone strengthened with his own mana, the result was unsatisfactory. With such inefficiency, it would be better to empower a golem rather than the Temrs. The golems he had made in theter years of his life, when war was rampant on the northern border, were much more efficient and powerful. There shouldn¡¯t have been any need to strengthen and modify a human¡¯s body like this.


    ¡°You bastard!¡± Arwain hollered.


    Arwain¡¯s anger erupted at Juan¡¯s mumbling. He could feel that Juan was looking down on him. It was true that while Juan was using all his focus to evade, Arwain had yet tond an effective blow on Juan. He started to feel slightly uneasy.


    <i>¡®He seems to be using the Baltic Sword,¡¯</i> thought Arwain.


    The Baltic Sword was something all the knights of the empire learned, but the application and form varied for everyone.


    Ifpared against those knights, Juan¡¯s skill was at the level of the top Imperial Guards. It should have been impossible for a wanderer who came from beyond the borders to use the Baltic Sword, and at such a high level to boot. If his colleagues were to hear about this, they wouldugh at him for casting aside his n¡¯s glory and forcefully entering the Temr Order only to be defeated by a kid.


    Bing a Temr who was granted His Majesty¡¯s Grace required more than just talent and effort. It was a position only geniuses could hold. However, Arwain possessed the lowest skill level amongst the Temrs of the Order of the White Crow. Faced with such a vast difference in skill and talent, Arwain had developed an inferiorityplex. The reason why he had be obsessed with interrogating heretics was not simply because he had be bored with the life of a Temr; it was also because he wanted to escape from the inferiority he felt from beingpared with the other Temrs. He had escaped in order to experience the feeling of killing the weak in the name of carrying out justice on the emperor¡¯s behalf.


    The arrogance he felt in being the emperor¡¯s Temr slowly started to crack. The thoughts of inferiority that he had ignored for so long started to slip through the cracks and fill his head. Arwain felt as if he could hear the sounds of everyone mocking him.


    ¡°I am the emperor¡¯s fist!¡± Arwain roared loudly.


    Juan noticed that something was strange about Arwain¡¯s state. The light surrounding Arwain¡¯s body had noticeably thickened. The appearance of his armor shone as if it was burning. For a moment, the light surrounding Arwain shone brightly like the sun.


    ¡°Taste the emperor¡¯s pure rage and Spear of Wrath!¡± shouted Arwain.


    Along with Arwain¡¯s roar, the light from his armor started to flock like lightning to his hammer. The condensed light was simr in nature to what Sina had shown when demonstrating her Grace.


    Juan sensed that it was dangerous. He quickly used <i>Blink?</i>to retreat, but the light from Arwain¡¯s hammer was slightly faster.


    Everything in Juan¡¯s vision suddenly turned bright. A zing spear appeared from the end of Arwin¡¯s hammer and prated Juan¡¯s body. Juan was unable to do anything.


    The Spear of Wrath passed through Juan¡¯s body and continued like lightning to the stone walls protecting the vige. Rocks started to scatter as the stone wall copsed. There was now a huge hole in the wall. Screams erupted from all directions. A greedy fire started along the path where the Spear of Wrath passed by and lit up the vige in an instant.


    Arwain wore a cruel smile as he approached Juan. ¡°Foolish bastard. Did you really think that you could win against one of the emperor¡¯s Temrs with your measly talent?¡±


    Juan showed no sign of movement. It seemed clear that he had died on the spot.


    Arwain didn¡¯t think too much of it, even though there was no blood to be seen. The Spear of Wrath burnt anything it touched. The wound was scorched too, so it was natural that blood wouldn¡¯t flow from it.


    ¡°<i>I</i> am His Majesty¡¯s spear and sword, protected by and moving with the power of the Grace!¡±


    Arwain felt unpleasant, given that he had to use the Grace bestowed upon him by the emperor on a young boy, but since he had punished the heretic with death, it didn¡¯t matter much to him. All that was left was to clean up the area.


    ¡°I will grind your profane corpse, burn it and then feed your ashes to the pigs,¡± dered Arwain.


    ¡°Dumbass....¡±


    Suddenly, Arwain heard Juan¡¯s voice.. He doubted his own ears¡ªhe had never seen anyone survive after getting hit by the Grace. The Grace possessed enough power to be used in a siege. Even Temrs would not survive a full-frontal blow from the Spear of Wrath unless they had been bestowed a Grace with even greater power.


    ¡°...... you really say things in a cringe-worthy way.¡± Juan slowly stood up.


    Arwain was unable to speak and only watched with wide-open eyes. Juan casually stood and stared at Arwain, just like he had done when he had initially met Arwain at the town square. There were traces of his clothes being burnt, but there were no injuries on his body.


    ¡°Did the Church teach you that sort of speech before teaching you how to fight? Sina also seemed to speak like that,¡± said Juan.


    ¡°You¡­ you heretic bastard! What unspeakable things did you do to withstand His Majesty¡¯s¡ª!?¡± Arwain roared.


    ¡°This emperor or whatever doesn¡¯t seem to be all that impressive,¡± Juan groaned as he approached Arwain.


    Arwain stepped back without even realizing it, and was astonished at his own actions.


    <i>¡®I stepped back from a heretic? Me?¡¯?</i>


    Juan noticed Arwain¡¯s reaction and looked at him coldly. ¡°Did you just step back?¡±


    ¡°Argh, Aargh!¡± Arwain shouted while gathering the power of his Grace once more. Once light surrounded his body, the light started to gather at the tip of his hammer. Arwain¡¯s voice was filled with despair and urgency as he swung his hammer.


    ¡°D-Die! You heretic bastard!¡±


    The Spear of Wrath once again pierced through Juan¡¯s body. Arwain believed that the Spear of Wrath would skewer Juan just as it had previously destroyed castle towers and demonic beasts, and reduced countless heretics to ash.


    However, a small seed of doubt started to sprout at the back of Arwain¡¯s mind.


    <i>Crash!?</i>


    The Spear of Wrath passed through Juan¡¯s body and destroyed the wall behind him. And yet, Juan continued to stand in that position like a ghost.


    ¡°Are you going to try again?¡± asked Juan.


    When Arwain saw Juan standingpletely unharmed, he lost all his will to fight. Hepletely gave up the thought of pushing Juan into a corner.


    He started to think that Juan¡¯s previous actions of evading his attacks were all to y with him, while the form of a young boy was to deceive and mock him. Juan was an opponent unaffected by the emperor¡¯s Grace. Arwain felt the basis for his arrogance and ego slowly crumbling.


    The emperor was the center of the world and the measure of justice, and he was the agent of such an emperor. On nights aftermitting a massacre, Arwain had dreamt of bing the emperor. However, an opponent who did not submit to such an emperor¡¯s Grace had now appeared.


    ¡°Aaahhh!¡± Arwain threw away his shield and hammer, turned his back toward Juan and ran away.


    Juan was anticipating how Arwain would react and stared nkly at Arwain¡¯s departure. He really wanted to question Anya, who had said that Temrs would rather die than lose their equipment.


    However, rage filled Juan¡¯s head first. ¡°This bastard!¡±

 Chapter 32 – Templar (3)

    <h4>Chapter 32 ¨C Temr (3)</h4>


    Juan immediately chased after Arwain like a crazed animal.


    At that moment, a dagger flew out and struck Arwain¡¯s helmet.


    The second Arwain flinched as his helmet tilted, Juan thrust Talter¡¯s short sword deep into his neck.


    ¡°¡­?!¡±


    Arwain tried to let out a scream, but not a sound came out of his mouth. Arwain touched his neck in shock, only to realize that something sharp and metallic had pierced his neck. Blood was draining out of his neck, drenching his entire armor and hands. Arwain soon toppled down to his knees.


    ¡°You call yourself the emperor¡¯s fist, but turn your back against the enemy? How dare you call yourself a knight of the empire!¡± Arwain¡¯s helmet flew off and rolled over a puddle of mud as Juan kicked his chin.


    Juan grabbed Arwain by his hair and repeatedly mmed his face against the ground as blood spewed out of his broken nose. Puking blood, Arwain squirmed to try and get away from Juan. Juan only stopped mming Arwain¡¯s head against the ground when Anya ced her hand on his shoulder.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have stabbed him in the neck. We still had lots of information we could have gotten out of him.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell me that Temrs are elites?¡± Juan red at Anya as if he was going to stab her too.


    ¡°There are always exceptions, like yourself. You are unlike any other normal boy from beyond the border.¡±


    ¡°If all Temrs are like this fellow, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m going to be too fond of any of them.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not the first to dislike them. There¡¯s not a lot of people who like the Temrs.¡±


    While Arwain groaned heavily in pain, he turned his head to the side and saw Anya. Arwain¡¯s eyes widened as he saw her face, and his mouth gaped, but Anya swung her stiletto at his eyes with a slight smile on her face. Losing his eyes so suddenly, Arwain¡¯s body trembled once again, blood foaming at his mouth.


    Looking at him shuddering and barely able to breathe, yet still somehow alive, Juan frowned.


    ¡°Why isn¡¯t he dead yet?¡±


    ¡°Temrs are not only bestowed Grace upon their equipment but also their body. Eyes, heart, liver, intestines, brain, and even their lungs,¡± Anya exined.


    ¡°What a waste of effort for such trash.¡±


    Juan had devised all sorts of methods to make humankind stronger even back during the war against the gods, but he had never thought of or seen such a thing as ¡®bestowing Grace¡¯ upon someone¡¯s organs.


    At this point, it was hard to even call Arwain a human.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean he can still fight?¡± asked Juan.


    ¡°Maybe, if he was a normal Temr. But it seems like he lost all his will to fight. Heck, he even refused to fight back when he was in a much better condition earlier,¡± replied Anya.


    Juan recalled Arwain using the Spear of Wrath. Although Juan felt lightheaded as the Spear of Wrath pierced his body, it did not leave behind any real injuries on his body. It was only after Arwain saw this that he lost his will to fight. Juan had thought he wasn¡¯t injured because the spear was made of fire, but now¡­


    ¡°What was it that you used against me? The ¡®emperor¡¯s Grace¡¯ or whatever you call it?¡± Juan asked while touching his own chest.


    Arwain opened his mouth and mumbled in reply, but it was not what Juan wanted to hear.


    ¡°My identity?¡± Juan snickered and bent down toward Arwain.


    Arwain felt chills across his entire body. As a Temr serving His Majesty, Arwain had always considered His Majesty as his sun and faithfully followed his words like the moon. In the light and heat of his sun, he felt intact and warm. But now that his eyes and voice had been taken away, he felt nothing but a dark void¡ªnot even His Majesty¡¯s light could reach him.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t believe me even if I told you.¡±


    Arwain¡¯s jaw dropped wide open as Juan whispered a few more words in his ear. Looking at Arwain floundering and puking blood as he screamed without a voice like a lunatic, Juanughed out loud in delight.


    ¡°What did you say to him?¡± asked Anya in curiosity.


    ¡°Not much.¡±


    Juan remembered promising Arwain that he would make him go either blind or insane. Juan felt good to have kept his words faithfully.


    ***


    Soldiers waiting outside the vige witnessed the outer wall of the vige being destroyed by a loud explosion, as well as the rising me. As the surroundings brightened up, the soldiers realized that Arwain had used the Spear of Wrath.


    ¡°Temr!!¡± Soldiers hurried into the vige, having realized that battle had broken out.


    But what they encountered was Arwain screaming with his hands on his neck. It was obvious that he wouldn¡¯tst long with a short sword stuck in his neck.


    ¡°W-What happened?¡±


    ¡°Captain, it¡¯s the ck-haired boy that Sir Arwain was looking for!¡±


    Only then did the captain locate the boy with ck hair. It wasn¡¯t hard to recognize him, as they had been looking for him for several days.


    Although the vige guards were surrounding the boy, no one dared to get closer to him.


    ¡°Besiege him!¡±


    Soldiers quickly closed in around the boy. There was a woman standing beside him, but she couldn¡¯t be identified with the hood covering her face.


    The captain managed to have the boy surrounded, yet he had no idea what action to take next. His heart was bleeding when he saw Arwain on the edge of life and death.


    ¡®<i>Why a member of the Ilde family out of all people!</i>¡¯ the captain sighed.


    Arwain was the youngest of a family with a powerful influence in the capital. Taking the me for Arwain¡¯s death would be inevitable once it was reported that he died fighting the enemy alone. Biting his lips, the captain fell into endless agony.


    ¡°C-captain, what should we do now?¡± asked a soldier.


    ¡°Shit, I don¡¯t know. We would have to bring that bastard¡¯s head at the very least to spare our lives¡­¡±


    But how were they supposed to defeat the enemy that had killed someone as powerful as the Temr?


    All of a sudden, the captain felt a piercing gaze from the boy.


    ¡°Hey, you there.¡±


    ¡°W-what do you want, you heretic?!¡±


    ¡°Why is¡­why is everyone here an arle?¡±


    ¡°Boy, no one uses the term ¡®arle¡¯ these days. Even they themselves are more used to being called ¡®beastmen.¡¯¡± Anya pointed out as she noticed confusion among the soldiers.


    ¡°So now they know what an arle is. I¡¯ll ask again. Aren¡¯t you all part of the imperial army? Why are there only arles here?¡±


    As Juan said, all the soldiers surrounding him were arles. Considering the vignce and ostracism from the empire toward the arles, such aposition of the army was rather odd.


    ¡°They are the Laus Mountain Scouts. It is a squad made up of beastmen that excel at mountain climbing. They are brave and tight-lipped, since they usually work for the Order of the White Crow and their Temrs,¡± Anya answered for the soldiers.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Juan didn¡¯t retract his question even after Anya¡¯s warning.


    Anya felt a little anxious. The soldiers seemed intimidated after witnessing Arwain¡¯s defeat, but the Laus Mountain Scouts were a skilled archer force. Things could getplicated if they decided to attack from a long distance.


    ¡°Boy, I will give you further exnationster, so for now¡­¡±


    ¡°Then were you the ones that plundered those viges?¡± The soldiers flinched at Juan¡¯s question.


    ¡°Plunder?! All we did was faithfully assist the Temr with his work as we were given a mission by the Church. We simply carried out our creed!¡± The captain hurried to answer as if he was making an excuse.


    ¡°Yes or no is a good enough answer,¡± Juan said.


    Juan quietly stared at the soldiers¡¯ rounded horns, shaggy hair and inverted knees¡ªthey were goat beastmen. He told the captain, ¡°It¡¯s nothing too important, but someone came to my mind when I saw you guys. He was a good mountain climber and I suspected he might have been a soldier. I¡¯m going to need a few of you to stay and solve my curiosity.¡±


    The soldiers couldn¡¯t understand what Juan was saying, but Juan did not intend to give them time to understand.


    Anya sighed and took a step back as she saw Juan¡¯s body spring toward the soldiers.


    The fight didn¡¯tst too long. It hadn¡¯t been long since Juan fought against Arwain, yet he felt strong energy flowing through his body, which had been intensifying ever since he was struck by the Spear of Wrath. Juan defeating ten beastmen soldiers came as no surprise, given that they were discouraged after Arwain¡¯s defeat. None of them died, but they were lying in the mud with broken bones. Juan walked up to the captain, who seemed to have significantly more broken bones than others.


    ¡°D-don¡¯te near me! W-why only me¡­¡­!¡± the captain cried.


    ¡°Because torturing the leader is the most efficient.¡±


    ¡°I-I am the leader of the empire¡¯s scout force! Torture won¡¯t get you any information out of me!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your point?¡±


    ¡°Promise me that you won¡¯t kill me, and I will tell you everything!¡±


    Juan looked at Anya, and Anya shrugged. ¡°There are over a thousand soldiers in the Laus Mountain Scouts, and he is part of the minority. I told you there are always exceptions. Plus, it would be foolish to believe every slogan of imperial propaganda.¡±


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll go easy on you since you are so eager to open your mouth.¡± Juan sheathed his short sword and grabbed the captain by his horn.


    ¡°W-what do you wish to know? Supply route through the Laus Mountains? Locations of secret shelters? Assembly locations? Just name it and you will get it. The supply route of the Laus Mountains is important since the majority of the goods from the South are transported through that path. You are guaranteed to stop 20% of the North¡¯s food supply if you block the route. Secret shelters are used for spies and secret operations, so the operation radius will be limited if you destroy the shelters. For the assembly¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need information directly rted to the empire¡¯s core security.¡±


    Anya was visibly disappointed, but Juan ignored her and carried on.


    ¡°I knew a goat arle like one of you. Was there any soldier with an imperial army background out of your scouts that became a ve recently?¡± asked Juan.


    Hesitant to answer, the captain flinched at Juan¡¯s question, unlike when he had willingly offered to give up information rted to the empire¡¯s safety. He answered only after Juan unsheathed his short sword.


    ¡°I-I¡¯ll speak. Put down your sword.¡± The Captain sighed deeply and opened his mouth. ¡°As you know, we are soldiers of the empire. But we are treated more like guard dogs rather than a military force. Working as guard dogs, some of us are ¡®disposed of¡¯ if they misbehave. And we had one like that among us.¡±


    ¡°Be concise.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­We attack viges on the mountain once in a while, usually those that demi-humans live in. The purpose of it is to capture ves; It¡¯s done under the orders of a great noble family in the capital, but most ves are sold off to the South,¡± the captain exined.


    ¡°Tantil?¡±


    ¡°Yes, including Tantil. We made a raid on a vige that was deeper in the mountain two months ago. Once we arrived, we realized it was a hidden vige of elves.¡±


    Juan¡¯s heart started to pound.

 Chapter 33 – Falling Petals (1)

    <h4>Chapter 33 ¨C Falling Petals (1)</h4>


    ¡°Quite a few of use from the Laus Mountains, but we had never heard of an elf vige being there. We¡¯ve only seen impoverished and miserable elves in the city, so we were shocked to see such a beautiful and elegant race. But our mission had to be carried out. We¡­conducted a night raid as we always do and killed the ones we can¡¯t sell as ves, while abducting the rest of them. That was the order from our sponsor,¡± the captain admitted.


    ¡°There was an odd fe out of us. He wasn¡¯t exactly built for war, but everyone liked him because he was pretty talented; he even killed three of the armed elves that night. He then went by himself to ransack empty houses and to look for elves that were still left behind, but I didn¡¯t say much to him because I knew he would be safe on his own. Then I heard a loud scream from the house he entered.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°When I ran into the house, through the curtains, I saw an elf woman holding a dead baby, with his knife stabbing it. It wasn¡¯t hard for me to figure out what had happened based on his pale face. She wouldn¡¯t stop screaming, so we quickly pulled her out of the house and left the baby¡¯s body in there. We told him we would¡¯ve killed the baby anyway since we couldn¡¯t sell him as a ve. That¡¯s how it had always been done and it would be better for the baby anyway, but he didn¡¯t seem too consoled.¡± The captain remained silent for a second, then continued on.


    ¡°That night, he released all the elves. Most of them managed to escape, but he got caught while he was trying to take the screaming woman who had turned mad after losing her baby. He was eventually sold as a ve to pay for the loss of all those elves. Who knows what happened to him after. I¡¯d like to know if I could.¡±


    The captain tried to read Juan¡¯s face to figure out why he was asking such a question, while Juan exhaled a deep breath.


    Juan then came to realize why the captain was so hesitant to tell him the story. Security of the empire may not be any of his concern, given that the empire treated them like guard dogs, but at the very least, the captain understood that the incident of expelling a fellow soldier was something to be embarrassed by.


    ¡°Who sponsors the Laus Mountain Scouts?¡± asked Juan.


    ¡°Ilde. Ilde family from the capital,¡± answered the captain.


    ¡°What was the name of the expelled soldier? Do you know the elf woman¡¯s name?¡±


    ¡°His name was Luca, but I don¡¯t know the name of the elf.¡±


    Juan then took out a dagger and stabbed the captain¡¯s fingers. In a blink of an eye, two fingers were cut off of the captain¡¯s hand and he started rolling around, screaming.


    ¡°A-argh¡­.! W-What have you done!? I told you everything you asked!¡± cried the captain.


    ¡°I said I¡¯ll spare your life; I didn¡¯t say anything about keeping your fingers intact,¡± Juan said as he beckoned to the captain. ¡°Get back here. I have more fingers to chop.¡±


    ¡°W-What¡­ you are crazy! G-get away from me!¡±


    The captain tried to squirm away from Juan, but Juan quickly jumped onto his back to suppress him and started to cut off his fingers one by one. Frustrated at their captain¡¯s desperate screams, the soldiers tried to look for a way to escape, but it was impossible under Anya¡¯s watch.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have no choice but to cut the tendons in your knees if anyone tries to run,¡± Anya threatened, leaving the soldiers no choice but to put their faces back in the mud.


    After cutting off all the fingers, Juan looked down at the captain in satisfaction.


    ¡°That¡¯ll stop you from wielding a weapon ever again.¡±


    ¡°A-aughh¡­,¡± the captain groaned in pain.


    Juan turned his head around to see the other soldiers who were frozen in fear.


    The cold air from the long rain whitened Juan¡¯s breath as he let out a deep exhale; autumn was approaching faster than expected.


    ¡°Anya,¡± said Juan.


    ¡°What is it, boy?¡±


    ¡°My name is Juan.¡±


    Anya¡¯s eyes widened. Juan had unexpectedly told her his name.


    ¡°I want you to tell me your real name once you can eventually trust me¡­ I¡¯m done struggling to search for names again,¡± uttered Juan as he looked at Anya with wet eyes.


    ¡°Sure, Juan,¡± Anya barely managed to reply.


    ¡°Also, we need to make changes to the n we made back at the tavern. I will postpone meeting your master for several days.¡±


    Juan spoke to the soldiers that still remained lying t on the ground. ¡°I will spare all your lives.¡±


    Quizzical nces spread among the soldiers while the captain was the only one feeling mortified. Juan then ordered the vigers that were frozen in fear.


    ¡°Go spread these words to those that are looking for me,¡± said the boy soaked in rain and blood.


    ¡°The apostate they are looking for is in this vige.¡±


    ***


    ¡°What were you thinking, Juan?!¡±


    Juan upied the empty tavern all to himself as no one would remain in the vige after hearing Juan¡¯s deration. Thanks to that, Juan was able to dry his wet clothes in front of the tavern¡¯s firece carefree.


    ¡°I told them to spread my words, not to leave the vige. Why did they all leave?¡±


    ¡°Because they know nothing will be left in this vige after you battle against the Order of the White Crow and the Order of the Blue Rose! Who knows what will happen next? The outer walls already crumbled down just because of one small boy! What made you think that deration was a good idea? That was different from our initial n, was it not?¡±


    Juan and Anya¡¯s initial n was to fight if they were guaranteed a victory or run after checking the Temrs¡¯ strength, under the assumption they were low in numbers. Either way, the fact they would be leaving the vige as soon as possible wouldn¡¯t change. It would be sensible since they were being chased.


    ¡°It¡¯s not toote, Juan. There¡¯s no one left in the vige so no one will notice us leaving.¡±


    ¡°Be quiet,¡± Juan snapped at Anya as he red.


    Anya stopped talking, then startled Juan with her next action; she had lifted her top to expose her stomach with her eyes shut tight.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to hit me?¡± asked Anya.


    As Juan put his hand on his forehead, he recalled when he¡¯d hit Anya in the stomach before.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to hit you. Now pull your top down, I don¡¯t want to see it.¡±


    ¡°But you either hit or kill someone every time you get mad.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t nning to for now, but I might if you continue talking.¡±


    However, Anya didn¡¯t stay quiet. She was upset, but at the same time seemed agitated and even a little excited. Juan had no idea why she would be excited, but he couldn¡¯t stand her being rowdier than usual.


    ¡°Have you got a n to face both the Order of the White Crow and the Order of the Blue Rose at the same time?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then what gives you the confidence to wait for them here? We are not even on the mountain!¡± scolded Anya.


    ¡°It would be difficult to find me in the mountains. The whole point of staying here is to let them easily find me.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like how they¡¯re setting every vige on fire just to look for me. They¡¯ll stop burning off innocent viges if I let them know I¡¯m here,¡± said Juan as he threw a piece of dry wood into the firece.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Juan figured Arwain and the Order of the Blue Rose couldn¡¯t be the only ones looking for him. It was likely that many more along with the Order of the White Crow and Laus Mountain Scouts had joined the search, which meant even more viges were being raided. Juan intended to ignore such facts, but things were different now. Viges in me were no longer just someone else¡¯s matter, but also his.


    ¡°Anya, I am not going to continue hiding anymore. Those chasing after me cane find me as much as they¡¯d like. I was willing to have mercy on them, but I guess I¡¯ll have to kill them if they decide to get in my way. We all have ces to be.¡±


    ¡°But the Order of the White Crow¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, we are going to suffer a little since we are getting tougher enemies this time,-¡± Juan shrugged.


    ¡°I¡¯ll stay.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± questioned Juan.


    ¡°You should get going on your way. I¡¯ll stay here as bait to catch their attention. That way, you¡¯ll be safe and we can also avoid creating innocent victims,¡± Anya said firmly.


    Juan looked at Anya with a stunned expression.


    ¡°Maybe there is one out of a hundred chances that your n works, but I don¡¯t think you¡¯llst longer than me when facing the knights¡¯ attack. Most importantly, you and I lookpletely different.¡±


    ¡°What if I dyed my hair and cut it short?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll fall for it. Why don¡¯t you try cutting off your legs while you¡¯re at it?¡± Juan replied snarkily.


    ¡°Those who don¡¯t know too much about us might fall for it. I¡¯m not that tall anyway.¡±


    As Juanpletely ignored her, Anya twiddled her fingers and mumbled. ¡°Then, I will part with you here.¡±


    ¡°...What?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong. I just don¡¯t think I would be much help to you if I stayed. If anything, I¡¯d be lucky to not drag you down with me. But maybe I can help you if I meet up with my acquaintances living on the Laus Mountains,¡± Anya borated.


    Juan tilted his head at the word ¡®acquaintance,¡¯ but was convinced; It wouldn¡¯t be bad to have someone on his side to serve as reinforcements. Juan would normally refuse to ept any help from others, but now wasn¡¯t the time for him to refuse.


    ¡°Alright, do as you wish. I¡¯ll try to figure something out as well,¡± said Juan as he fiddled with Arwain¡¯s Temr helmet.


    ***


    ¡°What did you say?¡±


    When the rain began to subside and the sky started to clear, Sina heard a piece of unexpected news from a soldier of the Laus Mountain Scouts. While being treated for his broken shoulder, he announced his third report to Sina.


    ¡°The wanted heretic was sighted in the Veras vige in the middle of the Laus Mountains. Temr Arwain attempted to eliminate him immediately but failed and was killed on the site. We, the Laus Mountain Scouts, also fought hard but had to stop the operation and retreat as our soldiers were seriously injured.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense! What do you mean ¡®wanted heretic?¡¯ Are you sure you are talking about this ck-haired boy?¡± Sina asked as she held out a wanted poster of Juan made based on the description of her own report.


    The soldier¡¯s eyes were filled with fear just by looking at the poster. ¡°Y-Yes, that¡¯s him. He was absolutely ruthless.¡±


    ¡°Juan won against a temr¡­? How¡­-?¡±


    Sina inferred that Juan was around the same level as her thest time they parted, but Juan had grown exponentially over just a few weeks. She couldn¡¯t even imagine what happened for him to grow so fast to be able to beat a Temr.


    ¡°Wait. Why was there a Temr in the Veras Vige? The nearest Knight Order would be the Order of the White Crow, but isn¡¯t it still quite a distance from Veras vige to the Order of the Huginn¡¯s territory? Especially when considering the heavy rain, why was he in the vige?¡±


    ¡°U-Um¡­because they were in the middle of carrying out a special operation¡­,¡± admitted the soldier.


    ¡°What do you mean special operation?!¡± Sina questioned.


    The soldier tried to avoid answering Sina¡¯s question, but he didn¡¯tst long and eventually sumbed to her interrogation. Sina fell in shock upon hearing his answer.


    ¡°...A cleansing operation was conducted? Under the orders of Inquisitor Kato?¡±


    ¡°Y-yes.¡±


    ¡°But how? None of us sent out a telepathic message,¡± Sina questioned in suspicion, but soon her face distorted.


    Sending out a telepathic message was one of the abilities given by Grace bestowed by His Majesty. Although Kato never admitted having such an ability, it made sense why he kept it a secret now that his intentions became clear.


    Sina turned around and immediately ran to where Kato was.

 Chapter 34 – Falling Petals (2)

    <h4>Chapter 34 ¨C Falling Petals (2)</h4>


    ¡°Kato!¡±


    Sina barged into Kato¡¯s tent. Kato and the knights of the Order of the Blue Rose were packing. They had already been briefed by the scout. Kato had recovered enough to leave his sickbed and move around, but his appearance was still eerie with the blood and puss-soaked bandages covering his body.


    ¡°What is it, Elite Knight?¡± Kato answered.


    ¡°Did you actually give orders to conduct a cleansing operation?!¡± Sina screamed right in his face.


    With his severe injuries remaining untreated and getting exposed to the humid air, Kato¡¯s skin had started rotting. Metal pieces infused with Talter¡¯s mana stuck in his body were disrupting the healing process and only worsening his condition. A sickening smell hit Sina¡¯s nose, but what was more revolting to her than his appearance was his inner state of mind.


    ¡°Elite Knight, I am the one who holds authority. Your job is to simply carry out mymands. You refused and I was left with no choice but to go with n B. You should be thankful that you didn¡¯t have to get your hands dirty,¡± Kato growled.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t refuse, but only suggested a reasonable n!¡±


    ¡°And such is the logic of a loser who lost to a heretic.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you agree that it would be harder to track him once the cleansing operation is conducted? That it would not only take longer to track him but also get unnecessary opposition from the natives?¡±


    ¡°But we eventually found him, did we not?¡± Kato grinned with his ripped lips. ¡°The rabbit is bound toe out if we set fire here and there; or it mighte out to prevent the fire from spreading even further. Whatever his reason is, he appeared in the vige on the main road and ordered the vigers to spread the word about his current location. He is waiting for us toe.¡±


    Sina was left speechless. When considering the result, Kato wasn¡¯t wrong. It was actually an effective method in guerri warfare if you were to only consider the result.


    Kato finished packing up and walked out of his tent, and Sina quickly chased after him.


    ¡°So what?! Does that justify your action? What about all those people that were ughtered in Tantil? Committing another ughter to catch the ughterer is nonsense,¡± Sina argued.


    ¡°You are still too young andck faith. I don¡¯t want to continue arguing about this. Besides, twomanders arguing in front of the knights isn¡¯t setting a good example for them.¡±


    As Kato said, all the knights around them were looking at them anxiously. Sina was arguing against an Inquisitor¡ªsomeone who had the authority to choose andbel anyone a heretic and interrogate them without consequences. There would be no exceptions for Sina either, even if she was an Elite Knight and a Pursuit Unit Captain. Sina realized that she was standing on the edge of a cliff.


    ¡°Stop being so sentimental, Elite Knight,¡± said Kato as he raised both his hands in front of Sina. ¡°You think I¡¯m being controlled by my emotions, but I am being more rational than ever. I can¡¯t even get any sleep with the pain of my body rotting alive¡ªwounds that bastard gave me continue to remind me,¡± Kato held Sina¡¯s shoulders with his eyes burning with madness, ¡°that it would be the civilians of the entire empire to bear the painful consequences if that bastard isn¡¯t eliminated.¡±


    <i>¡®Bullshit!¡¯</i>


    Sina felt the urge to spit on his face and insult him, but all she could do was suppress her anger.


    Kato let go of Sina¡¯s shoulders and quietly turned his back to her as he noticed her eyes filled with anger.


    ¡°I guess I don¡¯t have a choice. You may return to Tantil if you don¡¯t want to join, and wait for your disposition with your uniforms off. You had value because you were the only one who saw that bastard, but now I have also seen him. We will join the Order of the White Crow to capture the enemy.¡±


    ¡°...What if,¡± Sina chewed her words at Kato¡¯s back. ¡°What if you fail to capture Juan? What are you going to do if he manages to get away again?¡±


    Kato remained silent for a while, then answered Sina. ¡°Then I will start an even bigger fire, big enough that he can¡¯t escape.¡±


    That was thest straw. It didn¡¯t take too long for Sina to pull out her sword and stab Kato in the back. Sina¡¯s sword pierced through Kato¡¯s chest even before he had the chance to look back.


    ¡°Keuk¡­!¡± Kato¡¯s eyes widened.


    Sina twisted her sword out of his body and tossed him to the ground. Kato¡¯s blood sprayed over Sina¡¯s body. As a skilled knight, Sina made no mistake in stabbing the most vulnerable area of the body; with his heart pierced through in a single blow, Kato¡¯s body trembled for a bit, but soon stopped moving.


    Sina looked down at Kato¡¯s body while breathing heavily. It was her first time stabbing someone in the back, especially someone from the Church.


    Sina slowly lifted her head to look at her surroundings.


    The knights were in shock. One of them even dropped his luggage on the ground. It was so quiet that even the sound of the luggage hitting the ground echoed loudly.


    Meanwhile, Sina was wondering if now would be the time that she got arrested to be sent back to Tantil.


    Just at that moment, Haselle stepped forward in front of the knights.


    ¡°Inquisitor Kato fought heroically against the heretic, but ended up dying in this remote area due to the deterioration of the wounds,¡± said Haselle with dignity. Haselle didn¡¯t bother looking in Sina¡¯s direction as she was standing in front of him while still holding a sword dripping with Kato¡¯s blood. ¡°His death will forever be remembered by the Church and the Order of the Blue Rose.¡±


    Everyone remained silent at Haselle¡¯s deration.


    ¡°What are you all doing just standing around? Get moving! It¡¯s time to avenge the Inquisitor¡¯s death!¡± Haselle yelled with a distorted expression on his face.


    The confused knights started to move at Haselle¡¯s word. Sina couldn¡¯t believe her eyes at the sight of the knights rushing¡ªshe had never seen Haselle yell at the knights like this before. A knight walking past Sina bowed and saluted her; no one was paying attention to Kato¡¯s body lying on the ground and being covered with mud.


    Relieved that everyone tacitly agreed with her decision to kill Kato, Sina¡¯s legs wobbled. Ossrey approached Sina to quickly support her.


    ¡°...Thanks, Ossrey.¡±


    ¡°You make us all look like cowards, Sina,¡± Haselle spoke to Sina with a frown.


    Sina bowed to Haselle and answered, ¡°I owe you a debt, Captain Haselle.¡±


    ¡°No. Everyone here owes <i>you</i> a debt. It was what all of us wanted to do, but we were too scared to do it. Being a Captain can be hard work.¡±


    ¡°That was not my intention¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just saying. I''ll take this incident to my grave, to ensure a safe retirement for myself. I know what you usually think of me, but you should now understand just how hard it is to be honest all the time.¡±


    Sina¡¯s face got a little red as she felt ashamed.


    ¡°One thing I¡¯m sure about is that I will be retiring after this mission. In fact, I think the next Captain to lead the Order of the Blue Rose has been decided already.¡±


    ¡°But captain, I¡¯m not ready to¡­¡± murmured Sina.


    ¡°I never said it was you. Anyway, I can¡¯t be too sure until this corpse has been taken care of. Let¡¯s clean up this mess before it causes us any problems.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    Sina and Ossrey tossed Kato¡¯s body down the cliff. Kato¡¯s bandages came off as his body got damaged while rolling down the cliff, but no one would be able to recognize him since his face was already puffed and scarred from the severe injuries.


    ¡°Well, Pursuit Unit Captain. Complete your mission. You hold the authority to lead us now, given that the Inquisitor is dead,¡± said Haselle.


    ¡°I¡­,¡± Sina looked toward the north, where the main road crossed the Laus Mountains. ¡°I will go after Juan.¡±


    Haselle was quite surprised. ¡°I thought you would retreat.¡±


    ¡°The only goal I have right now is to go after him, and now, I even know where he is. Besides, there will be even more like Kato as I get closer toward the capital. I¡¯m worried about what would happen if Juan encountered them.¡±


    ¡°Alright, go ahead. I hope you made the right judgment. I will request help from the Order of the White Crow since they have already been informed of this mission. That bastard won¡¯tst against thebined forces of both the Orders.¡±


    Sina nodded.


    Soon after, the Order of the Blue Rose finished getting ready and took off on their horses. As Sina moved forward through the rain, she thought of Juan.


    ¡®<i>You didn¡¯t leave the sh-and-burn farmers out to die.¡¯</i>


    A young, skinny boy that craved more blood after ughtering the soldiers in a blink of an eye.


    <i>¡®Instead, you revealed yourself and announced your location. Why?¡¯</i>


    The boy that ridiculed her in a knight battle with swords against each other.


    <i>¡®Should I think you did so to prevent the deaths of innocent people?¡¯</i>


    The boy who imed himself to be ¡®the Emperor¡¯ while standing in the middle of the me.


    <i>¡®Are you calling for me?¡¯</i>


    The boy was calling for his enemy.


    ***


    Holding his breath, a soldier of the Laus Mountain Scouts was aiming his bow toward the middle of the vige square. It was hard to see through the morning fog, but the silhouette of the boy could be spotted clearly.


    Just at that moment, his fingers inadvertently released the bow string. The arrow flew across the vige to pierce through the silhouette and the silhouette slowly toppled to the ground. But even before he could cheer, something cut across his throat. He couldn¡¯t let out a scream and desperately crawled while he heard hisrades scream.


    <i>¡®He is going to kill us all. All of us.¡¯</i>


    Juan stepped on the soldier trying to crawl away and broke his neck. Then he pulled him by his horn across the vige square to toss his body on the floor.


    The dead bodies littered the whole vige square in an organized pattern, and fresh blood oozing out of the bodies colored the square red as if they were dyeing the floor.


    Juan had learned that every experience would eventually help him in the future, yet this wasn¡¯t an experience he wished to replicate. He concluded that just once was enough for such an experience.


    Words spread from the escaped vigers and reached the Laus Mountain Scouts, before reaching the Order of the Blue Rose and Order of the White Crow. Part of the Scouts tried to ambush Juan, but failed.


    As a result, a decent amount of corpses had umted in the vige square.


    Juan hoped for more soldiers toe but it didn¡¯t seem so. It seemed like the soldier that he just killed from the Scouts was thest one out of the soldiers that attacked him this time. They were the third group to attack.


    The Scout¡¯s bow and arrow were of no use in the rain and fog, not to mention the fact that Juan was also skilled at gueri warfare.


    ¡®Order of the Blue Rose and White Crow are likely to join.¡¯


    Juan figured that they would be satisfied with keeping him surrounded as he made clear he had no intention of leaving the vige.


    Juan sat on the pile of corpses in the middle of the square and enjoyed the feeling of pouring rain soaking his body.


    It had been a while since Anya left the vige. The only people that visited Juan were the travelers who weren¡¯t aware of the current situation, who then turned back in shock, and the soldiers of the Scouts.


    The sound of rain falling was the only sound heard in the vige, but even that had started to slow down after raging as if the sky would copse.


    Juan stretched his gray cape out into a faint shape, spreading it across the floor of the vige square, and started to re-absorb some of the mana that he had dispersed in the sky through the cape. Although the energy was dark and moist, the gray cape absorbed it like dry cotton.


    ¡°Come on, now,¡± Juan whispered.


    He hoped his enemies would arrive soon. He wanted to break this silence and have a battle of ripping flesh and breaking bones, then feel the silence again after finally killing everyone. He wished to let his enemies know how much he loathed them and let them know that he was still thirsty for their blood.


    Juan was anxiously waiting for his enemies.

 Chapter 35 – Falling Petals (3)

    <h4>Chapter 35 ¨C Falling Petals (3)</h4>


    The White Crow citadel was built on a high cliff overlooking the Laus Mountains. Its harsh environment having thin air and permanent snow made it difficult for anyone but the Temrs to stay.


    On the tallest tower of the citadel, there was a giant symbol of a white crow with red eyes. There were opinions suggesting that ck eyes would be better, but the first Captain of the order had insisted on red; he wanted to differentiate from the Order of Huginn who used a raven as their symbol. Since the Order of the White Crow¡¯s main duty was to track the Order of Huginn in the Laus Mountains, it was only fair for them to be conscious of the Order of Huginn.


    But Ethan, the current Captain of the Order of the White Crow, only saw this as an inferiorityplex. He believed such obsession was putting shackles on the ability of the Order of the White Crow. It was pathetic to think that their Order was formed only to chase after another Order.


    <i>¡®Not to mention the existence of the Temrs as well.¡¯</i>


    Temrs were made artificially by the Church to ovee human¡¯s limits. The perverts from the Church were praising the Temrs to be the peak of humanity, the most perfect human beings; humans that surpassed all others. Ethan could guess what it was that the perverts from the Church were pursuing and obsessing over.


    <i>¡®His Majesty.¡¯</i>


    It was only natural that weirdos like Arwain would exist¡ªidiots that wished to be the emperor, but were stopped by the wall of reality. Even though Ethan was skeptical about the purpose of Temrs, he was one of the few most skilled men in the entire empire.


    ¡°So that idiot ended up dying alone,¡± Ethan muttered as he was reviewing the letter.


    Cold wind was blowing through the terrace, but Ethan stood still without wearing any clothes above his waist.


    ¡°I thought he wouldst longer, given that he only attacked weaker viges. I¡¯m surprised,¡± answered Deputy Captain Kamil.


    To put it nicely, Arwain was looked down upon and being ostracized within the Order of the White Crow. This was only natural since he joined the Order with the help of the Ilde household. Most Temrs were selected after putting in excruciating effort, and it would be a lie to say they didn¡¯t think they deserved it. On the other hand, while Arwain was better than average knights by a little bit and wasn¡¯tpletely useless, he was nowhere near good enough to join the ranks of the Temrs, who consisted of some of the most skilled individuals among 1.2 billion people living in the empire. Without the influence of the Ilde family, he would have no hope of joining the ranks of the Temrs.


    ¡°I heard he was killed by a boy from beyond the border,¡± said Ethan.


    ¡°That¡¯s a miserable end that suits him,¡± Kamil scoffed.


    ¡°Now don¡¯t be too harsh. He was still a fellow Temr after all.¡±


    ¡°Just the fact that he filled Celim¡¯s vacancy makes me shudder. I bet the reason why he wandered off to the remote area for work was that he was scared one of us would beat him to death.¡±


    Since it was umon for the members of the Temrs to change and since they shared a sense of superiority, the Temrs formed a special bond. The way they treated a fellowrade that died in battle was especially unique.


    ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s the first time that someone other than the Order of Huginn killed one of our Temrs. It¡¯s been peaceful since Ras Raud vanished, but I can feel the new wind blowing from the south. You said there was a message sent from the Order of the Blue Rose?¡± Ethan asked.


    ¡°Yes, Sir. They are asking for help to subdue the guy that killed Arwain.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to join forces. Tell them to return to the south since we¡¯ll take care of it. Sending off his head will do. Gather three guys hanging around and prepare to leave. Let¡¯s see what this bastard that dared to mess with the Temrs looks like. We have to retrieve Arwain¡¯s equipment anyway.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    Temrs retrieved the equipment blessed with His Majesty¡¯s Grace in the battle no matter what. On the other hand, the Order of Huginn retrieved their fallenrade¡¯s dead bodies no matter what. Although they didn¡¯t make an official agreement, both sides respected each other¡¯s ways and left behind what each other wanted even if they had grudges against each other; Order of the White Crow left behind the enemy¡¯s corpses, and Order of Huginn left the enemy¡¯s equipment.


    Kamil took off to prepare as soon as he received Ethan¡¯smand.


    Meanwhile, Ethan was looking forward to seeing the new face he was about to encounter soon. The Order of the White Crow had been following after traces of the Order of Huginn and considered them their only threat so far. But, Ethan didn¡¯t mind this new breeze of wind. His aim was too wide for him to be confined to only the Laus Mountains. Ethan couldn''t wait to see how this kid from beyond the border would surprise him.


    Ethan left his room with just a single sword and a cape over his body. Then he saw Kamiling up the stairs without anyone following.


    ¡°Are the others ready? Why did youe back so early?¡±


    ¡°Captain, we received a new report. It¡¯s an emergency,¡± said Kamil urgently.


    ¡°What?¡±


    Kamil hastily delivered a letter to Ethan. When Ethan read the letter, he decided to forget everything about the boy.


    ¡°Prepare all the knights of the Order to leave. I need every single one of them.¡±


    ***


    An earth-shaking sound resounded throughout the main road in the Laus Mountains. The Order of the Blue Rose spent a full day and night to arrive at the Veras vige located on the main road. The rain had stopped pouring and left the air humid. Although it was foggy, it didn¡¯t affect the movement of the knights. All of the knights were exhausted, but they were on edge and ready to engage in the final battle.


    <i>¡®Juan is here.¡¯</i>


    Likewise, Sina was just as nervous. She wanted to meet him, but at the same time didn''t. She wasn¡¯t sure if she would be able to fight him from the bottom of her heart even if they met. Sina stopped the knights in the suburb as she figured it would be impossible for them to fight Juan while exhausted.


    Just at that moment, Sina saw a goat beastman approaching her.


    ¡°Are you Dame Sina Solvane of the Order of the Blue Rose? The Pursuit Unit Captain?¡±


    ¡°Yes. What is going on?¡±


    The Captain saluted Sina and reported. ¡°The target is currently in the middle of the vige. Few of our soldiers got caught in his raid and died. I judged that it was impossible to suppress him on our own and we are surrounding him right now. Fortunately, the siege is going on sessfully and he can¡¯t make an escape.¡±


    ¡®<i>It¡¯s not that he can¡¯t bother to escape, but he is choosing not to.¡¯?</i>


    Sina thought to herself but she didn¡¯t say anything to the Captain. She didn¡¯t want to diminish the hard work done by the soldiers soaked under the rain pour.


    ¡°Well done. We¡¯ll take it from here. Was there any news from the Order of the White Crow?¡±


    ¡°Um, well. I was going to mention that¡­¡±


    Sina felt an ominous feeling as she read concern on the Captain¡¯s face.


    ¡°The Order of the White Crow decided to stay out of this mission,¡± the Captain confessed.


    ¡°What? They are staying out of this even when a Temr was killed?¡± Sina asked, doubting her ears.


    It was a well-known fact that the Temrs had a strong bond. Let alone murder, it was their way to catch and punish the perpetrator even if it was just their equipment that was damaged. Even nobles could be beheaded if they damaged the Temr¡¯s equipment.


    ¡°Yes, Dame. They said movement from the Order of Huginn has been detected. Apparently, Ras Raud made an appearance this time.¡±


    ¡°The master of the ravens, huh?¡± Sina muttered.


    The Order of Huginn had murdered seventeen of the Temrs from the Order of the White Crow up until now; two of them had even been the Captains at the time of their deaths. As for the army under theirmand, the numbers killed were countless. The Order of Huginn was also damaged in the process, but Ras Raud had never even been injured. It was only natural for the Order of the White Crow to focus on the Order of Huginn rather than Juan.


    The Order of Huginn had been hiding for several years after their attempt to assassinate Barth Baltic failed. But somehow, they started to move again at such a time.


    <i>¡®This can¡¯t be a coincidence.¡¯</i>


    It had to be either the Order of Huginn reinforcing Juan, or Juan had some sort of contact with them.


    Frustration simmered inside Sina. They would have to endure a sizable number of casualties if they had to capture Juan without any help from the Temrs of the Order of the White Crow.


    Sina stared at the outer wall of the vige. The wall was burnt and copsed as if it had been attacked. Sina imagined the wall falling over the knights of the Order of the Blue Rose.


    ¡°...I guess I have no choice.¡±


    Sina felt a rustling sensation at her feet as she stepped into the vige, which she realized was dry blood that stained her boots. Sina turned pale with fright when she saw dead bodies scattered all over the vige square. She noticed at least over thirty bodies, but it looked as if there were more due to the mountain surrounding the vige square being narrow.


    Sina told herself she would make the Captain, who described such loss as ¡®few of the soldiers¡¯ pay the price.


    Sina continued walking. Through the misty fog, she could see the silhouette of a boy. Sina stopped at a distance where she could see his face. Juan was sitting in the middle of the bloody square.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Sina Solvane.¡±


    Juan¡¯s appearance was not much different from thest time Sina had seen him. He still looked impoverished from not being able to cleanse himself, and his eyes still had the same frightening depth to them, as if they would swallow you.


    But Sina felt as if his spirit had changed. His spirit still harbored a fiery hatred, but it wasn¡¯t hot; it was rather cold.


    ¡°You¡¯ve done a terrible thing, Juan. These were brave soldiers of the imperial army that you killed. They deserve an honorable funeral.¡±


    ¡°I told them to take the bodies, but they didn¡¯t. Why did youe alone? Where are the others? I expected you to bring the Temrs along,¡± Juan shrugged.


    ¡°The Temrs aren¡¯ting,¡± said Sina.


    Sina considered bluffing for a second, but she knew Juan wouldn¡¯t buy it. If she had to engage Juan without the temrs, it would be better to test the water with him.


    Juan looked surprised. Looking at his expression, Sina thought that Juan was either a very good actor or he actually had no idea of what was going on. But Juan wasn¡¯t the type to hide anything as far as Sina knew.


    ¡°Juan, I suggest that you surrender. I will protect you as far as I can if you surrender now. I am certain that the imperial court will have mercy on you if you undergo a fair trial and promise to make atonement by service,¡± Sina offered.


    ¡°Even when I killed a Temr?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m only making this offer since the Order of the White Crow isn¡¯t here.¡±


    Juan burst intoughter at Sina¡¯s offer, then shook his head.


    ¡°That¡¯s very generous of you, but I¡¯m not interested. I was nning to kill them all if they came,¡± said Juan.


    ¡°Why is that? I apologize if the cleansing operation offended you, but it was ordered by an Inquisitor without our consent. Don¡¯t you think we should calm down now that both the Temr and the Inquisitor involved with the cleansing operation are dead?¡± Sina conciliated Juan.


    .


    ¡°Kato¡¯s dead?¡± Juan inquired.


    ¡°Yes. His wounds worsened, and he died on the sickbed.¡±


    Juan stared at Sina, but she kept calm. As far as Juan could remember, Kato¡¯s injuries were severe, but not enough for him to die on the sick bed. Moreover, Kato was a Priest, which meant he could use a healing Grace. While it would have been hard for him to fully recover, he would have easily survived with his ability.


    ¡°That¡¯s unfortunate. I had wanted to finish him off myself.¡±


    ¡°He wasn¡¯t in pain at hisst moment.¡±


    Juan nodded. Although it was unexpected for both Kato and the Order of the White Crow to be absent, his n remained unchanged. As Juan stood up, the gray curtain spread long.


    Sina felt as if the entire vige square was surging.


    <i>¡®Is he using fog again?¡¯</i>


    Sina carefully traced the movement of the fog. She considered the possibility of Juan using fog like thest time he created chaos against the knights, but she had already made a n to counteract. It would be hard for him to create chaos again using fog this time.


    ¡°You didn¡¯te here thinking that I would ept your negotiation, did you?¡±


    ¡°...¡± Sina remained silent.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to be cunning. That was actually one thing that I thought youcked. You need to be more like the emperor; he was despicable and didn¡¯t hesitate to use any means necessary when it came to his enemies.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t insult His Majesty,¡± Sina warned.


    ¡°If only one person in the world could insult the emperor, that would be me,¡± said Juan as he turned his head. He saw a silhouette over the mist of fog.¡°It¡¯s a shame I couldn¡¯t kill Kato with my own hands, but my ns won¡¯t change. I won¡¯t spare the lives of my enemies. I¡¯ll kill anyone that gets in my way.¡±


    At the same time Sina let out a shout, and the scouts surrounding the vige fired their arrows.


    Juan rolled his body under the thin fog, but Sina drew her sword and rushed in before he could hide. Sina¡¯s sword brushed against Juan¡¯s hair to cut off a few strands, but Juan didn¡¯t even seem to care. With Sina¡¯s movement as a signal, the sound of a loud trumpet resounded throughout the vige.


    At that moment, the sound of a horse¡¯s hooves was heard.


    The Order of the Blue Rose was approaching them from the back of the vige on giant war horses.

 Chapter 36 – Falling Petals (4)

    <h4>Chapter 36 ¨C Falling Petals (4)</h4>


    ¡°Not bad.¡±


    Juan was impressed. While he and Sina were talking, the Order of the Blue Rose led their war horses toward the back of the vige. It was a n that not only cut off Juan¡¯s retreat, but also allowed them to have the momentum to rush forward. Juan thought the knights being able to take a detour without making a single noise was worth giving apliment.


    ¡®<i>They might be flustered if the other party wasn¡¯t me.</i>¡¯


    Sina felt nervous when Juan did not even flinch. Sina swung her sword several times at Juan, but he didn¡¯t respond actively and only took a defensive stance.


    ¡°Hah!¡±


    Ossrey was the first one to rush in. His war horse didn¡¯t even pause in the face of the fallen soldier¡¯s spears and swords, and raced straight toward Juan with its heavy weight and speed.


    Juan hastily dodged, causing Ossrey¡¯s spear to graze against his cape.


    ¡°Dame Sina!¡± Ossrey roared as he threw the reins of another horse at Sina, who pulled herself up on the horse in a hurry.


    ¡°How many did you send to the back?!¡±


    ¡°Only eleven horses, because the road was narrow. The rest of them will join us from the main entrance as soon asbat begins!¡±


    Eleven war horses cornered Juan as they approached him from crossways. There seemed to be very few ways for Juan to take on the spears and swords flying over his head. Juan was bound to get run over by the horses if he stopped moving even for a second.


    ¡°Stop charging at him all at once! Take turns to attack!¡± Sina ordered, her body tense with anxiety. Juan had yet to draw his weapon.


    Sina expected Juan to attack the war horses, but he didn¡¯t seem to think it was necessary. Sina¡¯s throat tightened as her prediction was off the mark.


    Following Sina¡¯s order, the knights of the Blue Rose encircled Juan and took turns attacking him with their spears at a distance instead of directly rushing at him.


    ¡°This is a bit annoying,¡± Juanined. No matter how agile he was, arge number of des spinning toward him limited his space to dodge.


    Before the knights couldpletely encircle him, Juan grabbed the nearest knight¡¯s leg; it was a dangerous move that could get him trampled by the horse, but Juan expertly pulled himself up on the saddle and pushed the knight off to the ground before he could draw out his sword.


    ¡°Watch out!¡± Sina yelled, but the fallen knight was immediately trampled under the other knights¡¯ horses.


    Sina gritted her teeth and charged at Juan immediately, leaving Juan with no choice but to pull out his short sword to parry Sina¡¯s attack. Sina¡¯s sword and Juan¡¯s short sword collided. As Juan¡¯s body was so smallpared to the war horse he was riding, his body ended up being pushed back. But Juan didn¡¯t mind it, because neither was he nning to continue to stay on the horse nor continue to fight Sina for much longer.


    In a sh, Juan disappeared from Sina¡¯s eyes. Sina recalled the time when Juan traveled a short distance within an instant back to the colosseum.


    Everything happened in an instant.


    Once out of Sina¡¯s sight, Juan twisted the top of her helmet, causing Sina to lose her bnce as her helmet covered her field of view, while also exposing her pale neck.


    <i>¡®I¡¯m going to get cut.¡¯</i>


    Death shed past her eyes. While she had thought she might end up dying on the battlefield, she never expected that her death would be so ridiculous.


    At that moment, Sina¡¯s horse took off and raced forward, and Juan missed his opportunity. Having fallen off her horse, Sina got dragged around with her feet stuck to the saddle.


    ¡°Dame Sina!¡± Ossrey shouted.


    Ossrey quickly grabbed the reins and stopped Sina¡¯s horse, but she was already injured. Sina was bleeding from her head, but still tried her best to stand up on her wobbly feet once again and look straight ahead.


    ¡°Catch that bastard!¡± Sina ordered.


    Sina withdrew her sword and made an attempt to attack Juan again, but her right arm was dangling and drooping down, as it had been broken from the fall. Even worse, Sina couldn¡¯t see anything with blood and dust covering her face.


    ¡°Please stay here! You¡¯ll only get in the way if you step in now,¡± Ossrey pleaded while forcefully holding Sina back.


    ¡°Ossrey!¡±


    Sina had to admit that Juan¡¯s movement was so fast that even she couldn¡¯t detect him. There was no way other knights could handle him.


    But Ossrey smiled as he lifted up his shield.


    ¡°I have the Temr¡¯s shield; I¡¯m sure His Majesty¡¯s grace will be enough to stop him. Rest here for now, and join us again when you feel better. You are already pushing yourself too hard.¡±


    Just like Ossrey said, Juan couldn¡¯t easily escape the knights. It seemed that he avoided using the skill which enabled him to travel short distances in an instant, as it required too much physical strength.


    <i>¡®He will eventually wear out.¡¯</i>


    Furthermore, Captain Haselle and the remaining knights of the Blue Rose were rushing in through the main entrance.


    Sina slightly nodded at Ossrey.


    Leaving her behind, Ossrey took off on his horse once again. The Order of the Blue Rose hadn¡¯te here without any preparation. Especially Captain Haselle. He had prepared weapons and strategies to capture Juan. Although it was only a matter of time before the knights captured Juan, Sina couldn¡¯t help feeling uneasy for some reason.


    ***


    It was as if there was a whirlpool with Juan in the center. Everywhere he went, there was a wild sh. As the knights suffered injuries over time, Juan also suffered minor injuries every time they collided. It was only natural that both Juan and the knights couldn¡¯t give each other fatal injuries, since at least three spears blocked Juan whenever he had the chance to kill someone.


    Juan¡¯s expression stiffened.


    The battle became even more difficult for Juan as more knights and Haselle joined the chaos, but Ossrey decided to make it even more difficult. Ossrey¡¯s shield flew toward Juan.


    Juan narrowed his eyes and swung his short sword, but Ossrey skillfully blocked the attack.


    Ossrey¡¯s heart was racing; he felt as if someone was delicately controlling his movements. Ossrey¡¯s heart fluttered as he recalled blocking Juan¡¯s attack against Kato while not even being able to sense his own movements.


    <i>¡®This must be His Majesty¡¯s grace!¡¯</i>


    Ossrey couldn¡¯t even imagine how powerful the Temrs must be, fully armed with such equipment.


    Juan attempted to attack Ossrey several more times, but was blocked each time and even endured two injuries in the process. He eventually clicked his tongue and gave up on attacking Ossrey.


    ¡°I swear that bastard''s got eyes behind his back!¡± a knight screamed as Juan dodged the attacking from behind.


    Ossrey couldn¡¯t agree more. Juan¡¯s body was bloody with minor injuries, but no one had managed tond a sessful blow.


    <i>¡®Is he ever going to wear out?¡¯</i>


    Ossrey clicked his tongue. Since Juan was making big movements without any protective gear, he would end up exhausted before the knights who had been taking turns to attack. But Ossrey also had to consider the aftermath of the knights getting injured little by little.


    At some point, Juan was blocked by the outer wall. Ossrey realized that Haselle had driven Juan to a corner where he couldn¡¯t escape. While this would also restrict the knights¡¯ movement, it was still better to restrict Juan¡¯s movement rather than letting him create chaos everywhere.


    ¡°Are you guys hunting a cat or what, huh?¡± As Juan taunted, he bounced off the outer walls in a sh to sh at the nearest knight¡¯s throat.


    Blood scattered everywhere. There were no restrictions in Juan¡¯s movement, almost like Hasselle¡¯s efforts in cornering him were pointless.


    The knights had to search for Juan¡¯s weak spot. Ossrey kept quiet, then immediately charged at Juan.


    Instead of facing Ossrey directly, Juan kicked his shield and bounced off.


    However, Ossrey continued charging forward without getting pushed back. Ossrey charging at Juan with such reckless abandon left Juan with no choice but to ept his challenge. At the moment Juan thrust his short sword, Ossrey urately struck the short sword with his shield.


    ¡°This is the will of the knights!¡± Ossrey roared.


    <i>Crash!</i>


    The moment Juan¡¯s short sword and Ossrey¡¯s shield collided, Ossrey felt an awful pain in the back of his hand as if all his fingers had broken. Juan tried to step back for the time being, but Ossrey grabbed Juan¡¯s short sword with his hand. The de dug deep into his skin and blood dripped down his hand.


    ¡°Now!¡± Ossrey yelled.


    Juan¡¯s movement paused for an instant, and that was it.


    Juan saw a being cast over him. He attempted to use Blink in an attempt to escape, but he had no chance of escaping the widespread. Juan fell into the hands of the Order of the Blue Rose.


    ¡°I knew you guys were hiding something.¡± As Juan muttered, one of the knights angrily pierced his thigh with a spear. Juan red at him with a frown.


    The knight went pale and his hands started quivering just from looking at Juan¡¯s eyes, but he managed to hold on to his spear.


    Meanwhile, Ossrey extracted Juan¡¯s short sword out of his hand. It had even managed to pierce through his shield. The short sword, which had a gruesome pattern on it, induced a strange feeling.


    ¡°Ossrey, go get some treatment. You¡¯ve made the biggest contribution today,¡± said Haselle.


    Innread dot".


    ¡°Not at all, Captain. If it weren¡¯t for Dame Sina and your n¡­¡±


    ¡°Right. We should inform Sina and bring her here. This n would have been impossible if she hadn¡¯t analyzed this guy. We must show him to Sina. I¡¯ll go and¡­¡±


    Haselle couldn¡¯t finish his words. As he led his horse to head toward Sina, he ran into a giant figure. The figure was so big that the horse grunted and made way. Haselle raised his head in confusion only to find an armed knight in front of him.


    As soon as Haselle tilted his head, wondering if there had been such a huge knight among the members of the Order of the Blue Rose, his head disappeared.


    ***


    ¡°You son of a bitch!¡±


    When the knight who stabbed Juan''s thigh earlier tried to stab him again, another knight stopped him.


    ¡°Stop! He is already under control.¡±


    ¡°But this bastard killed Arber!¡±


    Many of the other knights cursed at Juan in agreement. It wouldn¡¯t be strange for the knights to ruthlessly stab Juan with spears and swords at any time, yet Juan had a rxed look on his face. This only infuriated the knights even more.


    ¡°Look at that bastard¡¯s face! He¡¯s thinking that we won¡¯t do anything to him!¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t make the decision on how he should be punished! He won¡¯t die a peaceful death once he is handed over to the Church anyway. It¡¯s better to leave him to the Inquisitor rather than messing with him here.¡±


    The other knights agreed with the knight that coaxed others out of harming Juan. Heretics, especially those that messed with anyone from the Church, ought to meet the most horrific end. The knights were worried that Juan might die too early in the torture.


    At that moment, Juan suddenly opened his mouth.


    ¡°You should all stop worrying about me and watch your backs instead,¡± Juan warned.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You guys aren¡¯t the only ones hiding weapons.¡±


    Out of nowhere, a light stting sound reverberated while blood and pieces of flesh scattered all over the knights of the Order of the Blue Rose.


    Behind their backs, Haselle¡¯s headless body slowly fell off his horse.


    ¡°Captain!¡± The knights screamed.


    Standing before Haselle¡¯s body was a giant knight with a massive shield and hammer in his hand. Although it was difficult to confirm his identity due to all the mud, dust, and blood covering his face, Ossrey was able to recognize the shield the knight was holding; it was the same as the shield that he was holding in his hand.


    ¡°No way¡­¡±


    Ossrey quickly looked back, only to see Juan, who was smiling.


    ¡°I considered making use of his equipment myself, but he was too big. So I decided to return it to the owner.¡±


    Arwain, who had be a Demonic Beast of fog, rushed into the knights of the Order of the Blue Rose.

 Chapter 37 – Falling Petals (5)

    <h4>Chapter 37 ¨C Falling Petals (5)</h4>


    ¡°Focus your attacks on the back!¡± Ossreymanded urgently as he threw his severed fingers to the ground. His rank didn¡¯t qualify him to give out orders to the knights, but no one disobeyed despite Sina and Haselle¡¯s absence. Meanwhile, Ossrey was concerned as to how long the knights of the Blue Rose couldst against the Temr.


    ¡°You, and you there! Take this heretic with you and leave the front line! Go hand him over to the Order of the White Crow at the White Crow Citadel!¡± Ossrey ordered.


    ¡°But¡­!¡±


    ¡°Go! Now!¡±


    The knights could only nod helplessly.


    Meanwhile, Ossrey looked toward Arwain¡ªhis appearance was wretched to the point where it was unclear whether he was alive or not; he looked more like a gray corpse covered with dust and blood rather than a Temr.


    However, his movements were more alive than ever.


    The knights¡¯ body soared into the sky whenever Arwain swung his hammer. Even their shields were no use¡ªthe knights fell on the ground and couldn¡¯t get back on their feet. If it was difficult to attack the knights, he would attack their horses¡¯ heads. The knights wondered if anyone in the world could block Arwain¡¯s monstrous hammer.


    <i>¡®Can a Temr¡¯s shield really stop him?¡¯</i>


    Ossrey was afraid, but he had no choice but to charge at Arwain.


    One of the knights thrust his spear toward Arwain¡¯s waist, only to slip up and give Arwain a chance to smash his skull.


    This battle was looking more and more hopeless. It was impossible for the knights to pierce through the Temr¡¯s armor with the weapons they had.


    ¡°Everyone, back off and maintain distance! Don¡¯t think about killing him. Find a way to restrict his movements instead!¡± Ossrey screamed desperately. Ossrey felt that if it was impossible to kill Arwain, their only hope was to take advantage of his slow movements and tie him up¡ªuntil he heard Juan whisper in his ears from behind his back.


    ¡°Oh no you don¡¯t.¡±


    Ossrey¡¯s neck creaked as he turned his head around¡ªJuan was standing right there. He had already escaped the and pierced an arrow through the knights¡¯ head. Furthermore, Ossrey spotted dozens of gray soldiers from the Scouts aiming their bow and arrow toward him from above the outer wall.


    ¡°The moment you all entered the vige square, was the moment you lost all hope,¡± murmured Juan.


    At that moment, an arrow pierced Ossrey¡¯s abdomen.


    ***


    From the moment Juan nned to remain in the vige, he started to use the gray cloak to amass as much power as possible. It wasn¡¯t too difficult for him, given that the same power had already dissipated into the sky from the Ash Tower. Although it would be hard to restore the power back to the level it was at when it maintained the Ash Tower, he could recover enough power to take control over a small vige. Thanks to Juan absorbing all the power, the ground dried up even after long days of rain.


    The power of the gray cloak was the most effective against multiple enemies rather than a single target. The power that brought forth the fog waspelling on its own, but it also held another dark power¡ªit made a demonic ve out of the dead. This was the reason Grunbalde¡¯s kingdom was called the ¡®Withered Kingdom¡¯.


    As Juancked strength after a long fight, he put the Scouts¡¯ bodies to use and made an unbnced environment for the enemies. After that, Juan devoted himself to taking control of the corpses and the vige over a long time. While it wasn¡¯t the most effective method to attack at the moment, it was enough to annihte the Order of the Blue Rose.


    ¡°K-ugh, Arghhh!¡± Ossrey cried out in pain.


    Juan was truly impressed with Ossrey; he was still charging at Juan atop his horse despite the serious injury. The first arrow hitting the target was pure luck, as Ossrey had no time to prepare himself. The emperor¡¯s Grace wasn¡¯t almighty enough to protect those who didn¡¯t even intend to defend themselves.


    ¡°You¡¯re a remarkable knight, I¡¯ll give you that,¡± Juanplimented.


    As Juan flicked his hand, dozens of arrows flew toward Ossrey. Ossrey used the shield to protect himself, but couldn¡¯t block all of them. Ossrey¡¯s horse dropped him to the ground¡ªit could no longer continue with so many arrows prating its body. Meanwhile, Ossrey was critically injured, but he was still alive.


    Juan retrieved his short sword from Ossrey as heid on the ground.


    ¡°Keugh, huff¡­k-knights of Blue Rose, retreat¡­¡±


    ¡°No, there¡¯s no retreat now,¡± Juan cut Ossrey off.


    Juan shot an arrow toward the knights fighting against Arwain. The knights felt frustrated at the arrow that suddenly flew toward them, and tried to use their shield, but were soon crushed under Arwain¡¯s hammer.


    Arwain was also hit by a few arrows due to his massive body, yet he didn¡¯t seem to care at all.


    ¡°Sir Ossrey!¡± someone desperately called out Ossrey¡¯s name. The knights were in disarray, waiting for themand. But, no one was giving out orders. The knights were shouting words such as ¡®<i>Run!</i>¡¯, or ¡®<i>Run my ass, continue fighting!</i>¡¯, but it only created even more chaos with no one to lead the Order¡ªno, there was still one person who could lead the Order.


    ¡°Everyone, retreat!¡±


    As soon as a familiar voicemanded, the knights quickly altered their movements.


    At the same moment, Juan blocked an attack with his short sword as someone charged at him¡ªit was Sina, who was injured all over.


    Anyone could tell that Sina¡¯s condition was bad, but had no choice.


    Sina was holding her weapon with her left hand, instead of her right arm, which was dangling off her shoulder.


    Juan sighed as he saw the end of Sina¡¯s sword quivering.


    ¡°What you should be doing is leading the knights and retreating with them, noting back to fight me,¡± scolded Juan.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to stop you, no matter what!¡±


    <i>¡®In that condition? Yeah, right.¡¯?</i>


    At that moment, Juan realized some of his demonic ves of the dead from the Scouts had been shot with arrows by the remaining Scouts that had been waiting in ambush. Their courage to shoot arrows at their fellowrades that might still be alive was worth admiration.


    ¡°Did you give them the order?¡± asked Juan.


    Sina didn¡¯t reply. Dozens of arrows fiercely flew toward Juan¡ªit was as if Sina hadmanded the Scouts to shoot at them, without caring for her own safety. The soldiers from the Scouts outnumbered Juan¡¯s demonic ves, resulting in them to easily falling in the face of the arrows.


    Soon, the knights began to retreat.


    ¡°No¡­not just yet,¡± muttered Juan.


    The fog on the floor soared into the sky as Juan beckoned. Suddenly covered by fog which caused her visibility to be reduced, Sina swung her sword in a rage.


    ¡°Useless tricks! You think we are gonna fall for that again!?¡± Sina snorted.


    <i>sh!?</i>


    With a shing sound, a light exploded somewhere within the fog.


    Juan found the light to be very familiar; he recalled seeing the same sh grenade in the Ash Tower. It was clear that the knights had collected it from the Ash Tower to light their way inside the fog as a countermeasure against Juan.


    Juan smiled coldly. It was only after Sina saw him smile coldly that she realized something was wrong.


    ¡°N-no! Turn off the light!¡± Sina stuttered.


    But it was toote. The light grenade brightening the inside of the fog exposed the knights, turning them into easy prey for Juan¡¯s demonic ves.


    The knights that exploded the grenades were instantly attacked with arrows. At the same time, pieces of flesh scattered everywhere whenever the sound of a hammer being swung was heard.


    ¡°That bastard is nowhere to be seen!¡±


    ¡°H-he came out of nowhere¡­¡±


    ¡°N-No. I was trying to stab the monster. I didn¡¯t mean to stab you¡­¡±


    The knights burst into desperate groans. Demonic ves had the ability to fade their figure in and out of the fog.


    ¡°Your n would¡¯ve been sessful if I was your only enemy,¡± shrugged Juan.


    ¡°Ahhhh!¡±


    Sina desperately thrust her sword. Seeing Sina weakly swinging her sword with her left hand, while her entire body was riddled with wounds was a pathetic sight.


    Juan easily dodged Sina¡¯s attack and tripped her with his foot.


    Sina was sent tumbling to the ground again. As she staggered and tried to pick herself up, Sina¡¯s fingers touched something¡ªit was Ossrey.


    ¡°Ossrey! Ossrey, wake up!¡±


    ¡°Dame¡­ Sina¡­¡± Ossrey muttered, groaning.


    Sina tried to prop him up, but it was impossible to support an adult man with the current condition of her body. Meanwhile, she could hear the despairing cry of knights fighting, cursing, and requesting for help within the fog, but she was absolutely powerless to do anything for them.


    ¡°Get up, Ossrey! Are you nning to die out here?!¡± Sina desperately screamed at Ossrey.


    ¡°I¡­wanted us to¡­ return to the capital¡­ together,¡± Ossrey muttered with a faint voice.


    It was only then that Sina realized the deal that Ossrey and Kato had made. Kato was not in the position to decide whether or not they could return to the capital, especially when Sina basically left the capital on her own two feet. But Sina could make a guess as to what Ossrey had in mind when he made the deal with Kato.


    ¡°Yes, we should go back to the capital! Whether you be a Temr or not after you return, you need to get up first!¡±


    Ossrey¡¯s words came out only as a whisper. Sina lifted her head in despair, trying to find Juan, but he was already out of sight.


    ¡°Juan! I¡¯ll be the one to die here! So let go of my knights!¡± Sina cried.


    ¡°Sina, are you still so clueless after all those years of studying history?¡± Juan¡¯s voice came from somewhere beyond the fog. ¡°The emperor doesn¡¯t spare the lives of enemies that could pose a threat. Inside this fog were the bodies of around thirty more of the Scouts.¡±


    More footsteps than ever could be heard within the fog. The heavy and eerie sounds of footsteps approaching did not belong to the knights of the Blue Rose.


    In the meantime, groans and screams of knights had significantly diminished. It didn¡¯t take long for terrible silence to fill the air beyond the fog; only the sound of heavy footsteps hovered around Sina.


    Sina raised her sword and kept her eyes on the surroundings, but she couldn¡¯t see anyone. Even Juan had disappeared beyond the fog.


    ¡°Juan! Reveal yourself! Let¡¯s end everything here!¡± Sina hollered within the fog.


    ¡°No,¡± Juan replied quietly.


    Sina looked around while breathing heavily, but she couldn¡¯t figure out where the voice came from. The only sounds she could hear were the sounds of heavy footsteps and Ossrey¡¯s groans, while the fog all around them continued to thicken.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to kill you with my own hands. I¡¯ve grown to enjoy your existence.¡±


    ¡°Get back here!¡±


    ¡°So just die there like a dog, the same as your knights.¡±


    ¡°JUAAANN!!¡±


    However, there was no answer to Sina¡¯s anguished cries.


    ***


    Juan shed the head of thest of the remaining Scouts. There were no longer any Scouts encircling the vige anymore. It wasn¡¯t too hard for Juan to kill the Scouts trapped inside the fog; some managed to escape, but Juan didn¡¯t bother going after them.


    As Juan gestured, the fog lifted from the air and melted into the gray cloak. Juan had relied on the gray cloak¡¯s power during the battle, yet he was still exhausted.


    Juan was victorious, but such achievement wouldn¡¯t have been possible without a few days of preparation. Dispersing the power from Grunbalde¡¯s gray cloak into the sky, and corrupting the ground to summon demonic ves. Even if Temrs hade, they wouldn¡¯t have been able to escape. It was an excessive amount of power to use on just the Order of the Blue Rose, but Juan had no regrets since the Order of the White Crow wasn''ting.


    Juan recalled the fog and traveled down the vige. Demonic ves wandering around broke down, turning into dust as the sunlight shone upon their body, and a light smoke arose from their remains. Among the dust of demonic ves were the corpses of the fallen knights of the Order of the Blue Rose¡ªtheir bodies were scattered everywhere on the vige square; some died trying to run away while the rest died fighting against the demonic ves.


    Walking through the corpses, Juan encountered Arwain. His armor was covered with scars, but still seemed intact.


    Juan contemted what to do with Arwain¡¯s Temr equipment. It would definitely help Juan if he absorbed it, but he felt that it would be a waste of equipment. While the Grace within the armor was crude and simple, it would be helpful for people other than Juan; Juan wasn¡¯t capable of making such equipment in his current condition.


    <i>¡®I¡¯ll just have to bury these somewhere.¡¯</i>


    Juanmanded Arwain to dig somewhere in the forest that was easy for Juan to remember and then ordered him to take off his armor. Soon after Arwain took off his armor, his body caught on fire and eventually turned into dust.


    Juan covered his remains with dirt and leaves.


    ¡°You¡¯ve done well, thanks.¡± It was the very first and the only time Juan would thank Arwain.


    Juan then returned to the vige square. The vige square was bloody, but time would take care of it. Sooner orter, the beasts would gather, drawn by the scent of blood.


    Juan forcefully turned his head toward the ce that he had been avoiding ¡ªhe had to check it onest time.


    His gaze paused at one spot. It was a spot where he expected to see Sina¡¯s corpse.


    However, Sina was standing there, still alive and looking like a copsing scarecrow.


    ¡°Si¡­,¡±


    Juan tried to approach her while calling out her name, but stopped.


    All around Sina were the corpses of the Scouts. Sina¡¯s own condition was not much better; she looked like a walking corpse. Her broken right arm was frayed with scars and arrow marks, almost as if she had used it as a shield. There were arrows stuck everywhere on her body; her left eye socket was empty, as if she pulled out an arrow from there.


    Nevertheless, Sina was alive and looked as if she was still capable of fighting.


    ¡°Sina,¡± Juan quietly called out her name.


    Sina slowly turned toward him. Sina¡¯s dried lips cracked as a smile appeared on her face.


    ¡°Your Majesty.¡±


    Sina slowly went down on her knees in front of Juan.

 Chapter 38 – Falling Petals (6)

    <h4>Chapter 38 ¨C Falling Petals (6)</h4>


    ¡°Ossrey, hang in there just a little longer. The Order of the White Crow will be here soon,¡± Sina said as she cut a demonic ve approaching her. It was still awkward using her left arm, which turned numb just from swinging it.


    Sina could feel her mouth drying and her throat tightening, but she couldn¡¯t stop fighting back even for a second. One after another, the approaching footsteps seemed like they would never stop, while Sina continued swinging her sword.


    ¡°I can still hear the sound of someone fighting. There should still be some knights holding out.¡±


    <i>nk!?</i>


    Suddenly, Sina¡¯s sword seemed to get stuck between bones. Flustered, she tried to pull out her sword, but it wasn¡¯t easy. Meanwhile, a demonic ve swung its short sword at her, but Sina blocked it with her right arm, resulting in a deep cut on the arm that was already dangling lifelessly. With the short sword still embedded in her arm, she mmed her body against the demonic ve and fell on top of it, stabbing its neck numerous times with her sword.


    ¡°We are the Order of the Blue Rose. We will never lose to such monsters.¡±


    As Sina was stumbling to stand back up, she heard the sound of something tearing through the air. Sina toppled down with a sharp pain in her neck as if it was broken.


    Although Sina couldn¡¯t see properly, she could locate her enemy from the direction of the arrow that pierced her body. Sina screamed, charging forward and stabbing her enemy with a sword and then returned to Ossrey in haste while half crawling.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to revive our hometown, don¡¯t you think?¡± Sina asked Ossrey.


    Sina btedly realized that there was an arrow stuck in her left eye. It seemed like it had been embedded in her outer cranium instead of inside of her head due to it being shot obliquely. After almost fainting from the tremendous pain in an attempt to pull the arrow out, Sina settled with breaking the arrow instead. Sina could feel the arrowhead rattling inside her cranium, but she roared as she flung the arrow shaft.


    ¡°We will survive and return together! Ossrey!¡±


    Ossrey never answered her calls.


    Sina¡¯s vision was blurry, and it was doubtful if she could even see clearly; her vision would at times turn red or, at times a faint gray. Sina would cut any moving silhouette she saw and block them with her right arm if she couldn¡¯t cut them. Her right arm looked more like minced meat rather than an arm¡ªin fact, the only reason she was still capable of holding onto her sword was due to the dry blood sticking the sword to her hand.


    ¡°...¡±


    Sina no longer spoke to Ossrey. To be urate, she couldn¡¯t part her bloody and dried lips. She could no longer see any moving silhouettes, but still swung her sword instinctively whenever the fog was swayed by the wind. She didn¡¯t know since when, but her other senses had be extremely active in response to her failing eyesight. Sina could feel the movement of the fog and the sensation of wind brushing against her body; she could even taste the blood mixed with the mist. Sina couldn¡¯t tell whether she was still alive or not.


    <i>¡®Maybe I¡¯m already dead and still fighting in hell.¡¯</i>


    Sina wasn¡¯t even sure if it was day or night anymore¡ªshe had long since lost track of time. It seemed like over a hundred years had passed since she heard Ossrey replying to her. Regardless, Sina couldn¡¯t let go of her sword. She felt as if someone was holding the sword for her as she lost all sensation in her hand. It was almost as if someone was swinging her sword to cut the enemies for her and helping her stay on her feet. Even though Sina shuddered not knowing who it was, it wasn¡¯t a bad feeling¡ªSina was in a zone. She recalled the words she received when she was kicked out of the capital.


    <i>¡®Youck faith in His Majesty.¡¯</i>


    Sina was still a knight in the distant memory,


    <i>¡®You can¡¯t be a knight with that mindset.</i>¡¯


    But right now, she was more of a knight than ever.


    Sina cut down another silhouette through the fog, and beyond the fog, a faint light brightened the surrounding.


    Sina struggled to look up; although she still couldn¡¯t see anything, she could feel bright sunshine instead of heavy fog and darkness. Someone was watching over her, and Sina instinctively realized that light was the warmth that had been guiding her until now. Sina¡¯s cracked lips automatically parted as she slowly knelt before the light.


    ¡°Your Majesty.¡±


    Sina tried to drop her sword, but her rigid muscles didn¡¯t allow it. Sina put her hands on the floor and bowed her head while holding a sword.


    ¡°I give my greetings to Your Majesty, the Emperor.¡±


    His Majesty didn¡¯t respond, but Sina wasn¡¯t disappointed. His Majesty never responded, only watched and guided; His Majesty¡¯s volitions were manifested through the knights of the empire.


    ¡°I¡¯ve tried my best to follow your will, but Ick the strength.¡±


    Sina didn¡¯t really believe any of this to be real. She thought that she was already dead and was finally meeting His Majesty¡ªnow it was time for her to receive the final judgment. Sina just felt calm and light-hearted. She felt that it was better for her to have died with herrades, since it would be cruel for her to have survived alone.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never been praised for being your foremost believer,¡± Sina admitted serenely.


    Sina had never earned the recognition of the Priests, Clerics, Bishops, Inquisitors, and Temrs¡ªall those that imed themselves to be the closest to His Majesty. They questioned Sina¡¯s faith and ostracized her values. Sina felt very confused.


    ¡°But I can confidently say that I have nevermitted anything shameful in your name,¡± Sina imed.


    Sina couldn¡¯t do any shameless acts. She was fully aware that she had betrayed her mother¡¯s expectations for her to join the imperial guards¡ªfrom being the most promising and talented individual to being reduced to a knight stationed at the borders.


    ¡°I await your punishment.¡±


    Sina couldn¡¯t tell if His Majesty cared, but she didn¡¯t mind.


    She didn¡¯t worship His Majesty while hoping for reward or punishment. She decided to ept His Majesty¡¯s silence as a punishment; however, His Majesty suddenly spoke.


    ¡°I¡ª¡±.


    Surprised at his sudden voice, Sina raised her head. It was unprecedented to hear His Majesty respond. The Clerics, Bishops, and even the Pope would only manifest His Majesty¡¯s volition through the movement of the stars, extreme changes in weather or the saintess¡¯s ambiguous prophecy.


    But His Majesty was clearly speaking in front of Sina, with the voice she had always imagined him to have.


    ¡°¡ªhave never shown my will to anyone.¡±


    Sina shook at his answer. If he had never shown his will to anyone, then the words and actions of the Church had been a lie all along.


    ¡°I have never told anyone to serve me, or distort my teachings. I have never told anyone to set viges on fire, nor did I tell anyone to praise me with the blood of the weak¡ªnone of this was my will.¡±


    Sina felt as if she had been struck by lightning.


    ¡°Your Majesty, then does that mean I¡­¡±


    ¡°However, that doesn¡¯t mean you have been serving a phantom,¡± the Emperor answered Sina before she finished her words, almost as if he knew what she was about to say.


    ¡°I simply wanted you all to live ording to your own will. You have done well and you are already a good knight. You are already bright and beautiful just the way you are, so continue being yourself.¡±


    Sina¡¯s eyes blurred. Throughout her whole life, she had been rejected by people she admired. Even the ones she cared about all left her. But at this moment, the apex of humanity, His Majesty had approved of her.


    ¡°What more can I say for you,¡± the Emperor muttered in pity.


    Sina, on the other hand, felt utterly odd.


    ¡°The night is approaching, and it will get so dark that you might suspect that nights until now had been nothing but twilight. But I want you to remain bright even in the darkest nights and be a light for those in need of help.¡±


    ¡°I will dly burn my body and be the firewood for the lighthouse for Your Majesty¡¯s sake.¡±


    ¡°Not for me,¡± the Emperor whispered softly.


    ¡°For those lost in the darkness.¡±


    ***


    Sina slowly opened her eyes to the sound of burning wood. She could see a dark sky above her, so dark that it felt as if being surrounded by the bright light just before had all been a dream.


    Sina realized that she was still alive as she felt the warmth of a woodfire on her right cheek.


    When Sina tried to stand up, she felt terrible pain throughout her body and screamed.


    ¡°You are so loud.¡±


    Sina¡¯s entire body was aching in pain, and every single cell of her body was throbbing.


    At that moment, Sina felt something entering her mouth¡ªa finger. Blood was dripping out from a long cut on the finger. Sina tried to spit out the finger once she realized she was drinking blood, but she couldn¡¯t put strength in her body.


    ¡°It¡¯s good for you, so just drink it.¡±


    Sina had no choice. Oddly enough, Sina felt the pain going away as she drank the blood dripping from the finger. It was only after a long while that Sina regained her consciousness to realize the finger was no longer in her mouth. Sina turned her head to find someone crouching in the dark. Sina had recalled the silhouette.


    ¡°Juan.¡±


    ¡°It took you two days to wake up. I was about to leave you if you didn¡¯t open your eyes today,¡± Juan answered.


    Juan was sitting at a distance where the warmth from the woodfire didn¡¯t reach. Sina tried to get herself up, but soon gave up; even putting aside the pain, her muscles convulsed whenever she put strength into her body. Sina searched for her sword, and saw her sword and equipment hanging on the tree nearby. That¡¯s when Sina realized she was naked.


    ¡°I had no choice but to treat you,¡± Juanined.


    Sina red at Juan, but didn¡¯t me him. Like Juan said, her body was filled with scars from burning and sewing skin together. Although it was roughly done, the treatment was definitely done properly.


    ¡°I thought you said that you were going to kill me,¡± Sina said.


    ¡°I said I wouldn¡¯t kill you with my own hands. I didn¡¯t think you would survive until the end.¡±


    ¡°...What about the other knights? Any more survivors?¡±


    ¡°No, just you.¡±


    Sina felt her eyes water even though she had already expected everyone to die.


    ¡°You should¡¯ve left me to die. I would have died on my own if you left me without treatment.¡±


    Sina had at least three to four fatal injuries as far as she could remember. If she had been left alone, she would have died in the vige square of excessive bleeding among herrades.


    Juan didn¡¯t answer.


    ¡°Did you save me to make me taste despair? Or was it to show me how helpless I am?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have the time to waste on a bad hobby of humiliating you.¡±


    ¡°Then tell me.¡±


    Juan didn¡¯t want to answer, but he knew Sina wouldn¡¯t let go of this topic until he gave her an answer.


    ¡°I¡¯m nning to use you as a messenger.¡±


    ¡°A messenger?¡± Sina questioned.


    ¡°Yes. Seeing that the Order of the White Crow didn¡¯te, it seems like the Temrs of the Order of the White Crow are unaware of how serious this situation is. If the Temrs had joined, maybe the Order of the Blue Rose wouldn¡¯t have been defeated so miserably. Don¡¯t you think that the Order of the Blue Rose would¡¯ve had a better chance to resist with their help?¡±


    While Juan was speaking, Sina fiercely moved her body in anger and fainted for a moment. When she had regained consciousness again, Juan was moving her body away from the woodfire.


    ¡°It feels like I¡¯m looking after a child ying near the cliff,¡± Juan said sarcastically.


    ¡°They were all honorable knights. Do not disrespect them.¡±


    ¡°Considering that they died on the battlefield, sure. I guess, there could be worse. Anyway, I spared your life because I needed someone to deliver my message to the capital.¡±


    ¡°If you think I¡¯ll be a messenger for a heretic, you¡¯re wrong.¡±


    ¡°Just listening to what I¡¯m saying now is enough. Those bastards from the capital will look into your head anyway. Go and tell them¡ª¡±


    Sina couldn¡¯t deny it. It was true that there were people in the capital that could use drugs and magic to do so.


    Juan bent his waist down to Sina, and his ck eyes with endless depth looked like an abyss even darker than the night sky.


    ¡°¡ªthat the emperor has returned. Tell them those who dared to use the emperor¡¯s title and distort his volition will be punished, that even death cannot wash away their sins. Tell them the traitors will meet not the benevolent emperor they remember, but the emperor full of anger and revenge. Tell them the emperor has returned,¡± Juan whispered with a bleak smile. ¡°Tell them the emperor has returned with his sword.¡±


    Sina remained in silence as she couldn¡¯t take her eyes off Juan. She was grasped by overwhelming power. She felt as if she was being held tightly in his fist just by looking at his eyes.


    Sina didn¡¯t bother to ask Juan who the emperor was, as Juan gave her the answer several times. Although Sina never affirmed, Juan¡¯s words were shaking Sina.


    The emperor she met in her dream said that he had never ordered his will to anyone. This meant that all those representing His Majesty¡¯s will at the capital could be lying.


    ¡°You are not His Majesty,¡± moaned Sina as she resisted; that was all she could do. ¡°His Majesty doesn¡¯t hold hatred. He knows the value of forgiveness and love,¡± Sina refuted as Juanughed at her.


    ¡°You know nothing. The emperor had always brought nothing but despair.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a lie. His Majesty gave courage to humankind that was suffering.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a lie. The emperor always brought the deepest despair to his ¡®enemies.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Do not distort His Majesty¡¯s will!¡± Sina shouted.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what more to say. I¡¯m only interpreting my own words,¡± Juan smirked.


    ¡°...There are still lots of people awaiting His Majesty¡¯s revival,¡± Sina retorted as she red at Juan.


    ¡°Of course there are. I saw them too.¡±


    ¡°You are definitely not the emperor they are anticipating. Of course, there¡¯s no way you really are His Majesty and I will never acknowledge it, but if you still im yourself to be the emperor¡­I can¡¯t leave you alone.¡± Sina red at Juan. She only had one eye left, but her re was even stronger than when she had both eyes. ¡°I will have no choice but to kill you to protect them from the despair you will bring.¡±


    ¡°I guess it can¡¯t be helped when you gain the ability to kill me,¡± Juan smiled in satisfaction.


    Juan reached his hand toward the left side of Sina¡¯s face. Sina struggled to avoid his hand, but her body was out of her control. The moment his hand covered Sina¡¯s left eye, she felt a burning pain.


    ¡°¡ª!¡±


    It was such tremendous pain that Sina couldn¡¯t even scream.


    Juan spent a long time scalding a big scar deep on the left side of her face. During the time, Sina repeatedly fainted and woke up several times while convulsing. Then finally, Sina foamed at her mouth andpletely lost consciousness.


    ¡°If you were the only one who survived again, the capital will definitely be hard on you. But they won¡¯t suspect you when they see that scar,¡± Juan murmured as he looked down at Sina¡¯s drooped body.

 Chapter 39 – Wind Blowing from the South

    <h4>Chapter 39 ¨C Wind Blowing from the South</h4>


    If anyone asked where the authority and power of the empirey, most people would point toward the capital of the Empire, the Holy City of Torra. Located within the Holy City of Torra was the Throne of Eternity, where the Emperor was enshrined. Although the Throne of Eternity was considered the empire¡¯s guiding light as well as a milestone, it wasn¡¯t a living authority.


    On the other hand, if utilitarians were asked the same question, they would point toward the ¡®Citadel of the Sun<i>,</i>¡¯ where the empire¡¯s Regent, Barth Baltic resided. Citadel of the Sun had the most powerful knight order in the empire. It was the empire¡¯s most powerful armed force.


    However, if those who enjoyed talking about the truth privately were asked the same question again, they would point toward the ¡®Vatican,¡¯ where the Church was located. The Church made the decisions regarding how the empire¡¯s citizens should think and act. They were a group that represented His Majesty, who was the savior and leader of humankind, and deputized his will. Although some people didn¡¯t believe this to be true, the Pope, Helmut Helvine, believed so.


    ¡°...Is there still no message from the Order of the White Crow?¡±


    Helmut was anxiously wandering around the corridor of the Vatican¡¯s terrace. Despite being over ny years old, his body had no difficulty moving at all. However, recently there had been some news that kept him awake at night.


    ¡°N-not yet, Your Holiness.¡±


    It was a question that had been asked repeatedly over a dozen times, but a young Priestess answered respectfully as she bowed her head.


    Helmut frowned and kicked the Priestess¡¯ face.


    The Priestess slumped to the floor, but soon hurried back down to her knees. Her face was already covered with bruises and she was missing a few of her teeth. As her blood dripped on the corridor floor, she quickly wiped it off with her sleeve.


    ¡°It¡¯s already been a few days! How can they still not send us a message!? The Order of the Blue Rose should have alreadye across that bastard by now!¡± the Pope bellowed.


    The Priestess trembled and once again bowed her head; it was all she could do. She had the ability to heal herself using Grace, but she knew that she would only get in more trouble if she healed herself in front of Helmut. She could only hope for this moment to pass by as quickly as possible.


    ¡°Your Holiness, a message from Captain Ethan Etil of the Order of the White Crow has arrived.¡±


    Finally, a voice to rescue the Priestess was heard.


    Helmut hastily ran toward the Priest that delivered the message.


    Meanwhile, after Helmut had left, some of her fellow Priests quickly came over to heal the Priestess.


    ¡°What does it say? Did they purge that bastard?¡± the Pope asked.


    The Priest handed the letter over to Helmut with a sour face.


    Helmut skipped over the flowery words andplimentary phrases that were automatically engraved, and swiftly read down the body of the letter. The body of the letter was short with only about two lines.


    [Change of course during the pursuit of heretic boy due to detection of the Order of Huginn activities.]


    That was the end of the message.


    Helmut almost cursed out loud. He hadmanded the Order of the White Crow to kill the heretic boy from Tantil. But, instead of following hismands, Ethan Etil, the Captain of the Order of the White Crow, had chased after the Order of Huginn.


    <i>¡®This son of a bitch, he did this on purpose!¡¯?</i>


    Helmut barely managed to stifle his curses. He was aware that there were many people who found fault with him due to the humble status that he originally came from.


    The Grace that bestowed the ability to send telepathic messages was instantaneous; there was no reason it would take so long to send such a short message. Although the bottom of the letter was filled with quite a few excuses, it was obvious that Ethan sent the letter muchter on purpose. He wanted to avoid Helmut¡¯s opposition to his pursuit of the Order of Huginn.


    ¡°Is there anyone who does their job properly?!¡± Helmut shouted, ripping the letter in pieces.


    Helmut had givenmands to many of the members of the Church including Bishop Rietto and Inquisitor Kato. But Kato¡¯s life and death was unknown, and there was no message from the Order of the Blue Rose. Helmut nervously bit his fingers.


    ¡°Your Holiness.¡±


    Helmut flinched upon hearing a voice with a deep and low tone across the corridor.


    Upon seeing who had arrived, the Priests quickly backed away and vanished.


    The Vatican strictly banned armor and weapons, but the new arrival was fully armed with armor and a sword.


    ¡°Are you still concerned about the prophecy?¡±


    The man was tall with long white hair hanging down. His muscr body was filled with scars, but what caught people¡¯s attention the most was his white cape with a sun drawn on it.


    ¡°Captain Pavan,¡± Helmut called out his name.


    Pavan Peltere was the Captain of the Order of the Capital.


    As the sun symbolized His Majesty, the only group that could use the symbol was the Imperial Guard. However, the Imperial Guard was deprived of the right to use the symbol after Winoa Weaver, the Captain of the Imperial Guards was found to be involved in the assassination of His Majesty. After that incident, the Order of the Capital under Great General Barth Baltic upied the right to use the symbol.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Your Holiness. I heard that the empire has been a messtely,¡± Pavan said.


    Helmut felt sick. The Pope held the empire¡¯s spirit and politics in his hand, but he couldn¡¯t look down on the Captain of the Order of the Capital; he practically represented Barth Baltic himself.


    ¡°His Majesty¡¯s Grace reaches far beyond my capability and many things happen out of my control. I can see that the noise has flowed into the Citadel of the Sun. It¡¯s not a big deal so there is no need to worry.¡±


    Helmut tried to equivocate, but Pavan was persistent.


    ¡°The Regent doesn¡¯t seem to agree,¡± Pavan answered.


    Helmut bit his lips upon hearing that Barth Baltic was paying attention to the incident. The only reason Helmut was able to dominate the affairs of the empire was that Barth Baltic did not have a major interest in politics. If Pavan working under Barth became ambitious to hold authority, Helmut¡¯s position would easily be unstable.


    While it was the Church that practically governed the empire, Barth Baltic was the one at the top of the power chain. Helmut didn¡¯t dare to make policies or ns against Barth no matter what, and had to bow his head to Barth¡¯s whims.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take a walk. Isn¡¯t it suffocating for Your Holiness to only stay in the Vatican?¡±


    ¡°...The Vatican is spacious enough.¡±


    Pavan started to walk past Helmut, and Helmut had no choice but to follow after him quietly.


    ¡°So, what was the prophecy again? I thought it started with ¡®The ck emperor¡­¡¯ or something like that.¡±


    ¡°...The ck emperor will appear from the south to color the wheat field gray. The dragon will wake, fallen gods will rise, the border will copse and the emperor will finally fall down the throne. It¡¯s what our Saintess cried outst month.¡±


    Pavan stared into the void as he chewed on Helmut¡¯s prophecy, then he soon let out augh and shook his head.


    ¡°Your Holiness, hadn¡¯t you already¡­hmm, expected the Saintess¡¯s prophecy?¡± Pavan derided. It was a gentle way to point out the fact the Pope had a history of manipting the Saintess¡¯s prophecies.


    The Pope¡¯s main job was to interpret and manipte all the omens ording to the imperial leader¡¯s taste; the Saintess¡¯s prophecy was no exception. The Saintess was forced to either prophet something she didn¡¯t even hear or distorted prophecies.


    Barth Baltic was well aware, but had been ignoring the truth as their collusion had continued from a long time before. As Helmut had no chance of winning against Barth, Helmut was a valuable resource for him.


    ¡°This prophecy is different,¡± Helmut said with his lips distorted.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, may I ask how it¡¯s different?¡±


    ¡°...First of all, I didn¡¯t make this prophecy up. There was an unknown fire at the southern Great ins, and then the colosseum in Tantil was burnt down. Even the Ash Tower copsed with a sudden downpour. The rumors say that Talter and Grunbalde had revived. All the prophecies areing true one by one.¡±


    Pavan quietlyughed instead of answering Hemut.


    Helmut realized that Pavan didn¡¯t believe any of it. But he couldn¡¯t me him. If he was put in Pavan¡¯s shoes, he would have alsoughed at such ims.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a coincidence. Your Holiness, you shouldn¡¯t let the Saintess sniff so much of that incense smoke.¡±


    ¡°...You¡¯re right. It seems like I¡¯m only getting overly cautious as I age.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a breeze passing by. We all witness odd phenomena in life, but don¡¯t you think the citizens will be agitated if the capital makes a big fuss over nothing?¡±


    Helmut sensed a strange feeling from Pavan¡¯s tone, causing his face to stiffen.


    The appearance of the malicious heretics or apostates gave an opportunity for the Church to unite and strengthen their power. Pavan suspected that Helmut was trying to use the recent incident to further expand the influence of the Church. Pavan thought that Barth¡¯s whims were somewhat included in Helmut¡¯s n. After all, it was Helmut¡¯s wits and sense of bnce that allowed him to be the Pope and continue coexisting with Barth for decades.


    ¡°...I will be more careful. Please let the Regent know of my words.¡±


    ¡°I am overwhelmed to see Your Holiness take my advice sincerely,¡± Pavan answered.


    Helmut quietly nodded his head. Although it was Pavan¡¯s misunderstanding to think he made up the prophecy, Helmut had no choice but to bow down and stay obedient. Barth and his Order of the Capital were arrogant enough to enter the Vatican while fully armed even when things such as armor and weapons were prohibited. But their arrogance was only natural; they had the power to back their arrogance. Temrs might be powerful, but they were no match for the Order of the Capital and imperial force.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get going then. I have nothing more to say since Your Holiness gave heed to my humble advice. May His Majesty watch over you.¡±


    ¡°May His Majesty watch over you.¡±


    Pavan turned back and headed out of the corridor even before Helmut could finish his farewell.


    Looking at his back, Helmut once again affirmed the determination he had already made a thousand times; that he would one day break Barth Baltic¡¯s horn off his head and shove it down Pavan¡¯s throat.


    While Helmut pretended toe off as obedient, there were two things he didn¡¯t tell Pavan. One was that the boy at the center of all these incidents had ck hair, and another was a new prophecy that the Saintess had heardst night.


    <i>[I have never told anyone to serve me, or distort my teachings. I have never told anyone to set viges on fire nor did I tell anyone to praise me with the blood of the weak¡ªnone of that is my¡­]</i>


    ***


    Sina woke up and opened up one of her eyes. She tried to open her left eye, but flinched when she felt the odd sensation of her coagted skin. Only then did realize that she had lost her left eye forever. Even His Majesty¡¯s Grace couldn¡¯t heal injuries seared with fire.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake.¡±


    Sina turned toward the voice. In front of her stood a short-haired female knight with a cold expression. Sina immediately realized she was a Temr from the Order of the White Crow as she recognized her silver white armor with the white crow symbol.


    Sina was in the barracks of the Order of the White Crow.


    ¡°How¡­?¡±


    ¡°We found you while we were searching for the traces of the Order of the Huggin. It seemed like all yourrades had already died. We could tell from the scene that you all fought back heroically. Imanded the bodies of the Laus Mountain Scouts to be retrieved with courtesy. Their bodies will be sent back to Tantil.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    Sina once again realized that all herrades had died, including Ossrey.


    ¡°Our Captain doesn¡¯t care much, but I personally would like to apologize,¡± the female Temr said as she bowed her head in front of Sina. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. We knew you needed help, but we couldn¡¯t afford to offer as we were on a mission to pull the roots of deeper sins. You can me us since we are also at fault for yourrades not being able to return.¡±


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s okay. I understand the circumstances you were under.¡±


    Sina would be lying if she said that she didn¡¯t resent them, but she had to admit that they had no choice. It was only natural for the Order of the White Crow to prioritize chasing after the Order of the Huggin over Juan. Juan was a heretic that only appeared recently, but the Order of Huginn was one of the groups thatmitted the major sin of participating in the assasination of His Majesty. It couldn¡¯t be helped that the Order of the Blue Rose was disregarded. After all, it was Sina and Haselle who decided to fight Juan even in the absence of the Order of the White Crow.


    ¡°My name is Kamil Kastorea, the Deputy of the Order of the White Crow. Feel free to call me Kamil and I¡¯ll try my best to provide convenience for you during your stay. We are still chasing after the Order of Huggin so it might not be the best environment for a patient, but we will drop you off in the nearest city,¡± Kamil said as she got ready to leave and give Sina some personal space.


    Looking at Kamil set to leave, Sina got confused.


    ¡°D-Deputy Kamil?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Do you have any more questions?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­that¡¯s exactly my question. Don¡¯t you have any questions for me? Perhaps about what happened between the boy and I or the conversation we had?¡±


    Sina had been on an inquisitorial trial in Tantil, just because she had a conversation with Juan. But this time, not only did Sina survive alone, but also had signs of treatment on her body. Yet Kamil was not interrogating her.


    ¡°I was nning to ask after you recover a little. We are focused on the pursuit of the Order of the Huggin anyway so we can¡¯t afford to pay attention to that incident. I did expect you to have some message to deliver considering that the bastard treated you, but you don¡¯t need to say anything.¡±


    ¡°May I ask you why?¡±


    ¡°All heretics have a forked tongue. Anything they say is not worth listening to.¡±


    Sina flinched at Kamil¡¯s words. It was as if she was telling Sina to snap out of being convinced over Juan¡¯s words. Sina¡¯s pupil was shaking.


    ¡°I can tell that you didn¡¯tmit any heretic actions by looking at the scar on your left eye. That bastard put in the effort to engrave an ancient rune on your skin. He wouldn¡¯t have left such a scar if you were a heretic. And, it¡¯s not really considered an insult to us,¡± Kamil added as she smiled at Sina.


    ¡°Did you say¡­a rune? Do you know what it says?¡±


    ¡°It means ¡®the emperor¡¯s watchdog,¡¯¡± Kamil answered.

 Chapter 40 – The Lawless City (1)

    <h4>Chapter 40 ¨C The Lawless City (1)</h4>


    Juan tilted his head as he looked around the city.


    He hadn¡¯t seen many cities before, but Hiveden, the first city he came across in the Laus Mountain, was definitely strange.


    Firstly, there were lots of demi-humans, including goat arles from the Scouts, elves, dwarves, and even ck-haired humans that seemed toe from outside the border.


    Not a single individual was casting a curious nce at Juan. Things would be different if he had exposed his gray cloak, but he made sure to keep it invisible.


    The city¡¯s scenery reminded Juan of Tantil at first nce, but not all arles seemed to be ves. They had light expressions and getting along well with others seemed to be natural for them.


    Furthermore, there were hardly any religious symbols in this city. Juan felt that it was quite peculiar. Byparison, in Tantil he could see the symbol of the emperor at every turn.


    <i>¡®But this city is definitely a part of the empire¡¯s territory.¡¯</i>


    However, this city didn¡¯t look like one where everyone lived in harmony and at peace. Frivolous swindlers ttered their coins and threatening-looking men walked around the street while bearing their weapons. Juan even saw drunkards lying in the alley even though it was still daytime, and children picking pockets.


    Nheless, Juan realized that everyone had one thing inmon¡ªthey were all armed.


    This allowed Juan to understand the reason for the light atmosphere; it would be hard for anyone to make amotion since they would have to risk getting stabbed if they didn''t watch what they said.


    Juan was quite curious as to why the citycked security, considering that the Order of the White Crow was located nearby. He soon found the answer to his question.


    ¡°Kid, watch where you¡¯re going.¡±


    A huge man almost bumped into Juan as he was walking by. Juan didn¡¯t need to worry about bumping into people even with his eyes closed, but the man looked offended by just brushing against Juan.


    Juan tried to ignore him, but then someone grabbed him by the shoulder.


    ¡°You got lucky, kid.¡±


    Juan lifted his head to look up. A cheerful young woman who didn¡¯t seem like she didn¡¯t belong in the city was looking at him. Behind her stood one young and one old man who seemed either to be her guards or colleagues.


    ¡°Lucky?¡±


    ¡°Yes. That man is dangerous. Do you see that red ax brooch on his cloak? It represents the Bloody Ax n. They are the most dangerous people in the city, so you better watch out for them wherever you go. There are rumors saying that the Order of Huginn is supporting them as well. You know who they are, right? Those scary¡­¡±


    Juan surveyed the woman from head to toe. She was flustered by his gaze, but soon smiled and held out her hand.


    ¡°You must havee from a long way outside the border. What¡¯s your name? Ah, my name is¡­¡±


    ¡°Juan.¡±


    The woman was yet again flustered upon hearing his name. Juan stopped paying attention to her and immediately approached the huge man that bumped into him a moment ago. The man stumbled and fell to the ground as he was unexpectedly struck.


    ¡°Keugh! W-what are you doing, you bastard!¡±


    ¡°Are you acquainted with the Order of Huginn?¡±


    ¡°What? What are you saying in the middle of the street¡­have you got an early death wish?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk for a second,¡± Juan smiled coldly.


    ***


    Hiveden was a city that was built without a proper n at the time of its construction. There were numerous ces just around the alley, where the light never reached and where even dead bodies wouldn¡¯t be found for a long time.


    Juan put his short sword into the sheath. Talter¡¯s short sword was faintly glowing red as if it was excited from drinking blood. Talter¡¯s short sword had the ability to drink blood without the owner having to clean it after use, which was an extremely satisfying function for Juan.


    <i>¡®The Order of Huginn, huh?¡¯</i>


    Juan was well aware of them since they were run under Ras Raud, Juan¡¯s youngest stepson. He didn¡¯t know the details, but he had heard that Ras was one of the Six Apostates who betrayed the emperor, and he had been cut off by Barth Baltic on his way to the empire from the south. That was all Juan knew. The problem was that this man was simr to Juan in that he didn¡¯t know much either. At the same time, this man had no rtion to the Order of Huginn. Although he deserved to die for all the crimes he hadmitted and which he confessed to Juan, Juan spared his life; however, he wouldn¡¯t be able to hold a spoon ever again for the rest of his life.


    Juan looked at the woman standing outside the alley and thought he had been deceived by a troublesome lie. Meanwhile, the woman looked at Juan with a pale face from the entrance of the bloody alley. Without showing any expression, Juan walked past her.


    ¡°Wait!¡±


    The young man who stood beside the woman tried to grab Juan¡¯s shoulder, but Juan brushed his hand off. At the same time, Juan pulled his wrist to make him lose bnce. By the time he was on his knees, Juan¡¯s short sword was already touching his throat.


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother me if you don¡¯t want to lose your fingers like him.¡±


    The only reason Juan didn¡¯t directly cut him was to avoid another irksome quarrel. In such a city where bloodshed is rather normal, small arguments ought to turn into a big fuss. The man¡¯s face turned pale.


    ¡°Well, it looks like we¡¯ve bothered you.¡±


    The old man stepped in front of the young man and raised the man¡¯s body with one hand. Juan put his short sword back into the sheath as he didn¡¯t intend to go out of his way and cut the young man.


    ¡°You should be smart enough to realize that this boy is not ordinary; he came all the way here from beyond the border at such a young age. Remember to be respectful to whoever it is you are speaking to,¡± the old man scolded the young man.


    ¡°...I¡¯m sorry, master.¡±


    ¡°You said your name was Juan, right? You have good insight suited for a good name. I¡¯m sorry, but would you mind listening to mydy¡¯s story?¡± The old man asked as he politely bowed his head.


    ¡°Why should I?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s important to mydy. It might be dangerous, but I don¡¯t feel the need to worry after seeing your skills. I assure you won¡¯t get into trouble and promise a good amount of reward. You should know how important money is if you want to reside within the empire, right? It¡¯s especially important in Hiveden.¡±


    ¡°Whatever it is, I don¡¯t care. Piss off.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you hear us out?¡± the woman said coldly, unlike the friendly tone she had earlier. It was obvious that this was her natural way of speaking.


    ¡°I don¡¯t wish to get involved with the nobles from the capital,¡± Juan answered as he shook his head.


    The woman¡¯s eyes sharpened.


    Juan had recognized her identity as soon as he met her.


    The clothes she was wearing had stains showing wear and tear, as if they belonged to an adventurer, but in fact, were made with an expensive material bought from all over the empire. They were even finished in a style unique to the capital. At the same time, the expensive-looking dagger at her waist had no sign of use, which was likely due to her guards protecting her. Furthermore, among the old man and young man behind her, the young man was holding a huge double-handed sword, but didn¡¯t seem to be much of a threat. On the other hand, the old man seemed more threatening.


    His leather armor was full of scratches and broken in. It wasn¡¯t hard to tell that he was a former knight who learned proper swordsmanship based on his well-developed muscles. Looking at his scars, a lot of them were from protecting someone in danger rather than scars caused by battle. Thus it could be inferred that he had worked for the nobles for a long time. Nevertheless, the old man appeared to be skilled, given the fact that he was still alive¡ªthough he seemed tock stamina.


    The main reason why Juan thought they were on a journey with a purpose rather than a noble¡¯s immature pic, was because of the woman¡¯s eyes¡ªthey were cold and calcting, and could find their way even in the darkest moments. Juan had known a person who had the same eyes as hers, and such a person didn¡¯t talk to strangers on the street for no reason. Having realized all of this at first nce, Juan had refused to be involved with her any longer.


    But he couldn¡¯t exin his reasons for rejecting their offer to the woman.


    ¡°Does everyone from outside the border act like a scared cat with their tail caught, just like you? If so, I should rethink my ns,¡± the woman said.


    Juan snickered as he was reminded of someone from her eyes and the way she talked. The woman frowned at Juan¡¯s smile.


    ¡°How about this, if you¡¯re not interested in money? You were wondering about the Order of Huginn, weren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Why? Do you know about them?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°How would I not know about the Order of Huginn when I came to Hiveden? I need to know everything I can about where I go and what Ie into contact with. I was just trying to scare you with that huge guy before, but I wouldn¡¯t have said anything if I knew you were looking for the Order of Huginn.¡±


    Juan crossed his arms together. Although he was annoyed by the woman, there was no reason for him to reject their offer if she could provide information about the Order of Huginn.


    ¡°Is the Order of Huginn in this city?¡±


    ¡°Are they here? Hah, this city has practically been their area ever since His Majesty died. I bet there are tons of nobles that don¡¯t mind mingling with the terrible heretics to avoid the nagging of the fanatics. This insane city was created by the noble¡¯s demands and all different kinds of interest groups. This city can¡¯t be reformed even if the Church tried because the nobles from the capital would be against it, not to mention the pigs from the Church taking bribes as well.¡±


    The old man and the young man turned pale at the words the woman spat out.


    Juan was amused; he had never seen anyone openly curse at the Church. Even Huxle and his party regretted it after cursing the emperor, and they were adventurers.


    ¡°Fearless, aren''t you?¡±


    ¡°I think I should be more afraid of getting stabbed rather than words, kid.¡±


    ¡°And you aren¡¯t afraid of getting stabbed? The Church will hang you.¡±


    ¡°Sorry to disappoint you, but I¡¯m quite well known in the capital for being a kinddy. I wonder which one of us the Church would hang; a noble of the capital or the young, lying murderer from outside the border?¡± the woman derided.


    Juan snickered. The way she talked was far from being polite, but she didn''t have a bad nature.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll hear you out,¡± Juan said.


    ¡°Now that I see, you¡¯re a good boy. But there is something you need to answer first. Why are you looking for the Order of Huginn?¡±


    ¡°Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°I want to avoid messing with the Order of Huginn as much as possible, so making a deal with you is risky for me as well. If you n to go against the Order of Huginn, it¡¯s hard for me to tell you anything,¡± the woman said as she ran her eyes through Juan with a wary expression.


    ¡°I¡¯m not nning to fight them,¡± Juan said as he swallowed the words ¡®for now.¡¯ He nned to listen to the reason why they betrayed him before he decided on his stance about them. But such a thing would only be possible if Ras was still alive.


    ¡°Obviously. No one expects you to fight the Order of Huginn; they can even take on the Temrs, you know. I¡¯m just concerned that this city might get involved in case there is some organization behind you. I don¡¯t want the empire¡¯s only free city to be ruined,¡± the woman scoffed.


    ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t like this city.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t. But its uniqueness makes it important. Plus, I need to visit here from time to time.¡±


    ¡°There is no one behind my back. I¡¯m looking for the Order of Huginn to visit someone I know.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll believe you, Juan. My name is Heretia. Now, I¡¯ll get to the point,¡± Heretia cleared her throat and approached Juan.


    Juan wondered what this noble from the capital could possibly be nning in thiswless city with her guards, and what role she wanted him to y for her. Until now, Juan had been asked to be a champion of the colosseum, the empire''s genius knight, and a talent to overturn the empire. And this time¡­


    ¡°I need a good-looking ck-haired boy for my n.¡±

 Chapter 41 – The Lawless City (2)

    <h4>Chapter 41 ¨C The Lawless City (2)</h4>


    Indeterminate Polyhedron.


    It had an odd name, but it was what Heretia was looking for. The item in question was a dark purple gem that was disproportionately carved and gave off an ominous vibe just by looking at it. There were even rumors that said the owners of the gem were all cursed after possessing it.


    ¡°The most well-known owner of the gem was Bishop Rietto. He acquired the gem, then he went insane. The next one to possess the gem was the owner of the Tantil colosseum, but he burned to death soon after selling off the gem. I heard the gem has now made its way over to Earl Henborn in Hiveden now,¡° Heretia whispered.


    ¡°There is even a saying that the very first owner of the gem was His Majesty the Emperor himself. Apparently, His Majesty was possessed by the gem after he found it during the war against the northern clique, which is why he did not see the signs of the Six Apostates'' betrayal.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s an interesting rumor.¡±


    Juan had never heard of the gem before, but if it was such a precious artifact, there would be no way he hadn¡¯t been aware. Juan guessed that the gem must have a short history.


    ¡°Why are you looking for such a horrifying gem?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be looking for it if it was just any ordinary gem. But that gem has a strange ability.¡±


    ¡°A strange ability?¡±


    ¡°It absorbs dark energy. It¡¯s not an ability for normal people like you to be interested in. But it¡¯s worth coveting when ites to the fanatic followers of His Majesty; they believe that they are surrounded by danger and darkness ever since His Majesty¡¯s holy body was enshrined. Although I feel like what they are thinking inside their head is much darker and twisted.¡±


    Just like Heretia said, Juan was not interested. He might have been somewhat interested if the gem contained power inside, but it was useless to him if it only absorbed energy.


    ¡°Why do you need me to get that gem in your possession?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°You are a good-looking ck-haired boy.¡±


    ¡°...Okay, and how does that help?¡±


    ¡°Because of the current owner of the gem who I mentioned before, Earl Henborn. Stop frowning; it¡¯s not as weird as you think. Earl Henborn and his family are the extravagant and profligate kind. They hold a banquet almost every week, and I have to approach them through that banquet so as to avoid their suspicion since I have no ties with them.¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°It just so happens to be that ck-haired boys are popr among the nobles of the capital these days.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Their scarcity due to them being from beyond the border where His Majesty¡¯s blessings don¡¯t reach, as well as the glory earned from taming the ck-haired people famous for their violence, as well as a few other reasons make them popr among the nobles of the capital. ck-haired people are countless times more valuable than tamed lions or ck panthers. And so, I was nning to bring a ck-haired boy to the banquet, but they were so hard to find that I was about to give up on it. I was even thinking of hiring a good-looking boy and dyeing his hair ck since it wouldn¡¯t be too dangerous anyway.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t be dangerous?¡± Juan asked in suspicion.


    ¡°Some crazy nobles might try to make you fight their ck panther, but I can just turn them down. Even if you end up having to fight, I don¡¯t think I need to be worried after seeing what you did to that huge man,¡± Heretia shrugged.


    Heretia was basically asking Juan to attend the banquet as her pet.


    ¡°Do you really expect me to consider your request?¡± Juan questioned, dumbfounded.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s a pretty good trade for the information on the Order of Huginn if you know how they are treated within the empire. Or is it because of your pride? Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re putting your pride too high?¡±


    ¡°I get to decide where I put my pride. I think we are done here.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± Heretia stopped Juan in haste just as he was about to turn around and leave.


    ¡°You can tell me if there¡¯s anything else you want. If money is the issue, I can provide as much as you need.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just find a suitable kid and dye his hair ck?¡±


    ¡°No, I feel like it has to be you. After talking with you so far, I can tell. You grew up in the capital, not beyond the border, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Juan raised his eyes, and Heretia nodded as if she knew she was right.


    ¡°You¡¯re not the only one who knows how to analyze people. I thought you talk the way you do because you weren¡¯t educated, but I was wrong. You are just in arrogant. You speak in a manner befitting of someone from the capital with no dialect and have a good vocabry. I can also tell you¡¯ve learned proper swordsmanship from the way you walk. I¡¯m sure you belong to some powerful family from the capital. Maybe an illegitimate child of a nobleman or something?¡± Heretia spat out her words, but then shook her head. ¡°No, you don¡¯t need to tell me who you are. What¡¯s important is that you are in that league; good enough to not embarrass me. I need you, so help me. That means the Helwin family will owe you a debt.¡±


    ¡°Mydy!¡± The old man tried to restrain Heretia, but she simply raised her hand to shut him up.


    ¡°The Helwin family?¡± Juan asked, breaking the silence.


    ¡°Let me introduce myself again. I¡¯m Heretia Helwin. You ought to know myst name anyway if you were to join me. I promise that my family will support you as much as we can if you join my n.¡±


    Juan stared at Heretia¡¯s face for a while.


    Heretia felt a little pressured from Juan¡¯s eyes thoroughly studying her, but she didn¡¯t look away.


    Meanwhile, the old man and the young man looked at Juan with an anxious expression.


    Juan noticed the old man was tightly grasping his sword to the point his hand got sweaty. While wondering his reason for showing such hostility, Juan noticed that he was also grasping his short sword, with the bloodthirsty spirit inside ready to burst out at any time.


    However, externally, he was simply standing with his hand ced on his short sword. The old man seemed to be the only person who read Juan¡¯s bloodthirsty spirit.


    ¡®<i>To kill him, or not to kill him.</i>¡¯


    Juan took quite a long time staring at Heretia before finally opening his mouth.


    ¡°...It must be a family tradition to be rude and stubborn,¡± Juan muttered.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll join. I owe a debt to the Helwin family anyway.¡±


    ***


    Juan was invited to the tavern where Heretia was staying. It wasn¡¯t big, but it was quite clean and cozy, unlike the city¡¯s atmosphere.


    As Heretia booked a room for him, she told him that she would cover all expenses and asked him to stay inside the tavern rather than wandering around the city.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be a problem if other nobles see you on the street and get greedy over you,¡± Heretia said just before she left Juan¡¯s room.


    The room was average-sized, which was a little big for Juan to use by himself. Juan felt strange sleeping on afortable bed as he had gotten used to sleeping on straw beds among the fleas or on a bare floor ever since he started his journey.


    ¡®<i>The Helwin family, huh?¡¯</i>


    Grand Duke Harmon, who was delegated to administer the internal affairs of the empire back when Juan was the emperor, also belonged to the Helwin family. To be more precise, he was an illegitimate child of the Helwin family and had been wandering around the ins after being shunned by his family. The emperor acknowledged his talent and entrusted him with the task of administering internal affairs. Although he wasn¡¯t popr among his colleagues due to his aggressive character andnguage, his political power in being able to dominate the local powerful families, business acumen in developing a framework forw and economy, as well as diplomatic power to connect the scattered people were outstanding.


    The emperor had onceplimented him for having the best talent among his colleagues, but now he was now one of the Six Apostates who took lead in the assassination of the emperor. Juan still had a hard time epting it.


    He couldn¡¯t believe that any one of the six people who were known to have betrayed him did what they had done; he even felt as if Gerard Gain stabbing him was either a dream or hallucination.


    Juan contemted whether he should kill Heretia or not.


    The fact that Juan owed a debt to the Helwin family made his decision-making more difficult¡ªwell he specifically owed a debt to Harmon.


    <i>¡®I don¡¯t know what to do.</i>¡¯


    Juan decided to ept Heretia¡¯s offer for now. If Juan wanted to get revenge, it wouldn¡¯t just simply end with a pool of blood. Juan nned to further think about it while apanying Heretia; he might be able to find out Harmon¡¯s reasons for betraying him. Furthermore, Juan was quite curious to know how the Helwin family got away with betraying the emperor.


    Juan examined mana condensed within his body while lying on the bed. The mana he collected through the gray cloak, Talter¡¯s mana, and Juan¡¯s own mana weren¡¯t fusing together. While mana separated like this was useful on its own, it made it difficult for Juan to demonstrate his natural power. But on the other hand, Juan felt that it might be better to leave it as it is, since the mana ought to be in the right ce.


    There were side effects, such as the time Tatler¡¯s mana was exploited, but Juan thought it mighte in handy one day. Juan decided to put some effort into trying to integrate all his mana into one.


    As Juan had lots of time, he decided to enjoy the break he was given for two days.


    ***


    Sina was swinging her sword on the Laus Mountain¡¯s north main road. The sweat on her forehead scattered across the ground. She hadn¡¯t been practicing her swordsmanship for too long, but her breathing was rough and her steps were heavy. Sina soon stumbled and toppled down with her sword stuck on the ground.


    ¡°...That¡¯s impressive.¡±


    Sina turned to the voice she heard from behind. There stood Ethan Etil, the Captain of the Order of the White Crow, as he watched her while stroking his chin. Sina quickly saluted him. Although Ethan wasn¡¯t her superior, it was a way of showing respect to one¡¯s seniors in swordsmanship.


    ¡°Do you normally swing swords with your left hand? Baltic Sword isn¡¯t really suitable for left-handed people.¡±


    ¡°I am right-handed, Sir,¡± Sina answered as she lifted up her right arm that was filled with scars from being pierced and stabbed wildly. Her arm was still broken with a splint applied to it.


    After looking at the traces of stitches and cauterization, Ethan realized she could no longer use her right hand.


    ¡°Pardon my rudeness. How long has it been since you started practicing your swordsmanship with your left hand?¡±


    ¡°...Ever since my right hand got injured, Sir.¡±


    ¡°That means it¡¯s only been around two weeks, hasn¡¯t it? Huh, that¡¯s pretty impressive. Although it seems a little off from Baltic Sword, you seem the best out of the left-handed knights I know. ¡°


    Sina agreed by nodding in silence. She had also noticed that the way she handled her sword was far from the standard Baltic Sword. But she was automatically drawn to move the sword with her left hand, unlike when she used the Baltic Sword. It was just like how she swung her sword back in the chaos in the fog.


    ¡°It¡¯s foundationes from Baltic Sword, but it¡¯s a little more sharp and violent. It looks simr to what the mercenaries call hands-on swordsmanship. It¡¯s almost the best of them all.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Sir.¡±


    Sina considered hispliment as hollow words tofort her for the injury on her right hand. Sina felt that she would never be able to regain her skills.


    ¡°Speaking of, I want to briefly test your skills. Kamil!¡±


    As Ethan called out her name, Kamil stepped out from standing behind him.


    ¡°Would you mind lightly sparring with Sina? I want to see how she fights with humans.¡±


    Both Kamil and Sina were baffled at Ethan¡¯s suggestion.


    ¡°Captain. I don¡¯t want to spar with a patient. If this is a joke, it¡¯s enough,¡± Kamil protested.


    ¡°I¡¯m not joking, I am genuinely curious. Hmm, let¡¯s see. Why don¡¯t you take off your armor and use wooden swords? We can¡¯t do much about His Majesty¡¯s Grace within your body but it shouldn¡¯t matter too much.¡±


    Despite Kamil¡¯s hesitation, Ethan gave them both a wooden sword. Only then did Kamil and Sina realize he was serious.


    Kamil took off her armor as she had no choice. Wearing just a shirt and shorts, she stood in front of Sina with an apologetic expression, while Sina was confused.


    <i>¡®Is he serious? Is he actually asking an injured person to fight a Temr?¡¯</i>

 Chapter 42 – Indeterminate Polyhedron (1)

    <h4>Chapter 42 ¨C Indeterminate Polyhedron (1)</h4>


    Sina was hesitant, but raised her wooden sword in the end. She was not the type to give up before even trying, just because she had a low chance of winning. Even if she had to end up with her left arm broken as well, she wouldn¡¯t turn down this spar.


    Kamil raised her sword high, ready to pin Sina. Such a stance wasn¡¯tmonly seen, but to those that made speed their weapon, it would be extremely familiar.


    Sina waited for Kamil to attack first; she was unable to attack first with her limping leg.


    Kamil breathed out a long and exasperated sigh, then charged at Sina as fast as lightning.


    At that moment, Sina¡¯s vision blurred.


    <i>Thak! Thwack!</i>


    ¡°Stop!¡± Ethan yelled at the same time as a short sound of impact.


    Both Sina and Kamil¡¯s eyes widened with surprise. Kamil¡¯s attack was blocked by Sina¡¯s wooden sword. At the same time, Kamil¡¯s attack was fast and heavy, causing Sina to drop her wooden sword with unbearable pain in her wrist.


    ¡°You saw that, Kamil? She can even withstand your attack.¡±


    ¡°...You¡¯re right,¡± Kamil answered.


    ¡°Sina, Kamil is well known for her speedy attacks among our knight order. It¡¯s very impressive that you were able to withstand her attack.¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s an honor, Sir,¡± Sina answered with a bitter smile. She knew how pathetic her disy really was. Kamil¡¯s attack didn¡¯t feel as fast as Ethan made it out to be, which made it clear that Kamil went easy on her. But Sina couldn¡¯t even handle Kamil going easy on her, and ended up dropping her sword.


    The only image that came into Sina¡¯s mind when she heard ¡®speedy attack¡¯ was the moment when Juan charged toward her.


    ¡°Focus on recovery for now, ande find uster if you n to continue honing your swordsmanship,¡± Ethan offered.


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°Our knight order happens to have a vacancy for a Temr at the moment, although we have yet to retrieve the equipment.¡±


    Sina initially couldn¡¯t understand Ethan¡¯s words, but soon realized that Ethan had offered her a spot among the Temrs of the Order of the White Crow. It was an overwhelming offer to simply consider as a kind act or a joke.


    ¡°Well, we¡¯ll get going now. See you next time.¡±


    Sina waved at them dumbfoundedly. She felt drained.


    Meanwhile, Ethan quickly erased the mischievous expression on his face when he was alone with Kamil. His fast steps up the hill with a serious look showed just how shaken he was.


    ¡°Kamil. Was your attack earlier serious?¡± Ethan questioned.


    ¡°Captain, Sina is a Knight of Honor. I would never go easy on her, even if she was injured.¡±


    Ethan heavily nodded at Kamil¡¯s words. Kamil¡¯s attacks toward Sina were so fast that even Ethan would find them difficult to block. However, Sina had immediately blocked two attacks in a row with ease, and she didn¡¯t even realize that she had done so.


    ¡°Sina Solvane. I seem to have some impression of this name,¡± Ethan muttered after pondering for a while.


    ¡°Have you met her before?¡±


    ¡°No. I had juste across her name while going through papers while I was looking for Celim¡¯s recement. Back then, she had good skills considering that she was aiming to be a Temr within the Holy City of Torra, but I remember her not being good enough to actually join the ranks of the Temrs. Just what does one have to experience to reach that level in such a short amount of time?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s certainly no ordinary experience, and neither is she an ordinary talent.¡±


    ¡°We need to get her to join the ranks of the Temrs in our knight order no matter what. Kamil, support her as much as we can for a proper recovery. She will definitely be better than punks like Arwain,¡± Ethan determinedly said.


    ¡°Yes, Captain. I¡¯ll be meeting the Bishop soon, so I¡¯ll ask for help with the treatment.¡±


    ¡°We will be needing lots of talented individuals, so we have to hurry. Sina is already impressive, but just imagine how amazing she would be with both hands,¡± Ethan said as he walked up the hill.


    Arge city came into his view; it was Hiveden, thewless city.


    ***


    ¡°How has Juan been? I figured that he wouldn¡¯t be the type to stay put in his room.¡±


    Two days had passed. Heretia had been busy ever since the morning in preparation to attend Earl Henborn¡¯s banquet.


    As Heretia asked, curious as to why there hadn¡¯t been any updates on Juan¡¯s condition, the younger of Heretia¡¯s guards, who had been in charge of keeping an eye on Juan, put on a concerned look.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that you took your eyes off him.¡±


    ¡°No, mydy. However, I did forget about him for a while¡­ after all, he hasn¡¯t left his room at all.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Um, never mind leaving his room, he didn¡¯t even ask for a bath or food, so I was thinking that I got an easy job. Oh, but he didn¡¯t run away. He was lying down on his bed whenever I opened the door, so I just assumed that he was tired¡­¡±


    ¡°You idiot! Why are you telling me this just now!¡± Heretia yelled as she kicked the young man in the shin. She stopped putting on makeup and ran to Juan¡¯s room in haste.


    ¡®<i>He did seem like he was not used to such a luxurious tavern, but he didn¡¯t even eat?</i>¡¯


    Heretia felt that it would be quite frustrating if Juan got sick or suddenly died in his bed at such a time. She charged into Juan¡¯s room without even knocking.


    ¡°Juan!¡±


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Innread dot".


    What Heretia encountered was Juan calmly answering her, rather than his corpse. Juan was standing beside the bed and getting ready to leave, looking exactly the same as the time Heretia had first met him.


    Heretia took her eyes off Juan, who seemed neither starved nor sick, and red at the young guard beside her. The guard seemed dumbfounded, but Heretia decided to focus on something more practical.


    ¡°Are you going to attend the banquet looking like that?¡± Heretia asked.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Juan¡¯s appearance was close to that of a refugee. He wouldn¡¯t be particrly noticeable in thewless city of Hiveden, but Heretia couldn¡¯t bring him to the banquet of a nobleman looking the way he currently did.


    ¡°Stay right there. I¡¯ll get my maids right away.¡±


    Not long after, Juan walked out to the tavern¡¯s hallway with a dissatisfied look. Juan felt as if thest hour had been nothing but torture after being bathed, getting his hair washed, being perfumed, and having his skin cared for. Juan wasn¡¯t used to such an ufortable experience; back when he was the emperor, the servants immediately bowed their heads at even the slightest show of difort from him.


    ¡®<i>I guess there was one person I did experience this with¡­ Harmon.¡¯</i>


    Juan recalled an experience of being forcibly grabbed by Harmon and having his hair brushed before he had to give a public speech. The only difference this time, the experience was a hundred times more annoying.


    In many ways, Juan seemed to be getting entangled with the Helwin family. He thought he had been much more at peace when he had to fight in the colosseum or when he fought against Arwain.


    ¡°Are you satisfied now?¡± Juan said with a frown, wearing the clothes that Heretia bought for him.


    From the moment Juan appeared, the maids whispered nonstop about something with their mouth covered with their hands. Heretia¡¯s pupils shook for a moment, but soon surveyed Juan¡¯s body from head to toe. She seemed utterly satisfied.


    ¡°It¡¯s perfect! I knew that I had a good sense of fashion.¡±


    Juan was wearing a ck suit-like uniform. He hadn¡¯t been measured, yet Heretia knew his exact height and size. Juan¡¯s long bobbed hair was oiled and neatlybed. Heretia approached Juan to get a closer look.


    ¡°I did have faith in my good eyes, but I didn¡¯t think I was this good¡­ people would think of you as a great noble if you had a lighter hair color. All women in the empire might end up falling for you once you grow taller.¡±


    Juan looked back at Heretia with a disgusted look, but Heretia pped her hand with disregard.


    ¡°Great! Keep that look on your face as long as possible. The more violent you look, the more nobledies will go crazy over your rarity. Well-tamed beasts ought to be popr.¡±


    Juan gave up on taking his anger out on Heretia. She reminded him of Harmon; Neither of them looked back when trying to achieve their goals.


    ¡°...Must you really do this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s better than looking like a beggar. Plus, it helps to win Earl Henborn over since he likes fancy things, not to mention that this will also be saving face for me.¡±


    Juan thought attending the banquet was a cheap price to pay back his debt to Harmon at first. But after experiencing all this, he started to think otherwise.


    Heretia finally attached a fancy ornamental sword to Juan¡¯s waist as a cherry on top.


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°The nobledies¡¯ taste. Everyone is limited to only one guard at the banquet.¡±


    ***


    Unlike otherwless areas in Hiveden, Earl Henborn¡¯s mansion was located on a hignd in the north. His mansion was filled with clean and fancy buildings, spacious parks with neatly maintained trees, and closely monitored security personnel.


    In reality, this ce was filled with the leaders of the dark organizations that controlled Hiveden, the nobles who colluded with them, and the merchants who made money off of the fraudulent practices. Such people were gathered together to enjoy the banquet in front of Juan¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Oh my, look at him.¡±


    ¡°Wow, huh? I¡¯ve never seen such dark hair before¡­¡±


    ¡°Where did that boye from¡­¡±


    Just as Heretia had expected, Juan caught everyone¡¯s eyes in the banquet as soon as he appeared. The nobles couldn¡¯t take their eyes off Juan while whispering to each other nonstop.


    Meanwhile, Juan found such attention ufortable. He even thought being forced into taking a bath and getting his nails done was better than this.


    Juan could see a few others that were in the same situation as him.


    They all had ck hair, but it was lighter or mixed with a different color. None of them was younger than Juan, nor did any of them have ck eyes to go with their ck hair. Juan even felt jealous gazes being cast toward himself as he had stolen all attention of the banquet.


    ¡®<i>Are they serious?</i>¡¯


    Juan was speechless at their jealous gazes. His only mission was to behave well and stay put until Heretia was done with her business as she had told him. Fortunately, Juan had quite a few banquet experiences.


    Heretia acted in an elegant manner regardless of the jealous gazes toward her. However, the party organizer couldn¡¯t leave someone who hogged all the attention of the party alone. Shortly after, Earl Henborn approached Heretia.


    ¡°Lady Helwin! Thank you for attending my banquet. I wee you!,¡± Earl Henborn weed Heretia.


    ¡°It¡¯s a splendid banquet you hold, Earl Henborn. Much fancier than the ones you see within the capital.¡±


    ¡°Well, there are lots of old-fashioned pigs within the capital. Anyway, you have brought along a magnificent boy with you. He seems to be a good breed.¡±


    Juan slightly raised his eyebrows at the Earl¡¯s words. He got a rough idea of what the leaders of the empire thought of the Demi-Humans or any others thate from outside the empire, calling humans a ¡®breed.¡¯


    ¡°It did take me a long time to train him, but he has a good nature,¡± Heretia answered.


    ¡°I can already tell that the Helwin family has excellent eyes at a nce. I bet he will be mentioned in my banquets for a while. If there is a chance, I would really appreciate it if you could allow me to crossbreed him with one of mine. I will pay you as much as you want for his sperm. I would really like to have one like him myself.¡±


    Heretia ced her hand over Juan¡¯s hand, as she noticed that he had ced his hand on the ornamental sword. Earl Henborn was yet to notice his subtle movement.


    ¡°It would be an honor, but he is still a young boy. I will let you know if I get the chance in the future.¡±


    ¡°I will be looking forward.to hearing from you. Please do enjoy the banquet,¡± Earl Henborn said.


    As Earl Henborn bowed politely and tried to leave, Heretia slightly covered her mouth with a teacup.


    Earl Henborn paused for a moment since he couldn¡¯t leave without ady¡¯s reply. It was also an unspoken message implying there was something more to talk about.


    ¡°Now that I think about it, I have heard that the Earl has also acquired quite a valuable item recently.¡±


    Earl Henborn¡¯s eyes narrowed.

 Chapter 43 – Indeterminate Polyhedron (2)

    <h4>Chapter 43 ¨C Indeterminate Polyhedron (2)</h4>


    ¡°I thought I made sure to keep the news under wraps, but the Helwin family seems to be quite well connected. The item is only passing by my hands; it¡¯s meant for someone else.¡±


    ¡°What a lucky person. I don¡¯t intend to make you feel ufortable, but it¡¯s just that we have heard something concerning.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the Helwin family to be interested in such an item. Alright, I will hear you out. But since we are in the middle of the banquet, let¡¯s talk about itter. I¡¯ll arrange a room for us to talk in a little while,¡± the Earl sighed after staring at Heretia for a moment.


    Heretia slightly nodded.


    Meanwhile, Juan let out a deep sigh after Earl Henborn left, and Heretia tapped his shoulder. He sat down on a chair nearby, almost as if he was too tired to even stay standing.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Heretia whispered.


    ¡°Promise me that you won¡¯t say anything when I cut off his head after you¡¯re done with your business.¡±


    ¡°...Let¡¯s not do anything reckless now. I¡¯ve been thinking that I want to maintain a good rtionship with you rather than Earl Henborn. You should remember that Earl Henborn is the lord of Hiveden and the one who manages all the gangs here.¡±


    Juan let her warning fall on deaf ears. He had already made up his mind on what to do with Earl Henborn.


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t you have just gone up to him and suggested ¡®let¡¯s talk¡¯?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the way of the nobles. Our way is to run into each other by coincidence at a simple social gathering, and talk about business as if that wasn¡¯t the primary intention in the first ce. Only after repeating that process three to four times do the business talks really begin. But I¡¯m in a rush, so I¡¯m nning to end it here at once.¡±


    ¡°I hope everyone dies,¡± Juan said as if he genuinely meant it. ¡°Things were so much more simple back in the day.¡±


    ¡°You sound like an old man. I¡¯m sure things weren¡¯t that different in the border area either. Or maybe you just didn¡¯t know.¡±


    Juan wanted to deny it but then realized that it would be difficult topare his case to that of ordinary people. When he was the emperor, all kings and nobles would submit and kneel whenever he made an appearance; Juan¡¯s words weren¡¯t suggestions, but orders to them.


    <i>¡®Maybe these processes were conducted behind my back.¡¯</i>


    Tradition wasn¡¯t easily created, nor was it easily changed. Juan decided to respect Heretia¡¯s ways.


    At that moment, amotion came from one side of the party to draw everyone¡¯s attention. A small girl about the same height as Juan was surrounded by other girls, as she was looking at Juan with shy eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Earl¡¯s daughter,¡± Heretia informed Juan.


    Juan had a bad feeling about this. The other girls around her were whispering to the small girl, almost as if they were urging her to do something. The other girls forcibly brought the daughter of Earl Henborn in front of Juan.


    ¡°W-would you like to dance with me?¡± the girl said hesitantly, her eyes closed tightly out of embarrassment.


    Only then did Juan understand why she was acting shy. At the same time, Heretia was a little surprised but soon snickered.


    ¡°See? Didn¡¯t I tell you that all women will fall in love with you,¡± Heretia whispered.


    ¡°Shut up.¡±


    To dance with Juan required the approval of his owner. After all, Juan¡¯s position in this banquet was not much different from that of the pet.


    However, the Earl¡¯s daughter couldn¡¯t take her eyes off of Juan. Her rosy cheeks and hazy eyes clearly indicated that she had fallen in love with him.


    ¡°Do I have to ept her dance?¡±


    ¡°That would be preferable, but you don¡¯t have to, since I¡¯m the one that gets to decide whether you can dance with others. But do make sure to reject her gently¡­¡±


    Even before Heretia could finish what she was saying, Juan took the Earl¡¯s daughter¡¯s hand. The girl flinched as their hands touched, but Juan didn¡¯t let go of her hand.


    ¡°It would be an honor, mydy.¡±


    Juan led her to the middle of the dance floor. On the dance floor, there were other servants like Juan dancing with their owners or with those that asked for permission from their owners.


    Heretia stared at Juan¡¯s back in astonishment. She felt that there could be no way that Juan knew how to dance while following the proper etiquette. But her concerns were soon proven to be unnecessary. Everyone¡¯s attention was still aimed at Juan. Heretia felt a little bitter, thinking that she had never received such attention even in her birthday parties.


    Soon enough, Heretia reced the Earl¡¯s daughter as Juan¡¯s dance partner.


    ¡°...When did you learn to dance?¡±


    ¡°I thought I might need the skills at some point in life, so I learned it. It wasn¡¯t that different from learning swordsmanship.¡±


    Heretia recalled Juan¡¯s dance moves. Although it seemed Juan didn¡¯t know about the current trends, his ssical yet elegant moves captured the eyes of even the musicians. Before anyone knew it, the musicians were adjusting their rhythm ording to Juan¡¯s moves. By the end of the second piece, the stage had turned into Juan¡¯s solo performance. Partners were changed each time a piece ended, but Earl¡¯s daughter wished to keep dancing with Juan.


    However, regardless of her wish, Heretia took the spot of Juan¡¯s dance partner with her authority as his owner.


    ¡°Not bad. You continue to amaze me.¡±


    ¡°You told me earlier that women are attracted when men show their unexpected sides.¡±


    Heretia was on the verge of raging out on Juan, but stopped; she had no idea why she was so upset. She didn¡¯t want to waste her emotions and time on such a small boy, but she couldn¡¯t help feeling irritated.


    ¡°Are you going to continue dancing?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do as you say, so just give me orders. I won¡¯t be following any of them starting from tomorrow anyway.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s lots ofdies in line for you, so just deal with them moderately. But you don¡¯t need to deal with all of them. Find your way out after a while and I¡¯ll take care of it after that,¡± Heretia whispered as she pretended not to feel apologetic.


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Finally, the piece ended. Juan and Heretia separated from each other and moved on to their next partners.


    At the same time, almost as if she had been waiting for the piece to end, the Earl¡¯s daughter grabbed Juan¡¯s hand. Her hand tightly clenching Juan¡¯s clearly showed her intention to not let other girls have him.


    ¡®Well, that¡¯s it for more partners.¡¯


    As Juan politely lifted his head up, he located a familiar face within the crowd while looking over the shoulder of the Earl¡¯s daughter; it was Anya. Anya was wearing a dress like any other ordinarydy, unlike her usual leather clothing. She was also staring back at Juan with perplexed eyes as she had also recognized him.


    The next piece began. Even though Juan was moving his body reflexively, he kept monitoring Anya. Juan could sense that she was hiding weapons under her dress. It was only after dancing three more rounds with the Earl¡¯s daughter that Juan was able to leave the dance floor.


    As soon as he escaped the Earl¡¯s daughter, Juan immediately approached Anya, but he stopped as she tried to run away with a flustered look. He couldn¡¯t do anything that might bring trouble to Heretia. That was his only mission today.


    Anya soon disappeared into the crowd.


    ¡°Where were you going all of a sudden?¡± Heretia said as she chased after Juan. When Juan left the stage, Heretia expected him toe toward her, but Juan had been going in a different direction instead.


    Juan red at the direction in which Anya disappeared into the crowd, but soon shook his head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    At that moment, a young man approached Heretia and Juan with his face red as if he was already drunk. He red angrily at Juan as their eyes met.


    ¡°What are you looking at, kid?¡± the young man growled.


    ¡°Sir Kelmori. What brings you here?¡± Heretia answered him before Juan could retort.


    The young man called Kelmori looked at Heretia without a response and then turned his head with a scoff.


    Juan¡¯s eyebrows twitched at his rude attitude.


    ¡°He¡¯s the fianc¨¦ of Earl Henborn¡¯s daughter,¡± Heritia hastily whispered.


    It didn¡¯t take long for Juan to understand Kelmori¡¯s rudeness. Earl Henborn¡¯s daughter, who was also his fianc¨¦e, could practically be considered the heroine of the banquet, as the banquet was organized by Earl Henborn. Kelmori was supposed to be the center of attention, and yet Juan had stolen his spotlight, not to mention his fiance¡¯s heart as well. Furthermore, the kid¡¯s owner was a noble he couldn¡¯t evenpare himself to, which meant he couldn¡¯t even take his anger out on the kid.


    <i>¡®What a poor mass of inferiorityplex.</i>¡¯


    That was the end of Juan¡¯s description of him.


    ¡°Hmph, a barbarian imitating a civilized man¡­¡± Kelmori snorted.


    ¡°Sir Kelmori. If you have something to say about my servant, tell it to me directly.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, mydy. I was just afraid that bringing a barbarian to the banquet might degrade both the banquet as well as your name.¡±


    ¡°Oh my, I wasn¡¯t far-sighted enough to consider that. Thank you for your concern. I¡¯ll be more than happy to share your kind concern with Lady Elemour and Lady Lind. I¡¯m sure they would be very appreciative of you if they knew how their servants were being judged in public.¡±


    Kelmori frowned at Heretia¡¯s words. He was drunk, but he still recognized the names Heretia had just mentioned. Both thedies had ck-haired servants, and came from families that held a powerful influence over the Earl Henborn¡¯s family. If Heretia delivered those words, Kelmori would be forced to bow his head and apologize.


    However, Heretia did not intend to do so, as she didn¡¯t want to create a rift between Earl Henborn and herself when she was in the position to make a deal with him.


    But Kelmori didn¡¯t know this, and so he had no choice but to back off. Even as he ran away, he decided to provoke Juan in an attempt to make up for his ego.


    ¡°What a coward to hide under ady¡¯s skirt¡­ his size perfectly fits the skirt, huh? I bet he even keeps you satisfied under the banquet tables.¡±


    Heretia kept a smile on her face regardless of his biting remark, as she had many ways to retaliate against himter on; she was a skilled politician.


    On the other hand, looking at Heretia not even flinching, Kelmori turned around and snorted.


    ¡°Disgusting apostolic family that only survived by kissing the Pope¡¯s ass¡­ They should¡¯ve pulled your family out by the roots¡­¡±


    This time, Juan moved before Heretia could even part her lips in reply. Juan kicked Kelmori in the shin as he was backing away. Suddenly losing his bnce, Kelmori spilt his wine all over his face and fell to the floor.


    Everyone¡¯s attention was drawn to the sound of the wine ss shattering, and Kelmori¡¯s face turned red with embarrassment due to the embarrassing situation.


    ¡°W-what have you¡­¡±


    Kelmori stuttered as he looked at the small boy standing in front of him.


    Juan coldly looked down on Kelmori, and threw the white glove that he was wearing at Kelmori¡¯s face.


    <i>p!</i>


    The glove was thrown so hard that Kelmori¡¯s head turned to the opposite side.


    Juan didn¡¯t stop there, and threw his other glove as well.


    .


    ¡°The times have changed but dirty bastards like you still remain.¡±


    ¡°You-what, f¡­ Do you have a death w¡­¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s duel, you trash. No servant is going to stand and do nothing while their owner¡¯s reputation gets dragged through the mud.¡±


    Kelmori dumbfoundedly stared at Juan, as if he couldn¡¯tprehend what was going on. The whole banquet fell in silence.


    ¡°Juan, your way of requesting duels was abolished forty years ago. This punk probably doesn¡¯t even know that such a tradition existed. If you want to handle the problem with a duel, you would need to file awsuit with the Church. You can only duel under the watch of a Priest once the Church approves it,¡± Heretia whispered as she approached Juan in haste.


    ¡°What? Then how does one regain the tarnished reputation of theirdy?¡±


    ¡°All you can do for now is to beat the heck out of the offender.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    Juan knew exactly what he had to do. He swung his fist at Kelmori, who was still nkly standing.

 Chapter 44 – Indeterminate Polyhedron (3)

    <h4>Chapter 44 ¨C Indeterminate Polyhedron (3)</h4>


    ¡°I thought this was the only thing that has gotten simplerpared to the past.¡±


    Heretia red at Juan, who was wiping off his bloody fist with her handkerchief.


    Meanwhile, Kelmori was screaming and threatening to kill Juan after Juan had punched him and broken his nose.


    However, no one was paying attention to the man screaming with a bloody bandage covering his face.


    ¡°Stop pretending like you didn¡¯t understand what I really meant. I know you intentionally punched him,¡± Heretia scolded.


    Juan avoided Heretia¡¯s gaze and yed innocent. Heretia had only been speaking metaphorically when she said to ¡®beat the heck out of the opponent,¡¯ as there was no other way to regain the tarnished reputation of thedy at the moment. However, Juan pretended to understand her words literally.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be impossible to avoid a duel,¡± Heretia muttered with a serious expression.


    ¡°I thought duels weren¡¯t allowed?¡±


    ¡°Legal duels aren¡¯t allowed; however, a simple spar is okay as long as you have the opponent¡¯s consent. But you won¡¯t be protected byw in case the opponent gets seriously injured or ends up dying. You would be treated the same as a typical assant or murderer.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just a brawl then.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what we call duels nowadays. It¡¯s really hard for me to understand where youe from. One second youe off as a kid from the capital, then the next second youe off as a clueless barbarian¡­ Or maybe even someone who used to live during the time when His Majesty established the empire,¡± Heretiained.


    Meanwhile, Kelmori had gotten first aid; his face covered with the bloody cloth and bandages was a sorry sight. He was still angry at Juan, and was screaming at his servant to bring his sword.


    ¡°A duel can¡¯t be avoided, considering that he was humiliated by a servant in front of the whole crowd. Thinking about it now, it might be for the best,¡± Heretia said.


    ¡°What do you mean it¡¯s for the best?¡± Juan looked at Heretia quizzically.


    ¡°If you can, take your time and drag out the fight for as long as possible. That way, everyone¡¯s attention will be focused on the both of you, and in the meantime, I can meet up with Earl Henborn without rushing,¡± Heretia answered. She looked at Juan and asked, ¡°Kelmori has been trained in proper swordsmanship. Do you think you can handle him?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ Didn¡¯t you say there would be no danger in helping you with your n? I think using a sword would be considered dangerous,¡± Juan shrugged.


    ¡°I personally think that you asked for this. But if you don¡¯t want to fight, I¡¯ll apologize and pacify Kelmori.¡±


    ¡°Okay, don¡¯t ever do that.¡±


    ¡°I knew you would say that. By the way, you mustn¡¯t kill him.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a difficult request.¡±


    Kelmori huffed and approached Juan. His already drawn sword was thin and splendidly decorated, but its edge was nevertheless sharp. On the other hand, Juan held out a blunt imitation sword that almost had a round edge rather than a sharp one. Juan¡¯s sword was bound to break like ss if it met Kelmori¡¯s sword.


    ¡°Duel? A duel, you said? Fine, you little punk. It looks like you¡¯ve only dealt with animals in a barbard, but I¡¯ll teach you what a real duel is! Come out here right now!¡± Kelmori screamed.


    Not only did he scream at Juan, but he also shouted at Heretia with bloodshot eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t think about interfering, mydy! It will be less painful for him this way than reporting him to a Priest!¡±


    Kelmori said as he stormed out to the garden without waiting for Heretia¡¯s reply.


    Juan chuckled and followed behind Kelmori. When Juan turned his head, he could see Heretia waving her hands at him, then immediately taking off.


    ¡®<i>This feels a little strange.¡¯</i>


    Juan noticed Earl Henborn¡¯s daughter looking at him with a nervous look amongst the crowd surrounding him. She looked confused, as if she didn¡¯t know whom she should cheer for between Juan and her fianc¨¦, but her gaze was more often directed toward Juan than Kelmori.


    ¡°You¡¯ll understand what a duel is after bleeding like a dog! I will teach you some manners!¡± Kelmori shouted as he violently shook his sword up in the air.


    Juan sighed. There wasn¡¯t a single duel involving Juan where the opponent hadn¡¯t ended up dying. It was certainly going to be a difficult duel.


    ***


    Taking advantage of everyone¡¯s attention being focused on the duel, Heretia headed to Earl Henborn¡¯s office. She was concerned that Earl Henborn might attend and observe the duel, but he was nowhere to be seen amongst the crowd. Although Heretia hadn¡¯t received a message from the Earl yet, she was certain he was in his office, as she had asked one of the servants.


    ¡®<i>Maybe he is having a meeting with someone else first.¡¯</i>


    As the Lord of Hiveden, it wouldn¡¯t be strange no matter who he had a meeting with.


    As Heretia was walking down the hallway to get to Henborn¡¯s office, she noticed two people standing by the terrace. One of them was Earl Henborn, while the other was someone Heretia hadn¡¯t seen at the banquet, but it didn¡¯t take long for her to recognize him.


    <i>¡®The Order of the White Crow? He seems to be a Captain¡­ is he Ethan Etil? What does he have to do with the lord of Hiveden?¡¯</i>


    Their conversation was hard to overhear as they were talking very quietly. Heretia quickly began her analysis. There had been chaos in the south recently, and even the activity of the Order of Huginn had been detected. It wouldn¡¯t be strange for the Order of the White Crow to ask Hiveden for support, as it was an area where the Order of Huginn had a powerful influence. Heretia figured that he was likely requesting permission to conduct a search or an inspection.


    <i>¡®That¡¯s going to be difficult.¡¯</i>


    Attempts to request support from Hiveden had often been made even before this. Yet, no matter how powerful the Order of the White Crow and their Temrs were, Hiveden¡¯s strength was much greater. The nobles who had their hand in Hiveden¡¯s business often bribed and suborned the Priests to limit the movement of the Order of the White Crow.


    As Heretia expected, Earl Henborn¡¯s and Ethan Etil¡¯s expressions were uneasy. It seemed like Ethan was continuously requesting for something, but Henborn waved his hand dismissively and backed away. Ethan came out into the hallway with a disappointed look on his face, although it didn¡¯t seem like he had held high hopes in the first ce.


    Heretia walked past Ethan and deliberately pretended not to see him. Ethan inadvertently moved to greet her, but soon turned his head in the other direction and walked past her as if he had remembered something. In the world of nobles, it was amon courtesy to pretend not to recognize others that you ran into when you were going to talk about business.


    ¡°You must have had a tough conversation,¡± Heretia said.


    When Heretia got to the terrace, she saw Earl Henborn frowning with a pipe in his mouth. He quickly put away his pipe as he btedly noticed Heretia.


    ¡°You can continue smoking. It seems like you are in a predicament after the previous conversation. You have to be at ease to talk about business.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate your consideration, Lady Heretia,¡± Henborn said as he smiled bitterly and put the pipe back in his mouth again. ¡°Even the scent of tobo tastes sweet when you receive the kind consideration of ady after dealing with a Temr. How can the Temrs always be so rude and step over the line¡­¡±


    ¡°And you would think the empire has enough of those blockheads in the capital,¡± Heretia agreed.


    Henborn¡¯s eyes widened a little with surprise, then he burst intoughter¡ªtalking behind someone¡¯s back tended to bring two people closer quickly, especially if that someone was hated by everyone.


    Henborn was a little hesitant, but figured it would be okay to tell her. ¡°Apparently, the Order of Huginn is in this city. The Captain of the Order of the White Crow requested for a lockdown of the city.¡±


    Heretia was surprised. She had expected maybe an inspection or a search, and a lockdown of the whole city was something else entirely.


    ¡°Pardon? Is it new that those apostates roam the city? That¡¯s not a good enough reason for a lockdown. How ignorant do they have to be to make such a request? They don¡¯t even know what a loss it would be to put the city under a lockdown every time Hiveden gets one or two of those Huginn bastards walking in and out of here.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. It was a request that I couldn¡¯t possibly ept. But this time, their justification for the request was a little concerning,¡± Henborn said as he nced around.


    ¡°They said Ras Raud has appeared in the city,¡± Henborn whispered into Heretia¡¯s ear.


    Heretia¡¯s eyes widened. A few of the knights of the Order of Huginn going in and out of the city was not really a big deal. But Ras Raud was different. It was only natural for all of the nearby soldiers to be deployed as soon as one of the Six Apostates that had led the assassination of His Majesty was located. Because of this, Ras had kept his movements covert more than anyone¡ªno one had even known if he was alive or dead for a few years after he had failed to assassinate Barth Baltic.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a hypothesis. It seemed like the Order of the White Crow wasn¡¯t too certain about this information either. They are always suspicious about everything anyway, as there are more ces to hide in the city rather than in the forest outside. If they were sure about Ras Raud being in the city, they wouldn''t even bother to ask me for permission; they would probably directly tell me to evacuate the city as they are ready to attack, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Henborn burst outughing as he saw the look on Heretia¡¯s face and shook his hand.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­a relief.¡±


    ¡°There are more than just a few people in the capital who will be in trouble if this city copses,¡± Henborne said with a heartyugh.


    ¡°Shall we get down to business now? I bet talking about business will be more enjoyable than the boring stories of Temrs and heretics.¡± Heretia got straight to the point as she figured they had had enough chit-chat.


    ¡°Agreed. To be honest, I didn¡¯t expect the Helwin family to be interested in this business as well. I thought the Helwins were stubborn people, but I knew right off the bat when I saw the young boy you brought along¡ªthe big wigs of the capital have started to move. I could tell that you¡¯ve put in a lot of effort for the boy.¡±


    ¡°Well, legal ves are basically moving gold,¡± Heretia smiled.


    ¡°You are right. They are the type of gold that grows and gets bigger on its own even if they are left unattended. It¡¯s such a shame that it is only limited to demi-humans. But I am nning to ease the restrictions in the south, since ves are quite familiar here. For that purpose, the acquired item is important,¡± Henborn agreed with Heretia¡¯s metaphor.


    ¡°You are talking about the Indeterminate Polyhedron, right?¡± Heretia asked.


    Earl Henborn stared at Heretia and tapped the ashes off his pipe. ¡°Once again, I am in awe of the Helwin family¡¯s information-gathering power. I don¡¯t know how you found out about it, but you are correct. The brothers of Hiveden and I are nning to hand it over to Bishop Rietto. If the Helwin family joins our n, we couldn¡¯t be more reassured, not to mention the higher chance of expanding the business. Oh, but please don¡¯t tell the others about this, as there will be quite a few brothers that don¡¯t want to further split their profit.¡±


    ¡°I see. What an honor,¡± Heretia said with a big smile. ¡°But what I want to offer you is a little different from what you just said. Hand over the Indeterminate Polyhedron to me.¡±


    Henborn¡¯s smile stiffened. He was left speechless with the pipe in his mouth, and stared at Heretia. He nervously chewed on his pipe, only to realize that Heretia was no longer smiling.


    ¡°Lady Helwin. As I¡¯ve already exined to you, this item is¡­¡±


    ¡°Meant to be handed over to Bishop Rietto.¡±


    ¡°Yes, not the previous owner of the item, but the owner before that. I won¡¯t ask you why you need this item. But if you know how much Bishop Rietto covets this item, you would also know that I cannot ept your offer, Lady Helwin. You couldn¡¯t possibly want this item just because it¡¯s a pretty gem, right?¡±


    ¡°Who knows, that might be a possibility.¡±


    ¡°If someone were to tell me that they thought that the young head of the Helwin family was someone who chased after pretty gems and squandered fortune, I would''ve thought that I heard a massive joke.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not saying I want it for free. I will give you sufficientpensation for it.¡±


    ¡°Sufficient enough topensate for the loss of not being able to expand our business of ve trade, as well as handle the anger of Bishop Rietto? I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s possible even with the Helwin family¡¯s entire fortune.¡±


    ¡°Instead of expanding your ve trade, I can introduce you to a new business that¡¯s good enough to maintain your family¡¯s wealth as it is now¡ªyou would have to give up on the ve trade though. By the way, personally, I think your business is disgusting, especially so in the way that you¡¯ll mobilize the imperial soldiers. I also n to make you lose all the fortune you have umted if you refuse to ept my offer.¡±


    ¡°And you think the Ilde family will let you get away with that?¡± Henborn red at Herettia.


    ¡°Do you seriously think that I even care about those peddlers? As I¡¯ve already told you, all you have to do is hand the Indeterminate Polyhedron to me. By doing so, you will also be given an opportunity to break away from the world of crime and start a legitimate business. How could things get any better than that? If you don¡¯t want that, you can just choose to go under with your current business.¡±


    ¡°Does the Helwin family even have the power to do that?¡±


    ¡°What makes you think we don¡¯t?¡± Heretia smiled coldly with her arms crossed.


    Henborn felt a stream of cold sweat running down his back. The Helwin family was likely no longer as powerful as they used to be during the time when the empire had been established, but their strength from their previous royal status that they had held for generations, as well as the connections they established and the resources they earned from their contribution in the establishment of the empire, were not things that could be overlooked.


    Furthermore, the Helwin family had managed to survive even after the expulsion of Harmon Helwin, one of the Six Apostates. Henborn had a feeling that Heretia¡¯s words might not be just a bluff after all, especially when he considered that this young head of the Helwin family was called ¡®the reincarnation of Harmon Helwin¡¯ ording to the rumors.


    ¡°...Damn it,¡± muttered Henborn.


    Seeing Earl Henborn quietly curse under his breath, Heretia realized that he had finally given in.


    Henborn looked back at Heretia with a distorted expression and tried to say something.


    And just at that moment, a loud noise of ss shattering was heard.


    ¡°We have an intruder!¡±


    Henborn¡¯s face turned pale as he realized that the sound hade from his office. From where the ss had shattered, a thin shadow was running away while holding something tightly. The object the shadow was holding was the size of a trophy, and it gave an ominous purple glow under the moonlight.


    ¡°That bastard has the Indeterminate Polyhedron! Chase after him right now!¡± Henborn screamed in despair.


    Heretia felt dizzy at this sudden turn of events, just when she had thought that everything was turning out ording to her n.


    <i>¡®Who would steal the Indeterminate Polyhedron in the midst of all this?¡¯</i>


    Even Heretia had barely found out the information on the Indeterminate Polyhedron. Just as she tried to hurry back to the hallway to take care of the settlement, someone grabbed her wrist¡ªit was Earl Henborn, his face full of anger.


    ¡°What is this action supposed to mean, Earl Henborn?¡± Heretia asked as she did not understand the Earl¡¯s angry expression toward her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that all of this was just a coincidence. The thief broke into my office as soon as you demanded the Indeterminate Polyhedron. I¡¯ll track him down. In the meantime, you are going to have to prove your innocence.¡±

 Chapter 45 – Indeterminate Polyhedron (4)

    <h4>Chapter 45 ¨C Indeterminate Polyhedron (4)</h4>


    The duel turned out to be more difficult than anticipated, not because Kelmori was skilled, but rather because it was hard for Juan to pretend to avoid his slow sword by a narrow margin. Although Kelmori¡¯s sword was made for decorative purposes, it could still kill someone if stabbed. On the other hand, Juan¡¯s sword was a false sword made for fashion. Of course, such factors had no influence on the duel, as Juan didn¡¯t even raise his sword at all.


    ¡°Oh! That was so close!¡±


    ¡°Oh my, I can¡¯t watch this anymore.¡±


    Every time Kelmori¡¯s sword grazed Juan, the crowd burst out with exmations and screams. In their eyes, Juan looked busy dodging Kelmori¡¯s attacks. At the same time, Kelmori was furious; he wanted to catch Juan and shed his blood, yet all Juan did was run away like a little rat. There had been a few moments where he almost got Juan, but the boy eventually managed to avoid all the attacks.


    ¡°Bastard, did you only learn to run from fights!?¡± Kelmori screamed.


    At that moment, Juan stopped and lowered his waist to charge at Kelmori. Kelmori was rushing forward, so he unexpectedly fell over due to Juan¡¯s sudden movement.


    Laughter broke out from the crowd at the ridiculous view of Kelmori rolling over the ground. Their interpretation of the view was that Juan had bent over in fear and Kelmori tripped over him and fell.


    Kelmori¡¯s face turned pale due to this humiliation. As he noticed his fianc¨¦eughing at him while covering her mouth with her hands, he gritted his teeth in anger.


    ¡°I will kill you.¡±


    The fact that he would have to face the consequences of the duel had left his mind a long time ago. At worst, he thought he would have to pay back the owner for the price of the ve as Juan came from outside the border anyway.


    Juan let out a sigh as he watched Kelmori get heated up. Juan felt that if Kelmori had any actual fighting skills, he would have known from the moment he was first punched that he was no match for Juan. However, for a young man who was trained in proper swordsmanship, Kelmori¡¯s skills were very disappointing.


    ¡®<i>Thank goodness there is no one in the crowd that knows anything about swordsmanship.</i>¡¯


    Just as he thought this and turned his head, Juan sensed a strong spirit, one which stood out from the crowd. It was a man wearing heavy armor and a sword¡ªbut he wasn¡¯t a security guard.


    A man who had just walked out of the hallway was looking at the garden with curious eyes. Juan felt his own mana from him, and then he recognized the symbol of the White Crow on the man¡¯s armor.


    <i>¡®A Temr.¡¯</i>


    At that moment, Kelmori¡¯s sword scraped against Juan¡¯s forehead at a close distance. Juan had been distracted by the sudden appearance of a Temr, and failed to respond to Kelmori¡¯s attack. A few strands of Juan¡¯s hair were cut, and Kelmori smiled triumphantly as if he had beheaded Juan.


    ¡°Haha! How¡¯s that!? Getting tired now, are you?¡±


    Juan felt sorry when he saw Kelmori get excited over cutting a few strands of his hair, when in fact, he had lost his only chance to injure Juan. Even if he hadn¡¯t missed his chance, his attack would¡¯ve ended up barely cutting through Juan¡¯s skin; his decorative sword couldn¡¯t even pierce through the bone.


    ¡°You should¡¯ve aimed under my chin,¡± Juan whispered.


    ¡°What?¡± Kelmori questioned.


    Juan didn¡¯t answer him, so Kelmori once again swung his sword at Juan.


    Juan¡¯s rxed expression disappeared instantly, and he rolled on the floor as he narrowly dodged Kelmori¡¯s sword. Kelmori¡¯s sword tore Juan¡¯s skin, causing him to bleed from several cuts. Screams broke out amongst the crowd at such a view, as it looked like a bloody tragedy was about to happen at any time. Although there were whispers of people wondering if they should stop the duel, their curiosity held them back.


    ¡°Ah, Captain Etil. It seems like you¡¯ve finished your talk with the Earl. How did it go?¡± the Adjutant asked.


    ¡°Huh? Ah. Earl Henborn was nothing more than a greedy pig, just as I expected. My request was rejected.¡±


    ¡°I see. Should I fetch the horses so we can take our leave?¡±


    Ignoring the Adjutant¡¯s question, Ethan couldn¡¯t take his eyes off the duel taking ce in the garden. The Adjutant¡¯s gaze shot toward the garden, then he shook his head.


    ¡°It looked like one of the nobles was picking on the boy. I didn¡¯t bother to attend, since I thought it was disrespectful to swordsmanship, and it looks like I was right. What a pathetic fight to call a duel.¡±


    ¡°I see. Hm¡­ I guess I was wrong to think otherwise.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    Ethan had closely observed the duel between the ck-haired boy and Kelmori. Kelmori¡¯s skills were pathetic in the eyes of a Temr. However, he would be considered slightly above average at the knight training school, and just about average among the knights of the empire.


    On the other hand, the little boy who was his opponent looked like he wasn¡¯t even old enough to go to the knight training school. Yet, he had seemed to be somehow overwhelming Kelmori when Ethan first witnessed their duel. Ethan focused on Juan¡¯s footwork when he kept dodging Kelmori¡¯s attacks; it definitely appeared to be the footwork of someone who had received training in proper swordsmanship. Especially the fact that Juan didn¡¯t sweat a single drop while he intentionally dodged Kelmori¡¯s sword at such a close distance was very impressive.


    Duels often gave people tremendous stress and excitement, so it was only natural to run out of energy faster than usual. Not getting exhausted during the duel meant there was less emotional agitation. Juan¡¯s case was something unusual¡ªit was clear that he was in a disadvantageous position while he barely dodged the fatal attacks, but he still didn¡¯t sweat a single drop.


    ¡°...Maybe I was mistaken,¡± Ethan muttered in disappointment. He suspected the boy to be hiding his true skills. It was much more difficult to fight while hiding true skills without getting caught. If the boy really was hiding his skill at such an age, even Sina Solvane would probably lose against him in a fight. The chances of meeting so many talented geniuses in such a short amount of time was very low.


    ¡°Let¡¯s return. I need to cleanse my eyes after witnessing such a pitiful disy.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir. Then I will go fetch the horses¡­¡±


    At that moment, amotion came from the mansion.


    ¡°It¡¯s an intruder!¡±


    A sudden scream spread amotion among the crowd. While Kelmori was too worked up to notice themotion, Juan quickly kicked his thigh, taking advantage of when Ethan looked in the direction of themotion.


    With a cracking sound of a bone breaking, Kelmori grabbed his thigh and fell to the floor.


    ¡°Keu-arghh!¡± Kelmori cried in pain.


    ¡°Oh, no. It seems like he tripped over. I think we should wrap up the duel here.¡±


    Juan was well aware that a broken femur caused the most pain among all types of fractures.


    The servants ran toward Kelmori in haste as they realized he had fallen. Unable to stay still, Kelmori was rolling on the floor while clutching his thigh. By the look of his injury, he would have to lie down on the sickbed for a few months.


    In the meantime, Juan hid himself in the crowd. Only then did Ethan try to look for Juan, but he failed to locate the boy, who had already disappeared.


    Juan didn¡¯t wish to make thingsplicated for Heretia by getting involved with a Temr at such a ce.


    Not long after the disturbance, the knights rushed in from the door and looked around with a ferocious expression.


    ¡°Where is the little punk that Lady Helwin brought along with her?¡± the knight asked.


    Juan immediately knew something had gone wrong after hearing that a knight was looking for him.


    People started to look for Juan when they heard the knights were after him, but Juan had long escaped the crowd.


    Juan used <i>Blink</i> to reach the second floor as soon as he found a ce where no one was around.


    <i>¡®I need to find Heretia.¡¯</i>


    The guards and servants were nowhere to be found, almost as if they had all gone down to the first floor. Juan closed his eyes and expanded his senses. Although it was difficult to find Heretia, as there were manymoners here with simrly weak spirits, he could sense two people in the room across from him, one of them female. Juan quickly ran out to approach the room from the terrace rather than the front door. He soon spotted Heretia and Henborn beyond the ss window. Instead of barging into the room, Juan decided to listen in on their conversation, as it seemed like Heretia was still talking.


    ¡°You must be unafraid of the consequences. You are detaining the head of the Helwin family based on mere spection right now.¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s just spection. Wasn¡¯t it your n to demand and steal the Indeterminate Polyhedron if I didn¡¯t hand over the gem? Unfortunately, it seems like your servant has been caught already. ording to the knights I sent, that cute little boy of yours has disappeared. Are you really telling me that all of this is just a mere coincidence?¡±


    Heretia¡¯s eyes shook upon hearing of Juan¡¯s disappearance. Although the shadow that had run away with the Indeterminate Polyhedron didn¡¯t resemble Juan in any way whatsoever, she couldn¡¯t be certain, since it was a dark night.


    ¡°It is simply a coincidence. What you should be doing right now is not threatening a delicatedy, but reprimanding your servants who had been careless in their duty to guard your mansion. Perhaps it would be better for you to send out more servants to track the thief rather than focusing on me,¡± Heretia squarely red at Henborn with no signs of agitation.


    ¡°Hah, it seems like you don¡¯t understand the situation you¡¯re in right now. I¡¯ve already sent enough servants and informed the guards as well. Soon enough, Hiveden¡¯s defenses will be reinforced more than ever, to the point that not even a single rat will be able to leave the city.¡±


    Just as Heretia was about to ask what that had to do with her, she understood Henborn¡¯s dirty n: he wanted to have insurance. He nned to threaten Heretia to give him what she had promised in the first ce, even if he couldn¡¯t retrieve the Indeterminate Polyhedron. To do so, Henborn was trying to falsely use Heretia of being an aplice of the thief who stole the Indeterminate Polyhedron. Although it was nothing but a simple usation with no clear evidence, the problem was that Henborn¡¯s usation was enough to put her in danger. His current conduct was not much different from the way a gang abducted the rich and extorted them for what they wanted.


    ¡°...This is tiresome,¡± Heretia muttered.


    ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°I said, the Helwin family¡¯s reputation must¡¯ve fallen down quite a bit, for even a pathetic debauchee like you think that you can mess with us. It seems like you consider yourself to be a noble just because you covered your pathetic self with some expensive clothing. Maybe you¡¯ll learn your ce if I skin you alive and expose your nasty mind.¡±


    ¡°W-what did you just¡­ Hey, you! Do you even realize how much trouble you¡¯re in? Will youe to your senses if I broke one of your fingers!?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll start by splitting you in half vertically. After all, your mouth is already ripped open horizontally. I will then remove your skin into four pieces, not wasting a single sheet of your skin¡ªit¡¯s the least you can expect when you decide to mess with the Helwins.¡±


    Earl Henborn¡¯s face turned pale. He had never seen someone spit out such spiteful remarks when they were backed into an unfair situation. Heretia kept her calm and cold attitude, unlike others he had seen who cursed at him out of desperation.


    Henborn recalled all the rumors he had heard about the backers of the Helwin family, but soon wiped off such thoughts from his mind. Biting his lip, Henborn hesitantly pulled out his short sword.


    ¡°Stop bluffing! How dare you defy me when you look like a bitch who¡¯s never even been scolded by her father!¡±


    ¡°Bluffing?¡± Heretia grinned. ¡°Then go ahead and do what you need to do to see if you are right. But the moment youy your hands on me, you are gonna have to risk having your body skinned alive and then turned into a carpet. I¡¯ll also make sure to ce the carpet on the market floor so everyone can step over it. I¡¯ll even leave both of your balls on the carpet.¡±


    Henborn couldn¡¯t move after hearing Heretia¡¯s threat.


    In the meantime, Heretia grabbed and bent his left pinky finger to the opposite direction.


    Henborn¡¯s face turned pale. Just when his mouth opened to let out a scream, Juan broke into the room from the terrace window.


    ¡°A-ahhhh!¡± Henborn screamed and dropped to the floor as he was startled by the sudden appearance of the boy. He realized that it was the same boy he had seen downstairs before, but his aura waspletely different. In an instant, violent and overpowering energy filled the surroundings and dominated Henborn.


    ¡°He dared to point his sword at me. Skin him alive,¡± Heretia said to Juan as she pointed directly at Henborn.


    ¡°N-no! <i>Gasp!</i>¡±


    The moment Juan took out Talter¡¯s short sword, Henborn clutched his chest and copsed. He trembled for a brief second, then his movement stoppedpletely.


    ¡°It¡¯s a heart attack,¡± Juan muttered with a dumbfounded expression as he looked down and kicked Henborn¡¯s body.


    ¡°...I did hear he had heart problems.¡±


    Juan couldn¡¯t help but feel dejected. While he had wanted to kill Henborn, Juan hadn¡¯t imagined that his death would be so absurd.


    ¡°Whatever, it¡¯s for the best. He wasn¡¯t worth getting your sword dirty.¡±


    ¡°What a bummer. I¡¯m not the type to be picky when ites to who I cut down. Too bad I can¡¯t y a corpse¡­Anyway, how did you know I was outside?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± Heretia answered as she shrugged. ¡°My heart is still pounding from imagining how painful it would¡¯ve been if I had actually been stabbed. My family seems to have a talent for bluffing, lying and negotiating. It runs down the generation.¡±


    ¡°I bet your ancestors must be very proud of your talents right now.¡±


    Heretia left Henborn¡¯s body behind and went out to the hallway. The mansion was quiet, as the guards were absent and the banquet seemed to be over. Heretia and Juan hurried out of the mansion before anyone could notice them.


    ¡°Did you find the item you were looking for? You called it the Indeterminate Polyhedron or something.¡±


    ¡°Someone else stole it before me.¡±


    ¡°Someone else?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not too certain, but I have a feeling that it¡¯s the Order of Huginn. I better track them,¡± Heretia chewed out her words after ncing at Juan.

 Chapter 46 – Indeterminate Polyhedron (5)

    <h4>Chapter 46 ¨C Indeterminate Polyhedron (5)</h4>


    ¡°Hey, you. What¡¯s going on right now? The mansion has been robbed?¡±


    As the atmosphere within the mansion got chaotic, Ethan grabbed a guard who was passing by and asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal, sir. We are in a rush, so please excuse us¡­¡±


    Just as the guard attempted to leave, Ethan¡¯s adjutant grabbed the guard by the cor, lifted him up in the air and pinned him against the wall. Pinned against the wall, the guard felt suffocated.


    The other guards tried to rush in and try a surprise attack, but soon hesitated when they saw the symbol of White Crow on Ethan and the adjutant¡¯s capes.


    Meanwhile, the guard who had been pinned against the wall btedly realized their identity.


    ¡°Let me ask you again. What¡¯s going on right now?¡± Ethan asked calmly.


    ¡°O-one of Earl Henborn¡¯s cherished items has been stolen, sir. We are tracking the location of the culprit right now, and we are also searching for the possible aplices,¡± the guard eventually confessed after hesitating.


    ¡°What is the stolen item?¡±


    ¡°T-that I do not know, sir. But, I heard it was some kind of a gem.¡±


    ¡®A <i>gem.</i>¡¯


    Ethan made a face and turned away, and the adjutant tossed the guard to the ground to follow Ethan.


    ¡°Do you have an idea of what it might be, Captain?¡± the adjutant asked.


    ¡°There was an item that Bishop Rietto was supposed to receive from Earl Henborn. I don¡¯t know about the details, but I have a feeling that it¡¯s connected to what¡¯s happening right now. Bishop Rietto is not the type to covet gems, so I have a rough idea of what it is.¡±


    Indeterminate Polyhedron. It was a gem known to curse its owner. Nevertheless, there were many people who coveted it. Its ability to curse the owner had yet to be proven, but its ability to absorb dark energy was a certain fact.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid we might be held back due to random matters. It would be for the best to help the guards for now. If we can retrieve the gem, we can pressure Earl Henborn to ept our request.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Captain. Then I¡¯ll organize a tracking team with the knights within the city for now. Will you bemanding the team yourself?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯d be better to split up and search. Move in groups of three, I will move on my own.¡±


    The adjutant left first to ry hismands to the other knights, while Ethan decided to stay behind in the mansion to search the surroundings. There was a chance that the culprit hadn¡¯t gone far.


    Ethan couldn¡¯t help but link even such minor incidents to the Order of Huginn due to the timing.


    <i>¡®It seems like I¡¯m bing more and more like the previous Captain who had been obsessed with the Order of Huginn.</i>¡¯


    Ethan felt bitter. However, this only further strengthened his resolve to eradicate the Order of Huginn. Without doing so, the Order of the White Crow would never be freed from the curse that was the Order of Huginn.


    The surroundings of the mansion were quieter than anticipated. Everyone seemed to have assumed that the culprit had fled far, and thus expanded the search area rather than searching around the mansion. It was the right method of handling things if anyone understood Hiveden¡¯s way of operation; it was easy to find the seller since stolen goods were easily sold, but that also meant they were easily monitored. It would be even riskier to stay within the city if the owner of the stolen item was the Lord of Hiveden¡ªit would be a wise choice to run away as far as possible.


    Ethan walked along the mansion walls to check if the culprit had left any evidence behind. Then he ced his hand on his sword as he suddenly sensed someone¡¯s presence around the corner. The ones whom Ethan had encountered around the corner were a noble woman and a boy who came off as her servant. To be more specific, it was the noble woman he ran into earlier in the hallway, and the ck-haired boy who was fighting in the garden.


    Despite Ethan¡¯s gaze, the boy unreservedly ced his hands on the noble woman¡¯s thigh underneath her skirts and buried his face in her breast. Ethan had heard of secret love affairs between noblewomen and young servants before, so he quickened his steps, feeling a little unpleasant.


    The moment Ethan walked past them, he pulled out his sword and swung it back immediately.


    <i>nk!</i>


    With a sharp noise, Ethan¡¯s sword met with the boy¡¯s short sword. The boy seemed like apletely different person from who had been burying his face in the noblewoman¡¯s breast. Heretia hastily arranged her skirt with a flushed face. Juan distanced himself from Ethan as he pushed Heretia away.


    ¡°As I expected,¡± Ethan said as he loosely held his sword and approached Heretia and Juan. ¡°I had a feeling that this was an oddbination. What are your identities? Are you both knights of the Order of Huginn?¡±


    ¡°I thought Temrs would run away upon seeing such an unbing scene¡­ After all, they grew up without interaction with females. I guess you¡¯re not so faithful after all, huh?¡± Juan derided Ethan instead of answering his question.


    Ethan twisted his lips in irritation, but he kept calm. Knowing that Heretia was nning to run away first, Ethan instantly rushed to stop her. Juan and Ethan¡¯s sword met once again, and the alley shed with mes.


    The result waspletely unexpected.


    Juan managed to block Ethan¡¯s attack, but his body got thrown in the air due to the heavy strike. Juan had been naturally exposed to Ethan¡¯s attack as he was flung up in the air. Ethan didn¡¯t hesitate to stab his sword toward Juan¡¯s falling body. Although Juan took defensive posture with his short sword, it was clear he wouldn¡¯t be able to properly block the attack from such an unstable position.


    The moment Juan¡¯s body was almost pierced, his body suddenly disappeared. Ethan instinctively swung his sword to the back to block Juan¡¯s short sword. Ethan felt a cold sweat running down his back, and thought that he might not be able to defend against that attack a second time.


    ¡°What the¡­?¡± Juan also disyed a frustrated look on his face.


    Ethan recalled Juan¡¯s movement he had seen just now; it was a movement so fast that even a shield blessed with His Majesty¡¯s Grace could barely block it. This would only be possible if it was a high-rank magic.


    ¡®<i>Did he use Teleport? No, it might only have been for a second, but I had been able to see his movement. It must be some sort of eleration spell.¡¯</i>


    If that was Juan¡¯s natural movement, Ethan would have no chance to block his attack. However, looking at Juan raising his sword on alert, it seemed difficult for him to use the technique frequently.


    ''<i>Could it possibly be Blink, the highest rank Grace of all¡­?</i>¡¯


    Ethan felt chills throughout his body. The highest rank Grace was extremely rare even among the Temrs, as it was too difficult to handle. There was a risk of death before anyone could get used to it. So, there was no reason to grant such Grace to the precious Temrs. Temrs were powerful enough with the basic Grace they were granted anyway.


    Nevertheless, it wasn¡¯t a Grace for a heretic from beyond the borders to use.


    ¡®<i>No, maybe he is an illegitimate mace. No matter his identity, I need to properly interrogate him.</i>¡¯


    ¡°My Lady. Please remain calm and stay there. I don¡¯t wish to hurt you,¡± Ethan said while he stood against Juan.


    Heretia had tried to flee the scene upon realizing that she was holding Juan back, but had to upon hearing Ethan¡¯s warning.


    Ethan red at Juan and waited for a chance. Juan seemed talented, but Ethan was overwhelmingly superior in terms of physical strength. Ethan found himself to be much more rxed than Juan, if the bou didn¡¯t often use that eleration technique he had used just before.


    ¡°You¡­you must be the ck-haired boy that the Order of the Blue Rose had been chasing after,¡± Ethan opened his mouth after quietly ring at Juan.


    Heretia¡¯s eyes widened, but she soon understood and had an epting look in her eyes. She had also had her own suspicions. While Juan didn¡¯t answer the question, his silence was enough to be an answer.


    ¡°I see. I thought it made sense, since you and Sina Solvane gave off a simr feeling. Sina Solvane would be happy to receive your head as a gift.¡¯


    ¡°Getting ahead of yourself is a bad habit,¡± Juan answered rxedly.


    Ethan charged at Juan again.


    Juan had only rushed toward Ethan from the front as Heretia was behind him, but he didn¡¯t make the same mistake again. At that moment, Juan dodged the trajectory of Ethan¡¯s sword and spun his body around.


    At the same time, Ethan¡¯s vision blurred. Ethan turned his body in haste, as he thought Juan had sprayed something at him, but all Juan had done was bring out his gray cloak.


    .


    When Ethan let his guard down for a short moment, Juan immediately took off the ground.


    With the sound of stone pavement breaking, Juan¡¯s body fired like an arrow using Blink. He aimed for Ethan¡¯s leg as he was unable to attack any of Ethan¡¯s vitals.


    <i>ng!</i>


    Juan¡¯s body circled in the air and fell with a sharp sound. The one to bleed was Juan rather than Ethan. Juan frowned at the long cut on his chest.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m getting used to your attacks after seeing how you move for the second time. Maybe I¡¯ll be able to get you the third time,¡± Ethan said as he shook Juan¡¯s blood off his sword.


    Juan clicked his tongue. He had been unintentionally underestimating Ethan, since he was a Temr just like Arwain. But their skills were iparable. Ethan was the first to block an attack using Blink without the help of the Temr¡¯s shield. Juan let out a long sigh.


    Meanwhile, Ethan was quite curious as to why Juan didn¡¯t even bother to close the wound on his chest.


    At that moment, Juan opened his mouth.


    ¡°You. What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Ethan Etil. You must be Juan, right?¡±


    ¡°You must have heard from Sina. Are all the White Crow knights as skilled as you? The guy I met previously was pathetic.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to appreciate you for killing him. It was only a natural result.¡±


    Juan decided to interpret his words as Arwain being far worse rather than as Ethan being far better.


    ¡°That¡¯s too bad,¡± Juan muttered as he clicked his tongue.


    ¡°What is?¡±


    ¡°I finally got the opportunity to see the true strength of a Temr, but I have an annoying burden and you have a troublemaker on your hands. Anyway, I¡¯ve already seen what you are capable of. I would like to see if you really can get me the third time when we meet again.¡±


    ¡°Who said I¡¯m gonna let you go¡­¡±


    Juan widely spread his gray cloak to fill the alley with fog.


    As the fog was gathering, Ethan immediately rushed toward Juan, wondering why Juan was using such a petty trick. But before he could reach Juan, something flew toward him. Ethan couldn¡¯t help but to back off. Arrows strong enough to prate the stone pavement pressured Ethan nonstop.


    Ethan blocked the arrows by swinging his sword, and then picked up an arrow from the ground to throw back to the unidentified archer.


    A scream was heard.


    At the same time, another de flew toward Ethan, but this time, the attack was much slower and weakerpared to Juan¡¯s. Ethan smashed the attacker¡¯s head with his fist rather than a sword. The attacker¡¯s cranium and helmet broke into pieces and sttered over the alley.


    ¡°An undead?¡± Ethan frowned.


    A group of armed undead were crawling up the sewers beyond the fog.


    Ethan growled at the appearance of the undead, the ones who dared to deny divinity. Instead of swinging his sword, Ethan used His Majesty¡¯s Grace to attack all the skeletons in the alley with just a single lightning strike. The crushed skeletons melted away like salt, while Juan and Heretia were nowhere to be seen. But Ethan had no time to think about those two. As far as Ethan could recall in his memory, there was only one being that could summon the undead, and he belonged to the Order of Huginn.


    ***


    Leaving Ethan behind, Juan ran along the waterway with Heretia.


    The hem of Heretia¡¯s dress got dirty from the mud, but she couldn¡¯t be bothered about it right now. Rather, she constantly looked back to make sure there was no one chasing after them.


    ¡°Stop.¡± Juan said as he stopped in front of a huge sewer entrance after running for a long time.


    ¡°<i>Huff, huff</i>. Was, what we just saw, an undead?¡± Heretia asked Juan as she gasped for air.


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen the undead.¡±


    ¡°Why did they help us?¡±


    ¡°They didn¡¯t,¡± Juan said as he drew out his short sword, looking at the entrance of the sewer which resembled an abyss. ¡°They just hated the Temr enough to help us out.¡±


    <i>Ssh</i>. <i>Ssh</i>.


    Heretia¡¯splexion turned pale at the sight of the silhouette approaching them from within the shallow water; it was a knight with a ck fog-like cape, rusty armor, shield, and a huge sword. There was a blue me of unknown nature zing up from the cranium that had been exposed from inside the helmet.


    ¡°Knight of the dead¡­¡± Heretia muttered, almost sounding like a moan. ¡±J-Juan. That¡¯s the knight of the dead. Do you know about them?¡±


    ¡°I do. Why are you so scared? This is unlike you. Are you scared of ghosts?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m scared of things I can¡¯tmunicate with, because lies and persuasion don¡¯t work against them! Those kinds have enough strength to fight the Temrs one on one! At least Temrs die when you stab them, but the knights of the dead don¡¯t even die until you find their summoner! Just one of them has the potential to threaten the whole territory¡­What¡¯s it doing here?¡± Heretia whispered while grabbing Juan¡¯s arm, but soon closed her mouth.


    The number of blue lights across the sewer began to increase one by one. One, two¡­pairs of gaze that continued to increase in number finally stopped once there were sixteen pairs.


    Heretia¡¯s teeth started to chatter in fear. It was only a matter of time for the knights of the dead to overthrow decent-sized cities, especially when there were sixteen of them that had strengthsparable to that of the Temrs. Seizing the city of Hiveden would be an easy job for them.


    Heretia recalled the group that actually had control over Hiveden.


    ¡°Juan, those guys are¡­¡±


    ¡°The Order of Huginn, yes. They look a bit different from how I remember them.¡±


    Although the chest protector of the knight of the dead¡¯s armor was rusty with its paint peeled off, it clearly disyed the seal of Jackdaw.


    1. Both the ¡®annoying burden¡¯ and the ¡®troublemaker¡¯ refers to Heretia

 Chapter 47 – The Jackdaws (1)

    <h4>Chapter 47 ¨C The Jackdaws (1)</h4>


    ¡°Since when could the Order of Huginn summon the undead?¡± Juan asked, lookingpletely rxed even after seeing the knight of the dead in front of him.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ I see. So the rumors are true. But why now¡­¡± Heretia said while anxiously biting her nails.


    ¡°Rumors?¡±


    ¡°Those knights belonged to the Order of Huginn. The knights of the Order of Huginn are known to retrieve the bodies of theirrades if they die on the battlefield. People often had the habit of joking that they took the corpses because they were just a bunch of jackdaws, but on the other hand, there were also rumors that they revived the dead. If this rumor was true and they really do revive them to be the knights of the dead¡­¡±


    There was only one knight of the dead standing in front of them to block the way, but it was unknown as to just how many more undead were waiting for them beyond the dark.


    Juan stared at the motionless knight of the dead still blocking the entrance to the sewer. In his memory, Order of Huginn was a group that was far from being insidious, and were rather quiet¡ªalthough their enemies might disagree. Furthermore, recalling the events that Ras Raud had been through, It was hard to imagine he would side with such an unnatural force, especially when it had to do with necromancy.


    ¡°It would be a waste to get rid of their bodies, since the skilled knights would be revived as high-ranking undead¡­ they couldn¡¯t get any better, especially if they are the knights that fought beside His Majesty. They are His Majesty¡¯s knights who are fighting even from beyond their grave¡­¡± Heretia said with clear signs of fear.


    Juan took a step forward and hid Heretia behind himself. As Juan stepped forward, the knight of the dead also started to move.


    Heretia had wanted to hold on to Juan as soon as he started moving, but she was unable to move even the slightest bit due to how tense she was.


    Juan moved forward across the muddy sewage floor, while the knight of the dead also approached him. As the distance between the two narrowed, they finally stopped before they bumped into each other.


    The knight of the dead coldly looked down on Juan with emotionless eyes, the knight¡¯s gaze so cold that Juan felt a chill.


    ¡°Ras Raud had once offered a sacrificial offering to the God of Death, Nigrato,¡± Juan whispered to the knight of the dead. ¡°He was buried alive and survived by eating a corpse to fill his empty stomach. I was the one to rescue him from his premature grave. Thenter, he led his own troops to kill all the necromancers and eliminated every single stronghold of Nigrato in the southern desert area. I haven¡¯t seen undead ever since.¡±


    The knight of the dead didn¡¯t answer.


    ¡°So, where did you evene from?¡±


    Juan drew out his short sword as fast as lightning.


    The knight of the dead raised his sword to block Juan¡¯s attack. The knight was wearing heavy armor, but it was still almost as fast as Juan.


    As Juan distanced himself from the knight, he checked if there were any movements from the other knights of the dead. Juan clicked his tongue¡ªhe could sense multiple presences, but he couldn¡¯t be certain.


    The knights of the Order of Huginn were good at keeping a low profile and hiding themselves, and that didn¡¯t change even after they were turned into the knights of the dead.


    The knight of the dead swung its sword with ease, almost as if it was testing Juan¡¯s skill. The chills emitted by the knight whenever it swung its sword caused Juan¡¯s muscles to tense up.


    As the knight of the dead had the ability to spread their evil energy even just by meeting swords, any ordinary person would start to lose their vitality as soon as they came into contact with even the knight¡¯s breath.


    ¡°How trivial¡­¡± Juan said, bringing out a burning me from inside his body to defend against this evil energy that was trying to invade his body. This soon caused smoke to rise from Juan¡¯s body, which caused the knight of the dead to flinch before its attempt to swing the sword.


    Juan cut his palm to smear some of his blood on Talter¡¯s short sword. The moment it absorbed Juan¡¯s blood, it lit up with red light and burst into mes. The dark sewer instantly brightened up. The knight of the dead hesitated upon seeing the burning me, and then opened his empty mouth to let out an unintelligible scream.


    ¡°You managed to escape from life, but you won¡¯t be able to escape from death,¡± Juan smirked.


    At the same time that Juan shed his short sword, the knight of the dead quickly blocked the attack with its own sword.


    However, the moment its sword met with Juan¡¯s burning short sword, the knight¡¯s sword exploded into pieces. The scattered pieces immediately burned as if they had been soaking oil, and exploded like fireworks.


    Just as Juan tried to once again swing his short sword against the knight of the dead who seemed to have let his guard down, the knight let out a loud scream; it was a loud sound that made Juan¡¯s organs tremble.


    Juan couldn¡¯t get any closer to the knight and had to stop. But soon, Juan decided to burn the fire inside his body more intensely as he resisted. The knight of the dead had no choice but to retreat in the face of the heat that could be felt even from far distance.


    It was right at that moment.


    ¡°Stop!¡±


    The sharp voice of a woman was heard from within the sewer.


    The knight of the dead flinched and stopped.


    Someone was approaching at a rapid pace with the sound of sttering water.


    Meanwhile, the knight of the dead immediately stopped fighting, and slowly backed off and disappeared. The darkness quickly consumed its body.


    After the knight of the dead disappeared, Juan could feel the owner of the voice approaching him from beyond the darkness.


    It was none other than Anya. She walked toward Juan while limping her leg.


    ¡°Wee, Juan. I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t give you my greetings earlier.¡±


    Instead of epting her apology, Juan looked at her hand. In her hand, there was a weirdly shaped purple gem, which looked oddly distorted.


    ***


    The knight of the dead could no longer be seen. However, the cold air inside the sewer seemed to say that they were still hiding somewhere within the dark.


    Few people had appeared with Anya, surrounding Juan and Heretia as they walked along the sewer.


    Heretia disyed signs of difort at Anya¡¯s actions, which seemed like she was arresting them, but she didn¡¯t bother to resist.


    ¡°To be honest, I had no idea I would run into Juan at the banquet,¡± Anya said cheerfully in an attempt to soften the atmosphere. However, herplexion didn¡¯t match her cheerful tone.


    The clothes Anya was wearing were not too different from what she was wearing back at Earl Henborn¡¯s mansion, but there were noticeable cuts running through the long dress.


    ¡°Oh, the cuts are not a big deal. It got scratched while I was escaping through the window.¡±


    The cuts showed how urgent Anya had been when she was moving.


    ¡°I knew you weren¡¯t the type to be level-headed, but I didn¡¯t expect you to be this reckless.¡± Juan said.


    ¡°I was in a rush. I owed the knight order a debt recently¡­I really wanted to repay them for it,¡± Anya shrugged.


    ¡®<i>The knight order.</i>¡¯


    From Anya¡¯s words, Juan was convinced that the people surrounding them were knights from the Order of Huginn. Most of them, including Anya, looked young, and Juan did not recognize any of them. If the lineage of the knights did continue, they seemed to be the third or fourth generation.


    .


    ¡°Why is the Order of Huginn using Necromancy? As far as I know, Ras doesn¡¯t like Necromancy,¡± Juan asked.


    Anya seemed a little surprised. It seemed that she hadn¡¯t expected Juan to know even the tiny details of the Order of Huginn.


    ¡°You are right. Even within the knight order, not a lot of people are aware about that¡­ I think I can guess what you are thinking. But you are wrong. Sir Ras Raud was the one who taught us Necromancy.¡±


    ¡°Ras taught you?¡±


    Juan could feel his greatest fears bing reality¡ªthat everyone he once knew was in fact deceitful and deluded him. If Juan was still the same as he had been, he would not be able to believe the fact that Ras used Necromancy. After all, he despised the undead more than anything.


    ¡®<i>But what if that was all a lie¡ªnothing more than a trick to deceive and plot my assassination ?</i>¡¯


    Juan clutched his short sword.


    ¡°Can I meet Ras?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°Hm, well¡­¡± Anya had a perplexed expression.


    At that moment, Juan sensed a strong hostility from the surrounding. No one intervened in Juan and Anya¡¯s conversation as it seemed like Anya held a fairly high status among them. However, they were hostile enough that they would have drawn their swords if Anya hadn¡¯t been present.


    ¡°It seems like your friends have a lot of hostility toward me. Am I provoking them by saying I wish to meet Ras?¡±


    ¡°My apologies. To all of us, Sir Ras is a savior and a master. You may be able to meet him if you decide to join us, but I¡¯m not too sure for now¡­besides, Sir Ras¡¯ condition these days is¡­¡±


    ¡°Dame Anya.¡±


    One of the knights cleared his throat and called Anya¡¯s name. Anya red back at him coldly. Such a gaze had never been revealed ever since she joined Juan.


    ¡°I get to decide what I tell him or not.¡±


    ¡°But, um. If Sir Dilmond found out¡­¡±


    ¡°Let him find out all he wants. Or maybe he should listen as well,¡± Anya said as she gazed toward the side.


    An old knight with a white beard was emerging from the underground passage of the sewer. The scars that filled his face seemed to tell the history of the battlefield he had walked. The old knight shouted as soon as he saw Anya¡¯s face.


    ¡°Anabelle!¡±


    Anya sighed. She turned back to face Juan.


    ¡°That¡¯s my real name, Although I didn¡¯t mean for you to find out about it in this way.¡±


    ¡°Are you out of your mind, getting an outsider involved!? And I can¡¯t believe you are ordering the seniors toe and see you! Sir Ras didn¡¯t give you that power to use it in this manner!¡± Dilmond scolded.


    ¡°Sir Dilmond, I hold the authority tomand the seniors. No one had any objections to that.¡±


    ¡°And I hold the responsibility to ensure that internal discipline is followed and to make sure that everyone follows regtions! What makes you think that you can leave the knight order for three months, and then suddenly reappear with a stranger? This is clearly a vition of the regtions.¡±


    ¡°This kid is not an ordinary boy,¡± Anya answered with a sigh. ¡°You¡¯ll understand what I mean once you hear about what this boy did. He destroyed the Golem of the Ash Tower, and he eliminated an entire knight order all by himself. If he was to join us, he would be a huge help¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s irrelevant! I heard this kid uses something simr to His Majesty¡¯s fire! That must mean he is either a Temr or someone simr to them. And if he¡¯s not the Church¡¯s dog, the power he uses is nothing more than that of a thief that somehow managed to get hold of His Majesty¡¯s power¡­¡± Dilmond shouted as he pointed his finger at Juan, but soon closed his mouth when he saw the color of Juan¡¯s hair.


    Dilmond stared at Juan for a while, then asked one of the knights who had surrounded Juan on their way with a confused look.


    ¡°Hey, you there. This boy used fire?¡±


    ¡°Sorry? Oh, um, yes, sir. I saw his short sword bursting into mes as soon as he wet the sword with his blood. When his short sword met the senior¡¯s sword, the senior¡¯s sword broke and burned into pieces. It was just like what happened with His Majesty¡¯s me,¡± the knight exined.


    ¡°A ck haired boy who uses His Majesty¡¯s me. It seems like we have a precious guest that came from far away,¡± Dilmond opened his mouth with unease after remaining silent for a while.


    ¡°Dilmond?¡± Anya called out his name with curiosity; Dilmond reaction was very strange.


    ¡°Nevermind. Someone crossed my mind. Anyway! No one can vite the internal regtions! At least, everyone should get a say in deciding whether this boy should join us or not, instead of you deciding it alone! Not even newbies get epted that easily!¡± Dilmond said as he quickly shook his head to Anya.


    ¡°Dilmond Debussy,¡± Juan suddenly opened his mouth and called out his name.


    Dilmond looked down at Juan with a perplexed look.


    ¡°It took me a long time to remember you because you had an unfamiliar face. You were only a newbie that had just joined the knight order as far as I can remember. You managed to reach the rank of a senior knight, high enough to shout at yourmander, huh? You must have only learned naughty things from your seniors,¡± Juan continued with a smile.


    ¡°How does this punk even know myst name¡­¡±


    ¡°Who were you under? I think it was Pharell, am I right? They say that newbies acquire the traits of their superior knights, and I can tell that you¡¯ve been working under him for a long time. Even your beards look the same, although Pharell¡¯s had been ck.¡±


    ¡°Uh, what, um, how¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you as good as Pharell? I would say you are good if you are even half as good as Pharell. The way Pharell swung his ax on the battlefield was quite remarkable, especially when he¡¯d swing his ax at the enemies while having one of them stuck on the end of it. It was a funny sight to see all the enemies running away in fear. cing him on the frontline of the battlefield was always the best. I often thought that the Order of Surtr would be more suitable for him than the Order of Huginn.¡±


    Dilmond remained silent.


    ¡°Come to think of it, I wonder what happened to Pharell. It¡¯d be nice to see him.¡±


    Dilmond looked down at Juan for a long time in heavy silence.


    Juan returned his look and quietly waited for a reply.


    Unable to withstand the long silence, Dilmond eventually opened his mouth slowly.


    ¡°Sir Pharell¡­ passed on the battlefield.¡±


    ¡°I see. I didn¡¯t expect him to live for long anyway¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes. He wasn¡¯t the type to y safe. He fought against the dogs of the Church in a valley of the Laus Mountain, and jumped off the cliff with two of them. We tried to look for his body, but we couldn¡¯t find him anywhere. He is one of the few seniors we¡¯ve lost forever.¡±


    ¡°So he passed away like the wild boar he was.¡±


    ¡°Agreed. I bet he¡¯s still fighting in the afterlife, not realizing he¡¯s already dead,¡± Dilmond said as he slowly backed away while looking at Juan.


    Everyone around them, including Anya and Heretia, were looking at them as if they were possessed.


    1. referring to the knights of the dead that used to be senior knights of Order of Huginn


    2. Surtr is one of the J?tunn giants, basically a titan of the Norse. Fierce and valiant, he will be leading the men of M¨²spelheim and bring about epic destruction during Ragnarok.

 Chapter 48 – The Jackdaws (2)

    <h4>Chapter 48 ¨C The Jackdaws (2)</h4>


    ¡°Annabelle, did you get the knight order involved this time because of this boy?¡± Dilmond asked Anya.


    Anya hesitated for a little, but soon nodded her head.


    ¡°To be honest, most of the opposition to your decision was from me. Not only because Sir Ras¡¯ condition hasn¡¯t been good, but also because the Church¡¯s attention is focused on us due to themotion in the southern area.¡±


    ¡°Sir Dilmond, I¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯tpletely trust your decision or this boy just yet. But I can guess the reason why you decided to bet on this boy.¡±


    Anya was still confused.


    Meanwhile, neither she nor Juan seemed to want to exin themselves to Dilmond.


    ¡°Sir Ras is asleep at the moment. It would be better to meet him tomorrow as you won¡¯t be able to talk to him today even if you paid him a visit. We will be staying above ground to keep our eyes on the White Crows,¡± Dilmond said.


    Anya nodded and led Juan and Heretia to the underground hideout.


    As Dilmond stared at their backs until they disappeared from his sight, the knight next to him suddenly asked a question.


    ¡°Sir, do you know that kid?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ve never met him before,¡± Dilmond answered.


    ¡°Then why¡­?¡±


    ¡°Because he reminded me of His Majesty for a second; His Majesty also had ck hair and used a ming sword. Although it''s been a long time and I might be misremembering, I think the way His Majesty used to talk was also quite simr to that kid¡¯s. His Majesty didn¡¯t care for formalities when he was with hisrades.¡±


    ¡°Pardon? I have only ever heard His Majesty being described as having blonde hair as bright as the sun?¡± one of the knights asked out of curiosity.


    ¡°That¡¯s because the dogs of the Church tried to depict and fabricate His Majesty¡¯s image to have a holy halo behind him. It¡¯s just a misinterpretation, but they continue to describe him like that because they think it¡¯s holier. Besides, ck haired people onlye from beyond the border, so there¡¯s also the issue of maintaining their propaganda about those beyond the borders not receiving His Majesty¡¯s blessings. In reality, His Majesty had ck hair,¡± Dilmond said with a frown as if he remembered something unpleasant.


    ¡°Then that kid¡¯s identity¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t know,¡± Dilmond said in confusion. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s going to be the arrival of misfortune or of hope, but it seems like a new wind will soon be blowing through the empire.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Um, Juan?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, can you tell us what the conversation you had with Sir Dilmond earlier was all about?¡± Anya hesitantly asked as she followed Juan.


    As Juan turned around, he noticed that Heretia was also looking at him with a curious look.


    Juan tried to give a vague answer, but then he remembered Sina Solvane¡¯s face out of nowhere. Juan recalled how Sina said that while she was convinced that Juan was the Emperor, she couldn¡¯t admit such a fact, since such a truth would only trample on the dreams and hopes of countless people who yearned and awaited the return of the Emperor. Juan didn¡¯t want his vague and ambiguous answers to make more people start thinking like Sina.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I was just happy to see someone I happened to know,¡± Juan answered.


    Although Juan had only met Dilmond once, it was still nice to see someone from his memory. Juan might have met Dilmond while he had been giving a speech, or when he was conferring knighthood, but it was not clear in Juan¡¯s memory.


    Juan made it clear to Anya that he didn¡¯t want to talk about the topic anymore.


    Anya looked as if she had more questions, but didn¡¯t ask further.


    ¡°Anyway. Ras¡¯ condition isn¡¯t good?¡±


    ¡°No. He has been in bad condition ever since a few years ago. That was why we tried to assassinate Barth Baltic even though we knew that we were rushing. And so, we failed. As an aftermath of the incident, we have been hiding in Laus Mountain for years.¡±


    ¡°And you filled Ras¡¯ void?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but I¡¯m not good enough. Sir Ras taught me many lessons. To be honest, there are many others that are much better suited to fill his role than me, such as Sir Dilmond or Sir Piette. But everyone wanted the person seeding Sir Ras to be someone young¡­¡±


    ¡°And by the looks of it, you can¡¯t handle it.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t help the fact that I¡¯m not skilled enough. We need to protect the knight order in Sir Ras¡¯ absence, and at the same time contemte everything in order to protect him. Everyone is struggling, since Sir Ras had been leading us for the past few decades,¡± Anya said as she gave Juan a furtive gaze, as if hoping for Juan to fill Ras¡¯ void.


    Juan ignored Anya¡¯s gaze and pointed at the Indeterminate Polyhedron she was holding in her hand.


    ¡°Is that gem to prepare for the trouble approaching Ras?¡±


    ¡°Yes. If the golem of the Ash Tower was a way to destroy the empire during Sir Ras¡¯ absence, this Indeterminate polyhedron is one of the ways to improve his current condition.¡±


    Juan stared at the Indeterminate Polyhedron with a suspicious look. The gem was quite unusual, even for Juan, and gave off an ufortable atmosphere due its energy and ability. Its description of being able to absorb dark energy seemed to be correct. The gem had properties quite simr to a deadly poison, and it was bound to do massive damage once its energy was released¡ªalthough it was unknown as to how much energy it had previously absorbed.


    ¡®<i>It¡¯s like a bomb of unholy energy.</i>¡¯


    The most disturbing thing about the gem was that it was impossible to guess its origin. It was like nothing Juan had seen before, and itsposition was extraordinary. As Juan strongly pursued intelligence just as much as he pursued strength, he could understand why others felt a vague anxiety due to this gem.


    ¡°How is this gem supposed to help improve Ras¡¯ condition? Is he addicted to something?¡± Juan asked.


    Anya had a bitter expression, and along with signs of guilt on her face.


    ¡°You¡¯ll find out once you meet him tomorrow. We are nning to start using the Indeterminate Polyhedron from today,¡± Anya ended the conversation there.


    Walking in the dark, Anya suddenly stopped in the middle of the long waterway and turned around, looking back and forth between Juan and Heretia with wavering eyes.


    Juan wondered why Anya suddenly stopped when there was nothing around them, when he noticed Anya¡¯s actions.


    Juan opened his mouth before Anya could.


    ¡°Heretia, it¡¯d be best if you return now.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Why?¡± Heretia protested.


    ¡°From here should be the Order of the Huginn¡¯s hideout for real. You have no rtions to them, not to mention the fact you hadn¡¯t even known where they were in the first ce.¡±


    Heretia flinched. Juan had already noticed that she¡¯d been lying all along. Heretia was a good liar, but not good enough topletely hide the truth.


    Nevertheless, Juan didn¡¯t mind considering the debt he owed to Harmon Helwin. Letting Heretia get away with her lies was enough to pay off the debt.


    ¡°My family has a lot of sources of information, so I had been nning to investigate it. In fact I¡¯ve already given instructions and it would have only been a matter of time until I found out about them,¡± Heretia said, almost as if she was giving excuses.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter anymore. Go back.¡±


    Heretia read the strong insistence in Juan¡¯s tone and bit her lips.


    Anya¡¯s expression was not much different than Juan¡¯s.


    Heretia wanted to protest, but it was only thanks to Juan that she had been able toe this far with her n.


    Anya approached Heretia and led her away.


    ¡°I will get someone to escort you back. You won¡¯t get in trouble even if the Order of the White Crow finds you, since you have nothing to do with our knight order,¡± Anya said.


    ¡°...I need the Indeterminate Polyhedron,¡± Heretia protested before she was taken away by Anya. ¡°It was an item that I could¡¯ve had in my possession if you hadn¡¯t stolen it¡­ I really need it. I can¡¯t just go back like this.¡±


    ¡°You couldn¡¯t evenpensate me for cooperating with your n, and you¡¯re still telling me that you want the Indeterminate Polyhedron?¡±


    ¡°At least my n was a better alternative than you wandering around the streets without a n. I know I sound unreasonable, but I really need the Indeterminate Polyhedron. I¡¯ve already sacrificed too much to give up on it.¡±


    ¡°Sir Ras¡¯ condition will get worse without it,¡± Anya retorted with knitted eyebrows.


    Hearing that, Heretia could no longer protest, and Juan read the subtle expression on her face. Heretia didn¡¯t want Hiveden to fall, and she didn¡¯t want to harm the Order of Huginn either. But given the circumstances, no matter what choice she made, she was bound to lose at least one of the two.


    Juan decided to lift her concerns.


    ¡°Go back for now.¡±


    ¡°But, Juan¡­¡±


    ¡°I said go back. If you really need the Indeterminate Polyhedron, I¡¯m sure you wouldn¡¯t mind waiting a few days. I¡¯lle up with a satisfactory alternative if you wait.¡±


    ***


    Juan spent a day in the underground hideout of Hiveden. The hideout was rough, but it was big and stable as if it had been built right at the time of the city¡¯s construction. There were also features such asplicated corridors and traps to slow down the external enemies in case of infiltration.


    As soon as Juan woke up from his sleep, he was taken to Ras¡¯ residence by Anya.


    Anya¡¯s drowsy eyes and the dark circles below them allowed a person to know that she had been busy the whole night.


    Anya turned around the corners of theplicated corridor several times, and moved through a special device.


    Walking beside Anya, Juan felt that these paths were made to trap Ras rather than to protect him.


    Anya¡¯s footsteps were heavy, and she didn¡¯t say a word while moving. All she did was murmur something faintly as she looked at the morning sunlight leaking in through the venttion hole.


    ¡°Sir Ras finds peace when there¡¯s sun,¡± Anya murmured.


    Juan recalled his memories of Rasst night. Ras was the youngest of the four sons Juan had adopted. Compared to his brothers, Ras didn¡¯t spend a lot of time with Juan. He was a child who loved the warm sunlight more than anyone. Juan couldn¡¯t believe that such a child resided in this darkness.


    ¡°Juan, this is where sir Ras Raud is,¡± Anya said to Juan from behind his back.


    Juan quietly stared at the door slowly opening in front of his eyes. There was a faint ray of sunlight leaking through the ceiling in the middle of the darkness. The ray of sunlight leaking through at an angle was thin, just like a thread. And inside the room, someone was crouching down, reflecting the faint sunlight on the back of his hand.


    ¡°Ras.¡±


    The crouched man slowly lifted his head. He was wearing a thick reddish brown robe with a white mask. The sword hanging from his waist rattled as he moved, and there was a strange smell simr to that of ill patientsing from him. In one of his hands, he held the Indeterminate Polyhedron.


    ¡°Leave us alone for some time,¡± Juan said to Anya as he looked back.


    ¡°Pardon? But¡­¡±


    ¡°Please.¡±


    Anya looked surprised for a moment at Juan''s plea, since Juan seemed to be far from someone who knew how to say ¡®please.¡¯ Anya looked back and forth between Juan and Ras. When she saw Ras slowly nodding his head, she backed away.


    Juan opened his mouth first once they were alone.


    ¡°I remember when I first met you.¡±


    The man behind the white mask stared at Juan. His eyes were filled with darkness,pletely soulless and lifeless.


    ¡°It was at the thirteenth temple of Nigrato, the God of Death. At the time, Nigrato hadmitted suicide to once more to strengthen his power. There were frequent incidents of his followers abducting young children and offering them as sacrificial gifts to revive him.¡±


    Talter enjoyed a feast of vivid madness. But Nigrato was a god who indulged in slow death, dposition of the body, and even skeletons. It was only natural that the dry desert was his home.


    ¡°You were a sacrificial offering who had been abducted. And you were buried alive in Nigrato¡¯s underground temple. I don¡¯t know what was going on in your mind in that ce where not a single ray of light reached. Instead of being a prey to Nigrato, you chose life¡ªby eating the other corpses and drinking the sewer water.¡±


    Ras dropped the Indeterminate Polyhedron from his hand. His bony, white finger were trembling.


    ¡°I destroyed the temple and brought you with me. However, I never once thought that <i>I</i> saved you. <i>You?</i>were the one who saved yourself. After all, your heart was too strong for someone like Nigrato to engulf,¡± Juan continued.


    Ras was half standing.


    As he stood, Juan noticed his thin, white bones through his old and tattered robe. Juan¡¯s throat tightened upon seeing the rotting ck spots on the bones.


    ¡°You had a reserved personality. Compared to your brothers, you were younger and had poor eyesight, probably because you spent a long time in the darkness in Nigrato¡¯s temple. Your brothers enjoyed swordsmanship, but you preferred reading in the library. Although your brothers used to make fun of your gloomy personality, more than anything you liked to sit by the window where the sun shone the brightest in the library.


    Before he knew it, Ras was slowly approaching Juan. Ras was tall with a height of over two meter, but his footsteps were quiet and light for someone his size.


    ¡°You were more intelligent than anyone, especially with your exquisite understanding of magic. Although you might¡¯ve thought I didn¡¯t know much about you, and that I didn¡¯t spend a lot of time with you, there were things I certainly couldn¡¯t forget about you. I could never forget the face you made when you concentrated on learning the new magic spells I taught you, and the face you made when you realized how to make a sphere of light in the dark, Ras.¡±


    Ras knelt down in front of Juan. Being a tall man, he was still one head size taller than Juan even on his knees. Ras crouched his body as if he couldn¡¯t even understand such height difference, and trembled. He slowly raised his hand to feel Juan¡¯s face, and Juan let him do whatever he wanted.


    Ras¡¯ hand was hard and cold. Juan slowly reached his hand to ce on Ras¡¯ mask.


    ¡°Ras, my son.¡±


    Ras¡¯ movement froze. However, he couldn¡¯t reject Juan¡¯s touch. Juan slowly unmasked him. Behind the mask, a white human skull was revealed. Juan¡¯s youngest son had be a dead man.


    ¡ºFather.¡»


    Ras began to sob as he knelt down at Juan¡¯s feet. His face without any skin could not shed a single teardrop.

 Chapter 49 – The Jackdaws (3)

    <h4>Chapter 49 ¨C The Jackdaws (3)</h4>


    ¡ºWhy¡­why hadn¡¯t you returned until now?¡»


    The voice generated using magic had a deep tone and was somewhat nerve-wracking.


    However, such a voice was familiar to Juan.


    Ras lifted his head up as he touched and felt Juan¡¯s face with his trembling hand. Ras continued to stare at Juan, but the face of a young boy seemed unfamiliar to him no matter how long he stared for. Ras soon realized how rude it was to touch and stare at Juan, and withdrew his hand in haste.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. You¡¯ve never once acted like a child in front of me in the past. You can touch my face all you want.¡±


    Ras faltered and hesitated at Juan¡¯s words, but slowly reached out his hand once again to stroke Juan¡¯s face.


    ¡ºIt feels strange to see Your Majesty being so much smaller than me. In my eyes, you¡¯ve always been big enough to touch the skies.¡»


    ¡°It¡¯s a body that I can¡¯t get used to either. Anyway, you recognized me right away. The others wouldn¡¯t believe me even when I directly told them my identity, and they refused to acknowledge me as the Emperor. Some even said that they will pretend not to know my identity.¡±


    Ras remained silent.


    Juan felt bitter about the fact that he would no longer be able to see Ras¡¯ face anymore. Juan wouldn¡¯t see his bright smile or shy expression ever again. All Juan could do was to let Ras touch his face all he wanted.


    ¡°What happened while I was gone? I heard that you were¡­¡±


    <i>¡®¡­ branded a traitor.¡¯</i>


    Juan didn¡¯t finish, but he was certain Ras could guess the end of the sentence.


    Ras¡¯ hand stroking Juan¡¯s face stopped, and began to tremble.


    Juan could sense his anger.


    ¡ºThat''s absolutely not true. The whole empire fell for the Regent¡¯s lie.¡»


    ¡°The Regent? You mean Barth Baltic?¡±


    ¡ºYes, His Majesty. I¡¯d sensed the strange atmosphere deep within the empire since a long time ago. There had been a rebellion brewing somewhere within the empire, and I had a feeling that it had to do with the Crack¡­¡»


    ¡°The Crack?¡±


    The Crack was an old enemy of Juan¡¯s that he never got the chance to finish off. Juan made a strange face upon hearing the unexpected name. Juan didn¡¯t expect to hear the name now of all times. Thinking about it now, the Crack should have encroached on humanity after his death, but surprisingly, the empire was holding out properly.


    ¡ºYes, Your Majesty. But I was unable to find conclusive evidence to back me up. I shared my worries with my¡­ acquaintance, and he too got very concerned. So I ended up joining forces with him to investigate further.¡»


    ¡°Acquaintance? Who was it?¡±


    ¡º...It was Dane Dormund.¡»


    Juan¡¯s face became distorted in an instant.


    Dane Dormund, the Grand Magician.


    He had not only been Juan¡¯s teacher, but also a father figure to Juan. However, he made an unforgivable mistake when Juan ascended the throne as the Emperor. Dane hadter begged for forgiveness countless times, but Juan hadn¡¯t been able to forgive him¡ªit was not something that could be undone.


    Juan¡¯s face was filled with anger, but he soon calmed down as he understood Ras.


    ¡°I¡¯m not surprised that you had beenmunicating with him. It¡¯s only natural. After all, there was no one more skilled in magic than him, not to mention the fact that he was willing to teach you some spells I refused to teach you. Alright, so what did you find out?¡±


    ¡ºThe fact that the eldest son, Gerard Gain, held impious ns against Your Majesty,¡» Ras answered soon after hesitating for a while, almost as if he felt unpleasant by just mentioning it. ¡ºDane headed to the imperial pce as soon as he found out about Gerard Gain¡¯s n, while I led the Order of Huginn to the capital. However, there was a high likelihood of us not making it in time to get to the front line of the south all the way from the north. So, I tried to let Harmon know of Gerard¡¯s n, but¡­the Order of the Capital had stopped us.¡»


    ¡°The Order of the Capital?¡±


    ¡ºYes, Your Majesty. I tried my best to convince them; I thought there would be no reason for the knight order under the Regent to stop us¡ªI thought it was a simple misunderstanding. But I never had the chance to meet Barth Baltic, even until the end. The Order of the Capital refused to back off, so I had no choice but to raise my sword against them.¡»


    Ras remained silent for a moment, and Juan could easily guess the meaning of his silence.


    ¡ºI fought day and night for four days without any rest. I didn¡¯t like such a strategy, nor were my knights used to that kind of battle. However, we continued to fight desperately. Nevertheless, what we heard after four days of fighting¡­ was the news that Your Majesty had passed.¡»


    ¡°...I see.¡±


    ¡ºLater, we heard that Your Majesty didn¡¯t pass, but had gotten critically injured. But by then, we had already lost the will to continue fighting. Furthermore, we were faced with a false usation and were framed as traitors. We had lost Your Majesty, and also lost the honor of having fought for you. We couldn¡¯t bear it, and so I eventually led the survivors to Laus Mountain to hide.¡»


    Only after hearing all this did Juan get a general idea of the situation.


    Juan didn¡¯t think Ras was lying, but he couldn¡¯t jump to conclusions just yet. From Ras¡¯ point of view, it seemed to appear that the Order of the Capital had contributed to his assassination. However, it would only be natural for them to block the Order of Huggin from making a sudden movement. After all, the Order of the Capital¡¯s priority was to protect the capital; there was a high chance that the Order of the Capital didn¡¯t even know of the assassination n.


    ¡ºThere is something I want to ask Your Majesty. When I found out that the eldest brother¡­ I mean, Gerard Gain had ns to assassinate Your Majesty, I couldn¡¯t believe it. Even after I heard Your Majesty had passed, it was still hard for me to believe it. I thought that maybe he had been framed just like me¡­¡»


    ¡°No. Gerard did indeed stab me. I saw him with my own eyes. I remember his hand and sword drenched with my blood, and even his eyes which were looking at me.¡±


    Ras went silent for a moment. Ras had never gotten along with his brothers, but Gerard Gain was the only person he was friendly with, as Gerard was kind and warm hearted. It was no wonder that Ras couldn¡¯t believe Gerard¡¯s betrayal, just as much as Juan himself.


    ¡ºThen maybe the others really were traitors. The Grand Duke Harmon Helwin and the Captain of the Imperial Guards Winoa Weaver were executed. Further, Gerard Gain and Dane Dormund went missing¡­ It¡¯s really hard to judge who the real traitors and loyalists were.¡»


    Juan noticed that Ras didn¡¯t mention one of the Six Apostates that were believed to have assassinated him, but didn¡¯t say anything. Juan didn¡¯t wish to hear the name of his lover at the moment.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard for me to judge as well. I hadn¡¯t been sure whether you had betrayed me or not until I came here to meet you.¡±


    ¡ºThen¡­ has Your Majestypletely returned? For the empire? For revenge? I¡¯m curious to know how you returned¡ªit¡¯s no surprise that Your Majesty overcame death, but it took a long time.¡»


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I am also clueless as to how I managed toe back to life,¡± Juan said honestly. ¡°I don¡¯t even know if I can say that I¡¯ve returned. In many ways, I¡¯m no longer the emperor that everyone had been waiting for; I have lost my strength, and my thoughts are not like what they used to be. If no one acknowledges me as the emperor, I would be considered a lunatic spouting nonsense rather than a ruler.¡±


    ¡ºThat¡¯s what I am,¡» Ras said jokingly.


    Juan touched Ras¡¯ skull which held no resemnce to what he looked like in the past. Ras had changed just like Juan had, and it seemed like his thoughts were also different from what they used to be.


    However, Juan was relieved to know that Ras was not a traitor.


    ¡°What happened to you for you to end up looking like this?¡± Juan asked.


    Ras tapped his finger bones against the Indeterminate Polyhedron in his hand.


    Juan noticed that the Indeterminate Polyhedron had been absorbing the dark energy leaking out of Ras¡¯ body.


    ¡º...After hiding in the Laus Mountain, our knight order held out and waited for a chance to turn the tables. The empire was devastated and enraged from losing Your Majesty, and so were we. Even though we were outnumbered, we were able to fight back evenly. Afterall, defense is what we are best at.¡»


    Juan smiled at Ras¡¯ words. He could imagine the Order of Huginn luring the enemies into the Laus Mountain, then watching them slowly die with no water or food in the desert-like environment that they created for them.


    ¡ºBut with the appearance of the Temrs, everything changed. It was as if¡­ well, as if they had little bits of Your Majesty¡¯s essence. They called it ¡®Grace.¡¯¡»


    Juan had distributed some of his power to his adopted sons and few of the chosen military officers. The power he had given them was not strong enough to fight the gods, but it was a power which definitely far surpassed that of ordinary people. It seemed like this power had remained intact even after Juan¡¯s death.


    ¡ºWe started to slowly suffer losses ever since. Quite a few of our knights died, and I had to find a way to stand against those who took advantage of Your Majesty¡¯s power. So¡­ I went looking for my long time acquaintance.¡»


    ¡°Nigrato.¡±


    Nigrato, the god of death, had already lost all his followers and lost his chance to revive ever again.


    Ras quietly nodded his head.


    ¡ºYes, Your Majesty. Since my body had once been sacrificially offered to him, I was able to connect with Nigrato¡¯s essence from his altar. At the same time, I had some of Your Majesty¡¯s power within me, so I was confident in being able to control Nigrato¡¯s essence. That¡¯s how I absorbed his power and became the incarnation of death.¡»


    Juan slightly sighed. Many people made the same mistake as Ras¡ªthey sacrificed their own body to foster evil.


    Ras seemed to have realized his mistake as well.


    ¡ºBut his essence grew stronger inside me as I used more of his power. I can¡¯t recall since when, but I began to hear Nigrato¡¯s voice in my head. At that point, I was starting to lose control over myself. Thus, I desperately tried to assassinate Barth Baltic while I was still myself. It was clear to me that he was ruining the empire that Your Majesty had established.¡»


    ¡°But you failed to do so¡­¡±


    ¡ºIndeed, I failed. After my failure to assassinate Barth Baltic, I locked myself in this room to restrain the use of Nigrato¡¯s power¡ªexcept when I used it to revive my knights. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve seen the knight of the dead on your way. I couldn¡¯t discourage them from wanting to be undead. They said they would be ashamed to meet Your Majesty in the afterlife as traitors. And my thoughts are the same as them.¡»


    ¡°Then what about the Indeterminate Polyhedron?¡±


    ¡ºIt¡¯s to suppress Nigarto¡¯s power. Fortunately, ever since Annabelle got it for me, Nigrato¡¯s voice within my head has subsided. It seems to be quite effective.¡»


    ¡°The origin of the item is unknown, Ras. It¡¯s best to not rely on it too much.¡±


    ¡ºYou¡¯re right, Your Majesty. But there is nothing else I can do¡­ If I lose control of myself again, I¡¯m afraid I might no longer be me. I¡¯m d that I was able to meet Your Majesty while I could still recognize you. I still can¡¯t believe you¡¯ve returned and I am seeing you with my own eyes.¡»


    Ras grabbed something out of the pocket of his tattered robe as he spoke; it was a small box wrapped in silk.


    ¡ºPlease ept this, Your Majesty. It¡¯s something that I¡¯ve been taking care of for Your Majesty. All I could protect after all those long years of fighting is only this item,¡» Ras said as he politely bowed his head to Juan.


    Ras slowly opened the box, and Juan couldn¡¯t believe his eyes¡ªinside the box was an extravagant ring with the engraving of the sun and a burning eagle. It was the seal of the Emperor.


    The ring served as the seal that the emperor stamped when sending out official documents to various regions of the empire. The ring itself had the power to restrict people other than the addressee and the owner of the ring from opening the document.


    ¡°How is this ring in your possession?¡±


    ¡ºPlease forgive me. Before all the incidents urred, Harmon told me to store the ring just in case anything happened. Although this ring was what caused me to be falsely used as a traitor, I couldn¡¯t give it up. I used to think that it had been Harmon¡¯s n to get me in trouble, but now I¡¯m unsure if that¡¯s even true.¡»


    The ring was often in Harmon¡¯s possession rather than Juan¡¯s, as Harmon was in charge of the affairs of the entire empire. Juan had never once thought of the ring as important, and Harmon used to scold Juan whenever he spoke his thoughts on the ring.


    <i>¡®Your Majesty. The reason people follow you is not because of your strength, nor is it because of your oh so lofty strength and honorable nature; it¡¯s because of the authority granted to you. And authority isn¡¯t something that everyone has. Rather it is something given by the consensus of people. The physical manifestations of that consensus are your crown and this ring.¡¯</i>


    Juan had manyebacks to say to that, but Harmon always clicked his tongue and didn¡¯t even bother to listen.


    Juan smiled bitterly as he recalled this old memory and lifted the ring.


    Because the ring was made to fit Juan¡¯s finger as the Emperor, it was so big for Juan¡¯s current body that it didn¡¯t even fit on his thumb. Juan remembered how Harmon never used to wear the ring on his finger, but rather held it in his hand to stamp the documents since he was thin and smaller in size.


    If Harmon handed over the ring that he held in such high regard to Ras, but not anyone else, it was very likely that he had suspected that something was going on.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think he would¡¯ve given you the ring to put you in trouble.¡±


    ¡ºWhy do you think that, Your Majesty?¡»


    ¡°Because Harmon used to treat this ring almost like a little me. In fact, he considered it more important than me in a way. If he had held malicious intent, he would¡¯ve hid it in his attic. It seems like he had wanted to keep the ring as far away from the threat; since I died in the front line of the north, and you were in the south.¡±


    ¡ºWhat do you mean by threats?¡»


    Juan lifted his head and looked toward the north.


    ¡°The threat that the empire as well as the imperial pce could end uppletely in the hands of the enemy. And I¡¯m afraid Harmon¡¯s doubts were spot on.¡±

 Chapter 50 – The Eve of War (1)

    <h4>Chapter 50 ¨C The Eve of War (1)</h4>


    ¡°You still haven¡¯t left. I was worried that you would¡¯ve long since run away by now,¡± Juan said sarcastically.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s best to stay put in chaotic times,¡± Heretia replied.


    Juan went to find Heretia right after he finished meeting up with Ras.


    Hiveden was still very chaotic due to the news that the Lord had died from having a heart attack upon hearing that his precious item got stolen. Furthermore, Hiveden became even more rowdy as the Order of the White Crow searched for the culprit of the theft.


    In the midst of such chaos, Heretia went back to the tavern in Hiveden where she had previously stayed. It was unknown whether she had someone credible behind her to protect her, but her confident attitude was unlike that of someone who had met the Captain of the Order of the White Crow just the day before.


    ¡°What happened to the Indeterminate Polyhedron?¡± Heretia got straight to the point.


    ¡°I can¡¯t give it to you yet,¡± Juan said as he reached out his empty hand.


    Juan had considered getting the Indeterminate Polyhedron for Heretia before he met Ras, but this was not an option anymore now that he knew Ras¡¯ life depended on it.


    ¡°But you promised. I was supposed to get the Indeterminate Polyhedron and you were supposed to get information about the Order of Huginn,¡± Heretia bit her lips andined.


    ¡°Yes, but the Order of Huginn found us first. At that point, our deal became meaningless. Here, why don¡¯t we think about it this way? You obtained the Indeterminate Polyhedron through your n, and faithfully informed me about the Order of Huginn. However, the Order of Huginn stole the Indeterminate Polyhedron from you¡ªdon¡¯t you think it was bound to happen in the future anyway?¡±


    Heretia remained silent as if she couldn¡¯t think of anything to say back at Juan, and bit her lips.


    ¡°Besides, the Order of Huginn are in desperate need of the Indeterminate Polyhedron. And I¡¯m not just saying that they will be the only ones in trouble without it¡ªthe whole empire will be in chaos. Also, I have personal reasons which make it hard to hand it over to you,¡± Juan continued.


    ¡°Shit. Indeterminate Polyhedron had only been an item that passed through the hands of the wealthy gangs or the collectors with bad taste for the past several years. Why in the world would people start looking for it now¡­¡±


    ¡°Sometimes things like this happen. How had you been nning to use it?¡±


    ¡°Why does that matter to you? Anyway, I need the Indeterminate Polyhedron. All my efforts could be wasted without it, and I might have to dy my n for at least another ten years,¡± Heretia put her hands on the temple of her head as she sat on the couch.


    Heretia knew that sometimes some things were inevitable, and she would have no choice but topromise. She did not want the Order of Huginn to be at risk, nor did she have the strength to steal the Indeterminate Polyhedron from them.


    The only option left for Heretia was to give up.


    ¡°Are you trying to gift it to someone simr to how Earl Henborn had been nning to gift it to the Bishop? Then how about this? It¡¯s a short sword that once belonged to Talter, the god of madness.¡±


    Juan drew a short sword from his waist and ced it on the table.


    Heretia¡¯s eyes widened at the sight of the sword that had its hilt decorated extravagantly with silver. Heretia was about to reach for the sword without realizing, then stopped.


    ¡°...Is this authentic?¡±


    ¡°Why would I carry around a fake sword?¡±


    ¡°I guess it doesn¡¯t matter anyway. It might be a valuable sword, but nothing can rece the Indeterminate Polyhedron¡­¡± Heretia retracted her hand with a wistful expression.


    Although Heretia was tempted when she saw such precious treasure in front of her, it wasn¡¯t something she needed. Besides, Juan wasn¡¯t armed with any other weapons besides Talter¡¯s short sword. Heretia didn¡¯t want to take away his only weapon.


    ¡°Then what about this? It¡¯s a Grunbalde¡¯s gray cloak. If you have enough mana, you can control the fog and create demonic ves if you put in the effort to train yourself.¡±


    Juan took off the cape on his shoulders and flung it across the table. The white fog it released covered the top of the table in the form of a curtain as if it was melting.


    The expressions on the faces of Heretia¡¯s young guard and old guard changed in an instant upon seeing such a sight¡ªit was something they had never seen before. The cloak was in the form of gas rather than a solid. It was a precious item that couldn¡¯t be found anywhere else, not to mention its special abilities.


    ¡°Where did you even find such a thing¡­¡± Heretia asked with a stunned look as she realized the worth of Juan¡¯s cloak.


    The gray cloak was immeasurably more valuablepared to the Talter¡¯s short sword; the cloak could be used for military purposes while the short sword was simply a personal weapon. The gray cloak ought to prove its worth during war.


    However, Heretia shook her head in rejection.


    ¡°Uh¡­ Umm¡­ Juan, I¡¯m turning down your items not because I don¡¯t like them. I know that I don¡¯t deserve to get any of these valuables from you. In fact, if I really needed any of these items, I would¡¯ve shamefully epted them, but that¡¯s not the case.¡±


    The two guards who stood beside Heretia were very much saddened by her refusal of Juan¡¯s offer.


    ¡°I prefer to solve my issues politically while shedding as little blood as possible. Considering that, I don¡¯t need either of these two items.¡±


    ¡°But you don¡¯tpletely avoid shedding blood, right?¡±


    ¡°It would be nice topletely avoid bloodshed, but sometimes you need to do what you need to do. Anyway, do you have any other items that could help me out politically?¡±


    Juan hesitated, but soon grabbed out another item from his pocket¡ªit was the ring he had received from Rasst night.


    Heretia opened the small box Juan handed over with a curious look. When she saw what was inside the box, she was dumbfounded, and then soon kicked the table to get up.


    ¡°Juan! This is?!¡±


    ¡°Is that good enough for you?¡±


    ¡°Good enough? Did you really just say good enough?! Do you even realize what it is that you just handed over to me? This is¡­!¡±


    The moment Heretia was about to continue to say ¡®the seal of the emperor,¡¯ Juan hastily ced his hand over her mouth. Heretia blinked her wide open eyes as she soon realized that she had almost made a terrible mistake. Although she only had reliable people around her, this ring could put her in danger just havinge into possession of it.


    Heretia clenched the box with both of her hands drenched in a cold sweat.


    Juan reached out to close the box, and his action showed just how valuable and dangerous the ring was. Juan¡¯s attitude confirmed the ring¡¯s authenticity.


    ¡°It seems like you know what this is. You¡¯ve been well taught.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s something that I see everyday. Though of course, what I see is only a fake¡­¡± Heretia muttered as she wiped off the sweat on her forehead. Unlike the cold sweat dripping out due anxiety like the first time, it was sweat dripping out of excitement. ¡°I-is it really okay to give this to me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, as long as you make good use of it in your n.¡±


    ¡°Good use? With this, I can shorten the time required to execute my n from three years to one year, or maybe even half a year,¡± Heretia looked at Juan with a blissful expression, but then soon became confused.


    ¡°Why are you giving such a valuable item to me? I had thought I would have no choice but to ept that this journey was for naught. Of course, I do really need this item, but¡­¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t have any value to me right now. Rather, the son I reunited with is much more important.¡±


    ¡°Son?¡±


    Juan bitterly smiled. It was a hard decision for Juan to hand over the ring that Ras had cherished and protected for decades. However, Juan couldn¡¯t treat Harmon¡¯s descendent poorly in a situation where he actually might not have been a traitor.


    But more than anything, the ring was useless for him at the moment. Juan didn¡¯t think the seal could prove the fact he was the emperor, nor did he think it would grant him any real authority like Harmon said.


    Meanwhile, Heretia was busy thinking of what she could do with the seal. She didn¡¯t have to think hard, since she already had many options in her head. Of course, she couldn¡¯t pretend to be His Majesty with the seal, but the seal ought to y its part in a different situation.


    Heretia calcted the worth of the seal, and nodded her head seriously.


    ¡°Juan, no matter how hard I think about it, this is unfair.¡±


    ¡°I thought you said it was good enough earlier?¡±


    ¡°No, I mean it¡¯s unfair for you. I am unworthy of this item, and this is beyond my control. Metaphorically speaking, it''s like you just bought an entire bakery for me when I just wanted to eat one piece of bread. I have to leave right away, so I won¡¯t be able to repay you right now. But if you ever need the help of the Helwin family, I swear to help you with all my power¡ªthink of it as me paying you back for the change.¡±


    ***


    Sina Solvane tried to ignore the tingling sensation near her eyelids. However, she couldn¡¯t help her body flinching whenever she saw the needle moving in front of her eyes.


    Eventually, the task was finished, and only then did Sina let out a sigh of relief and stood up.


    ¡°It¡¯s all done. It¡¯s a relief that it ended well.¡±


    The area around Sina¡¯s left eye now had a ck tattoo. The scars left behind due to being pierced by an arrow and then the wound being cauterized by Juan were covered with the tattoo and were no longer visible.


    Sina didn¡¯t mind the scars, but she had no choice but to get the tattoo after Kamil¡¯s strong rmendation.


    ¡°Would you like to see the mirror?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­sure.¡±


    Sina picked up the mirror and looked at her own reflection. As Kamil had already told her, the rune for ¡®the emperor¡¯s watchdog¡¯ was clearly engraved in ck ink.


    Sina felt a little strange, and wondered if it was a good decision to tattoo the rune that Juan had engraved on her eye.


    Nevertheless, the news about Sina¡¯s tattoo had spread amongst the Temrs. It seemed that the tattoo was quite likable to them, and even to Bishop Rietto.


    ¡°Long t-long time no see, Sina Solvane.¡±


    Sina was surprised to see Bishop Rietto at the training ground all of a sudden.


    Although one could still witness strange sights such as him frowning in a bizarre fashion or abruptly tilting his head, he seemed to be much more stable than the time Sina had seen him at her inquisitorial trial.


    ¡°You seem surprised. I¡¯m on my way to Hiveden for some business. I stopped by to deliver His Holiness¡¯ words to Ethan Etil. But it looks like he isn¡¯t here at the moment.¡±


    ¡°Bishop Rietto, I apologize for not atoning enough.¡±


    ¡°I-it¡¯s okay. I was told the Order of the Blue Rose suffered in your stead.¡±


    Sina once again felt heartbroken as faces of Ossrey and the other knights crossed her mind.


    ¡°It was an unnecessary sacrifice resulting from my rash judgment. I¡¯d have nothing to say even if you decided to give me the punishment you had been pushing off.¡±


    Instead of responding to Sina, Bishop Rietto reached his hand toward Sina who was kneeling down.


    Sina flinched upon seeing Bishop Rietto¡¯s hand reaching for her left eye, but she remained still.


    Bishop Rietto put on a smile as he traced the scalded scar with his hand.


    ¡°The scars left behind by your enemy are the highest level of praise. If His Majesty has given you such an ordeal, it surely means that you have established yourself as an axis in His Majesty¡¯s grand n.¡±


    Sina remained silent. She could still hear Juan¡¯s voice that imed himself to be the emperor in her ears. However, she couldn¡¯t figure out the reason behind why he had engraved the mark ¡®the emperor¡¯s watchdog,¡¯ on her face.


    ¡°I he-heard that you were critically injured in the battle and that you wouldn¡¯t be able to use your right hand to hold the sword anymore.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s correct, sir.¡±


    ¡°I will do my utmost to heal you with the Grace that I¡¯ve been bestowed by His Majesty. You have earned the right. I believe the reason for your survival against the herald of darkness is because His Majesty¡¯s will to continue fighting lies within you. With his Grace, you might be able to use your right arm again.¡±


    Sina¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. Although the Bishop¡¯s Grace was powerful enough to fix disabled legs to walk again, they rarely ever used their Grace¡ªit was because the power given by His Majesty was no different than his asset, and therefore it would be considered a crime to carelessly use his power. Sina thought that Bishop Rietto was simply saying this out of kindness.


    But at that moment, Rietto lifted Sina¡¯s right arm. A faint me rose from Rietto¡¯s hand and began to spread to Sina¡¯s right arm.


    Sina was surprised, but the me was not as hot as she imagined. The warm me covered Sina¡¯s scar, and its energy prated under her skin. Sina flinched as she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her arm and held back her groans.


    ¡°It¡¯s the pain from new skin growing, broken bones reconnecting, and the broken nerves regenerating. It¡¯s a pain for healing, so you must bear it,¡± Rietto said.


    Sina felt as if all the pain she could ever feel was striking her paralyzed arm. Sina gasped in pain for a long time and even almost fainted, but was finally released when the healing process was over. Sina¡¯s body was drenched in sweat.


    Sina inadvertently looked at her right hand as she ced it on the ground. Although her sensations were still dull and it couldn¡¯t move properly, she could feel her fingers faintly moving as she wanted.


    ¡°Th-this is only the beginning. You would have to get the same treatment at least five more times¡­¡± Rietto said.


    Her arm definitely felt much betterpared to the past when it used to feel like a club hanging from her shoulder.


    Meanwhile, Rietto¡¯s expression was quite strange. He stared at his hand with a curious look on his face.


    ¡°Is there something wrong, sir?¡±


    ¡°Th-this is quite strange. Sina, have you been healed by someone bestowed with His Majesty¡¯s Grace other than me in the past?¡±


    ¡°No, sir,¡± Sina said as she shook her head.


    Juan¡¯s first aid was also considered a healing treatment, but what Rietto meant was healing treatment through Grace. Rietto tilted his head in curiosity and continued.


    ¡°I felt His Majesty¡¯s power from you. It would take a long time, but the Grace inside your body will eventually heal your armpletely. Perhaps His Majesty has recognized your bravery and his power already lies with you.¡±

 Chapter 51 – The Eve of War (2)

    <h4>Chapter 51 ¨C The Eve of War (2)</h4>


    As Ethan barged into the room, people inside the dark room all stood up with nervous expressions.


    The guards followed Ethan into the room with a perplexed look. The right thing to do would be to stop Ethan from barging into the room without permission, but no guards were willing to mess with a Temr.


    ¡°Ethan? This is the governing council of Hiveden. It¡¯s not a ce someone like you can barge in like that.¡±


    Ethan looked at the man who admonished him. The man had been an insignificant noble back in the capital, but had be the head of the loan industry after moving to Hiveden. The others in the room were not that much different; their ranks included a prostitute, a swindler, a gangster, a gambler, and even the leader of the smugglers.


    These varied groups of criminals held the authoritative power in thewless city known as Hiveden.


    ¡°It seems like Earl Henborn really is dead. Are you the new chief of the Hiveden council now?¡±


    ¡°I am. My name is Ardin. I was told you were thest to meet Earl Henborn. Do you know anything about his death?¡± Ardin asked with an explicitly suspicious tone.


    The rest of the council had no choice but to step up and make movements since Henborn, who used to be the head of the council on the surface, was found deadst night.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have left his body intact if I had been the one who murdered him. I thought that murder without leaving any evidence was your specialties?¡± Ethan derided with a sneering look.


    The expressions of Ardin and the rest of the council members changed when they heard about Ethan¡¯s suspicion of them using poison to murder Henborn.


    Ethan¡¯s suspicion was only natural, since the members of the council themselves had also been suspecting each other. The reason why the council was called immediately after Henborn¡¯s death was so that all the members could monitor each other and confirm that the culprit was not one of them.


    ¡°Please mind your manners,¡± Ardin said cautiously, as he was the only one who could talk back to a Temr with his decent status.


    Ethan didn¡¯t even bother to look at Ardin, and drew his sword from his waist, instantly smashing it into the table. With a loud sound, the table cracked as if it was about to split in half. Ethan¡¯s sword pierced so deep into the table that the de wasn¡¯t even visible.


    ¡°The only courtesy I¡¯ll show is not killing you criminals right this moment. Earl Henborn isn¡¯t here to protect you all anymore, and the Order of Huginn hiding behind you all is on borrowed time. The Order of the White Crow is on their way,¡± Ethan said.


    Ardin froze and took a big gulp.


    ¡°I should¡¯ve done this a long time ago, but betterte than never. I¡¯m nning to sweep the city and clean out the trash. However, I¡¯ll give you all a chance before I do so.¡±


    ¡°W-what do you want from us?¡±


    ¡°Give up the city¡¯s right of autonomy.¡±


    Ardin immediately made a disapproving expression.


    ¡°No way! Hiveden¡¯s right of autonomy was approved by the council of nobles! It¡¯s not something you can easily take away from us like this! If you have a greedy intention behind¡­¡±


    At that moment, Ethan¡¯s hand reached out to grab Ardin by his throat to lift him up in the air.


    The other council members immediately drew their weapons, and the guards that had been hiding in the shadows jumped out and surrounded Ethan.


    Ethan didn¡¯t have any guards to protect him as he hade to the council alone, while the members of the council had guards that seemed much more skilledpared to the ordinary soldiers.


    However, Ethan didn¡¯t even bat an eye when he saw them.


    ¡°Do you really think that I care about secr wealth or authority?¡± Ethan whispered at Ardin while still holding his body in the air. ¡°Let dogs and pigs fight over that. The only thing I care about is sabotaging His Majesty¡¯s enemies.¡±


    Ethan dropped Ardin on the floor, and Ardin gasped for air as he backed away. Fear and hatred toward Ethan crossed Ardin¡¯s face as Ethan smiled as he extended his hand toward the other guards.


    ¡°Put down your weapons. If you continue holding your weapons, I might misunderstand your intentions and consider this a challenge.¡±


    ¡°...You have no idea how many swords are pointed toward you in this room,¡± Ardin threatened Ethan.


    ¡°Yes, but I wonder how many of them could actually get near me.¡±


    Ardin closed his mouth¡ªhis silence implying that he agreed with Ethan. Even if Ardin ordered his guards to attack Ethan, he couldn¡¯t be sure of just how many of them could withstand Ethan¡¯s counterattack.


    .


    The Captain of the Order of the White Crow was one of the most powerful men in the empire. At the same time, even if they could kill him once out of a hundred chances, the city of Hiveden couldn¡¯t handle the consequences of killing a Temr. It was certain that his knight order would seek revenge on everyone within this room, be it those that left a mark on Ethan¡¯s armor, or those that watched.


    While the Church stood behind Ethan to support him, the same applied to the governing council of Hiveden¡ªthey had the nobles of the capital and corrupted Temrs to protect them. If the nobles of the capital and the corrupted Temrs joined forces, the Order of the White Crow would have no choice but to pay the price for their arrogance.


    ¡°Do you think the nobles of the capital would let you take away the right of autonomy from us?¡±


    ¡°They won¡¯t. But don¡¯t you think you would all die before that?¡± Ethan chuckled.


    Ardin got goosebumps all over his body when he saw Ethan chuckle.


    <i>¡®That crazy lunatic really is nning to find the Order of Huginn and destroy them regardless of the consequences.¡¯</i>


    Now the question came down to whose side they had to take in order to survive.


    Ardin and the other council members quickly calcted the profits, the support, and the future potential that they would gain through the Order of Huginn andpared them to the risks they would have to face if they rejected Ethan¡¯s offer; it wasn¡¯t a hard decision to make.


    ¡°...I¡¯ll consider your offer. Please give us some time to think about it.¡±


    ¡°You have until tomorrow to decide.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s too soon! I need at least another week¡­¡±


    ¡°I can already see you telling the nobles of the capital to interfere. But if you think that whining like a little baby is going to change anything, you¡¯re wrong,¡± Ethan said as he walked out the door. ¡°Once again, you have until the sun rises tomorrow. If I don¡¯t hear back from you by then, Hiveden will have to face an unexpected war. I wonder how long this city willst against the Order of the White Crow and the Laus Mountain Scouts.¡±


    ***


    The entire room fell silent. The members of the council felt as if the sword stuck in the middle of the table was stuck in their foreheads.


    The first one to break the silence was Ardin, someone who had controlled Hiveden by closely serving Earl Henborn.


    ¡°What are we going to do?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean what are we going to do!¡± a bald man stood up and shouted at Ardin¡¯s anxious tone. ¡°It¡¯s obvious what those fanatics will do after taking away our rights of autonomy! They are going to make our city exactly like one of those ordinary religious cities. Those rotten bastards from the Church will steal our base of operations!¡±


    Ardin looked at the bald man with an exasperated expression. The bald man¡¯s name was Yuldrick, and he was the Captain of the mercenaries. Although they were called mercenaries, they were nothing more than a group of bandits when they had no work in the off-seasons.


    ¡°I agree. They might say they¡¯ll leave us alone as long as we give up our right to autonomy this one time, but I bet they will continue trying to control our city. It wouldn¡¯t be so hard for them to take advantage of us the second time. We¡¯ll end up like the Laus Mountain Scouts, and have to serve them for eternity,¡± said Celpha, the ponce of the prostitution industry and the head of human trafficking industry.


    ¡°The Order of the White Crow is worrisome on its own, but we also have to watch out for the Priests behind them. I heard that Earl Henborn was nning to give Bishop Rietto a gift, but it went to a waste. That might end uping back to bite us. Perhaps the bastards of the Church are trying to use this opportunity to take over the city,¡± said Gino, the owner of the casino.


    As this was a matter of their livelihood, most of the council members were opposed to the idea of giving up the city¡¯s right of autonomy. Although most of their earnings were illegal methods, they couldn¡¯t help but feel as if their fixed ie was being stolen. The atmosphere in the room soon became rowdy.


    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you tell Ethan that when he was here,¡± Ardin muttered at the council members.


    The room once again fell silent at Ardin¡¯s words.


    ¡°How are our defenses in the city looking?¡± Gino carefully opened his mouth to break the silence.


    ¡°...We have mercenaries and plenty of armed forces. But we don¡¯t have proper equipment. The defensive walls are low and thin, and we don¡¯t have enough pots to boil oil. We also don¡¯t have enough arrows to attack andck security guards to patrol the walls.¡±


    Hiveden wasn¡¯t a city that was built during the era of gods or the era of the emperor; it was only founded recently. As the city was close to the capital, there was no need to worry about the foreign invasion. Due to these reasons, the defensive wall was built poorly with only the purpose of separating the inside and outside of the city, rather than defense. For the same reasons, the city was alsocking in equipment for defense.


    ¡°What? Then what¡¯s the point of having security guards?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re asking such a stupid question, but it¡¯s because it is more important to monitor our ¡®honorable¡¯ and w-abiding¡¯ citizens from stabbing each other rather than watching out for the non existent foreign enemies.¡±


    It would be hard for anyone to say that Hiveden had excellent security. Although some people wouldugh it off, Hiveden did in fact have security forces. However, they were already overwhelmed with just preventing the minor scuffles from turning into a major massacres.


    The council members ced their hands on their aching foreheads as they realized this reality.


    ¡°We all agree that it would be impossible to fight against the Order of the White Crow, yes?¡± Celpha groaned.


    ¡°Oh yes, they¡¯ll definitely use us of damaging His Majesty¡¯s dignity if we dared to leave so much as a scratch on their equipment. We need to make justifications for our actions¡­ such as proving that the Order of Huginn isn¡¯t hiding in our city.¡±


    ¡°Well, we have our connections in the capital. Let¡¯s contact them first. His Holiness has been benefiting from the money we send, so he will be on our side. The Order of the White Crow wouldn¡¯t be able to refuse His Holiness¡¯mand.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what that lunatic said? Ethan, that lunatic dered that he doesn¡¯t care about the consequences.¡±


    ¡°Well His Holiness will have to at least send us an army if the Order of the White Crow refuses to follow the orders! He¡¯s been living off of our money until now!¡± Yuldrick shouted like he had gone crazy.


    The other members of the council stared at Yuldrick as if he was a madman.


    ¡°Do you honestly think there¡¯s a possibility that the Church and the Order of the Capital will fight against the Order of the White Crow for us? The Regent is not the type of man to move for money, while the pigs from the Church won¡¯t risk getting ughtered as all they care about is themselves. We have to deal with this situation on our own,¡± Ardin sighed.


    ¡°...Let¡¯s at least get in touch with the capital first. They¡¯ll have to make a move one way or the other. Who knows? They might even pressure the Church, unlike our expectations. There¡¯s also a chance that Ethan could be bluffing.¡±


    ¡°I sure hope so,¡± Ardin said as he nodded his head.


    The council members whispered to their subordinates with concerned looks. It seemed like none of them had positive views on their uing future. They were people who went through all sorts of hardships, but not a single person wanted to be involved with the Temrs.


    ¡°Let¡¯s wrap up the council meeting then. The rest of us can go back home and spend some time with our families¡­¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we cooperate with the Order of Huginn?¡±


    The man who suggested this was Opert, the head of the smugglers, who had stayed silent throughout the whole meeting. He had expanded his influence by smuggling rare spices of ves and items from beyond the border for the nobles in the capital. Many of the council members often received his help, as he easily brought in items that were banned by the Church.


    Ardin had always thought of Opert as an intelligent man, but now he was contemting changing his perception of Opert.


    ¡°What do you mean by cooperating with the Order of Huginn?¡±


    ¡°Exactly as it sounds. I suggest joining forces with the Order of Huginn to bring down the Order of the White Crow. It¡¯s not like we will be outnumbered. Besides, we have members of various organizations to fight other than the guards; they make great armed forces with their bravery and skills.¡±


    ¡°Are you dumb or just clueless? If we cooperated with the Order of Huginn, we would bebeled throughout the empire as a city that held hands with the apostates. Can¡¯t you imagine what¡¯s going to happen?¡±


    The imperial army would move, and the Regent Barth Baltic would be the one to lead them. All the buildings of Hiveden would be crushed to the ground, and the citizen¡¯s bones ground into powder and scattered all over. Unless they hid far into the mountain like the Order of Huginn, the imperial army would get rid of every single trace of their existence. There were already many cities that had been destroyed like that after the assassination of His Majesty¡ªthe number of destroyed cities exceeded two digits.


    Such harsh purging processes terrorized the entire empire. Hiveden¡¯s cooperation with the Order of Huginn was only possible because they only moved covertly.


    Opert tried to say something more, but Ardinpletely ignored him. His organization held the least influence within the council anyway; Ardin ignored him and dismissed the council meeting.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s all return and¡­¡±


    ¡°Sir Ardin!¡±


    Ardin was about to blow up in anger. He felt as if the whole world was against him dering the end of the council meeting and stopping him from going home. Ardin felt uneasy looking at the soldier gasping for air with a pale face.


    ¡°I-I think you should take a look at what¡¯s going on outside.¡±


    ¡°Outside?¡±


    Ardin and the other council members headed to the window with a curious expression. Looking out the terrace, there were quite a few people also looking at the sky. Ardin lifted his head up to see what was in the sky, and soon noticed a faint golden light covering the entire city like a bubble. Ardin couldn¡¯t quite figure out what the golden light was.


    At that moment, someone squeezed his wrist. It was Yuldrick, the Captain of the mercenaries. His face turned pale unlike when he was raging to fight just a while ago.


    ¡°A-Ardin. I think it¡¯s for the best that we surrender.¡±


    ¡°What? Why do you say that? What is that in the sky?¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯ve seen that kind of Grace back on the battlefield when I was hired by the knight order. T-that¡¯s a wall made with the strength of a Grace; now that it has been ced, not a single object or sound can leave the wall. The Temrs called this Grace ¡®The Emperor¡¯s Foot.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Wall?¡± Ardin asked back.


    Yuldrick nodded his head in haste.


    ¡°What¡¯s important is that they killed every single soul that refused to surrender whenever they used this Grace. Literally everyone would be trampled under The Emperor¡¯s Foot. Ethan is basically telling us that if we don¡¯t give in, he will wipe out the whole city.¡±

 Chapter 52 – The Eve of War (3)

    <h4>Chapter 52 ¨C The Eve of War (3)</h4>


    ¡°I heard that the guards of Hiveden have surrendered.¡±


    In the underground hideout of the Order of Huginn, Dilmond and Anya were having a conversation about the events that happened in the council meeting earlier that day.


    Juan was also in the hideout, sitting alongside themanders of the Order of Huginn, but no one had anyints about his presence; Ras approved of his presence.


    Ras had only said that Juan is ¡®a trustworthy man,¡¯ but that was enough for the Order of Huginn to ept him.


    ¡°That¡¯s going to shake up the council even more.¡±


    ¡°Well, no one wants to be trampled under the Emperor¡¯s Foot. I heard the Order of the White Crow is still preparing for war¡ªthey are really pressuring the council.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t they say that they¡¯ll give the council some time to decide until tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but they¡¯re basically pressuring them to make up their mind sooner. The Order of the White Crow is also running short on time.¡±


    The Order of Huginn already had spies in the governing council Hiveden. In fact, one of the council members was an associate of the Order of Huginn. Through him, the Order of Huginn received details on everything that had been discussed in the council meeting, and found out the council was leaning toward surrendering, unlike their prior decision.


    ¡°I don¡¯t quite understand. Why is the Order of the White Crow surrounding the city that the citizens are residing at, and preparing to annihte them just to catch a few people from the Order of Huginn? Doesn¡¯t the Order of the White Crow belong to the imperial army?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°To be exact, they are troops that belong to the Church. But they are treated much better than the imperial army¡ªthey even have the authority to request for conscription,¡± Anya answered pleasantly. ¡°Oh, but of course we have no regrets since we did what we had to do to help Juan. Sir Ras had already beenbeled as one of the Six Apostates that were involved with the assassination of His Majesty, so the empire doesn¡¯t care about the sacrifices resulting from the process of catching him. In terms of the number of people that they have sacrificed, Barth Baltic would be way worse than the Order of the White Crow.¡±


    Juan shook his head. He wondered where he went wrong while teaching Barth for him to be what he had be now. Although Juan had defeated many demi-human armies during the war against gods, he had never led a mass massacre; the disappearance of the god that had been protecting them often caused the armies to fall into despair and lose their will to fight.


    But the citizens of Hiveden were different from those armies; they had already been subjugated to the empire. The fact that Barth, the current leader of the empire, was willing to massacre its own citizens was not a good look for him.


    ¡°Do you have any suggestions on how to deal with this situation, Juan?¡±


    ¡°No. Should I?¡±


    ¡°Well, it would be better to have even one more possible solution, since we will die like rats trapped in a mousetrap, if we can¡¯t get out of here. Perhaps we could use a secret passage? I did have one, but it¡¯s been blocked.¡±


    Juan briefly recalled the sky he had seen outside, which looked like a giant dome formed with a golden stream of lights. Juan remembered when he had been pierced by Arwain¡¯s Spear of Wrath. The Spear of Wrath didn¡¯t cause any damage to Juan, and Juan thought it might be due to the fact that the spear was imbued with his own mana. If his prediction was true, it would be possible for him to make use of his mana in the sky.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the emperor¡¯s power they are using, I might be able to make a secret passage.¡±


    ¡°I knew it! I can always count on Juan. I knew you could find us a way out of this situation.¡±


    Juan wondered how he was perceived in Anya¡¯s eyes. Juan had never revealed that he was the emperor to Anya, but Anya seemed to already consider him as someone close to being the emperor.


    ¡°I could make one if I wanted to. But is that alright? All of our forces in Hiveden will end up being killed. It would be quite a waste to give up our foundation here.¡±


    ¡°It would be a waste of the foundation we¡¯ve built, but the condition sir Ras is in is pretty bad. Besides, you said you would help us. If wepare the overall gains and losses, it¡¯d be more beneficial for us to give up on Hiveden.¡±


    ¡°Who do you think I am?¡±


    Juan asked Anya upon hearing that she could throw away Hiveden in exchange for receiving his cooperation. However, Anya¡¯s answer to that question after much consideration was not very satisfactory.


    ¡°The incarnation of justice that hase to destroy the empire?¡±


    ¡°Incarnation? And you call yourself a follower of His Majesty when you believe in such a thing?¡± Dilmond said as he looked at Anya with disdain.


    Anya was the first one to surpass the skills of an older generation ever since the knight order¡¯s generations changed several times. However, Dilmond was rather concerned about her frivolous and unruly behavior. Dilmond opened his mouth again to switch the topic of the conversation to the Order of the White Crow.


    ¡°Anyway, the Order of the White Crow will push through regardless of the council¡¯s decision to cooperate with them or not. It would definitely be better to have a secret passage to escape¡­ Although Anya says that she doesn¡¯t care, I am not so carefree. After all, as someone that is responsible for leading the knight order, I am worried about a few things; you know, like food.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s autumn. Won¡¯t we be able to make ends meet in the mountains?¡± Anya asked.


    ¡°To be exact, it¡¯ste autumn. That means winter is approaching. It would be hard to gather enough food tost through winter unless we y the brigand. If we don¡¯t prepare for that¡­¡±


    ¡ºWe are not leaving Hiveden.¡»


    Anya, Dilmond and the others immediately stood straight upon hearing the sudden voice. The only person remaining calmly seated was Juan.


    Covering his face with the robe¡¯s hood, Ras appeared from the dark hallway. The voiceposed with magic echoed from the inside of his empty skull.


    ¡ºWe are not giving up on Hiveden.¡»


    ¡°I don¡¯t agree Ras,¡± Juan said as he spun his short sword with his fingers while still sitting down. ¡°Those bastards from the governing council sitting on the top of our heads are dying to hand you and your knights over to the enemy. And you still want to protect them?¡±


    ¡ºThat¡¯s the right thing to do.¡»


    ¡°It seems like you do not understand this, Ras. Your attempts to convince the council are not the same as you saving those people. It¡¯s actually you asking them to die for you. From their perspective, they only have to fight against the Order of Huginn if theyply with the Order of the White Crow to give up on you. But if they were to hold hands with you, they would have to fight against the whole empire.¡±


    Ras didn¡¯t respond as he knew Juan was right.


    ¡°So why are you being so stubborn?¡±


    ¡ºI have a friend who can exin for me.¡»


    Ras beckoned somewhere. One of the knights knocked on the door at his gesture, and a gaunt looking man wearing an eye patch soon appeared through the door. The man took off his eye patch to see Ras, and ced his hand over his chest to pay his respects.


    ¡°His name is Opert, and he is our spy in the governing council. He is the head of the smugglers. While we have our influence on all the organizations of Hiveden, we haveplete control of the smugglers,¡± the knight exined.


    Opert greeted Anya and Dilmond, but flinched upon seeing Juan. But he soon greeted Juan as if seeing his superior, since Ras was treating Juan the same way as Anya and Dilmond.


    ¡°What does a smuggler have to do with this situation?¡±


    ¡ºSmuggler is a fake title to keep him under cover, but his real identity is that of the vice master of the magic tower.¡»


    ¡®<i>A criminal on the surface, but actually a mage, huh?</i>¡¯


    Juan showed curiosity. Juan was an excellent swordsman, but he was an apex mage before that. It was only natural as his teacher was a mage. At the time, the mages from the magic tower were good allies of Juan. However, it was hard to meet any of them now since the majority of them were treated as criminals¡ªand the same seemed to apply to Opert.


    ¡°Why is a mage pretending to be a smuggler in Hiveden?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°Let me exin,¡± Opert opened his mouth to speak.


    ***


    The atmosphere of the Hiveden¡¯s governing council was still chaotic even after sunset. Handymen were busy going in and out of the building to pack expensive items and load them onto the carriage. Once a carriage was full, they packed the rest of the items in a bundle to move them somewhere.


    Their purpose was to preserve as much of the fortune they had umted until now as they could, since they wouldn¡¯t be able to continue their business after the Order of the White Crow subjugated them. Although there was no formal deration yet, most of the people that had good awareness had already prepared for evacuation.


    ¡°Hurry up and move everything! You must get the job done by sunrise tomorrow!¡±


    ¡°Sir Ardin, what should I do with this?¡±


    One of the handymen handed over a statue of an unknown goddess that was the size of his palm to Ardin. It was made of precious ivory that wasn''t found in the empire, and it was beautifully processed which made it impossible to measure its price. Ardin¡¯s eyes were in conflict. He wanted to keep the item considering that he had a hard time getting his hands on it. However, forget the fortune, but his life would be at risk if such a heretical item was discovered.


    ¡°Either break it or burn it. Don¡¯t leave any evidence that I had it.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir, certainly¡­¡± the handyman replied in a regretful tone, then sneakily snuck it in his pocket.


    Ardin saw him slipping the item into his pocket, but didn¡¯t mind; Ardin wouldn¡¯t be the one to get beheaded because of the statue, but it would be the handyman. If they could get out of Hiveden safely, he could simply take it back from the handyman.


    ¡°Any items that the Order of the White Crow could use us go to the right! Put the rest of the items on the left in the carriage! Also, be more cautious with the artwork!¡± Ardin shouted.


    ¡°You look busy.¡±


    Ardin turned his head to the sudden voice. He wondered who it could be, since everyone that was close enough to him to speak informally were making their own preparations.


    ¡®<i>Who the hell¡­</i>¡¯


    At that moment, Ardin¡¯s face stiffened as he recognized the person.


    ¡°Long time no see, Mr. Ardin. I came on behalf of the Order of Huginn. I would like to have a word with the council,¡± Anya said as she tapped his shoulder.


    ***


    Everyone at the council seemed to be in an unpleasant mood as they were interrupted in the midst of their preparations. However, they had no choice but to respond to the call of the council at such a chaotic time. No one knew what could happen in the next minute. For the same reason, many armed guards joined the council meeting unlike the morning.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on, Ardin? You should know that everyone is busy right now.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t we already agree toply with the Order of the White Crow¡¯s decision? Perhaps the Captain sent us another message?¡±


    Many questions were thrown at Ardin, but he anxiously remained seated. Meanwhile, the council members noticed the mysterious woman wearing a ck robe standing beside Ardin; it was an unfamiliar face.


    Just as they were about to ask about her identity, the door of the assembly hall opened.


    Two people wearing the same ck robe as the woman walked into the room¡ªit was a gray-haired old knight with a beard, and a tall man who was about three heads taller than others. Their identity wasn¡¯t known, but it was obvious they were extraordinary people.


    Soon someone from the council noticed that those wearing the robes all had a ck raven brooches on their shoulders.


    ¡°The ravens¡­¡±


    A groaning murmur froze the air inside the assembly hall. As soon as the guards that filled the assembly hall realized their identity, the guards all drew out their weapons.


    The atmosphere quickly turned vicious, but the knights from the Order of Huginn didn¡¯t seem to care at all.


    The knights from the Order of Huginn broke the dead silence by walking forward with the crackling sound of footsteps as if they were walking on thin ice. Once they stopped in front of Ardin in a rxed manner, the tall man nced around the surroundings.


    The hood was deeply draped over his head, so they couldn¡¯t see his face. However, everyone in the assembly hall could smell the unusual scenting from him, and soon recognized what it was. It was a smell far from life; it was the smell of death.


    The woman who stood beside Ardin walked to the center of the assembly hall, and opened her mouth to speak with a cheerful attitude,


    ¡°Thank you Mr. Ardin for giving me this opportunity to meet all the members of the council. Everyone, you all are associated with us, but I believe it¡¯s our first time meeting in person. I won¡¯t introduce myself as I bet you all already know me by the name ¡®Anya.¡¯¡±


    No one from the council replied to Anya, but red at Ardin who had deceived them. However, Ardin had no other choice if he wanted to spare his life.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t me Mr. Ardin too much. If we wanted to meet up with any of you individually, I¡¯m sure our ways would have been¡­well, more private and violent.¡±


    The council members couldn¡¯t help but be convinced upon hearing the words Anya said with a smile. Not a single one of them wanted the Order of Huginn to pay them a visit in the middle of the night in their bedroom.


    As the atmosphere of the assembly hall leaned toward having a peaceful conversation, the subordinates of every organization lowered their sword in relief. However, no one sheathed their weapon.


    ¡°Alright. It seems like everyone is ready to talk. Then let¡¯s begin the council meeting about the current state of affairs in Hiveden.¡±

 Chapter 53 – Governing Council (1)

    <h4>Chapter 53 ¨C Governing Council (1)</h4>


    The council members stared at Anya with a confused look as she the start of another governing meeting. The governing council had already decided toply with the Order of the White Crow¡¯s decision.


    ¡°We should¡¯ve been attending the council meetings as one of the organizations responsible for Hiveden, but we have always had to vacate our seats due to internal circumstances. However, we couldn¡¯t turn away and do nothing when the whole city is about to fall in danger because of us. So we risked getting caught to visit the council and came today,¡± Anya said.


    ¡°Ah, um, I see¡­¡±


    Ardin bowed his head to Anya with a puzzled expression as he epted her apology. His puzzled expression was not only due to the fact that Anya was being polite unlike he had anticipated, but also because he couldn¡¯t quite understand what she was talking about.


    ¡®<i>She is apologizing for vacating the seats and getting the city in danger because of them?</i>¡¯


    The Order of Huginn not attending the governing council meeting was nothing new. The Order of Huginn had the strongest influence in Hiveden''s governing council out of all the organizations, but they had never revealed themselves on the surface and only controlled the council from behind the scenes by threatening and conciliating the low ranked organizations.


    This was only natural as the Order of Huginn had to remain hidden from the empire¡¯s surveince. Even Ardin had only met Anya a few times despite his status as the chief of the governing council.


    ¡®<i>So why is she apologizing for it now¡­?</i>¡¯


    At that moment, Ardin came to his senses as he understood what the Order of Huginn¡¯s intention was.


    ¡°We are nning to devoutly fulfill our duties as a member of the governing council from now on. We will do our best to help.¡±


    Ardin realized that Anya was trying to invalidate the governing council¡¯s decision toply with the Order of the White Crow; she was basically suggesting that the governing council¡¯s decision was illegitimate, considering that it was made without the approval of Order of Huginn. In other words, the Order of the Huginn was trying to force Hiveden to side with them and fight against the empire.


    ¡°H-hmph! S-sir Anya? N-no, Dame Anya? Um, Miss Anya? I-I don¡¯t know what I should call you by. Is there any name you prefer to be called?¡±


    ¡°You can call me anything you want since I am yet to receive an official position or a title.¡±


    ¡°T-then Miss Anya it is. Miss Anya, unfortunately, the governing council of Hiveden has already made its decision. Although the result of the decision may not be to the satisfaction of the Order of Huggin, I would like to let you know that we had no choice but to choose toply for the best case scenario¡­¡±


    <i>Crash!</i>


    A loud noise echoed inside the assembly hall. Everyone¡¯s eyes turned to the old knight standing behind the tall man. A heavy hammer was stuck under the old knight¡¯s feet, breaking the marble floor.


    ¡°My apologies. I dropped it by mistake.¡±


    ¡°Please be careful from now on,¡± Anya gently warned the old knight.


    However, not a single person in the assembly hall believed that it was a mistake. It felt as if the old knight was suggesting that he could crack their heads open just as easily if they talked gibberish.


    ¡°I apologize for my colleague¡¯s rudeness. Please be generous and forgive him. Can you continue from where we left off?¡± Anya asked Ardin.


    ¡°...I-it was the best case scenario we could think of, but now that I think about it, perhaps we cane up with a better decision! I was just about to ask if the Order of Huginn had any suggestions to get through this situation.¡±


    The other council members all red at Ardin with a reproachful look. Meanwhile, Ardin started to regret taking the ce of the chief of the governing council without realizing the weight of the burden that came with it, but it was toote. Ardin was dealing with the Order of Huginn, who had been risking their lives to fight against the Order of the White Crow for decades. This meant that Ardin was no match for the Order of Huginn¡ªthere was nothing that Ardin could do to resist them.


    ¡°I appreciate you asking for our opinions. The Order of Huginn believes that the Order of the White Crow must recognize the autonomy of Hiveden which was legally approved by the empire, and they should try their best to provide security for the citizens to live a safe daily life, rather than making unreasonable judgments with a dogmatic attitude for the sake of getting more achievements,¡± Anya answered with a bright smile.


    Ardin was speechless at Anya¡¯s perfectly prepared words. In fact, it was exactly what he should have said in front of Ethan. However, it was difficult to frankly state his opinion in the face of a Temr¡¯s sword, as Ardin was not as powerful as the Temrs.


    Even though Ardin agreed with Anya, he couldn¡¯t tell her to go and tell Ethan the same thing herself, since Anya would dly go and tell Ethan that such is Hiveden¡¯s decision. If that happened, there would be no turning back from having an all-out war with the Order of the White Crow. Ardin wondered if that was what the Order of Huginn was hoping for.


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯ve been keeping quiet to listen until now, but¡­¡± suddenly, Yuldrick, the Captain of the mercenaries, spoke up.


    Ardin looked at him with delight. Ardin hoped that stupid idiot with a bald head and empty brain might say the things that were on his mind.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t we say that the decision has already been made ? We wouldn¡¯t be stuck in this situation if it weren¡¯t for the Order of Huginn anyway. I mean, Hiveden would be safe if the Order of Huginn simply left the city,¡± Yuldrick continued.


    Ardin was impressed. Although he did want Yuldrick to honestly speak out his mind, he didn¡¯t think Yuldrick would be that direct.


    ¡°Yuldrick is right. We have our connections in the capital anyway. Even if the Order of the White Crow attacked us, we all have our ways out of the situation. But cooperating with the Order of Huginn would basically be cutting off our ties with the capital,¡± Celpha, the ponce of the prostitution industry, added words to support Yuldrick.


    Ardin hadn¡¯t expected Celpha to also speak up against the Order of Huginn, but he dly epted the pleasant surprise.


    ¡°I agree. We had no choice but to listen to the Order of the White Crow since we had no way to find you guys and we were walking on eggshells. But now that you are all here, I¡¯ll be upfront. Isn¡¯t the Order of the White Crow your enemy? There is no reason to turn this peaceful city into a battlefield,¡± Gino, the owner of the Casino, was the next to speak up.


    At this point, Ardin was frustrated; he didn¡¯t expect Gino, who was known to be clever to join the others in provoking the Order of Huginn.


    Ardin realized that the members of the council were delusional and believed that Ras was a gentleman who could be persuaded by polite words. As a noble, Ardin had learned history and knew that Ras was far from being a gentleman; in history, Ras was a General, a Captain of a knight order, as well as a meticulous ughterer.


    ¡ºYou were right, Juan,¡» the tall man, who had left all the talking to Anya, muttered all of a sudden.


    Everyone flinched at the strange voiceposed of magic. Ardin had an ominous premonition to see the unidentified man break silence with unintelligible words. The tall man was giving off an ominous aura more so than the scary looking old knight and Anya, who had never erased a sinister smile off her face from the moment they met.


    Yuldrick stepped up to Ras, as if he gained confidence from the other council members agreeing with his opinion.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Don¡¯t bother interfering and making things moreplicated for us! Or are you scared to fight the Order of the White Crow? I guess you aren¡¯t as powerful as they say you are.¡±


    As Yuldrick approached Ras, the old knight grasped his hammer and strode forward.


    The mercenaries roughly grabbed their weapons behind Yuldrick¡¯s back. In an instant, over fifty weapons were pointed toward just three people. The tension in the assembly hall rapidly reached a boiling point.


    In Yuldrick¡¯s opinion, he hadn¡¯t acted thoughtlessly. Even if he was speaking up against the Order of Huginn, he had somewhat calcted the possible result.


    ¡®<i>In any case, they came because they needed our help. They have no reason to waste strength by fighting us when the war with the Order of the White Crow is just around the corner. If we manage to hold our ground fearlessly, they might just promise us to leave us out of the war. That would be good enough for us.</i>¡¯


    Yuldrick was a little intimidated at first, but thought the Order of Huginn wasn¡¯t too impressive after all¡ªYuldrick had even assisted the Temrs to fight against the undead of the Order of Huginn once. Besides, there were more than fifty armed guards on stand-by inside the assembly hall, and there were ten times more guards outside; just three people would have no chance against such numbers.


    ¡°Then it¡¯s just the three of you that are in opposition?¡± Anya asked with a cheerful voice.


    Yuldrick frowned and red at Ardin and Opert, the head of the smugglers. He already expected Ardin to be a fence sitter, but he didn¡¯t expect Opert to agree with the Order of Huginn.


    ¡°Hmmph, scared rats that can¡¯t even give voice to their opinions. So what¡¯re you gonna do about it, you heretic bastards? Take a majority vote? Your opinion will be outnumbered by three against two. Oh, you¡¯re not gonna tell me that you¡¯re going to include yourselves in the vote, are you?¡± Yuldrick snickered.


    ¡°I know how to count, Mr. Baldhead. But I¡¯m afraid you are misunderstood. The Order of Huginn doesn¡¯t make decisions based on majority votes,¡± Anya replied.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°We follow our Captain¡¯smands.¡±


    At that moment, the tall man slowly raised his waist to stand up. The man was already taller than most people while he was sitting down, but his head almost touched the ceiling when he stood up.


    Innread dot".


    People¡¯s faces turned pale at his abnormally huge appearance. Then, aposed voice even darker than the ck robe he is wearing came out of the man.


    ¡ºThis city¡¯s seed was sown by me. So I¡¯ll have to reap it if I must.¡»


    ***


    Juan didn¡¯t follow Ras to the council meeting, but remained underground. He was in a room in the Order of Huginn¡¯s hideout. The room wasn¡¯t too spacious and it had arge tank where the cold water from the melted ice caps of the Laus mountain flowed into. The inside of the water tank was softly glowing with a green light, and Juan stared at the source of the green light.


    ¡®<i>You¡¯ve done an absurd thing, Ras.</i>¡¯


    What Ras had been working on in the underground of Hiveden was not simply turning it into a hideout or making it a supply house; he was doing something much bigger.


    The source of the green light illuminating therge tank was the heart of Mananen McLeir, the god of mana. To be exact, it was an iplete replica of the real heart that resided inside Juan¡¯s dead body. As far as Juan knew, it would be impossible to separate Mananen McLeir¡¯s heart from Juan¡¯s body.


    Mananen McLeir¡¯s heart had been the final part that made the emperor. With the mana heart, Juan was born the real emperor.


    Juan realized that Ras had been trying to create inferior replicas in the underground of Hiveden; the mages from the magic tower collected the cells of Mananen McLeir who had been buried under the tower, and imported the necessary parts from beyond the border, all in order to create the replica in the underground of Hiveden.


    Considering the illegal nature as well theplications involved, Hiveden was the optimal choice of location.


    ¡®<i>How absurd of him.</i>¡¯


    Juan clicked his tongue. Juan could understand why Ras had clung on to making the replica, but no one could handle its power. It would be considered a huge sess if this crude replica could perform even half as good as the original, but it would be a problem even if it was sessfully made. It would be no different from trying to revive a god, not to mention that there would be no one that could handle the replica. Ras was already overwhelmed by the essence of Nigrato inside his body, and putting the replica of the heart inside him would be the same thing as putting a red hot metal inside a cup overflowing with water¡ªthe metal would shatter into pieces, water would explode and spill, and the cup would break.


    However, Ras didn¡¯t seem to be concerned about the consequences.


    ¡®<i>...Perhaps it¡¯s because of me.</i>¡¯


    There would be no way that Ras didn¡¯t know of the consequences; he probably left the heart as thest resort. And in the midst ofpleting the replica, Juan appeared.


    ¡®<i>Is that why he wants to protect Hiveden from the Order of the White Crow so badly? To give me the heart?</i>¡¯


    Juan¡¯s lips began to tremble. Juan could easily imagine what might have happened in the terrible future if he hadn¡¯t returned from death. Juan began to think of the reason why he had revived. Until now, he didn¡¯t think deeply about the reason, and only considered it to be a horrible coincidence¡ªthis was because Juan didn¡¯t know the exact capacity of his power and what he was capable of.


    However, he started to suspect that his revival was nned by someone¡¯s intention.


    Juan dipped his hand in therge tank. The cold water melted from the Laus Mountain¡¯s ice caps was lukewarm due to the heat emanated by the heart replica. Juan had to acknowledge the effort and willingness of the Order of Huginn to have made it this far, and this was only possible because they were in Hiveden.


    The development of humankind was promoted through free research.


    Humankind is equal, and the gaps are gradually narrowed.


    Religion needed to be excluded for humankind to be independent to expand.


    These were the forms of the empire which Juan wished to create, but it was impossible, at least in the current state of empire.


    However, hope was sprouting from the seed that Ras had sown in this city. Juan knew that seeds could sprout even in vomit, but he didn¡¯t know if it could grow strong or not.


    ¡®<i>You are dying, or are perhaps already dead. Yet you still admire life, Ras.</i>¡¯


    Although it was ironic that Juan found the values he had been pursuing all his life among the swindlers, thieves, ve merchants, smugglers, and prostitutes of Hiveden, he could understand what Ras was trying to say, and why Ras couldn¡¯t give up on this city.


    To Ras, this city was a seed he had sown, and this replica heart was a sprout. It would take a long time for the seed to break open and sprout; it might even be a painful process.


    However, Ras seemed to believe that all was worth it.


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Juan stood up. He decided to trust Ras¡¯ judgment.


    ¡°I¡¯ll wait and see how things will shape up in this damn city.¡±

 Chapter 54 – Governing Council (2)

    <h4>Chapter 54 ¨C Governing Council (2)</h4>


    As the tall man suddenly stood up, Yuldrick¡¯s mercenaries put on a fierce look as if they were ready to charge at him any second. Yuldrick also grabbed his ax and approached the tall man.


    ¡°Filthy apostates. You have no idea how we were treated because of you bastards. You think you can just interfere now out of nowhere and¡­¡±


    The old knight blocked Yuldrick before he could even finish his words.


    Yuldrick tried to push him away and shout, but his legs instantly froze to face the old knight. Yuldrick could proudly say that he had been through a lot in his life, but the old knight¡¯s aura was overwhelming enough to make him freeze up. His sense of danger which had been trained on the battlefield for a long time quickly identified what his opponent was capable of.


    ¡®<i>One more step and he will smash my head.</i>¡¯


    Yuldrick btedly noticed the hammer which the old knight was holding in his hand¡ªit was the size of an adult¡¯s head. Only then did Yuldrick recognize his opponent¡¯s identity; there was only one person who used such a weapon within the Order of Huginn.


    ¡°cksmith Dilmond¡­¡±


    Yuldrick¡¯s mutter instantly echoed in the room .


    ¡°What? That old guy is the bloody cksmith?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s the one who uses people¡¯s shoulders as an anvil and treats their head as a cast¡­¡±


    ¡°I heard he killed three Temrs from the Order of the White Crow¡­¡±


    Diamond didn¡¯t seem too pleased to hear his nickname, but it was clear that everyone feared him.


    Everyone¡¯s gaze then turned to Anya. They had considered her to simply be a messenger from the Order of Huginn, but hearing Dilmond¡¯s name changed their perception of her; Anya¡¯s name was also legendary.


    ¡°She can¡¯t be Annabelle Allen, the beheading raven?¡±


    ¡°They say she learned to behead people before she even learned to speak¡­¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s skilled at both assassination and necromancy, so she enters the war alone and exits with an army.¡±


    Only then did the people in the assembly hall onlye to their senses, and recognized who they were pointing their sword at.


    The Captain of the Order of the White Crow was certainly one of the empire¡¯s most powerful men and an elite among elites. However, the three people standing in front of them were legends themselves¡ªthey were the ones who had been inheriting a living legend ever since the era of the emperor until now. Although it was a negative legend, it was only natural for people to be in awe.


    ¡°The Captain?¡± Ardin muttered.


    Despite themotion and the rowdy atmosphere, Ardin was careless and recalled the words Anya had spoken.


    ¡®<i>Who does she mean by the Captain?</i>¡¯


    Ardin remembered a name he had heard a long time ago, but could never forget. The owner of the name he had thought of was the youngest adopted child of the emperor, the Captain of the Order of Huginn, and also one of the Six Apostates that assassinated the emperor.


    Ardin¡¯s gaze turned to the tall man wearing a robe, giving off the most overwhelming and eerie aura out of anyone, who had yet to reveal his identity. If they were from the Order of Huginn, there could only be one person they serve¡ªA living legend and a threat to the empire to the extent that the Order of the White Crow was formed for just one person. Everyone in the assembly hall could guess his identity.


    ¡°Ras Raud¡­¡±


    Ras slowly took off his hood. Screams and groans broke out from everyone upon seeing the blue me burning inside his skull.


    The unusualbination of small skull and therge size of his body instilled an unidentified anxiety and fear in people. Even Yuldrick, who had a lot of experience cracking the skulls of undead, could feel his body freeze up.


    ¡°Hmph! This bastard has nothing but bones left. What could you do anyway?¡± Yuldrick smiled and pretended to be calm.


    Although he realized that his opponents were more powerful than he had imagined, they had no reason to fight with Hiveden. Yuldrick believed that they were simply protesting against the council¡¯s decision.


    ¡®<i>Good thing that I kept the talisman I got from the Order of the White Crow.</i>¡¯


    Yuldrick had a talisman he got from back when he used to work for the Order of the White Crow in his pocket. It was a ne made of tin, and the power contained within it could block the unholy energy and prevent the undead from resurrecting. The ne was collectively retrieved by the Order of the White Crow after the mission, but Yuldrick had stolen it from one of the dead mercenaries.


    Holding the talisman in his hand, Yuldrick drew out his ax.


    Ras raised his right hand, and the inside of the robe opened gently along with his action; there was nothing but a dark void inside.


    Yuldrick flinched and took a few steps back upon seeing the dark void while clutching his ne as if it was the only thing he could rely on. Yuldrick thought he had made a mistake by messing with Ras, but his senses trained from his long time on the battlefield were telling him that there was no danger yet. Yuldrick couldn¡¯t sense any malicious intent from Ras.


    ¡°Y-you really wanna fight, huh? You seem to underestimate the Red ax mercenary, but there are five hundred of my men stationed right outside, ready to¡­¡±


    Yuldrick suddenly realized that his words were cut short against his will. He tried to move his tongue and puffed his mouth, but not a single word came out. Only then did he realize he had been cut in half from his left elbow to his right shoulder while still holding the talisman. At that moment, he saw an armed knight of the dead walking out of Ras¡¯ robe.


    While his vision copsed, Yuldrick saw his amputated left hand still holding a talisman which broke in half. Yuldrick¡¯s body nted and toppled down to the floor.


    With a loud thud, a heavy silence filled the assembly hall.


    ¡°I would like to express my condolences for the death of your colleague, Sir Ardin,¡± Anya opened her mouth to break the silence.


    Ardin swallowed a gulp.


    Meanwhile, Ras slowly straightened his back, and more armed knights of the dead walked out of his robe one by one in silence.


    Everyone stared at the appearance of the undead with a dumbfounded look.


    ¡°Let me introduce you to our knights. These are our great senior knights Cleo, Yure, Milea, and Mark. I know it¡¯s hard to recognize their faces, but they can be distinguished if you pay close attention. I would appreciate it if you could keep that in mind.¡±


    There were four knights who walked out of the robe in total, and they were all wearing rusty armors and had a huge military weapon regardless of their different body size. Inside of their white skulls burned a blue me, and any living person would naturally feel a sense of rejection to their eerie appearance. The faces of all the council members had turned pale.


    ¡°It¡¯s the knight of the dead¡­¡± someone muttered quietly.


    People felt chills upon realizing that they weren¡¯t hallucinating when they saw the knights of the dead. The air inside the assembly hall had frozen up with the appearance of not just one, but four knights of the dead.


    ¡°Kni-knights of the dead? What the hell is that?¡± Celpha¡¯s teeth chattered as she pulled Ardin¡¯s arm.


    Ardin bit his lips as he looked down at Yuldrick¡¯s head on the body that was cut in half.


    ¡°...Consider them to be the Temrs of the undead. Instead of using His Majesty¡¯s Grace, they use the unholy spirit and death. They are known to be just as powerful and fast as the Temrs, but their abilities are beyond the Temr¡¯s since they don¡¯t get tired or hurt,¡± Ardin exined.


    ¡°W-what? Such things actually exist? I thought they only existed in the old fairy tales!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only natural that you didn¡¯t know since they disappeared with the death of all the necromancers during His Majesty¡¯s era. Of course you thought they were only from a fairy tale.¡±


    ¡°Then why did they show up again at this time?!¡±


    Ardin couldn¡¯t answer Celpha. He had heard that the Order of Huginn could summon the undead, but thought the stories about the knights of the dead had just been rumors. It was rare, but sometimes people turned into undead naturally upon death. Nevertheless, high ss undeads such as the knights of the dead had disappeared a long time ago.


    Ardin recalled from his memory that it had been Ras Raud and the Order of Huginn who killed all of the necromancers in the past; it wouldn¡¯t be too strange if they had obtained the knowledge of the necromancers. Besides, the names of the knights of the dead that Anya had just introduced were just as famous as Dilmond¡¯s name.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t act out rashly. Sir Ras Raud considers them asrades and respects them as members of our knight order, so we don¡¯t control them too strictly.¡±


    People didn¡¯t need the warning; they already knew that the only people here that could move were the knights of the Order of Huginn.


    Ardin was well aware of what the appearance of the four knights of the dead meant. The forces inside the assembly hall would have to risk their lives to even fight against four Temrs. But in front of their eyes were the knights of the dead, who were more powerful than even the Temrs.


    ¡°T-there are five hundred of our men stationed outside the assembly hall. If you want to fight, you will have to c-consider that¡­¡± Ardin spoke while he questioned his own sanity in saying those words.


    Even though there were five hundred soldiers, Ardin wouldn¡¯t be surprised if they all ran away the moment they encountered the knights of the dead. After all, they were a group of soldiers that had been gathered for the sake of their own interests rather than loyalty.


    ¡°Sir Ardin. Please don¡¯t tell me that you think this is the only force the Order of Huginn has got,¡± Anya smiled and tapped Ardin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Quite a few of my senior knights don¡¯t prefer cramped spaces. So you¡¯ll be able to meet more of them outside.¡±


    ¡®<i>We have already lost .</i>¡¯


    Ardin was sweating bullets already. There were only two paths he could choose from at this point; but the problem was which side to choose. Holding hands with the Order of Huginn meant they were turning the entire empire into their enemy¡ªthey would die one day for sure. However, holding hands with the Order of the White Crow meant they would die right this moment.


    Yuldrick¡¯s bloody corpse that was split in half on the floor caught Ardin¡¯s eyes. Ardin was quick to decide.


    ¡°W-what do you want from us! Hiveden will cooperate with you! Of course we will!¡±


    Gino, the owner of the casino, shook his head in opposition. They were bound to be charged with treason if they decided to be involved with the Order of Huginn, as the Order of Huggin¡¯s knights were bluntlybeled as heretics.


    But before Gino could even shake his head a second time, blood sttered. With a thud, Gino¡¯s head fell and rolled on the floor.


    ¡°It seems he startled Sir Cleo by shaking his head too fast. I ask you all once again to refrain yourselves from actions that might appear threatening.¡±


    Ardin stared nkly at Gino¡¯s head being cut off almost as easily as a flower being plucked with just one swing of the knight of the dead¡¯s ax. Gino¡¯s body took some time before it toppled down to the ground, almost as if his body just realized that he had been beheaded.


    ¡°Anyway, sir Ardin? What were you saying about Hiveden?¡±


    Ardin continued to stare at Gino¡¯s head dumbfoundedly without an answer. He had thought Gino would be the one to live the longest life out of all of them, but his ridiculous death was shocking.


    At that moment, Ardin felt something hot pouring over his head. He looked up, frightened to find Celpha¡¯s body dropping down as her neck had been pierced by a long spear.


    ¡°No one leaves the meeting until it¡¯s over,¡± Anya said as she clicked her tongue in pity.


    Ardin couldn¡¯t tell whether Celpha had really tried to make a run for it when she had been frozen in fear just a moment ago, but her blood pouring over his head was more real than anything.


    Ardin desperately nodded while being conscious of how fast he was moving his head.


    ¡°Order of Huginn and Hiveden are old friends! Everyone knows that!¡±


    ¡°So does that mean you will fully cooperate in our cause?¡±


    ¡°Well, of course! It is the duty of the citizens to resist when the empire makes an unreasonable request!¡±


    ¡°I see. Thank you so much,¡± Anya smiled and ced her hand on Ardin¡¯s shoulder. Anya then continued to whisper into Ardin¡¯s ears which made him tremble. ¡°I really appreciate you fully cooperating with us. In fact, there were quite a few of us who argued that it would be better to just kill everyone to turn them into the undead to use them as our soldiers, rather than going out of our way to try and convince everyone. Don¡¯t you think the undead would be much better than ragtags that might betray us at any time?¡±


    Ardin¡¯s face turned even paler. Ardin could suddenly smell the stink of urine from somewhere in the room; a few of the guards had peed themselves. Ardin didn¡¯t me them because he was about to pee himself as well.


    ¡°N-No! Not at all! We will fight with all our might. We will show you how brave we are!¡±


    ¡°I see. I¡¯ll believe you,¡± Anya grinned. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be toote to turn everyone into the undead after they die brave deaths anyway.¡±


    Ardin was speechless.


    ¡°You seem to have an issue with that. Well that¡¯s what happened to our senior knights, you know? Perhaps you have a problem with our seniors?¡±


    ¡°We couldn¡¯t be more honored to fight alongside the Order of Huginn! H-haha! A-anyway, why don¡¯t we discuss more practical things! What role do you want us to y in this war? Will it be a siege? I¡¯m not sure if you know this, but Hiveden ispletely unprepared for foreign invasion¡­¡±


    When Ardin desperately tried to change the subject, Anya decided to stop teasing him. She smiled and stated her requirements.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a very difficult role.¡±


    Ardin bit his lips. Everytime someone began their words like that, whether it was one of his superiors or the Church, things were never easy.


    However, what Anya said next waspletely different from what he had expected.


    ¡°I¡¯d like Hiveden to fully cooperate with the Order of the White Crow.¡±

 Chapter 55 – The Emperor’s Spears (1)

    <h4>Chapter 55 ¨C The Emperor¡¯s Spears (1)</h4>


    ¡°Juan.¡±


    Anya approached Juan with a smile when she found him standing at a corner of the city square, staring at the assembly hall. In front of the assembly hall, Ardin was standing on the tform to make announcements to the members of the Hiveden¡¯s organizations. Juan noticed Yuldrick, Gino, and Celpha¡¯s head beside Ardin on the tform.


    ¡°Violent scenes tend to shock the audience and draw their attention. He definitely knows how to incite people.¡±


    ¡°Are you talking about Ardin?¡±


    ¡°Yes. He has an interesting way of talking as well. He is speaking under the assumption that the audience is trash, but somehow the audience aren¡¯t offended by it.¡±


    ¡°He seems to y his role pretty well.¡±


    Ardin¡¯s speech consisted of the events that happened at the council; how three members of the governing council died from the attack of the Order of Huginn, and how Hiveden should hold hands with the Order of the White Crow to avenge their deaths. It seemed like an ordinary speech, but its goal was to brainwash the people of Hiveden. Ardin implicitly suggested that Hiveden had no choice but to leave their revenge to the ¡®honorable Temrs of the Order of the White Crow who hold sublime duties¡¯ as Hiveden doesn¡¯t have the strength to fight against the Order of Huginn, and that it is important for Hiveden to be united more than ever.


    .


    It was hard to find anyone with less honor than the people of Hiveden, and the subordinates of the dead members of the governing council had already crawled under the organization of Ardin and Opert. It would be hard to consider the people of Hiveden powerless in reality, but they weren¡¯t too far off from being powerless whenpared to the Order of the White Crow and the Order of Huginn.


    ¡°In summary, he is suggesting to sit out and watch the battle between the Order of the White Crow and the Order of Huginn. He is even saying that the dead members of the governing council had been useless people who had been in opposition of the city being united. It is likely that clever people will catch the meaning behind the speech quickly, and those who aren¡¯t will be implicitly brainwashed anyway,¡± Juan said.


    ¡°Yes, since the brain works fast when things are rted to their own benefits. Besides, it¡¯s a stable choice for the people of Hiveden. They were worried about the Order of Huginn bing their enemy, but the Order of Huginn backing off after only killing three council members is a good trade off. If the council decided to cooperate with the Order of Huginn, Hiveden would be going against the whole empire. So they seem to be satisfied with the position of being the weak.¡±


    ¡°I have to wonder in what ways Ras is nning to change this city¡­¡±


    ¡°I think he will change everything about this city from scratch once we kill the Order of the White Crow, since it was a n he had been putting off for a long time. Besides, Ardin is a ve merchant and there is plenty of trash in the city, so it would make sense.


    ¡°A ve merchant?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Juan crossed his arms and stared at the man giving a speech. Ardin hadn¡¯t realized yet, but he had just lost a reason to be kept alive. Juan didn¡¯t mind the fact that the Order of Huginn had been neglecting the ve merchants, as Juan himself hadn¡¯t been very active in stopping unfair treatment toward the demi-humans when he had been the emperor. Juan¡¯s grudge against the ve merchants was clearly personal.


    ¡°Did we really have to take it this far?¡± Dilmond said as he crossed his arms and looked at the council members on the tform.


    ¡°Why do you say that? If I didn¡¯t kill them, you would''ve smashed their heads yourself. Oh, could it be because you don''t like how their heads are still in decent condition?¡± Anya asked.


    ¡°No, I just feel like we didn¡¯t have to get ourselves involved if we were just going to make Hiveden cooperate with the Order of the White Crow. Of course we¡¯ve gained some benefits, but they won¡¯t be much help anyway. I don¡¯t know if it was worth revealing our force.¡±


    ¡°You can be honest with me¡ªI know you weren¡¯t happy with Sir Ras showing himself in front of people. There are lots of reasons why we did what we did, but I¡¯ll summarize them in three points for you. One, we needed to show them we would be victorious. Two, our spies might be at risk if we didn¡¯t use our force. And three, to make the city of Hiveden appear threatened by us rather than cooperating with us,¡± Anya smiled.


    ¡°Threatened?¡±


    ¡°The events that happened at the council meeting will one hundred percent leak. Well, maybe not right now since everyone is scared, but one day it certainly will, since there were a lot of witnesses. The empire will definitely hold Hiveden ountable once the timees, and Hiveden¡¯s only excuse would be to say that they were threatened by us. If we didn¡¯t show ourselves and destroyed the Order of the White Crow, the empire would suspect that we had negotiated with Hiveden behind their backs.¡±


    ¡°Hm. It makes sense to me now, but I wonder if the Church would think so too. Don¡¯t you think they will mess with the city just for the fact that sir Ras has shown himself?¡¯ Dilmond asked as he nodded his head.


    ¡°They would, if those bastards from the Church are really like what I heard they were,¡± Juan said.


    Dilmond and Anya turned around upon hearing Juan¡¯s voice. Juan muttered as he looked at the people of Hiveden being incited by the speech.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait for that time toe.¡±


    ***


    Despite it being almost dawn, Kamil, the Deputy of the Order of the White Crow, entered Ethan¡¯s tent with an urgent report. She expected to see Ethan getting ready for the battle, but what she encountered as she entered the tent was the scene of Ethan wiping blood off his face as if he had just been in a fight. Kamil noticed a man lying on the floor with his head rolling around.


    ¡°Hiveden has surrendered,¡± Kamil stepped over the corpse to deliver the letter of surrender to Ethan. The letter stated that Hiveden would ept all of Ethan¡¯s demands.


    Ethan wiped his bloody sword with the letter of surrender, and threw it on the floor.


    ¡°What should I do about the body?¡±


    ¡°Wrap it up and throw it in the toilet pit to bury it with shit once we withdraw.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    As Kamil took care of the dead body, she found a symbol of the Church on his clothes¡ªthis meant that the man was probably a Priest.


    Kamil couldn¡¯t recognize his face. She quietly removed the symbol of the Church from his clothing and put it inside her pocket and continued cleaning.


    ¡°The capital must have sent him here.¡±


    ¡°Yes. He told us to leave Hiveden alone and withdraw. He said we should chase after the ck haired boy instead.¡±


    Ethan¡¯s words revealed that the man was the Pope¡¯s envoy. If word got out that Ethan had beheaded an envoy of the Pope, his position would be at risk, not to mention the heavy punishment he would be facing.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t hear about an envoy¡¯s arrival,¡± Kamil said.


    ¡°He was floundering near the boundary of the emperor¡¯s foot¡ªit seemed like he barely made it in. Thank goodness we found him first. If the bastards from the Hiveden had found him first, we would have had to wipe out the entire city for real.¡±


    ¡°His Majesty is in our favor.¡±


    ¡°Yes, too bad for this envoy. Oh, if anyone asks about this envoy¡¯s whereabouts, tell them he was murdered by the Order of Huginn.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir, I will let everyone know.¡±


    Neither Kamil nor Ethan were concerned about the leak of confidentiality. The Temrs of the Order of the White Crow all shared a single purpose, and considered the rest irrelevant. Ever since the establishment of the Order of the White Crow, everyone had been dedicating their lives for the same cherished cause; the death of Ras Raud, the destruction of the Order of Huginn, and to be a knight order that faithfully served only His Majesty. Being this close to achieving their long-cherished goal, it was only natural for them to neglect themand to chase after the ck haired boy.


    Ethan recalled the Pope, who had imed that he speaks on behalf of His Majesty. Although Ethan admired the Pope, he felt that it was weird that the Pope shared history with His Majesty. Ethan thought the pope wasn¡¯t suitable to be the person to deliver His Majesty¡¯s voice.


    Those who walked alongside His Majesty in history were legendary figures such as Regent Barth Baltic, Gerald Gain¡ªthe knight who brought the dragons to their knees, Dismas Dilver¡ªwho killed the king of the western giants, Dane Dormund¡ªthe world¡¯s one and only Grand Magician, and so on. It was strange that the only person who could deliver His Majesty¡¯s words was an old man whose identity hardly had any impression at the time of His Majesty¡¯s death.


    ¡°...Captain? Should we prepare to enter the city?¡± Kamil whispered to Ethan upon seeing him standing in silence.


    ¡°My apologies. A disrespectful thought had crossed my mind. It seems like unnecessary thoughts areing to my mind as we are about toplete the great task we have been longing for. Prepare the knights for a battle right away, since the Order of Huginn would definitely be in the city. Oh, and get ready to charge,¡± Ethanmanded as he shook his head.


    ¡°Charge, sir?¡± Kamil asked as if she had misheard him.


    Ethan replied with a smile.


    ¡°Yes, charge.¡±


    ***


    The eastern sky was lit up with a red tint. The people of Hiveden had stayed up all night, and they stood on the walls to look at the Order of the White Crow hustling in a rowdy atmosphere. As everyone had already been told that it was impossible to escape from under the emperor¡¯s foot, no one was evacuating the city. Those who were capable of hiding hid, but the rest of the people had no choice but to watch.


    The Order of the White Crow was stationed close enough for their shouts to be heard by the people. It was a distance close enough to be within reach of an arrow, but the guards that should be protecting the people werepletely unarmed and stacking the weapons that Hiveden had been storing outside the wall. It was a pathetic sight to see the guards giving away their weapons when they should be acting as a shield to protect their people, but no one med them.


    ¡°Is everything ready?¡± Juan asked as he stood on the wall with the others.


    ¡°Yes, somehow we managed to prepare everything. I just hope that the Order of the White Crow will fall for our trap. There would be no point in giving up the advantages of the city wall otherwise,¡± Anya nodded.


    ¡°Wall? This isn¡¯t a wall, it should be called a thick fence instead. If all the Temrs are just as skilled as the guy I metst time, I bet they could easily jump over it.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps you¡¯re right. Hmm¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem too worried,¡± Juan said as he took a nce at Anya¡¯s face.


    ¡°I mean, it is our first time fighting an all out war, but¡­ I¡¯m confident that the Order of Huginn is strong enough to easily win against the Order of the White Crow if we fight with all our might, not to mention that sir Ras is joining us this time. Also¡­¡±


    ¡°Also?¡±


    ¡°We have Juan on our side! Hehe. If it¡¯s necessary, Juan can kill them all for us,¡± Anya giggled as if she was shy.


    Juan shook his head to see Anya¡¯s endless faith in him.


    ¡°I have no idea why Ras chose someone like you to be his sessor. You are nothing like a knight of the Order of Huginn.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m a candidate selected after serious discussion among the senior knights .¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you didn¡¯t behead all the other candidates for¡­ wait, someone¡¯s moving.¡±


    The knights of the Order of the White Crow were aligning their lines on their horses. There were around five hundred Laus Mountains Scouts positioned at the rear, but it seemed that they wouldn¡¯t be participating right away.


    All the Temrs were heavily armed, and one of them stepped out in front of everyone on his horse. It didn¡¯t take Juan long to recognize the long haired man¡ªhe was the one Juan had run into on the night that Anya had stolen the Indeterminate Polyhedron. Juan could feel his hands tightening.


    ¡®<i>Would I be able to win against him if I fought him the second time?</i>¡¯


    Juan couldn¡¯t help but look forward to fighting him again, although he wasn¡¯t fighting alone this time. Ethan¡¯s skill was iparable to the other imperial knights who have been disappointing.


    Ethan stood in front of the Temrs, and suddenly began to give a speech with a loud voice.


    ¡°My brothers and sisters! His Majesty¡¯s fists and his holy spears! We have been serving His Majesty with our blood and tears for a long time! We have believed that the blood we shed was the only evidence of our loyalty. It was all that we could offer to His Majesty who sacrificed himself for humankind!¡±


    ¡°For His Majesty!¡±


    Juan snickered. However, his expression changed as Ethan¡¯s speech continued.


    ¡°But everything was a lie! We have never once served His Majesty!¡±


    The Order of the White Crow seemed perplexed at Ethan¡¯s unexpected remark. The same applied to the people of Hiveden, standing on the city wall.


    Ethan drew out his sword and continued his speech amongst the murmurs.


    ¡°We were no Knights! We had been nothing but butchers! Butchers created to slice the meat of the ravens! We were only created to kill the Order of Huginn and not to serve His Majesty. We were created, maintained and died for the Order of Huginn! We cannot say that we have served His Majesty!¡±


    The faces of the Knights were filled with anger. Serving the emperor was their ultimate goal and ast assignment. If it had been anyone else other than Ethan who gave such a speech, they were bound to be struck with a sword at any time.


    ¡°But we are no butchers! We are the de of a spear that wishes to die for His Majesty, and wishes to only scatter upon the enemy¡¯s sword!¡±


    ¡°His Majesty!¡± one of the Temrs shouted with a loud voice filled with passion.


    At the same time, simr shouts spouted here and there. Juan felt the unusual atmosphere among the Knights. This was not a speech to be made before entering a city that had already surrendered.


    ¡°And over there! Our enemy who pushed us into the dark pit is inside Hiveden! Many people call that apostate our arch enemy, but I disagree! Ras Raud is nothing but a stepping stone we have yet to step over. We will step over Ras Raud to rise and get closer to His Majesty!¡± Ethan raised his sword high up in the sky and pointed toward Hiveden. ¡°Today, we kill Ras Raud, the apostate who attempted to assassinate His Majesty! We pierce his knights and hang them on our spear! And we will break free from his curse to truly be His Majesty¡¯s spear!¡±


    Ethan rushed into Hiveden at the same time he ended his speech. In an instant, the Knights followed him with passionate shouts. With Ethan leading them, their will became as sharp as the tip of a giant spear de.


    Screams broke out from atop the city wall to see the Order of the White Crow approach them with such speed, and the sound of people scattering could be heard.


    As the Order of the White Crow continued to rush in, white lights began to gradually shoot out from their formation. Soon, they gained eleration which made them frighteningly fast.


    The Laus Mountain Scouts located at the rear tried to avoid them in shock, but immediately got trampled under the horses.


    Some of the guards btedly figured out the situation and closed the city gate in haste. The city gate not being too big was an advantage at times like this. The guards seeded in closing and locking the gate just in time.


    ¡°We are His Majesty¡¯s spears!¡±


    With Ethan¡¯s cry, the city gate exploded with a roaring sound. This roar shook the entire city. The city gate wasn¡¯t the only thing that was sted apart, but the walls surrounding it also exploded.


    Fragments of the broken gate and the wall, as well as the victims who had been standing on the wall were scattered all over the city. The buildings swept by the debris crashed down, and screams of the victims broke out everywhere.


    Ethan, still draped in the white lights, walked out of the acrid dust with a cruel expression.


    ¡°Kill them all. The judgment will be made by His Majesty.¡±

 Chapter 56 – The Emperor’s Spears (2)

    <h4>Chapter 56 ¨C The Emperor¡¯s Spears (2)</h4>


    The people of Hiveden who had been watching the Order of the White Crow from atop the walls screamed as they ran away. The only people who still remained on the wall after everyone disappeared were Juan and Anya.


    ¡®<i>They were nning to kill everyone in the first ce.</i>¡¯


    Anya¡¯s face paled as she btedly realized Ethan¡¯s intention behind giving time to Hiveden¡ªit was topletely disarm them and massacre them without having to worry about any resistance. The first victims of the massacre were the guards of Hiveden who had already surrendered.


    The guards were left unarmed and thus incapable of fighting back. They died miserably as they screamed. Anya had no sympathy for them, but couldn¡¯t help but me herself for not having expected such a situation.


    The Order of the White Crow was ahead of the game.


    Anya looked at Juan with a nervous expression. She felt as if Juan would shout and get mad at her. However, Juan¡¯s expression told otherwise. Juan had a cynical smile on his face.


    ¡°The fanatics haven¡¯t changed even a little bit from the past,¡± Juan said.


    The fanatics from the Church had never cared about the Capital¡¯s view on them or their political check against them. They were lunatics who believed that any means were eptable as long as they faithfully fulfilled a purpose.


    Races and nations who believed so weremon during the era of the gods, since they were guaranteed power as long as they showed loyalty to the god, regardless ofws or rules. Even if they weren¡¯t guaranteed power, they still willingly sacrificed their lives based on a vague expectation¡ªit was a fanatical absurdity.


    For such reasons, Juan had tried topletely wipe out all religions and faiths in the empire when he was the emperor, but ironically history was repeating itself again under his own name now. J


    uan looked at Anya with a cold smile on his face, and Anya flinched to back away from him.


    ¡°What are you doing just standing around? Anya,mand your knights. You are their leader.¡±


    ¡°Pardon? Oh, yes.¡±


    Juan tapped her shoulders as he realized her frustrations.


    ¡°Don¡¯t panic. The Order of Huginn ispetent enough. Dilmond and Ras are here as well, and I¡¯m sure they are flexibly dealing with the situation. Go and do what you need to do. And,¡± Juan ordered Anya in a sharp manner. ¡°Do not leave a single one alive.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Juan!¡± Anya replied, and immediately jumped off the city wall.


    Anya could feel her heart pounding. When Juan tapped her shoulders, a strange sense of calmness relieved her. All the more, a new sense of excitement filled her body¡ªit was a sense of exaltation for the battle.


    ¡°Ardin!¡± Anya shouted.


    ¡°<i>Gasp!</i>¡±


    Ardin was trembling under a house that had been destroyed by the debris of the city wall. Ordinary people didn¡¯t know that the charge of the Order of the White Crow would be as powerful as a natural disaster, and Ardin was no different from ordinary people.


    ¡°You saw what the Order of the White Crow just did to Hiveden! If you don¡¯t move right now, everyone in Hiveden will die! And that includes you!¡± Anya shouted as she grabbed Ardin by the cor and pulled him up.


    ¡°B-but fighting against those monsters would be¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you really think the Order of Huginn will lose?¡±


    Ardin btedly came to his senses upon hearing Anya¡¯s words. If everyone in Hiveden would be dying anyway, maybe it wasn¡¯t such a bad idea to hold hands with the devil.


    ¡°We are the only people capable of stopping those bastards here, and you are the only person capable of helping us! Now move!¡±


    ¡°Ah, um, right. Okay. W-what do you want me to do¡­?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll keep the basis of our n, but with the weapons this time.¡±


    ***


    Around five hundred Laus Mountain Scouts entered through the gap the Order of the White Crow¡¯s charge had made. They had heavy and ufortable looks on their faces, but they had already ughtered countless in the past under themands of the Order of the White Crow. The only difference this time was that it was on a much bigger scale.


    ¡°Second squad willmence on the north, and the third squad to the south! Send signals and join instantly as soon as you detect the movements of the Order of Huginn. While cleansing the city is important, don¡¯t forget that our goal is to exterminate Ras Raud and his knight order!¡± Ethanmanded in a loud voice.


    The Laus Mountain Scouts separated themselves into squads and followed the Temrs under Ethan¡¯smand.


    ¡°Kill every child, adult, and elder. Do not leave a single one alive. There is no way out for them anyway, and this filthy city contaminated by the ravens can only be cleansed with blood.¡±


    It seemed ridiculous that only thirty men could fight against the entire city, but Ethan had done simr things several times in the past. There were often times when only one Temr attacked a vige of demi-humans. In fact, Ethan was being more cautious than usual to fight against the Order of Huginn, their arch-enemy.


    ¡°Captain, don¡¯t you think we were being too reckless by turning the entire city into our enemy?¡± Kamil asked with concern.


    ¡°If I came off as thoughtless, I apologize for worrying you, Kamil,¡± Ethan smiled.


    ¡°I¡¯m not doubting your capability, Captain. But I just¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not worried about Hiveden¡¯s ridiculous defense. They are nothing but a flock of sheep. No matter how many sheep there are, they will be torn by the wolf¡¯s ws. What does matter is the shepherd that fed them up to be nice and fat,¡± Ethan said as he looked at Hiveden with madness in his eyes. ¡°Do you think that shepherd will run or hide upon seeing the massacre of his flock of sheep? I don¡¯t want to search the sewers to find that rat Ras. I will fight him, and cut off his white skull to stick it on the end of my spear.¡±


    Kamil nodded her head as she was convinced. As a Temr of the Order of the White Crow, she too, could rte to Ethan¡¯s views. Wasting their time trying to search for the Order of Huginn in the city would be more annoying than Hiveden cooperating with the Order of Huginn.


    But Kamil looked at Ethan with a worried look.


    ¡°I will break free from the curse of the former captains who were possessed by the ghost of Ras Raud, and be a true Temr who serves His Majesty¡­¡±


    While muttering, Ethan¡¯s eyes were no different from those of the former captains who had died from their obsession with catching Ras.


    Ethan turned his head as if he was irritated by Kamil¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°Did you have any advice for me, Deputy?¡±


    ¡°No, Captain. Do you have anymands for me?¡±


    ¡°Complete the duties I ordered earlier. Squad one and I will move forward to the main road. You shall remain at the rear and fulfill your duties.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. And¡­¡±


    Before Kamil could tell Ethan to take care of himself, someone interrupted with a loud voice.


    ¡°Captain Ethan!¡±


    The voice filled with anger belonged to the rising star that Ethan had been keeping his eye on. Sina Solvane was running toward him over the fragments of the city wall with a pale face.


    ¡°Wh-what in the world have you done! How could you attack the city after they had already surrendered!?¡± Sina shouted.


    Kamil tried to stop Sina. However, Ethan stopped Kamil instead and led his horse to approach Sina.


    ¡°Sina Solvane, you entered the operational area without any gear or armor. It is hard to say that you are appropriately dressed to join the operation. Had I not told you to wait on standby at the rear?¡±


    ¡°Whether you have a sword or not, a knight is still a knight. And that is even if you don¡¯t have a hand. Captain Ethan, I must hear your answer to my question! Th-this is not something that could be done by someone who serves His Majesty! If it was for His Majesty¡­¡±


    ¡°He would have protected the weak and shownpassion to them. That¡¯s what you¡¯re trying to say, right? You are truly a model student¡ªa specimen of a perfect knight. But your thoughts are wrong. These people are those who helped to hide that apostate and his people. Are they worthy of His Majesty¡¯spassion?¡±


    Ethan spoke softly, but Sina¡¯s eyes were fierce. Seeing Sina¡¯s eyes burning in anger, Ethan realized that his rtionship with her had ended, and such a talented knight would never join his knight order. The only thing Ethan could do was smile bitterly.


    ¡°His Majesty wouldn¡¯t have thought so,¡± Sina spoke with contempt for Ethan in each syble.


    ¡°It seems like the knight school has taught you too much, or you learned too much from them.¡±


    With this Sina¡¯s rtionship with Ethan had beenpletely ruined. Ethan could see why Sina couldn¡¯t be a Temr and remained an ordinary knight, even with such talent. Ethan turned his horse around.


    ¡°Kamil, keep an eye on Sina Solvane to prevent her from intervening in the battle, and continue to take care of her so we can focus on our battle.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    ¡°Ethan, wait! Not only His Majesty, but even the capital would¡­¡±


    Just before Sina could charge at Ethan, Kamil jerked her arm and flung her to the ground. With a cracking sound, Sina¡¯s shoulder was dislocated. Sina clenched her teeth to hold back her scream, and continued to re at Ethan.


    Ethan looked down at her for a short moment, and soon kicked his horse toward the city center.


    The sound of horse hooves tapping on the stone pavement and the sounds of screams filled the city. Ethan felt as if he could still hear Sina¡¯s scream in his ears. He had made the same scream as her a long time ago, which of course no one had responded to. His hollow voice echoed in the citadel in the Laus Mountains, and disappeared. The only thing left inside him was ending Ras Raud. Ethan didn¡¯t doubt that Sina¡¯s scream would soon disappear, just like his had.


    Ethan shouted in a loud voice, as if he wanted to cover Sina¡¯s scream still echoing in his ears.


    .


    ¡°Come out and show yourself! If you refuse, all your fattened flock of sheep will die!¡±


    Ethan and the Temrs ran on the city¡¯s main road at high speed, and rushed in from behind the fleeing people of Hiveden. People trampled under the horse hooves and pierced by the spears screamed and scattered. However, they were turned into skewers by the arrows shot toward them by the Scouts surrounding the city.


    Ethan was about to roar once more, but suddenly stopped and stood still. The other Temrs beside Ethan also came to a stop. There was someone who stood in front of them to block their way to the city center. However, he wasn¡¯t someone Ethan was looking for.


    ¡°Who are you? I thought it would be either Dilmond or Anya to stop us,¡± Ethan asked.


    ¡°Everyone¡¯s busy doing their own stuff.¡±


    Ethan¡¯s eyes narrowed and he looked at the ck haired boy in front of him. He felt a surge of irritation filling his body, which had been heated by the excitement of the battle.


    ¡°You¡¯re that ck-haired kid. I have no business with you right now, so wait for your turn.¡±


    Ethan kicked his horse in his attempt to pass Juan. However, Juan disappeared from his sight in an instant. Ethan hastily raised his sword and swung it toward Juan¡¯s trajectory, but it was toote.


    ¡°Keuk!¡±


    Juan smoothly ducked between the legs of Ethan¡¯s horse, and cut the inside of its legs. Unlike the Temrs, their horses were only armed with ordinary armor. Juan¡¯s short sword had no difficulty slicing through it. The horse let out a sharp scream and knelt down, leaving Ethan with no choice but to hop off the horse.


    ¡°You little bastard¡­¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not be hasty¡± Juan spoke rxedly, even with seven Temrs surrounding him.


    Ethan¡¯s eyes sparked with anger. Just as he was about to aplish his ultimate goal, a trivial obstacle appeared before him. Ethan¡¯s anger exploded as a trifling obstacle dragged him down from fulfilling his duty.


    ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll kick your head while I walk instead of riding a horse.¡±


    Ethan sent signals to his knights with his eyes. The Temrs hesitated, but soon ran forward past Juan; it would be a waste of seven Temrs to be upied by just one boy.


    Juan didn¡¯t bother to stop the Temrs running past him.


    ¡°Now¡­shall we dance?¡±

 Chapter 57 – The Emperor’s Spears (3)

    <h4>Chapter 57 ¨C The Emperor¡¯s Spears (3)</h4>


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty good for us that Ethan is being impatient. Since the Order of the White Crow scattered into squads, we have to stop them from rejoining. We¡¯ll have to scatter our forces as well,¡± said Anya.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better for us to stay together and take them out in smaller groups?¡±


    ¡°The Temrs are far more threatening when they are united as a group. They can use their Grace on a bigger scale, and their ordinary Grace bes much more powerful than when they use it individually. They will definitely rejoin once they figure out we are all together in the same location. Our target in priority is Captain Ethan Etil, since he is the most dangerous one out of all of them.¡±


    ¡°Is he that dangerous?¡± Juan asked out of curiosity.


    ¡°Well, only the most powerful elites within the top twenty of the empire get the opportunity to be the Captain of a knight order with Temrs. Of course, factors such as character and faith are taken into consideration as well. They are granted His Majesty¡¯s Grace once they are chosen, so they be even more powerful. However, the consequences are much more severe for them when they are defeated.¡± Anya looked at Juan. ¡°And that¡¯s why your task is important. Sir Dilmond will take care of the city¡¯s north, and I will take care of the south. I left the city center to you just as you requested, but¡­ Are you sure you can fight Ethan Etil one on one? I heard thest time you encountered him was a close call¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can win right now, but I think I might be able to kill him.¡±


    Anya made a subtle expression as if she didn¡¯t know what to say.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve got a n. We stayed up all night preparing for this, didn''t we?¡± Juan said.


    ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­if worstes to worst, maybe sir Ras can step up and¡­¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not,¡± Juan said firmly as he ced his hand on Anya¡¯s hand.


    Anya carefully nodded. Everyone in the Order of Huginn knew their most important priority. Ras wasn¡¯t simply a leader to the Order of Huginn, but he was their symbol, who must never be defeated in any circumstances. Besides, Ras was already in a bad condition.


    ¡°Leave it to me. I promise you won¡¯t be disappointed.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­I¡¯ll be counting on you,¡± Anya nodded as she looked at Juan.


    ***


    Ethan¡¯s sword cut a few strands of Juan¡¯s hair as it grazed past him. Juan smoothly charged at Ethan, but Ethan¡¯s elbow hit his shoulder, pushing him away. Juan managed tond on his feet, but had no time to catch his breath. In an instant, a sharp de brushed against his neck. Feeling a stinging sensation, Juan wrapped his hand around his neck and took a few steps back.


    ¡°You picked a fight first, but the only thing you¡¯ve been doing is running away. Kid, is there anything else you can do other than making smoke and moving fast?¡± Ethan said in annoyance.


    Juan took a breath and tilted his head left and right, popping his neck. He could feel Talter¡¯s energy gradually receding from his body. It had only been ten minutes since the battle began, and Juan was already full of scratches and small injuries. On the other hand, Ethan was untouched, with not a single wound, even though he was covered in Talter¡¯s blood.


    ¡°You should¡¯ve backed off as soon as you realized that the cut you madest time was only a fluke. I gotta admit,sting ten minutes against me is worthplimenting. It¡¯s rare to find people other than Temrs that are capable of doing that.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not too bad yourself.¡±


    Ethanughed¡ªhearing Juan say that he was ¡®not too bad¡¯ dumbfounded him. Anyone could tell that Juan was helplessly losing the battle. In fact, Juan¡¯s head would¡¯ve already fallen before Ethan¡¯s sword if it weren¡¯t for Juan¡¯s strangely moving fog, Blink, and Talter¡¯s blood.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who taught you, but you don¡¯t seem to have learned how to judge your opponent¡¯s capability. You must belong to the Order of Huginn, considering that you use the Baltic Sword. Who¡¯s your teacher? Dilmond? Annabelle? Perhaps it was Ras himself?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the one who taught Ras.¡±


    Ethan thought Juan was joking, but Juan¡¯s face was more serious than ever. Ethan¡¯s irritation soared to see Juan¡¯s expression.


    ¡°Whatever. As long as you belong to the Order of Huginn, there is no reason for me to keep you alive. Let¡¯s finish this quickly.¡±


    Ethan repositioned himself and pointed his sword toward Juan. This time, he decided to use his full strength and instantly kill Juan.


    Juan also took a strange stance, got ready, and took a deep breath upon reading Ethan¡¯s intent to finish this quickly.


    Ethan frowned upon seeing Juan¡¯s strange posture. Such a weird posture couldn¡¯t be seen in the Baltic Sword.


    ¡®<i>Is it a derived posture?</i>¡¯


    It wasmon for different knight orders to use derivatives of the Baltic Sword that were better suited to their own particrities. Considering that the Order of Huginn hadn¡¯t interacted with other knight orders for so long, it wasn¡¯t so strange that they would have unusual postures.


    However, as a man who knew everything about the Order of Huginn, Ethan couldn¡¯t help but be nervous about Juan¡¯s unfamiliar posture.


    ¡®<i>He is certainly not some ordinary knight.¡¯</i>


    Juan¡¯s instant movement skill looked simr to ¡®Blink,¡¯ which was one of the highest-ranked Grace skills. Since there could be no way that he was granted His Majesty¡¯s Grace like the Temrs, it could be inferred that he was either one of the people who shared His Majesty¡¯s essence like Ras, or Ras¡¯ sessor. If that was the case, his posture was likely a secret skill that no one had seen before.


    Ethan carefully waited until Juan made a move first. At the moment Juan jumped off the ground, Ethan defended himself with all his might. But instead of charging at Ethan, Juan turned and ran in the opposite direction.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Ethan nkly stared at Juan¡¯s back for a long time. Juan didn¡¯t bother to look back and left Ethan behind, leaving the battlefield. Only then did Ethan btedly realize that Juan had run away.


    ¡°That son of a bitch!¡±


    Ethan chased after Juan with all his might. As he chased Juan, he destroyed everything that blocked his way and caused a dust storm. However, considering that he was wearing heavy armor, even though he was granted His Majesty¡¯s Grace, it was impossible to catch up to Juan, who was running away using Blink.


    ¡°Get back here! You bastard!¡±


    Ethan cursed out in anger as Juan eventually disappeared. Ethan¡¯s sparkling eyes searched his surroundings, but all he could see was the alley ruined with dust and debris.


    At that moment, something caught his attention. A group of people was approaching him from across the dust storm; they were the Temrs Ethan had sent off earlier.


    ¡°Captain! We heard you shouting.¡±


    ¡°I lost the kid. Did anyone see him? He came this way.¡±


    The Temrs exchanged nces with confused looks.


    ¡°The kid, Sir? We haven¡¯t seen anyone. Actually, we couldn¡¯t even find any of the residents of Hiveden either. We were on our way back because the road is blocked off.¡±


    ¡°The road is blocked off?¡± Ethan asked back in suspicion.


    Only then did the cityscape begin to be clearer in Ethan¡¯s eyes. The buildings were severely damaged and some had even copsed; it was hard to believe that damage on such arge scale was caused by only the Temrs¡¯ power. Furthermore, no corpses or blood could be seen among the rubble.


    Ethan felt a shiver run down his spine. The copsed walls were blocking the alleyways.


    ¡°Only now are you starting to realize what¡¯s going on?¡± Juans voice echoed from across the alley.


    The Temrs all drew out their swords. Meanwhile, Ethan wanted to charge at Juan immediately, but stopped himself due to an unknown feeling of hesitation and self-restraint.


    Catching Juan wasn¡¯t the main issue right now. Ethan tried to find out what his eyes were missing.


    At that moment, a scent filled the alley, one that had been hard to recognize up to that point due to being covered by the smell of dust and blood. Ethan hastilymanded his knights.


    ¡°Everyone retreat from this alley!¡±


    The well-trained Temrs did not question Ethan¡¯smand. They kicked their horses to instantly retreat from the alley.


    ¡°It was already toote to retreat from the moment you walked into this alley,¡± Juan grinned.


    Juan made a long cut on his palm and dripped his blood on the ground. The moment his blood touched the ground, the entire alley began to burn with soaring mes. A huge fire erupted without even needing any time to spread.


    The first one to be swept up by the mes was Ethan. He instantly caught on fire, as he was drenched in Juan¡¯s blood due to their previous battle. Soon, the rest of the Temrs and the entire alley were also swept into the mes.


    ¡°Ugh- Ahhhhhh!¡±


    One of the Temrs cried and rolled on the floor, looking like a big ball of fire. However, the rolling didn¡¯t help to put out the fire, but only caused the fire to spread even more. The Temrs were thrown off their horses and to the ground, as the horses were startled by the sudden mes. The horses ran wild and tried to escape, but it was difficult to even find the right direction to move. The Temr who rolled on the floor was trampled under the horse hooves.


    One of the Temrs swept into mes somehow found the right direction and approached Juan. Juan didn¡¯t just wait for the Temr to burn to death, but he jumped straight into the fire to stab the approaching Temr in the throat with his short sword. Throughout the whole process, the Temr couldn¡¯t even detect Juan¡¯s movement with his eyes already burning.


    ¡°Think of it as a field trip to hell,¡± Juan said.


    Juan jumped into the fire and began to ughter the remaining Temrs. The only person wandering through the fire and swinging his sword in a rxed manner was Juan. The Temrs, the so-called elites of the empire, all toppled down before Juan¡¯s de. They were bound to burn to death if left alone, but Juan showed no mercy.


    Juan swinging his sword inside the sizzling mes made him resemble a devil. The fire broke down the buildings that had been barely maintaining their shape, and continued to spread.


    This was what the Order of Huginn had been preparing all night. To be precise, the main n was to get Ardin to lure the Temrs to the alley, and attack them while they panicked in the fire. There were many other traps that had also been prepared, but Juan figured that he could take care of all of them here.


    Juan diligently ughtered the Temrs. He threw the burnt corpses to the ground, and crushed them as he stepped over them to make his way. Then, he found one man still standing in the middle of the fire; it was Captain Ethan Etil. He was standing motionless inside the burning me.


    Juan made a bitter face as he saw Ethan still standing even when his entire body had turned ck from the fire. Ethan was definitely not the type to die ridiculously like this, but Juan was also not the type to fight by fair means against an opponent hebeled his enemy. Juan ran toward Ethan.


    Juan stabbed and cut Ethan¡¯s neck, face, liver, pancreas, lungs, and everything else to make sure there was no possibility of him keeping his life. The moment Juan stabbed him in the heart for thest time, Ethan finally fell over.


    ¡°<i>Huff</i>¡­¡±


    Juan left the burning mes behind and walked out the alleyway. With Ethan dead, it was only a matter of time before the other Temrs were ughtered. Juan felt the need to put out the fire as it had been spreading bigger than he had expected.


    ¡®<i>Call Ardin over to put out the fire, then¡­</i>¡¯


    At that moment, Juan heard a loud noise of horse hooves beyond the wall. He could feel the presence of Temrs approaching him from both north and south.


    ¡®<i>But the Order of Huginn should be fighting the Temrs from north and south¡­</i>¡¯


    Juan realized that something had gone wrong.


    <i>Crash!</i>


    With a loud noise, the fragments that had been blocking the alleyway exploded and scattered. Sixteen Temrs entered the alley as both sides of the alleyway were broken open. It was the same attack Juan had seen when they were charging at the Hiveden¡¯s city gate earlier. The mes died down as they passed by.


    ¡°Captain!¡±


    Temrs shouted in haste and looked around the fire.


    Juan felt other groups of people approaching him once again; it was Anya, Dilmond, and the Order of Huginn. Soon after, the Temrs faced the Order of Huginn, who had followed them. Juan could read the perplexed looks on the faces of the Order of Huginn.


    ¡®<i>They have no injuries.</i>¡¯


    Quite a few of the knights from the Order of Huginn were injured, but not a single wound could be found on the Temrs, not to mention that their numbers hadn¡¯t gone down at all. Then Juan heard Anya shout with a concerned expression.


    ¡°Grace! There¡¯s a Grace as powerful as the Bishop¡¯s Grace pouring down on the city!¡±


    Juan¡¯s face stiffened. He could sense an odd presence inside the mes. Juan acknowledged the fact that he had failed to properly detect the presence as he had been distracted by the fire. Ethan¡¯s spirit had never once diminished, even when he was burnt, stabbed in the heart, and half beheaded. Seven Temrs that looked not much different from lumps of charcoal in the fire slowly began to rise.


    With his neck split, Ethan smiled gruesomely.

 Chapter 58 – The Voice (1)

    <h4>Chapter 58 ¨C The Voice (1)</h4>


    ¡°His Majesty who was born in the human form.¡±


    ¡°His Majesty who filled the ss with the enemy¡¯s blood and filled the dish with the enemy¡¯s flesh.¡±


    ¡°His Majesty who has been our guiding light from even beyond the grave.¡±


    In the middle of rising smoke and screamsing from all sides, Rietto knelt down on the floor and endlessly muttered his prayers. His fast prayer was almost as if three different voices wereing from one mouth, somehow making the listener feel utterly ufortable.


    Listening to his prayer, Kamil felt chills run down her spine. However, her body was soaring with energy.


    ¡®<i>This is His Majesty¡¯s Grace¡­</i>¡¯


    This Grace was iparable to the one she was granted when she first became a Temr. The basic Graces that were granted to the Temrs were physical and mental strengthening, Spear of Wrath, and a few other magic skills. However, the clergy were allowed to exercise much more varied and high-ranked Graces. Amongst them, the Bishops used Graces that were almost equivalent to miracles.


    ¡°My emperor, the mighty Kennosis.¡±


    ¡°May His Majesty who resides in everyone¡¯s spirit and body grant you power and Grace to the proxy of the fingertips¡­¡±


    The Bishop¡¯s Grace could provide almost infinite vitality, which could save those who were burnt, beheaded, and stabbed in the heart. The Temrs were already hard to kill with their basic Grace alone, but with the Bishop''s Grace, they were simply an immortal army.


    Behind Ethan¡¯s aggressive behavior was Bishop Rietto¡¯s support. Such an offensive attack on a surrendered city usually would never be approved, unless it was under urgent circumstances. The full force of the thirty Temrs and the remaining knights was too dangerous, and couldn¡¯t be ovee unless the opponent was another knight order that was just as powerful as them; there would be no way that the Pope would allow it.


    ¡®<i>It would¡¯ve been impossible to implement this n if it wasn¡¯t for Bishop Rietto¡¯s support.</i>¡¯


    The fact that Bishop Rietto¡¯s spirit had been fragmented was well known. Although he was in an abnormal state, his insights were still frighteningly keen sometimes. After all, the only reason he volunteered to support the Order of the White Crow was because he firmly believed that he was right. Bishop Rietto briefly staying in Hiveden for business and the Order of Huginn appearing at Hiveden urred at the same time by coincidence.


    ¡®<i>No, but was it really just a coincidence?</i>¡¯


    Kamil couldn¡¯t confidently say so. She looked at Rietto in awe. Regardless of whether the incidents were a coincidence or not, the empire¡¯s old legend would fall today. The Order of the White Crow would be the hands to choke the legend, and Bishop Rietto would be the eyes and mouth to support them.


    ¡®<i>If Ras Raud really is in this city, he will certainly die today.</i>¡¯


    ***


    Juan looked around at his surroundings. They weren¡¯t simply in a ¡®bad situation¡¯¡ªit was way worse than that. Their traps had failed, the Temrs had regrouped, and now they found out that the Temrs couldn¡¯t be wounded or killed. Although there were knights of the dead in the Order of Huginn, they weren¡¯t immortal against the Temrs. The Grace thaty within the Temrs¡¯ swords had the power to destroy the knights of the dead. To make things worse, the fire which had begun to spread everywhere made the environment not very suitable for the knights of the dead tofortably move around.


    Ethan walked out of the fire. The burnt lumps fell down every time he took a step forward. Reddish flesh had just been regenerated from where the lumps fell off, and the new flesh was burnt again by the fire surrounding him. While his body was healing with the help of the Grace, it couldn¡¯t get rid of the pain. Nevertheless, Ethan was still smiling.


    ¡°Is this what you call hell, kid? There¡¯s not much to see here¡­ It''s less than I had expected.¡±


    Ethan swung his sword around. Strong gusts of wind blew and drove out the mes. The fire began to subside, but the Temrs¡¯ armors were still glowing red due to the remaining heat. Regardless of the pain, the knights joined theirrades to continue the battle.


    ¡°You need to bring more than hell to kill me,¡± Ethan said as he instantly charged at Juan.


    ¡°Pretending to be proud of something that¡¯s not even yours,¡± Juan said as he barely dodged Ethan¡¯s sword.


    Juan acknowledged that they were in a bad situation. The power protecting the Temrs was Juan¡¯s own mana, and it certainly seemed to be the Grace that Anya had mentioned. If the Grace was as powerful as Juan thought, the Order of Huginn had no chance of winning, unless Ras intervened.


    Instead of fighting Ethan, Juan stepped away from the battle line. Ethan didn¡¯t bother to chase Juan as there were lots of knights of the Order of Huginn he had to take care of all around him.


    ¡°Raise your swords! His Majesty¡¯s will resides inside you!¡±


    ¡°For His Majesty!¡±


    With a loud chant, the Temrs and the knights pushed the Order of Huginn even harder. The Temrs were surrounded by the Order of Huginn and did not have the support of the Laus Mountain Scouts as they had been in a rush to get to Ethan, but it was clear that the Temrs were at an advantage.


    Ethan immediately jumped into the battlefield and beheaded one of the knights of the Order of Huginn. He continued to swing his sword, and instinctively tilted his head to the side to see a huge hammer grazing past him at a short distance. Ethan¡¯s smile became fierce when he saw the hammer.


    ¡°Well look who¡¯s here. I thought you would only show yourself once everyone was dead so that you could live up to the name ¡®flock of ravens.¡¯¡±


    The old knight with white hair, ¡®cksmith¡¯ Dilmond Debussy was ring at him. The old knightughed and epted Ethan¡¯s challenge.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got too long of a tongue, little baby. An imitation like you seems to be better at moving your tongue than your sword. So why don¡¯t you crawl under your mother¡¯s skirt and serve your filial duty instead of wandering around the dangerous battlefield?¡±


    What provoked Ethan was the word ¡®imitation.¡¯ Ethan burst into a rage and ran wildly at Dilmond.


    Dilmond groaned at the heavy shock he felt from his shield when Ethan¡¯s sword dug into it and carved it out. Dilmond had never beenzy in training, but Ethan¡¯s power felt too strong. Dilmond bitterly resented the talent and Grace granted to Ethan. Nevertheless, he didn¡¯t think that he would fail his duty. Dilmond heard a voice from behind that he had been waiting for.


    ¡°Knights, forward!¡± Anya shouted.


    With Anya¡¯s voice, the knights of the dead appeared. They had been waiting until the Temrs would fall a little further back to the alley where the fire was still spreading.


    As soon as the knights of the dead appeared, the Temrs felt a burning heat from their back and freezing chills from the front.


    ¡°Although we were the ones that killed them all, it looks like they ate each other¡¯s eyes and flesh. No wonder they call you ravens,¡± Ethan coldly smiled at the knights of the dead.


    ¡°I¡¯ll rip and eat your smiling face too.¡±


    Dilmond charged forward along the knights of the dead.


    ***


    ¡°Anya, can you tell me exactly what¡¯s going on right now?¡±


    Juan asked Anya about the current situation they were in. Anya was drenched in blood as if she just came back from beheading one of the Temrs. Her face was filled with heavy tiredness.


    ¡°Some Bishop is raining down a high-ranking Grace upon the Temrs. Any Bishops that might be around Hiveden are¡­ Bishop Carl and Bishop Rietto. There would be no way that pig Carl would join the battle, so there¡¯s a high possibility that it¡¯s Rietto. I heard that he wasing to Hiveden to receive an item of some sort.¡±


    ¡°He wasing to get the Indeterminate Polyhedron. So what you¡¯re saying is that the bastard is reviving all these Temrs?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Ordinary healing Grace can¡¯t be this powerful, especially as burns cannot be normally healed. But if it¡¯s the Grace bestowed upon a Bishop¡­¡±


    ¡ºAnya, Juan.¡»


    At that moment, a voice suddenly echoed in their heads. It was Ras.


    ¡ºI¡¯m sending my voice directly inside your heads. I apologize for the unpleasant sensation. I am currently on my way to the battlefield.¡»


    ¡°What?! Sir, what are you talking about!? Please don¡¯t!¡± Anya shouted in frustration.


    Ras replied as if he could hear what Anya and Juan were saying.


    ¡ºI can imagine what situation you¡¯re in right now. I bet the knights of the dead can¡¯t use their full strength because the sun just rose, and it¡¯s the same for me as well. However, I must join the battle so that we can ovee this situation.¡»


    ¡°Stay still, Ras. You¡¯ll only create more worry for the rest of us,¡± Juan said.


    ¡ºBut Juan.¡»


    ¡°I said no.¡±


    ¡ºMyrades and knights are dying. I can¡¯t just sit here and do nothing about it.¡»


    ¡°You are already contributing the most you can by summoning the knights of the dead. If you continue to use more of your power, Anya wille and break your leg, not me,¡± Juan replied in a perplexed mood.


    Ras had already used too much of his unholy essence. While he was barely maintaining himself, with the Indeterminate Polyhedron, there was a high possibility for his current form to copse if he used any more of his strength.


    ¡°You are the only one capable of creating and summoning the knights of the dead. All Anya can do is control the knights of the dead that you summoned. If the Temrs get you, all the knights of the dead will disappear and that will be the end of the Order of Huginn. Is that what you really want?¡±


    Ras remained silent.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so nervous. I have a n,¡± Juan said as he turned around to look at Anya. ¡°Anya, all this bullshit would end if we kill that damn Bishop, correct?¡±


    ¡°Sorry? Oh, yes. Y-you¡¯re right, but there will certainly be more than a few Temrs protecting that bastard, and he would be using the Grace on himself as well. It¡¯s practically impossible to kill him and¡­¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s worth a try. Make sure Ras doesn¡¯t intervene.¡±


    Juan recalled the direction of the Order of the White Crow¡¯s tent, and turned his body. Before he left, he stopped for a while to look back at Anya. Anya¡¯s pupils were shaking in anxiety. Juan said to Anya as if he was trying to calm her down.


    ¡°Don¡¯t die.¡±


    ***


    Sina¡¯s face gradually darkened to see Bishop Rietto continue his prayer endlessly.


    ¡®Asking for His Majesty¡¯s power to kill His Majesty¡¯s people.¡¯


    The Temrs were nothing more than murderers ughtering unarmed civilians, and destroying the city of Hiveden. It was hard for Sina to stay still and watch, but she couldn¡¯t even move as her body waspletely restrained.


    ¡°Kamil!¡± Sina shouted at Kamil who had been protecting Bishop Rietto beside her.


    Kamil¡¯s expression faltered as she nced at Sina¡¯s fierce eyes.


    ¡°Are you really going to be an aplice to this massacre? Do you think His Majesty would have remained a spectator if he was still here?¡±


    ¡°We are not His Majesty,¡± Kamil answered with a stiff face. ¡°We are not as great as His Majesty. I don¡¯t dare to put myself in his shoes. All we can do is ept His Majesty¡¯s will and enact his values on this world.¡±


    ¡°And ughtering unarmed civilians is part of His Majesty¡¯s values?¡±


    ¡°To eliminate His Majesty¡¯s enemy is part of his values. We are nothing more than His Majesty¡¯s butcher de, so this all we can do to show our faith.¡±


    ¡°You can protect the innocent and the weak by blocking the swords pointed toward them, rather than swinging your own sword at them. Wouldn¡¯t that be much closer to His Majesty¡¯s mercy?¡±


    Kamil didn¡¯t answer, but firmly closed her lips and disregarded Sina. Kamil also knew that the Order of the White Crow¡¯s actions were wrong, and that Sina was right. However, Kamil had lived a long time as a Temr of the Order of the White Crow. Such time and duty made her turn a blind eye to the current situation.


    ¡®<i>Perhaps Ethan was right when he said we must kill Ras Raud to break free from this curse.</i>¡¯


    Kamil decided to be merciless, at least for today.


    At that moment, Bishop Rietto¡¯s prayer suddenly stopped.


    As Kamil looked, Bishop Rietto¡¯s entire body was shaking while he stared toward the east.


    His expression was distorted with anger and confusion.

 Chapter 59 – The Voice (2)

    <h4>Chapter 59 ¨C The Voice (2)</h4>


    Kamil immediately drew her sword as she felt the unusual change in the atmosphere. The dust that rose from beyond the pile of ruins died down. When Kamil raised her sword and swung it, something flew in front of her eyes instantly.


    The sharp sound of des shing echoed, and Kamil staggered back a few steps. Upon looking ahead in a haste while holding her numb hand, Kamil found a boy with a grumpy facending on the floor while clutching a short dagger in his hand.


    Kamil could feel sweat running down her back as she realized that she couldn¡¯t sense the boy''s presence or movements at all. If it weren¡¯t for her sword which had been bestowed with His Majesty¡¯s Grace and her body being used to speed training, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to block the boy¡¯s attack.


    ¡°I already knew that it wouldn¡¯t be easy, but the guard is pretty decent, just as expected¡­¡± Juan muttered aint.


    Kamil was convinced that he was one of the enemies who hade to assassinate Bishop Rietto. She didn¡¯t expect a little boy toe, but it was certain that he wasn¡¯t an easy opponent.


    ¡°Who are you? One of the Order of Huginn¡¯s knights?¡± Kamil asked.


    ¡°Is that even important?¡±


    It really wasn¡¯t. From the moment he pointed his sword at a Temr, he was bound to be sentenced to execution. Furthermore, Bishop Rietto who was just behind Kamil had witnessed his transgressions.


    Kamil repositioned herself.


    Meanwhile, Juan lowered his body as if he wanted to stick to the floor, and surveyed the surroundings. Then he found an unexpected face; it was Sina Solvane.


    Sina was also looking at Juan with a perplexed expression, but she could neither help nor act as a distraction as she was restrained.


    ¡®<i>As expected, she¡¯s safe.</i>¡¯


    Bishop Rietto was still standing behind Kamil. Although he took a nce at Juan when he first entered the room, he didn¡¯t seem to care anymore. Rietto continued to chant his prayer at a fast rate in a disturbing voice in order to shower the Order of the White Crow with the Grace. The only way for the Order of Huginn to win against the Order of the White Crow would be through Juan shutting Rietto¡¯s mouth closed.


    ¡®She¡¯s not an opponent that can be easily defeated.¡¯


    Juan red at Kamil. Although Kamil wasn¡¯t as good as Ethan, she was still a skilled knight. Speedwise, she was on the same level as Ethan or even better.


    Kamil was also evaluating Juan¡¯s skills. She couldn¡¯t help but be conscious of the incredible speed she witnessed from him when he first appeared.


    As speed was their biggest strength, both Kamil and Juan only eyed each other for a while to search for a timing to rush in.


    ¡®<i>I won¡¯t be getting many opportunities to attack.</i>¡¯


    The first one to charge was Juan. Juan kicked the rocks on the floor a couple of times, then instantly used Blink to charge toward Kamil.


    Kamil was able to quickly swing her sword at his projection since she had been staring at him all along, but the stone particles that Juan had kicked up blurred her vision.


    When Kamil closed her eyelids, Juan noticed that her arm exposed a weakness. Juan didn¡¯t miss his chance. Juan swung his sword and sliced her long arm. Blood burst out from Kamil¡¯s wound.


    ¡°Keuk¡­!¡±


    Juan ran wildly toward Rietto at the same time he had cut Kamil. At that moment, he felt a sharp pain on his calf. The world overturned in front of his eyes and he suddenly found himself stuck to the floor. Juan quickly wrapped his head with his arms as a form of protection, but his head was already ringing due to the pain. Juan quickly rolled his body out of Kamil¡¯s reach. Blood was flowing out of his head as if his scalp had been cut.


    Kamil was still blocking Juan¡¯s way to Rietto with her arm now dripping blood. Before she knew it, her arm had already started to heal and regenerate new flesh.


    At the same time, Juan noticed a stiletto stuck in his calf.


    ¡°Waiting for my movement to slow down when I cut your arm, and stabbing a stiletto in my calf¡­¡± Juan muttered.


    ¡°I expected your movement to slow down once I gave you the opportunity to cut me.¡±


    Kamil had made a quick judgment when she was momentarily blinded by the stone particles; she knew that Bishop Rietto¡¯s Grace would heal her wound anyway.


    She was a strong opponent with a different way of fightingpared to Ethan who fought back as soon as he could detect Juan¡¯s movement.


    Juan clicked his tongue in acknowledgment of her good sense and judgment. On the other hand, he realized just how far he was from getting his full power back. Juan kicked the floor while he waited for his calf to heal. His body would heal as long as he had mana, but it took him a much longer time to healpared to Kamil.


    Juan expected Kamil to attack him while he waited for his wound to heal. However, Kamil didn¡¯t move an inch from Bishop Rietto¡¯s side.


    ¡®<i>She knows her priorities.</i>¡¯


    .


    Juan considered attacking her one more time, but soon rejected the notion; it would be hard to take down Kamil in an instant, since she was protected under Rietto¡¯s Grace. It might have been possible if he had more time, but the Order of Huginn was heading toward copse with every passing moment. Time was the one thing Juan did not have.


    ***


    Bishop Rietto¡¯s prayer suddenly stopped. Rietto stared at the eastern sky with ring eyes.


    ¡°He ising.¡±


    Kamil and Juan¡¯s gaze headed toward Rietto. Something other than a prayer hade out of his mouth for the first time since he started praying.


    ¡°Bishop Rietto?¡± Kamil carefully called Rietto¡¯s name.


    ¡°The devil ising! The Mighty One of Death!¡± Rietto shouted.


    Rietto turned his head left and right, then began to mutter something nonstop while frothing at his mouth. His voice was much faster than before, and he spat out in an ear-ringing dialect. Kamil only felt unpleasant from hearing his dialect, but Juan understood his prayer and recognized the Grace that he was about to use.


    ¡°That son of a bitch¡­¡±


    Juan tried to run toward Rietto in haste, but Kamil stopped him. Juan attempted to hop over Kamil¡¯s sword at the same time as he blocked her attack. Kamil dragged his body down in panic, and they rolled on the floor. Juan stumbled and moved away from Kamil.


    ¡°Did you really think you could get past me?¡± Kamil asked.


    ¡°Everyone¡¯s gonna die if I don¡¯t shut that bastard¡¯s mouth right now,¡± Juan said with a distorted face as he pointed at Bishop Rietto.


    Kamil flinched at Juan¡¯s words and looked at Bishop Rietto. His spirit was nothing like before ever since he had started the new prayer.


    Wind from an unknown source was lightly blowing and dark clouds were gathering to cover the sunrise. Kamil felt anxious, but she still didn¡¯t move away from Bishop Rietto.


    ¡°You would behead him with your own hands if you knew what that lunatic is summoning right now. Back off right this instant!¡±


    Kamil calmly raised her sword despite Juan¡¯s shout.


    ¡°I would never doubt His Majesty''s top servant just based on the words of a heretic from beyond the border. Don¡¯t you dare try to deceive me, you bastard.¡±


    ¡°What that bastard is summoning is a monster called the Kelegrenon. Perhaps you know it as Mananen McLeir¡¯s dog. Once summoned, he sucks out all the mana from his surroundings. When that happens, your knight order will be the first one to die.¡±


    ¡°You mean His Majesty¡¯s personal beast from the legends? Even if what you are saying is the truth, why would His Majesty¡¯s beast harm his own people?¡± Kamil asked in doubt.


    ¡°Because the emperor swallowed Mananen McLeir¡¯s heart, and Kelegrenon was only controlled due to the emperor¡¯s mana! After that crazy bishop dies, Kelegrenon will be out of control and free to rampage through Hiveden while everyone is still trapped under the emperor¡¯s foot!¡±


    Kelegrenon was a monster that couldn¡¯t be handled by anyone other than Mananen McLeir or someone just as powerful. Even Juan had only summoned Kelegrenon once during his time as the emperor, due to the extreme side effects when it was summoned outside of Juan¡¯s area of authority.


    Summoning Kelegrenon meant theplete eradication of all life in that area. When the hungry Kelegrenon is summoned, not a single seed nor insect would be left alive on thatnd; Hiveden would be wiped outpletely.


    Kamil still didn¡¯t bother to step back, although she was filled with doubt.


    Juan became nervous as he knew it would be toote once Kelegrenon appeared. There might be some chance to restrain it, but Ras¡¯ death would be guaranteed the moment Kelegrenon appeared. Furthermore, Juan would also be in danger as his body was formed with mana.


    ¡®<i>It might be a dangerous gamble¡­</i>¡¯


    Juan didn¡¯t have much time left. He instantly charged at Kamil, and Kamil dodged his attack with deft movement. Juan didn¡¯t hesitate and bounced back to run toward Kamil once more.


    Kamil was suspicious of his simple and obvious attack, but continued to trace his movement.


    At that moment, Juan jumped up high. He took a deep breath and his chest inted. He didn¡¯t know whether this would work, but recalled that it worked on Sina Solvane.


    ¡°I speak in the name of Juan Calberg Kennosis!¡±


    ***


    A rumbling voice that vibrated the ground echoed throughout the city of Hiveden. At the same time, Juan¡¯s voice, Juan¡¯s will, and Juan¡¯s power dug deep into everyone¡¯s ears and shook their minds.


    With a splitting headache, Juan felt that everyone¡¯s minds had been connected to him. Be it the mind of dying civilians, the scared children, or the furious knights¡­. All of them were inside Juan, just as Juan was also inside them, including Bishop Rietto.


    Juan suffered terrible pain, almost as if his soul was shattering and focused on Bishop Rietto¡¯s mind.


    Once Juan sessfully focused Bishop Rietto¡¯s mind, Juan couldn¡¯t help but be stunned. The world inside his mind was broken like a kaleidoscope, with every object fragmented and distorted. Everything showed only one side, and none of it had light or shade. No one with such a mind could be sane.


    Juan suddenly noticed the split in the sky of Rietto¡¯s mind. There was a crack in the sky, and ck tar-like lumps dripped down from it. The crack, which was ripping apart Rietto¡¯s mind, began in the north, where there was an even bigger fissure. Juan¡¯s eyes began to ze when he saw the fissure.


    ¡°Keuk¡­!¡±


    Juan felt immense pain as he disconnected his mind from the minds of everyone else, and fell to the floor. Juan had only invaded Rietto¡¯s mind for a short second. However, the entire Hiveden fell silent during that short second.


    Juan spat out blood on the floor. It seemed that his organs had been damaged from using the emperor¡¯s voice with such a weak body. Juan tried to raise himself up, but he staggered as he couldn¡¯t put strength into his legs.


    In the meantime, instead of attacking Juan, Kamil stared at him nkly as if she couldn¡¯t believe what just happened.


    ¡°What, how on earth¡­¡± Kamil muttered.


    ¡®<i>It¡¯s definitely different from when I only spoke to Sina.</i>¡¯


    It took quite a lot of effort to connect to Bishop Rietto¡¯s mind, as he was out of his mind while he concentrated on his prayer. Looking at Kamil, Juan figured that his voice had been effective. It seemed like the Temrs and the Priests were affected by his voice much more than others. After all, they had been using Juan¡¯s mana.


    Juan looked at Rietto, while Rietto also stared dumbfoundedly at Juan as he sat down on his bottom. Juan was satisfied to realize that Rietto¡¯s prayer hadpletely stopped. Juan gathered himself and started approaching Rietto.


    ¡°S-stop,¡± Kamil said as she btedly came to her senses and blocked Juan.


    Unlike before, the tip of her sword was shaking wildly. It was clear that she couldn¡¯t even cut a scarecrow in her current state of mind, but Juan¡¯s state was no different from her¡¯s.


    Instead of drawing his sword for bloodshed, Juan decided to try and use his strength a little harder.


    ¡°Knight. You dare to point your sword at your master?¡±


    Although his voice was much weaker than before, it was enough to make Kamil falter as she was already agitated. Juan walked past Kamil to approach Rietto.


    Both Kamil and Rietto stared nkly at Juan, as Juan stopped in front of Rietto.


    Juan noticed a rosary with his symbol hanging at Rietto¡¯s feet, and swung his short sword at it instantly.


    At the same time the rosary exploded, the emperor¡¯s foot in the sky dispersedpletely.


    Kamil felt the disappearance of the Grace that had been protecting her and the Order of the White Crow, as the emperor''s foot dispersed as if it was being washed away.


    Kamil realized that she failed her duty, but there was nothing she could do. All she could do was nkly stare at Juan¡¯s back.

 Chapter 60 – The Voice (3)

    <h4>Chapter 60 ¨C The Voice (3)</h4>


    Ethan¡¯s sword struck Dilmond¡¯s shield once more. The moment Dilmond¡¯s shield bounced slightly to the side and a gap was exposed, Ethan used this chance to kick Dilmond in the stomach. Although Dilmond was wearing heavy armor, Ethan¡¯s kick lifted his body up in the air. While Dilmond managed to stay on his feet, he coughed up blood as if his ribs were broken.


    ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself too hard and take a break on the ground, you old raven,¡± Ethan derided.


    ¡°Your foot is sharper than your sword, little baby.¡±


    ¡°It looks like I could win just by using my foot instead of my sword from what I see.¡±


    Ethan surveyed his surroundings with his sword hanging down from his hand. Although the Order of the White Crow was outnumbered by the Order of Huginn, they were still pushing against the Order of Huginn one-sidedly. While it was true that the Order of Huginn selected talented knights and trained them well, most of the original knights other than Dilmond that had been glorious in the past had been dead for a long time now.


    The Order of Huginn was showing obvious signs of exhaustion, and the number of knights from the Order of Huginn lying on the ground increased as time passed.


    On the other hand, the numbers on the Order of the White Crow¡¯s side remained the same as they had been when they began the battle.


    Ethan aimed for Dilmond¡¯s throat and swung his sword again. However, his sword was blocked by a rusty and nicked giant sword. The knight of the dead bounced off Ethan¡¯s sword with a giant sword drenched in blood, and ruthlessly shoved his body. Ethan¡¯s face distorted.


    At that moment, an ax was flung, aimed at Ethan¡¯s throat. Ethan barely managed to dodge, but the de of the ax grazed his helmet.


    Ethan wrapped his head with his hands as his head was ringing due to the pain. Ethan had no choice but to take a step back.


    Instead of charging at Ethan immediately, the knights of the dead stepped away from Ethan to realign their positions with Dilmond.


    Ethan couldn¡¯t help but feel annoyed.


    ¡®<i>They are more like knights than monsters. They are under good control.</i>¡¯


    Ethan had to admit that the knights of the dead were worthy of being treated as ¡®senior knights¡¯ by the Order of Huggin, even though this was only possible due to Ras keeping them under control.


    The knights of the dead were the only factor that allowed the Order of Huginn to maintain their current state. Not only did the knights of the dead wound the Temrs with their frightening strength, but they also spread their unholy energy to slow down the Temrs¡¯ healing processes. Although the unholy energy couldn¡¯tpletely stop the healing process, it was still enough to slow it down.


    While the battle wasn¡¯t exactly in Ethan¡¯s favor, it was one that could be won. Two knights of the dead had already been shattered under Ethan¡¯s sword. As long as Bishop Rietto¡¯s Grace continued to protect them, it would be the victory of the Order of the White Crow.


    Ethan once again rejuvenated the Temrs.


    ¡°Temrs! Raise your sword! It is His Majesty¡¯s¡­¡±


    At that moment, an ear-deafening sound shook the entirety of Hiveden.


    ***


    Ethan unconsciously staggered as he lost the strength in his legs at the sound that made his intestines squirm. However, Ethan was doing better than the others¡ªa few of the Temrs had fallen on their bottoms. Ethan felt a mind-numbing shock upon hearing the voice, while the pupils of all the Temrs were shaking.


    <strong>I speak in the name of Juan Calberg Kennosis.</strong>


    The majestic and deep voice that roared throughout Hiveden belonged to their master without a doubt. Ethan found it difficult to even maintain his grip on his sword.


    ¡®His Majesty?¡¯


    No one could say anything out loud, but all the Temrs had the same question in mind.


    The Order of Huginn was also filled with confusion. However, they weren¡¯t as agitated as the Temrs and quietly whispered to each other. Only Dilmond was staring at the western sky where the voice hade from.


    The knights of the dead were motionless, while a few of the Temrs knelt to bow their heads and muttered a prayer.


    Before he knew it, Ethan was also unconsciously muttering his own prayer.


    ¡°Your Majesty, please give us yourmands. We will dly die if that is yourmand.¡±


    Ethan anxiously waited for His Majesty¡¯s voice to continue while feeling a terrible thirst. However, the voice didn¡¯t continue. It was a voice that Ethan had never heard nor expected to hear since birth. Ethan felt as if the oasis that he had found after wandering in the desert disappeared like a mirage. The thirst was driving him crazy.


    Then a loud scream was heard. One of the knights of the Order of Huginn had stabbed a Temr who was praying in the throat. The Temr who had been stabbed in the throat coughed up blood and trembled. Everyone looked at the knight who broke the temporary truce with criticism and shock, but Ethan then realized that something was off.


    ¡°The healing Grace has¡­ stopped?¡± Ethan said in confusion.


    The healing Grace that was being showered on the Temrs had disappeared after His Majesty¡¯s voice was heard. Ethan didn¡¯t know what this meant. He had an assumption in mind, but he despised to even think about it and tried to disregard it. Ethan gritted his teeth.


    ¡°Temrs!¡± Ethan shouted loudly as he raised his sword.


    Ethan put strength into his trembling legs. The battle had momentarily stopped as everyone was shocked to hear His Majesty¡¯s voice, but the battle had to continue.


    ¡°Raise your swords! His Majesty has blessed us with his own voice!¡±


    The Temrs looked at Ethan with a perplexed and suspicious look in their eyes. After all His Majesty hadn¡¯t said anything after the initial voice. Regardless of how Ethan shouted, not a single person made a move.


    Ethan bit his lips.


    Dilmond btedly realized that he had been missing his chance to attack, and hastily gavemands to the Order of Huginn. The Order of Huginn began to charge at the Order of the White Crow and their Temrs, but the Order of the White Crow and the Temrs faltered and only passively defended themselves.


    ¡°Get up this instance and raise your swords! No Temrs should just sit and pray when there are enemies right in front of your face! Pray using your swords, and use your enemy¡¯s blood as a sacrificial offering! We can still hear His Majesty¡¯s voice while we fight!¡± Ethan shouted in anger.


    The Temrs began to actively raise their swords again at Ethan¡¯s ostracism. However, their movements were much slower than before. Ethan became nervous upon seeing such a view. The healing Grace was no longer protecting them, and they were discouraged. It was only natural for Ethan to be nervous; it would be difficult to continue the battle in such a state. Ethan wondered if something had happened to Bishop Rietto. He was in desperate need of something dramatic to turn the tables around.


    ¡°Ras Raud!¡±


    Ethan shouted and wildly charged toward the nearest knight of the dead. The knight of the dead raised his sword in an attempt to block the charge, but a me soared from Ethan¡¯s fingertip in an instant. The fire covered Ethan¡¯s sword and then struck the sword of the knight of the dead at once.


    When the sword of the knight of the dead scattered into pieces like shattering ice, Ethan didn¡¯t hesitate to split the knight of the dead in half. The knight of the dead broke down with a grotesque scream. Ethan didn¡¯t stop there. He continued to attack the next knight of the dead with his fiery sword. The knights of the dead faltered before the fire burning on Ethan¡¯s sword and defended themselves, but they couldn¡¯t stop him.


    Two more knights of the dead were cut down by Ethan who fought with all his might. They helplessly fell down to the ground. Ethan¡¯s fire had spread to their bodies and started to burn and break down their remains.


    ¡°His Majesty¡¯s mes¡­¡± Dilmond groaned.


    His Majesty¡¯s mes were lethal to the undead like the knights of the dead. However, as powerful as it was, it consumed a lot of physical strength and was very difficult to handle.


    A strand of cold sweat ran down Ethan¡¯s forehead as he instantly cut three more knights of the dead with His Majesty¡¯s mes. He had been saving this skill for Ras, but now he felt that it would be satisfactory if could use it and bait Ras toe to the battleground.


    No one from the Order of the White Crow in history had been able to overpower the knights of the dead as quickly as Ethan. It was a great aplishment, but the consequences were severe. Ethan noticed that his hand was severely scorched and stuck to the handle of his sword.


    ¡®<i>At least I won¡¯t have to worry about dropping my sword</i>.¡¯


    Ethan decided to look at the silver lining. In fact, his body had more energy and strength than ever before. The heat from the mes was painful, but the excitement of the battle surmounted the pain and overwhelmed him.


    The Temrs¡¯ equipment was powerful in strength, but it yed an even greater role in enhancing one¡¯s movement. The equipment allowed the movement of their sword and shield to be much faster and more urate. For this reason, the Temrs described the sense of someone guiding their hand movement as His Majesty¡¯s guidance.¡¯ Furthermore, the equipment being heated by His Majesty¡¯s mes was giving much more powerful Grace than usual to Ethan.


    ¡®<i>His Majesty is with me.</i>¡¯


    Ethan shouted once again and raised his sword with a hand which looked like a ck lump burning in mes.


    ¡°Ras Raud! Show yourself! If not, I will kill every single one of your skeletons! Don¡¯t tell me that you consider yourself the captain of a knight order when you are hiding behind these skeletons like a coward!¡±


    ¡°How dare you!¡± Dilmond shouted.


    Dilmond realized Ethan¡¯s intentions and immediately swung his hammer.


    Ethan dodged Dilmond¡¯s attack with ease and counter-attacked by cutting Dilmond¡¯s shoulder.


    Dilmond had no choice but to groan and step away from Ethan. Dilmond didn¡¯t scatter like the knights of the dead since he wasn¡¯t undead, but it was clear that his injury was critical.


    Ethan¡¯s heart pounded wildly. He felt as if he was a burning candle and his life was the wick. The warmth of the me allowed his body to be faster and stronger, but at the same time he could feel his life gradually being eaten away in return.


    ¡®<i>If my sacrifice will be the light to brighten this dark world, I will dly give up my life. Your Majesty, even if you abandoned us, we will dly burn in fire for you!</i>¡¯


    ¡°Ras Raud! Captain of the Order of Huginn! Come out!¡± Ethan shouted once again.


    Ethan had madness in his eyes. As he searched his surroundings, his gazended on Anya who stood at the rear of the Order of Huginn.


    At the same time, Anya calmly pulled out her stiletto and brought out more undead. Quite a few undead blocked Ethan¡¯s way to Anya.


    ¡°You dare to insult me with these trivial things?!¡±


    Ethan continued his charge as he swept his surroundings with a fiery sword. The undead couldn¡¯t slow Ethan down, and quickly burned to ashes upon encountering His Majesty¡¯s mes. Ethan¡¯s sword approached Anya¡¯s neck in a blink of an eye.


    Anya didn¡¯t bother to dodge, and just stabbed at Ethan¡¯s back.


    At that moment, darkness soared. Ethan¡¯s body was pushed back by the immense power. Ethan lifted his head up, and he found white bones above the darkness which ttered to rebuild its form.


    Each piece of bone found its ce one by one and created the huge figure of a man. The skeleton, which was well over two meters tall, looked too foreign to be called human. The skeleton held a white sword with small pieces of bones moving incessantly.


    It was different from the knights of the dead or a lich. Ethan recognized the skeleton¡¯s identity at just a nce¡ªthe former Captains of the Order of the White Crow had thrown their lives at him and died as a result. He was the reason for the establishment of the Order of the White Crow, as well as the source of their curse. Ethan uttered a cry of joy.


    ¡°Ras Raud!¡±


    ¡ºForcing me toe out is the cause of your death.¡»


    Ras swung his sword in an instant and cut at Ethan¡¯s neck.


    ***


    The moment darkness engulfed Ethan¡¯s body, everyone that had been watching felt as if they saw Ethan¡¯s head rolling off of his body.


    However, Ethan had dodged and stepped back before anyone knew it.


    Everyone was stunned to see Ethan move faster than the speed of surging darkness, but Ras was the only exception.


    ¡®<i>His Majesty¡¯s mes¡­ that¡¯s the problem.</i>¡¯


    His Majesty¡¯s mes now covered Ethan¡¯s entire arm, beyond just his sword and hand. The more His Majesty¡¯s mes encroached on Ethan¡¯s body, the more heated and powerful his equipment would be.


    Ethan seemed determined to actively ept His Majesty¡¯s mes into his body. The fact that such action would eat away at his life didn¡¯t even seem to bother him.


    ¡®<i>How foolish of him.</i>¡¯


    Ethan would eventually die on his own from using His Majesty¡¯s mes if Ras had not shown himself. However, the Order of Huginn was bound to suffer from tremendous damage before that. Thus, Ras had no choice but to step up and fight Ethan himself.


    ¡°Seems like you can¡¯t swing your sword faster than that,¡± Ethan provoked Ras as he ran toward him.


    Ras smoothly dogged Ethan¡¯s fiery sword. Being an undead, nothing good woulde about from touching those mes.


    ¡®<i>Things would be much simpler if I could use magic, but¡­</i>¡¯


    The bnce of Ras¡¯ power was precarious even right now. Ras was already using most of his mana to prevent himself from losing control.


    Even so, Ethan¡¯s skills were certainly excellent. Ras rated Ethan¡¯s skills in terms of swordsmanship to be on par with himself in his prime, aside from the fact that Ras was primarily talented in magic.


    Ethan¡¯s sword narrowly grazed against the corner of Ras¡¯ darkness. As soon as the mes touched the darkness, the darkness zed red and was scattered into ashes. But that was it.


    While Ras focused on dodging Ethan¡¯s attacks, the mes that burned using Ethan¡¯s body as fuel were already eroding the right side of Ethan¡¯s face.


    Ethan was furious¡ªthe fight with Ras he had anticipated all his life was graduallying to its end, but it was all in vain as Ras was only running away from his sword and refusing to fight back.


    ¡°You son of a bitch! At least use your sword!¡±


    ¡ºI don¡¯t see why I should. You look like you will die on your own even if I didn¡¯t do anything.¡»


    ¡°And you call yourself the captain of a knight order¡­¡±


    Ethan chewed and swallowed his words. His opponent was the captain of the Order of Huginn, who was famous for the use of his time-consuming tactics to kill his enemies. If Ras had the opportunity to use his tactics and it was likely to be sessful, he wouldn¡¯t care about such things as honor.


    Ethan could still save his own life if he were to extinguish His Majesty¡¯s mes at this moment, but then he would have no chance of winning against Ras.


    Ras didn¡¯t want a talented knight like Ethan to die in vain either, even if he was the enemy. However, Ras didn¡¯t want Dilmond and Anya who were looking at him anxiously to worry. Neither did he want to worry Juan who had warned him not to get involved. Thus Ras decided to stick to the safest way possible.


    Ethan realized that he couldn¡¯t win against Ras who wasmitted to defense. There wasn¡¯t much time left for Ethan. The results could be different if Ethan was in perfect condition, but he had already exhausted the majority of his strength before encountering Ras. Ethan muttered in despair.


    ¡°Please forgive me, Your Majesty.¡±

 Chapter 61 – Behind the Cloak (1)

    <h4>Chapter 61 ¨C Behind the Cloak (1)</h4>


    His Majesty¡¯s mes were burning more and more fiercely. Ethan decided that if time wasn¡¯t in his favor anyway, he should attack Ras as much as possible. As mes engulfed Ethan¡¯s body, they continued to burn with his body as fuel. It almost seemed like Ethan was swinging mes rather than a sword now with how big the mes had be.


    His Majesty¡¯s mes had already encroached on half of Ethan¡¯s head, and his long hair had long since been burnt to a crisp due to the heat.


    Ras was certain that Ethan would turn into a pile of ashes on his own anytime soon.


    At that moment, Ethan¡¯s mes brushed against the corner of Ras¡¯ darkness once again.


    This caused Ras to feel a strange energy inside his body. Before he could even find the source of the odd sensation, the darkness draping his body swelled up. Ras was appalled as he realized what was going on.


    ¡®<i>Nigrato!</i>¡¯


    His Majesty¡¯s mes had been damaging the seal that Ras had ced on Nigrato. Nigrato¡¯s power that began to leak out of the seal instantly dug into Ras¡¯ body. In order to restrain Nigrato¡¯s power from gettingpletely released, Ras had no choice but to focus all his attention on himself momentarily. It seemed like Ras had only flinched and paused for a second on the outside, but an experienced knight such as Ethan didn¡¯t miss that short second and took his opportunity.


    ¡°Ras Raud!¡± Ethan roared.


    Ethan swung his sword more urately and ruthlessly, almost as if he was possessed by the mes. Without a single error, Ethan¡¯s sword precisely pierced through the center of Ras¡¯ body. With a shing sound, the Indeterminate Polyhedron shattered into pieces.


    ¡°Noooo!¡±, Anya screamed.


    At the same time, the mes burned fiercely as they engulfed the darkness.


    ***


    ¡°Ras Raud!¡±


    Ras lifted his head upon hearing his name. Before he knew it, he was already standing on a dried-up white hillside. Ras noticed a white-haired man ring at him with hatred and disgust in his eyes. As Ras read the furious hostility toward him, he raised his sword to protect himself. His hand that clutched the sword was intact, with skin and flesh still present.


    ¡®<i>Ah. I remember this moment.</i>¡¯


    It didn¡¯t take long for Ras to recall something. It was the day that the Order of Huginn had been ambushed by the Order of the White Crow for the first time. That day, Ras had split his knights into groups tomand retreat. As a result, ten of hisrades who had been appointed as knights by His Majesty had died. Due to the sacrifices of therades who Ras had shared life and death with, the Order of Huginn and Ras had been able to maintain their power and run away.


    Amongst the Order of the White Crow, there was a Temr who had chased after Ras all alone on his own. He was the first captain of the Order of the White Crow. Before he became the captain of the Order of the White Crow, he had been a member of the Imperial Guard. After the assassination of His Majesty, the Imperial Guard was treated with utmost disrespect. The captain of the Imperial Guard was executed for the charge of conspiring with the assassins, while the rest of the Imperial Guard scattered throughout the empire except a few of them.


    Those who survived did everything they could do, regardless of the means to regain their honor after beingbeled as traitors. They obsessed over eliminating the traitors, and desperately tried to find the traitors that were involved with the assassination of His Majesty. Ras was their primary target. Although Ras tried to prove his innocence, they didn¡¯t bother to listen to him.


    However, Ras didn¡¯t want to me the people that he didn¡¯t even remember the names of; he had already killed them. Ras killed the first captain of the Order of the White Crow that day to avenge hisrades.


    Even as he was dying, the first captain of the Order of the White Crow stabbed his sword into Ras¡¯ chest, while at the same time, he smiled even as he drew hisst breath¡ªit was a weird smile that Ras could never forget.


    ¡°Ras Raud!¡±


    Ras turned his head to the second source of the voice, and the de of a spear was approaching his face. Ras barely pushed the spear back with his sword, and his hand which was holding the sword showed white bones.


    At the same time, the female knight once again stabbed her spear toward Ras.


    Ras could remember this scene from his memory. The injuries inflicted by the first captain of the Order of the White Crow had been eating away Ras¡¯ body. The Order of Huginn had been weaker than ever, but Ras couldn¡¯t give up on them for the sake of his deadrades¡¯ sacrifices.


    So, Ras absorbed the essence of Nigrato, the god of death, who had been an old enemy of his. And thus, he became Nigrato¡¯s incarnation.


    ¡°So you finally gave up your life as a human, Ras!¡±


    The female knight ferociously stabbed her spear at Ras.


    Ras barely dodged her attack. Ras immediately remembered who his opponent was; she was a knight who had been knighted around the same time as Ras. Ras recalled taking sses on swordsmanship and tactics with her, not to mention fighting together as a team in a battle. Her hair which was as red as fire was now half-white.


    She was the second captain of the Order of the White Crow.


    Looking at his old colleague¡¯s face filled with disgust and hatred, Ras thought that he had grown too old. He instantly felt a hundred years older. Ras didn¡¯t remember her name, since he had killed her too.


    Ras beheaded the second captain of the Order of the White Crow. Although her head fell off of her body, she had still been ring at Ras in death. Ras couldn¡¯t avoid her gaze. Even though Ras didn¡¯t want to, Ras watched her mouth gaping open and close to say something.


    Traitor.


    Thest word she left behind festered deep in his heart. It was deadlier than any des.


    ¡°Ras Raud!¡±


    It was the third shout Ras heard. Ras searched through his memory to try and figure out what situation he was in this time as he looked at the fiery sword that was stuck in his chest.


    Anya¡¯s piercing scream and Dilmond¡¯s loud shout that almost sounded like he was puking blood could be heard.


    Only then did Ras btedly realize that he was back to reality.


    ¡°Get that son of a bitch off of him!¡± Dilmond shouted as he spurted blood out of his mouth, but there was no one that could approach Ras and Ethan.


    The moment the sword pierced through Ras¡¯ chest, a fierce gust of wind blew, blurring everyone¡¯s vision. The sharp wind was blowing hard enough to almost be like knives cutting through your skin. Ethan, being the closest to the source of the wind, was nearly mutted.


    ¡°Raaaasssss!


    Despite this wind, Ethan didn¡¯t drop his sword, and stabbed it deeper into Ras¡¯ chest.


    Ras looked down at Ethan, the young captain of the Order of the White Crow. Ras observed this immature and arrogant captain, and thought that the times hadpletely changed. This young knight had never even met His Majesty, had never been given his directmands, nor had he fought alongside His Majesty against the enemy.


    However, he thought that Ethan¡¯s loyalty was not the slightest bit inferior to his own.


    Ras couldn¡¯t tell where things had gone wrong, nor did he know who was crazy. Ras had already be broken a long time ago, both mentally and physically. Before he copsedpletely, he had made hisst attempt to assassinate Barth Baltic, but had failed to do even that. After his failure, Ras didn¡¯t try to do anything else other than sustaining his existence.


    ¡®<i>So this is it for me.</i>¡¯


    Ras felt death drawing closer. He could feel Nigrato¡¯s madness and hear hisughter. It was impossible for Ras to control Nigrato¡¯s power any longer. His Majesty¡¯s mes spread onto Ras¡¯ body.


    But at that moment, a darkness even more powerful than His Majesty¡¯s mes engulfed them.


    Ethan opened his eyes wide, staring at the ck spirit¡ªthat was thest thing he saw.


    In an instant, Nigrato¡¯s energy encroached on Ras¡¯ body.


    Ras recalled the previous captains of the Order of the White Crow that had stabbed him in the past. Although it had happened a long time ago, it didn¡¯t feel like that for some reason. The past was the present linked into one.


    And so, Ras broke down upon the third hammering of the Order of the White Crow.


    ***


    Darkness soared from the middle of the battlefield all of a sudden. In an instant, lumps of darkness tens of meters tall grew and swallowed the sunlight in the sky, turning day to night.


    Juan stopped to look up at the sudden change. The darkness continued to grow like an endless tree, and ravens began to caw and dance around in circles. Flocks of ravens perched throughout Hiveden as they smelled dinner.


    The ravens weren¡¯t the only ones that sensed what wasing. Everyone else in Hiveden could sense it as well¡ªdeath was approaching them faster than ever.


    Juan smelled the scent of desert from the blowing wind. It was the smell of death, and the smell of wastnd where nothing could grow. Juan was well aware of what that smell meant. Tears dripped down his cheeks.


    ¡®<i>Ras¡­</i>¡¯


    ***


    It was unknown as to how long it had been since a god walked on thend of Hiveden. Only a few among the people of Hiveden had ever seen god. Long before His Majesty¡¯s death, gods and divinity had already been driven out of the empire, and His Majesty had been fighting against the gods from beyond the boundary.


    Dilmond had the experience fighting against the army of a god, but the view in front of his eyes wasn¡¯t anything like he had seen before. Just the tip of a huge garment brushing against them caused the darkness to envelop them.


    Although no one could see anything in the dark, the rotten smell allowed them to detect that something was wrong. All of the knights of the Order of Huginn as well as the Order of the White Crow and its Temrs smelled the dry scent of death.


    ¡°Annabelle!¡± Dilmond hastily called for Anya.


    However, he didn¡¯t hear a voice replying to his calls. He figured that it was likely that she was in shock after witnessing Ras¡¯ death or was in a situation where she was unable to speak or move. Dilmond decided to believe that it was thetter. Although Dilmond himself was also in shock, Anya and Dilmon had already been prepared to deal with such shocking situations asmanders.


    ¡°Sir Dilmond!¡±


    Instead of Anya, one of the knights of the Order of Huginn who heard Dilmond¡¯s voice approached him. The only thing the knight could do was feel his way through the darkness, but he seemed relieved as soon as he saw Dilmond¡¯s face.


    ¡°There you are, sir! What¡¯s going on right now? What happened to sir Ras?¡±


    ¡°Sir Ras had been¡­¡± Diamond found it difficult to continue his words.


    The situation getting this far meant only one thing¡ªNigrato, the god of death who had been sealed within Ras had opened his eyes.


    While Dilmond hesitated to answer, the knight¡¯s gaze turned to the other side. At the end of his gaze was a knight of the dead standing silently.


    ¡°Sir Dilmond, I see one of our senior knights over there. It looks like senior Carl, so should we go and join him to¡­¡±


    Before Dilmond could say anything, the knight was approaching ¡®Carl¡¯. ¡®Carl¡¯ turned his head toward the knight. The sound of heavy and dry footsteps echoed around the battlefield.


    Dilmond had recalled an incident buried deep in his memory. It was an incident that urred when he fought the necromancers in the southern area just after he had be a knight.


    ¡°No!¡± Dilmond shouted hastily as he realized that the knight was in danger.


    However, before he could even finish his words, the knight¡¯s skull was split by the sword which ¡®Carl¡¯ had swung. His face which had been split in half had an incredulous look of disbelief.


    ¡®Carl¡¯ no longer harbored a blue me inside his skull. Instead, endless darkness was spewing from all the holes in his entire body.


    Within the darkness, screams broke out from all directions. It was unclear who was screaming, whether it was an ally or an enemy. The only thing they could do in the darkness wasmunicating with their voices.


    ¡°Look for any human being! Whoever it is, whether it¡¯s an ally or enemy, find the ones that are still alive!¡± Dilmond ordered.


    ¡®Carl¡¯ looked at Dilmond in silence, and strode off somewhere.


    Dilmond didn¡¯t care nor could he care about where ¡®Carl¡¯ was walking to, or what he was thinking. The only thought on Dilmond¡¯s mind was that he had to save the people who were still alive.


    ¡°Do not attack the Temrs! The undead are no longer our ally! Survival is our top priority as of now!¡±


    Things would have been a lot easier with Ethan¡¯s cooperation inmanding the Temrs. However, Ethan had been engulfed by the darkness along with Ras. It never urred to Dilmond that Ethan could still be alive.


    At that moment, the knight who had copsed with his head split in half squirmed. However, ording to Dilmond he didn¡¯t have any hopes of surviving.


    The knight began to raise his body with an unintelligible roar while he spilled his brain juice out of the gap between the split skull.


    Dilmond raised his shield and hammer. However, he found his hammer to be too heavy; he had lost too much blood.


    ¡®<i>I wonder how much longer we can hold out for.</i>¡¯


    Dilmond smiled bitterly as he btedly realized that there was no point in holding out.


    He was facing a god that had been resurrected in modern times. Before His Majesty appeared, all the races were treated as toys by the gods. However, His Majesty was dead now, and his sessors were scattered across the empire. No one would be able to survive in a world that was turning ck.

 Chapter 62 – Behind the Cloak (2)

    <h4>Chapter 62 ¨C Behind the Cloak (2)</h4>


    Dilmond smashed the undead endlessly. He cut down as many undead as he could, regardless of who they used to be when they were still alive¡ªsome weremoners that used to run a business up until yesterday, yet they were still hisrades that fought shoulder to shoulder with him, and some had been young knights that he trained himself. Although Dilmond found the undead to be unpleasant at first, he was now familiar enough with them to even take a nap beside them without a problem. He had never thought that the undead would be his enemies again.


    ¡°Bring it on, you son of a bitch!¡±


    The head of an undead disappeared upon being hit by Dilmond¡¯s hammer. That undead had been an arle servant who used to ask if he too could be a real knight too once Ras regained his honor. The more Dilmond killed, the more he actively flew through the battlefield. However, Dilmond felt his hammer getting heavier and heavier as it got soaked in blood. He felt the urge to drop his hammer to the ground and fall asleep with his back lying down.


    ¡°Sir Dilmond, are you alright?¡± one of the knights of the Order of Huginn asked in concern as he saw Dilmond gasping and starting to fall behind.


    Dilmond luckily ran into a group of survivors while he fought fiercely.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Go to the front,¡± Dilmond said as he pushed the knight¡¯s back forward.


    The knights were looking for Anya. Since Ras was now dead, the captain of the Order of Huginn was Anya. The knights hoped for Anya to have solutions to get out of this tragic situation, considering that she had been trained as a necromancer.


    ¡®<i>I wonder if she is still alive.</i>¡¯


    Dilmond called out her name several times, but received no reply. Although Anya was an excellent knight, it was only natural for Dilmond to think it would be hard for her to make it out alive in this mess.


    At that moment, Dilmond saw a knight wearing a white armor staggering as he walked. The Temrs¡¯ white armor stood out even in the dark. The Temr¡¯s helmet and shield were nowhere to be found.


    ¡°Hey, you! Don¡¯t wander around alone and¡­¡±


    One of the knights of the Order of Huginn opened his mouth, but soon swallowed his next words upon seeing the Temr¡¯s eyes seething with rage.


    ¡°You filthy apostates! What the hell have all of you done?!¡±


    The Temr immediately charged at Dilmond like he had gone mad. The knights of the Order of Huginn hastily blocked him from approaching Dilmond, but the Temrpletely ignored them and continued his attempt to attack Dilmond.


    ¡°Enough! Now isn¡¯t the time for us to be fighting with each other!¡± a knight from the Order of Huginn said.


    ¡°Not the time for us to be fighting with each other, you say? We all saw what that evil apostate Ras Raud did with our own eyes! And you filthy ravens were eating myrades alive in this darkness! And you say what? Now is not the time to fight?¡±


    The knights from the Order of Huginn were left speechless. They could understand why the Temrs would think so. After all, they themselves were also in doubt regarding this situation. The knights from the Order of Huginn had never once regretted joining the Order of Huginn, but they couldn¡¯t help but be suspicious of Ras Raud in such a confusing situation.


    ¡°Show your true colors! You dirty servants of the devil¡­¡±


    The Temr couldn¡¯t finish his words. With a weak crushing sound, Dilmond smashed the Temr¡¯s head with his hammer. The Temr¡¯s blood sshed all the way to the cheeks of the knights of the Order of Huginn, and Dilmond kicked the body of the headless Temr with his foot.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get going,¡± Dilmond said.


    The knights of the Order of Huginn silently followed Dilmond without a word. Dilmond could read the suspicions within the knights¡¯ silent gazes. Dilmond too had many questions in his head. Was Ras really the servant of the devil? Was he really a part of the force that went against His Majesty? Was the reason he led the Order of Huginn to turn all these innocent people into bing servants of death?


    ¡°...I know what you are all thinking,¡± Dilmond spoke in a low voice. ¡°I think your suspicions are fair and reasonable. It would be a lie to say that your doubts arepletely unfounded.¡±


    ¡°Sir Dilmond.¡±


    ¡°But always remember one thing¡ªremember the reason you joined the Order of Huginn.¡±


    All the Huginn knights nodded at Dilmond¡¯s words. These knights were the ones who joined the Order of Huginn after they faced unreasonable incidents caused by the Imperial Church. Their reasons varied. Some joined because their family was massacred by the Church while some joined because the Church took away all their fortune and some more joined because of unjust torture and discrimination.


    The Order of Huginn had never been ashamed in that regard until now.


    Dilmond felt the resolve returning in the footsteps of the knights. Although Dilmond hadforted the knights, he also had a dismal look on his face. Judging from the reaction of the Temrs, it seemed to be difficult to ask for their cooperation.


    ¡®<i>Unless I¡¯m able to find Anya as soon as possible¡­</i>¡¯


    ¡ºDilmond.¡»


    Dilmond¡¯s head suddenly jerked upon hearing that voice. The knights wore flustered faces at Dilmond suddenly staring at the opposite side of the darkness.


    ¡°Is everything okay, sir Dilmond?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you guys hear a voice calling my name just now?¡±


    The knights looked confused as if they didn¡¯t understand what Dilmond was talking about, and some of them even seemed rather frightened.


    Upon realizing that he was the only person who had heard the voice, Dilmond decided to head in the direction the voice hade from.


    At the same time, the knights looked eager to stop him.


    ¡°Please wait, sir Dilmond. Perhaps you heard an unholy whisper, and there is a trap of some sort that¡­¡±


    ¡°Annabelle,¡± Dilmond suddenly said.


    After some time, Dilmond found Anya shivering in a shallow pit. Dilmond hastily approached Anya and checked her condition. Anya¡¯s dted pupils were shaking non-stop, but she didn¡¯t seem to be hurt.


    ¡°Annabelle! Come to your senses!¡±


    ¡°Too many, many, too many, many dead are¡­the god of death is¡­¡±


    Dilmond was able to figure out what was wrong with Anya. As she had been trained as a necromancer, she was unable to handle the sudden shock from such a close encounter with the god of death. Unlikemoners who could only see the darkness and corpses in front of their eyes, Anya felt the resurrection as well as the movement of the dead, and even felt Nigrato¡¯s power scattered throughout the city with all her body.


    ¡°Thousands, tens of thousands¡­ No, there¡¯s no end. The dead are rising at themand of the master of death,¡± Anya muttered.


    ¡°The numbers don¡¯t matter. Since when did we count numbers when we fought? Wake up!¡±


    Dilmond pped Anya¡¯s cheeks. The knights behind him were startled to see a palm as big as a hammer p Anya¡¯s cheek.


    Anya¡¯s cheek swelled red. Anya trembled as she was beaten out of her stupor, then soon spat out blood.


    ¡°...If you had some faith in me, a good flick would have been enough to wake me up, sir Dilmond. I can feel the depth of your distrust in me from your hand,¡± Anya said jokingly.


    ¡°Thank goodness you¡¯re back! I won¡¯t say anything even if you stab me with your sword the next time I¡¯m in a simr state, so let¡¯s move on for now.¡±


    Anya raised her body whileining that her teeth seemed to be shaken after Dilmond¡¯s p. However, it was difficult for her to stand up properly with her shaky legs.


    ¡°Is Nigrato¡¯s existence making it difficult for you to even move?¡±


    Innread dot".


    ¡°No. It seems like I got a concussion from your p. Please help me stand up.¡±


    Dilmond began to walk with Anya on his back, and Anya didn¡¯t bother to refuse.


    ¡°Let me know if you sense anything or know which direction to go. It¡¯s so dark that I can¡¯t really tell which way to go.¡±


    ¡°Well, where are we going?¡± Anya asked out of curiosity at Dilmond¡¯s words.


    ¡°Anywhere out of this hell, obviously. I had once wanted to fight for the Order of Huginn even in the afterlife, but this is not what I wanted.¡±


    ¡°Out of this hell?¡±


    ¡°Is there any problem with that?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ We do have a few problems. First of all, we were one of the groups of people that were closest to the center of Nigrato¡¯s power when sir Ras died. Second, the escape routes out of here are surrounded by 17,382 undead. Third, even if there were no obstacles, Nigrato would descend even before we could get out of here. Andstly, the sudden wind blowing from hell caused by Nigrato preparing to descend is upgrading many of themon undead into high-ranked undead.¡±


    Dilmond realized what Anya was implying. He simply had to put it into words.


    ¡°It¡¯s hopeless.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s hopeless.¡±


    Dilmond gave up on escaping at once. However, he wasn¡¯t the type to sit down and cry like a baby just because he was in a hopeless situation.


    ¡°I mean, had we ever been in a hopeful situation? We are a part of the knight order that has been fighting against the empire for almost fifty years with less than fifty knights. It would be ridiculous to give up now,¡± Dilmond said as he turned his head.


    ¡°We can run, but if we decide to fight, we must win.¡±


    The Order of Huginn advanced cheerfully.


    ***


    Tess was born and raised in Hiveden his whole life. It was hard to find a Hiveden native like him. After all people with unknown backgrounds would often enter Hiveden as if they were carried by the wind, and left just as quickly. He didn¡¯t know his parents, but he imagined them to be one of the unknown people carried into Hiveden by the wind like many others.


    Tess grew up alongside many other orphans, and didn¡¯t have any fantasies about his parents due to that reason; he only believed in his old dagger that he had carved on his own a long time ago.


    Even when the Temrs had stormed into Hiveden, Tess merely thought of them as passing wind, just like the countless other people who visited Hiveden. Although Tess witnessed those who he knew being ughtered and killed in an instant, he didn¡¯t doubt that this too would pass¡ªa Hiveden native like himself was bound to stay and continue making his living in Hiveden.


    However, when the Laus Mountain Scout he had already killed got up again and then stabbed his stomach with a sword, he realized that it was him who had been carried in the wind.


    Tess, who came back to life, was delighted by the fact that the old master of the old world was returning. Tess vomited blood, and searched for a sacrificial offering for his new master.


    She was a servant of the Order of the White Crow. She had been serving the Temrs while she was trained. To be precise, she was an ordinary soldier. However, she was beheading a Temr with her sword when she was supposed to be serving the Temrs. Her face was covered with blood and tears.


    In fact, the Temr had already died a while ago due to the undead who had made a sudden appearance biting off his neck. The Temr panted as he bled, and died in less than ten seconds. She repeatedly told herself that a Temr would never die due to such an insignificant injury, but what was happening in front of her eyes was true more than ever.


    The Temr¡¯s body had risen again shortly after his death. She realized that it was toote as she looked at the pitch-ck eyes of the approaching Temr. She had no choice but to cut off the Temr¡¯s head to protect her neck from being bitten off. When she finally cut off the Temr¡¯s head, She sighed in relief.


    At that moment, a knight of the dead struck her on the neck.


    The knight of the dead went by the name ¡®Carl¡¯. However, a long time had passed since he remembered who he was. The Order of Huginn praised the knights of the dead and called them their seniors with respect, but Carl¡¯s ego had worn away and had disappeared a long time ago.


    When he felt the will of the master he had been serving, he followed the will. If not, he went out searching for his master¡¯s enemies¡ªthese were the only thoughts he had.


    ¡®Carl¡¯ cut down another enemy. As the blood sprayed on him, he recalled one knight he had let go without cutting. The knight had a familiar face that remained in his faint memories that had slowly weathered and disappeared. He had walked past the knight because he had the memory of the knight serving the same master as himself once. However, he felt as if he made a mistake for some reason.


    Just then, something approached ¡®Carl¡¯ from beyond the darkness. It was a familiar face¡ªit was the hammer-wielding knight, who Carl hadn¡¯t cut previously. Thinking that it was betterte than never, ¡®Carl¡¯ approached the knight to cut him down this time.


    As ¡®Carl¡¯ approached, the enemies raised their swords. ¡®Carl¡¯ instantly split the nearest enemy in half. When screams and shouts broke out, the hammer-wielding knight charged at him. It was a fierce-looking blow, but the knight¡¯s strength was too weak.


    When ¡®Carl¡¯ was about to cut the knight with ease, an unknown will stopped Carl from doing so.


    A woman was exerting her willpower on him. However, it wasn¡¯t enough to control him. Compared to the infinite power that ¡®Carl¡¯ had been granted, her willpower was nothing but a trivial obstacle like a spiderweb.


    ¡®Carl¡¯ raised his sword and tried to finish off the hammer-wielding knight when¡ª


    <i>Crack!</i>


    ¡ªsomething pierced through his head.


    The fire zed from the short sword stabbed into his head, and ¡®Carl¡¯s skull exploded and scattered everywhere. The mes on the scattered pieces of the skull burned down, eating the rest of ¡®Carl¡¯s body.


    The one who smashed ¡®Carl¡¯ stepped on his remaining body and crushed it.


    ¡°I see that you¡¯re still alive and well.¡±


    ¡°Juan!¡±


    Juan had returned.

 Chapter 63 – Behind the Cloak (3)

    <h4>Chapter 63 ¨C Behind the Cloak (3)</h4>


    ¡°It looks like we don¡¯t have much time to chat from the way things are looking. Did they get Ras?¡±


    Anya nodded her head with a sorrowful look on her face.


    Juan bit his lips as he regretted leaving his child alone on the battlefield.


    <i>¡®Ethan, your loyalty and faith has atst killed one of your emperor''s beloved children and brought the god of death to the ground.¡¯</i>


    Juan felt like throwing up. Looking back, Juan had no choice but to leave Ras to stop Bishop Rietto. The result would have been the same even if he had warned Ras even more firmly. Juan didn¡¯t want to resent Ras for such a reason, nor did he have the time to.


    The wind that carried the scent of death was blowing toward them, which meant that Nigrato would soon arrive. When that time came, everything that Ras had tried to protect would die and crumble down. Juan couldn¡¯t just sit and watch that happen.


    ¡®<i>I wonder if I have a chance against him.</i>¡¯


    Nigrato was establishing himself in reality at a fast rate even in this moment. Nigrato was different from Talter, whom Juan had encountered back in Tantil; if Talter was a seed that had potential for growth, Nigrato was a tree which had alreadypletely germinated from the seed and continued to grow exponentially.


    To make matters worse, Juan had never fought Nigrato before. Back when Juan was actively conquering gods and establishing the empire, Nigrato had alreadymitted suicide; he gained more power every time he was resurrected. However, he failed to resurrect when the necromancers of the south were wiped outpletely¡ªuntil Ras, who led the annihtion of all the necromancers, absorbed his essence.


    Juan clutched his short sword and stood up.


    ¡°Are you going to y the god of death? Perfect, I¡¯ll lead the way,¡± Anya said as she nodded.


    ¡°At least question my ability for once or say that this might be too much for me to handle for the sake of courtesy.¡±


    ¡°How could I ever question your ability? We can not count on anyone other than you anymore,¡± Anya said with a sad smile on her face.


    Dilmond grabbed his hammer and approached Juan.


    ¡°We were all already on our way to get to Nigrato. We will try our best not to be a burden to you even if we end up dying.¡±


    All of the knights held their weapons with a determined look.


    Juan examined their faces one by one, and realized that they wouldn¡¯t back down even if Juan persuaded them to stay out. Nevertheless, Juan shook his head.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°But Juan, we¡­¡±


    ¡°My answer won¡¯t change no matter what you say. You all are the legacy that Ras left. If you die, there would be nothing left by Ras in this world. I¡¯m sure that Ras didn¡¯t create the Order of Huginn to kill everyone with his own hands,¡± Juan said coldly.


    Dilmond red at Juan as he was annoyed that Juan was wasting time in such an urgent situation due to an unnecessary argument. Nigrato¡¯s appearance meant that everyone¡¯s life including Juan¡¯s couldn¡¯t be guaranteed. Now was not the time to be arguing.


    ¡°If sir Ras was still alive and here with us, do you think he would have told us to run away, or fight and die together? It¡¯s an insult to say we are nothing but sir Ras¡¯ legacy. We were his sword, and we don¡¯t care even if we break with our master on the battlefield.¡±


    Juan silently stared at Dilmond, then soon nodded his head.


    ¡°Fine.¡±


    ¡°Even if you resist until the end, we are still going to¡­ wait, what did you say?¡± Dilmond asked in confusion.


    ¡°I said fine, you can join. I suppose I¡¯ll need a hand. But¡­¡±


    Juan quickly approached Anya and punched her in the stomach. Anya¡¯s eyes rolled over and she lost consciousness from the sudden attack. Juan carefully held her before she fell and passed her to the nearest knight.


    ¡°Let¡¯s leave her out of this. Necromancers won¡¯t be of any help in Nigrato¡¯s domain anyway. She might even be taken over again.¡±


    ¡°...Sounds good,¡± Dilmond replied.


    Dilmond didn¡¯t think that this was the only reason why Juan wanted to leave Anya out, but it was good enough for him.


    The knight who had beenmanded by Juan to keep Anya safe received a more detailed order from Dilmond, then headed toward the outskirts of Hiveden with a few more knights to guard Anya.


    Juan stared at Anya as she drifted away and turned his head.


    ¡°We are running from this moment onwards. I can¡¯t afford to take care of those who can¡¯t keep up with me.¡±


    Without waiting for an answer, Juan started to run immediately.


    ***


    ¡°What in the world is that¡­¡±


    Sina stared nkly at the huge area of darkness covering the center of Hiveden. The darkness that seemed to only swell endlessly was now beginning to take a form while it palpitated like a heart. Unbelievably, the shape of the darkness seemed to resemble a human form.


    At that moment, something began to creep out from the area which could be considered to be the head; it was an incredibly huge skull.


    It was hard for Sina to even guess the identity of the being. However, one thing came clear to her¡ªthat the being was frighteningly ominous and disgusting. Sina couldn¡¯t just sit and nkly watch the appearance of such a being.


    ¡°Keuk¡­!¡±


    The rope that restrained Sina¡¯s hands and feet was tied tightly. Although it didn¡¯t look like it would loosen anytime soon, Sina put strength into her hands almost as if she didn¡¯t care if her wrists broke.


    After putting in some time and effort, Sina felt her hands be free with a snapping sound. When she looked at the condition of her wrists, they were surprisingly fine except for a slight scratch. However, she didn¡¯t have time to wonder how her wrists were still intact. Sina immediately ran toward Kamil who was still in a daze.


    ¡°Kamil!¡±


    ¡°The darkness, the death is rising. The wind blowing from hell is¡­¡±


    Sina didn¡¯t hesitate to p Kamil¡¯s cheek. Thinking that Kamil wouldn¡¯te to her senses with just one p, Sina pulled Kamil by the cor and pped her one more time. Just before Sina was about to p her for the third time, Kamil grabbed Sina¡¯s wrist.


    ¡°...That¡¯s enough,¡± Kamil said.


    ¡°That¡¯s for keeping my wrists restrained. What are you going to do now? Isn¡¯t that being the true enemy of all the Temrs?¡±


    Kamil looked speechless. There was nothing wrong about what Sina had just said, but strictly speaking, the Temrs had never fought against such mythological beings before. From the beginning, the Temrs were only created after His Majesty¡¯s passing.


    All of a sudden, Kamil felt ashamed that the Temrs proimed themselves to be His Majesty¡¯s fist and spear. Kamil hated to admit it, but it was true that the Temrs had never fought against the true enemies that His Majesty had fought in the past.


    ¡°Kamil! Answer me!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. What do you want me to do? That bastard is at the ce where the Temrs and the Order of Huginn were supposed to be at. That means that even the Temrs and Captain Ethan couldn¡¯t handle him all together! Why are you asking me for the answer to this situation?¡± Kamil answered as if it was unfair that Sina was asking her to take responsibility. ¡°I will dly die if you tell me to go out there and die. But¡­ to me, it seems like such death will be pointless and without any meaning. If you say that is my duty and I must take responsibility, then I will. But I don¡¯t have any solutions either.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t even know the identity of that being?¡± Sina asked.


    ¡°...Maybe it¡¯s Ras. I can¡¯t think of anyone else other than Ras Raud who is capable of summoning something like that¡­ or transforming into something like that. I did hear a rumor that he made a deal with the god of death in order to kill His Majesty.¡±


    Sina observed the huge mass of darkness once again. The darkness continued to take the shape of a human. It had a cloud-like body, an exposed head with a white skull, and sharp bones creating limbs that looked like sloppy branches.


    Sina had never seen Ras in real life, but she had heard of countless ominous rumors about him, as well as the fact that he was one of His Majesty¡¯s children.


    ¡®<i>Juan.</i>¡¯


    Sina recalled Juan turning pale and immediately leaving as he saw the appearance of the being after he disabled Rietto. At that moment, he could have easily finished off Rietto and Kamil. Considering Juan¡¯s personality. the fact that he left without killing them on the spot meant the appearance of the being was a huge shock to Juan. Sina expected that Juan must be somewhere within the darkness.


    The shifting darkness flowed out through the alleys like a fog. From the end of the darkness, the undead began to walk out. At the sight of people running away with a sharp scream, Sina immediately grabbed Kamil¡¯s sword from the floor and threw it at her.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Kamil asked.


    ¡°I won¡¯t ask you to die while fighting against that monster. So how about we go and save people that are about to die instead?¡±


    Kamil hesitated at Sina¡¯s word. Thest orders she received were to protect Bishop Rietto, and to ughter the people of Hiveden¡ªepting Sina¡¯s suggestion would be ignoring both.


    However, after some thought, Kamil felt that the orders she was given were already meaningless now that the god of death had been resurrected. Kamil drew her sword and stepped forward.


    ¡°You stay here and protect Bishop Rietto as you haven¡¯t fully recovered from your injuries. As a Temr, I will fight on your behalf and take care of the undead¡ªthey are right up my alley.¡±


    ***


    ¡°It¡¯s going to get even darker as you approach him! Always remember to stay shoulder to shoulder and stay together!¡±


    The knights of the Order of Huginn kept their shoulders close to each other at Dilmond¡¯s stern warning.


    Juan wanted to pick up the pace, but the gusts of wind blowing toward them were too fierce. Since Juan¡¯s body was too light in weight, the gust of wind was much more tricky to get through than the undead.


    Thus, Dilmond leading the way with his heavy body was more reliable against this gust of wind.


    ¡°Enemy on the right!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve also got some on the left!¡±


    Although Juan found it difficult to move within the wind, he was helpful in his own way. The fire he made by smearing his blood onto his short sword was small, but it still managed to drive out the unholy darkness and secured a field of view.


    When the enemies appeared to block their way, the knights moved in perfect order to attack them and crushed them in an instant.


    ¡°You guys are pretty good at this,¡± Juan said.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure we know the undead better than anyone. We used to sleep by them, you know. We aren¡¯t afraid of them, and we also know their weaknesses,¡± Dilmond took a nce at Juan who had been following behind while grabbing onto his belt for support. ¡°The fact that there aren¡¯t too many of them also helps the situation. It seems like they aren¡¯t approaching us due to that fire of yours. His Majesty¡¯s mes are basically poison to the undead.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate you not thinking of me as a loser, but you don¡¯t have to be so considerate. I¡¯m not a damn kid, you know.¡±


    ¡°Well isn¡¯t that very¡­ trustworthy of you. Alright. Do you even know where you¡¯re going? I don¡¯t think we were this far from where Sir Ras died.¡±


    ¡°Where the wind is blowing from. Where the unholy energy surges from. Where the darkness has settled.¡±


    ¡°Are you a poet or something?¡±


    ¡°I mean to say, keep moving forward, since we are on the right path. We are already in the realm of hell¡ªone foot on thend of Hiveden and the other foot in the other world. It¡¯s normal for your sense of distance to feel off,¡± Juan exined.


    ¡°What¡¯s on the end of this path?¡±


    ¡°Undead, undead, and even more undead. And there will also be the essence of Nigrato. If we get rid of his essence before his form besplete, we can keep him restrained while he remains iplete.¡±


    ¡°Restrain him while he is iplete? Can¡¯t we kill him?¡±


    ¡°It would be nice if things were that simple, but¡­ those who have be gods don¡¯t die so easily. I mean, if we manage to keep him iplete, we can kill himter on. What¡¯s important is that we can¡¯t let him regain hisplete form. If he does¡­ I doubt even Barth Baltic would be able to handle him.¡±


    ¡°Making that bastard Barth Baltic fight this guy sounds appealing to me,¡± Dilmond said.


    ¡°Let me rephrase that. Barth Baltic and around a third of the empire¡¯s poption,¡± Juan said, then he suddenly stopped and pulled Dilmond¡¯s belt.


    Dilmond looked back at Juan with a puzzled look. Soon, he realized why Juan hade to a stop.


    ¡°...So it wasn¡¯t because of your fire that they refused to approach us,¡± Dilmond muttered.


    ¡°It seems like they were trying to protect their master.¡±


    Countless undead stood in front of them to block their way. There were not only zombies and skeleton soldiers, but also the knight of the dead and even bones of unknown monsters were ttering and crawling like a single creature. The unholy energy spouting from them felt as if there were bugs crawling everywhere on the body.


    ¡°The good news is that we are going the right way. The bad news is that we don¡¯t have much time,¡± Juan said.


    Dilmond scoffed at Juan¡¯s words.


    ¡°No! The real bad news is that we are going to continue going down this path!¡±


    Dilmond shouted as he charged forward.

 Chapter 64 – Behind the Cloak (4)

    <h4>Chapter 64 ¨C Behind the Cloak (4)</h4>


    When the Order of Huginn led by Dilmond crashed into the legion of the undead, a huge group was pushed back. The Order of Huginn frantically ughtered the undead. The undead¡¯s bones broke and shattered into fragments upon encountering the weapons of the knights.


    The Order of Huginn pushed deeper into the legion of the undead with the strength of a hundred men. However, their rapid pace of advancement didn¡¯tst long. Normal armies made up of ordinary soldiers would be demoralized by the ruthless charge of the Order of Huginn, but their opponents were those that were already dead.


    One of the knights was stabbed in the leg by a spear and fell behind. Shortly after he got separated from the rest of the Order of Huginn, the knight got dismembered into pieces.


    The breath of the knights of the Order of Huginn began to get rough.


    At the same time, another knight disappeared.


    Someone¡¯s sword broke in half, and yet another knight disappeared.


    ¡°May His Majesty be honored with glory.¡±


    Although the knight was dying, he held back the undead by grabbing his ankle and dragging him down. The undead chased after the Order of Huginn, and the knight¡¯s wrist was cut off and remained on the undead¡¯s ankle. Another knight had died, and another¡­


    The movement of the Order of Huginn gradually slowed down and grew weaker.


    Not long after,plete silence was cast over the herd of white skulls.


    ***


    Juan opened his eyes. His body was hot and heavy. Juan hadn¡¯t felt such a sensation for a long time¡ªmeaning that his body was in an abnormal state. He tried to lift his hand, but he couldn¡¯t feel anything; he lost the sensation in his hand. Juan could smell the scent of ash in the air. When his vision returned little by little, Juan realized that he was on someone¡¯s back.


    ¡°Dilmond?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re finally awake.¡±


    ¡°What happened? Where are the other knights? Did we kill all of the undead?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you remember anything?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be asking if I did.¡±


    Dilmond silently continued to step forward with Juan on his back. After being silent for a while, he slowly opened his mouth.


    ¡°The Order of Huginn was on the verge of annihtion inside the herd of skeletons. You and I were the only ones left until the end. You couldn¡¯t move properly due to the gusts of wind, and I thought we would all die since we had beenpletely surrounded by the undead.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°Someone stabbed you in the back. I didn¡¯t even see who it was since there were at least a hundred swords around you. I thought we would all die just like that, but then a fire soared like crazy from where you were.¡±


    Juan vaguely recalled the moment upon hearing Dilmond¡¯s words. Huge mes had soared above his head when he was about to lose consciousness, and the legion of the undead instantly caught on fire and started burning. The view of the undead moving limply while burning and the mes that engulfed the surroundings with the gust of wind was not much different from those of hell. Thest thing Juan remembered was Dilmond grabbing and pulling his body burning in the ashes.


    ¡°Dilmond.¡±


    Only now did Juan look at Dilmond as his vision properly returned. Unlike one of his nicknames, ¡®white-haired old knight,¡¯ his hair was scorched and burnt. Considering that Juan could already tell how badly Dilmond was burnt from his back, Juan couldn¡¯t even imagine what he looked like from the front.


    Juan btedly noticed the haze rising from Dilmond¡¯s body, and realized that his own body was still quite hot. While it was true that Juan felt his body to be hot due to his abnormal body condition, he had also been unconsciously radiating heat from his body. Juan slowly lowered his body temperature.


    ¡°It seems like you¡¯re finally starting to remember things,¡± Dilmond said.


    Juan discovered that his body was covered with blood, but it wasn¡¯t his own blood. Dilmond¡¯s back had already been injured numerous times, and it was covered with blood and blisters caused by the burns. His injuries consisted of the ones he got from Ethan, the ones he got from the fight with the army of undead, and the burns he got from Juan. Most ordinary knights would already be dead with such injuries.


    ¡°I thought I had said that it¡¯s okay to leave behind those who can¡¯t keep up,¡± Juan said.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like I care about you, so hopefully you don¡¯t misunderstand my intentions. I only wanted to throw you down Nigrato¡¯s throat since I know that the undead can¡¯t stand your fire. The thought of Nigrato running wild while he burned gave me the strength to stick it out.¡±


    ¡°Sounds reasonable,¡± Juan grinned.


    ¡°So basically my first sacrificial offering to the god of death would be you, you little rascal.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll dly ept it. Nigrato would suffer from indigestion though.¡±


    Juan and Dilmondughed in a low tone. Juan couldn¡¯t even remember thest time he had felt this way. The undead weren¡¯t very dangerous as opponentspared to the beings Juan had fought in the past. It was the same back then, and it is the same now¡ªJuan only felt jolly when he reached a fatal situation.


    ¡°Dilmond, how old are you?¡±


    ¡°Old enough.¡±


    ¡°Pharell would haveughed out loud to hear the little brat that used to stutter all the time say that.¡±


    Dilmond paused at Juan¡¯s words for a short second, then continued walking. Dilmond was grinning.


    ¡°Maybe he would have. Then I would punch Sir Pharell in the chin. Now I¡¯m older than sir Pharell had been when he died, you know. I have nothing to lose anymore. Besides, sir Pharell died to those puny Temrs. And here I am, about to die to the god of death. I feel like I deserve to be a little arrogant,¡± Dilmond burst intoughter.


    ¡°Pharell would be proud of you, Dilmond,¡± Juanughed in a low tone.


    ¡°Indeed.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m sure the emperor would be proud of you as well.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense. His Majesty killed gods like Nigrato in a bundle with ease.¡±


    ¡°No, I mean it.¡±


    Dilmond looked back at Juan. Juan was no longer smiling, but he was looking at Dilmond with a serious and determined look in his eyes.


    ¡°The emperor would be impressed. He would admire your courage and praise your aplishments. I¡¯m sure.¡±


    ¡°...What a fool to say that,¡± Dilmond uttered as if Juan was being absurd, but he seemed to be in a good mood.


    Juan was happy, but at the same time, he felt sad. Just like in the past, Juan liked and respected hisrades and friends. He loved them all, and he didn¡¯t doubt they felt the same way. However¡­


    When Juan was about to bring something up, he realized that Dilmond was looking in a strange direction. Juan followed Dilmond¡¯s gaze, but couldn¡¯t see anything.


    ¡°Is there something there?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°Someone calling my name¡­didn¡¯t you hear it?¡±


    Juan raised his eyebrows. It wasn¡¯t a good sign to hear something that others couldn¡¯t hear in such a ce. Juan tightly held Dilmond¡¯s shoulders.


    ¡°Someone called your name? I don''t think you should follow that voice.¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s not doing anything else other than calling my name. I know that it¡¯s trying to lure me and I¡¯m not falling for it. But¡­ Hmm. That voice helped me to save Annabelle earlier. I think we should follow the voice for now. Let¡¯s run away if we feel something is off.¡±


    Dilmond seemed to be certain that the voice would be helpful.


    At that moment, a hissing sound began to ring around Juan¡¯s ears. It was an unpleasant yet irresistible voice.


    ¡ºJuan.¡»


    It was Ras¡¯ voice. Juan could guess what voice Dilmond was talking about. Ras¡¯ voice was easy to modte since it wasposed by magic. Juan was shaken to hear his son¡¯s voice. If Ras¡¯ voice helped to save Anya, then perhaps there was hope that Ras was still alive. However, he couldn¡¯t tell whether it was a good thing or not for Ras to be alive when Nigrato was close topleting his form.


    At that movement, Dilmond dropped down to his knees. Juan quickly got off of Dilmond¡¯s back. Dilmond¡¯s breath was heavy as unholy energy aggravated his injuries. The closer they got, the harder it would be for Dilmond to hold out.


    ¡°...I wanted to stab Nigrato in the throat with my own hands, but I guess I¡¯ll have to ask you to do it for me,¡± Dilmond said as he beckoned to Juan with difficulty.


    Juan stared at Dilmond and silently nodded. Juan left Dilmond behind and moved on. It was unknown as to how long Dilmond wouldst on his own in this ce, where ordinary people¡¯s skin would rot and dry out.


    After a few steps, Juan could hear another voice. It was a scream rather than aposed voice. The scream carried by the wind was desperate and hopeless. Soon, Juan found something that glowed red despite the darkness and emanated unholy energy that could crush skin and bone. It didn¡¯t take long for Juan to recognize what it was.


    ¡°Ras.¡±


    Ras stood in the middle of the darkness with a burning sword studded in his chest. On the handle of the sword were the remains of a burnt and ckened hand, whose owner was unknown.


    The scream seemed to being from somewhere within Ras¡¯ ckened body that shook ominously. While the scream seemed to being from one person, it also sounded like there were several more people.


    ¡°Dilmond, do you see¡­¡±


    Juan turned back to Dilmond and stopped talking. Juan had only taken a few steps from Dilmond, but Dilmond was nowhere to be seen¡ªthe only thing left was the ck blood stain he had spilled on the ground. Juan stared at the ce where Dilmond had disappeared in silence.


    ¡ºYou are.¡»


    Juan heard a voice from behind his back. Ras stood still like a statue and remained motionless as he quietly stared at Juan.


    ¡ºThe ck-haired boy.¡»


    Ras began to move his body with a squeaking sound. The fiery sword made a sharp shing sound as it cut through wind. Ash rose thickly everywhere Ras¡¯ feet touched.


    ¡ºWhere are the other Temrs? And why is it so dark? I¡­this is my hand? What on earth¡­What had happened to me?¡»


    Ras muttered in a confused voice as his shoulders trembled in fear. It seemed that Ethan had been absorbed with Ras into Nigrato¡¯s body. It was difficult for Juan to understand the current state of Ras. Juan wondered if Ras¡¯ consciousness still remained inside Nigrato''s body just like Ethan''s, and how much of him was left, or even if he was really still alive. However, everything about how Nigrato behaved and thought was unknown to Juan.


    ¡ºThere¡¯s a sword in my chest¡­is this my sword? Wait, perhaps¡­ No way.¡»


    At that moment, Ras¡¯ neck jerked back with a squeaking sound as if he had been hit by something. His trembling head slowly moved to face Juan. Nothing could be seen from his hollow eyes where ck smoke was rising.


    ¡ºJuan. No, I mean¡­ His Majesty. No, father.¡»


    ¡°...Ras.¡±


    Juan muttered Ras¡¯ name like a groan, but he could easily tell that the man standing in front of him wasn¡¯t Ras. Juan had figured that Nigrato showed himself in the mortal world by imitating the characters of those who had been absorbed as sacrificial offerings. Juan was convinced that Ethan had be a victim of a sacrificial offering to Nigarto, just like Ras.


    Nigrato, who had taken control over Ras¡¯ body, slowly approached Juan and reached both of his hands toward Juan. Then he ced his hands around Juan¡¯s face as if he was stroking Juan¡¯s face, and quietly muttered.


    ¡ºNo, you heretic.¡»


    In an instant, Nigrato began to squeeze Juan¡¯s body with both hands and crushed him.


    ***


    In the midst of saving the refugees of Hiveden by fighting the undead, Sina saw mes soaring from the darkness. It was only a small me like a candlepared to the huge darkness, but it looked dazzling bright to Sina.


    At that moment, Sina felt aching pain from the burn that covered her left eye as soon as she saw the me¡ªit had now been a second time since she felt pain from the wound on her left eye. Sina felt as if she was re-experiencing the pain from the past when Juan scorched her wound.


    When Kamil saw Sina suddenly stagger, she hastily approached and supported her.


    ¡°Sina, what¡¯s going on? Weren¡¯t you like this earlier too?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not¡ªit¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s just¡­¡±


    ¡°Sina, your eye¡­¡±


    Sina tried to touch her left eye at Kamil¡¯s words, but quickly pulled her hand away due to the burning heat; Sina¡¯s wound was glowing a bright orange. Sina couldn¡¯t understand what was happening to her. However, she was certain about one thing¡ªthe me that burst out of the darkness clearly had something to do with Juan.


    ¡°Sina, stay behind if you are in difort. Don¡¯t worry about the undead and focus on protecting Bishop Rietto,¡± Kamil said.


    The usual vitality and craziness of Bishop Rietto was nowhere to be seen, and there was only a weak old man who was trembling in fear. As Sina and Kamil couldn¡¯t leave him alone while they fought against the undead, few of the refugees had been supporting and protecting him.


    Sina shook her head.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine now. Actually, my body feels much lighter for some reason. Let¡¯s find more refugees and¡­¡±


    Sina¡¯s words stopped as she saw foreign beings amongst the refugees pouring out of the darkness.


    Kamil¡¯s eyes sparked with anger when she noticed the beings as well.


    ¡°The Order of Huginn!¡±

 Chapter 65 – The God of Death (1)

    <h4>Chapter 65 ¨C The God of Death (1)</h4>


    The knights of the Order of Huginn seemed to be perplexed upon running into Kamil unexpectedly. However, they soon drew their swords in response to Kamil¡¯s obvious hostility toward them.


    Meanwhile, Sina quickly grabbed Kamil who was growling and ready to charge at the Order of Huginn.


    ¡°Kamil, please wait. Now is not the time for us to be fighting,¡± Sina said.


    ¡°Sina. Are you seriously saying that after you¡¯ve seen everything that has happened?! This situation clearly has something to do with those bastards. Their capabilities to summon the undead, and the god of death also has to do with¡­¡±


    ¡°Then there would be no reason for them to be running away like this. Didn¡¯t you hear what the refugees told us? They said the Order of Huginn helped them. Most of all, I hope you didn¡¯t forget that it was the Order of the White Crow that tried to kill the people of Hiveden before any of this happened.¡±


    Kamil couldn¡¯t stop looking at the knights from the Order of Huginn with a suspicious look even after hearing Sina¡¯s words. Then, Kamil noticed a few of the Temrs that were limping as they were escorted by the knights from the Order of Huginn. They were severely injured, but Kamil was certain they were Temrs from the Order of the White Crow. The Temrs smiled pleasantly upon seeing Kamil.


    ¡°Deputy Kamil! It¡¯s good to see that you are safe.¡±


    ¡°What¡­ happened to everyone? Did the Order of Huginn help you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a bitplicated, but yes they did. Being surrounded by zombies and skeletons, we were grateful to even run into our enemies.¡±


    Kamil had no choice but to begrudgingly lower her sword, and the Order of Huginn also put their guards down slowly. When the hostility disappeared from both sides, one of the knights from the Order of Huginn approached Sina.


    ¡°It¡¯s very unfortunate that we met in such a situation, but I think both sides can agree that now is not the time for us to be fighting each other. If you don¡¯t mind me asking, your name is¡­¡±


    ¡°Sina. My name is Sina Solvane.¡±


    Kamil scoffed and refused to respond. Instead, Sina opened her mouth again.


    ¡°This is Kamil Kastorea, the Deputy of the Order of the White Crow. And you were¡­?¡±


    The knight from the Order of Huginn appeared surprised to hear that Kamil was the Deputy of the Order of the White Crow, but at the same time seemed relieved for some reason.


    ¡°My name is Opert. To be precise, I am more of an assistant of the Order of Huginn rather than a knight. Over here, is the Deputy of the Order of Huginn, Anna¡­no, Anya. She is temporarily in charge of the knight order at the moment, but she¡¯s not in a good condition right now.¡±


    In the direction where Opert had pointed was a woman nkly staring at the ground with dead eyes. Kamil¡¯s eyes narrowed again, as Anya¡¯s name was well known within the Order of the White Crow.


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be so strange for us to draw our swords and fight at any moment, but let¡¯s put our differences aside for now since this is an emergency and both of our captains aren¡¯t here. I don¡¯t think our interests are too much different from each other. Wouldn¡¯t it make more sense to think of the ways to ovee and deal with this situation first?¡±


    ¡°...Fair enough,¡± Kamil said.


    Although Kamil agreed with what Opert had said, she couldn¡¯t fully believe him. She highly doubted that the Order of Huginn had nothing to do with the undead spread throughout the entire city.


    Opert seemed to have noticed her suspicions and tried to reassure her.


    ¡°Yes, I agree that your suspicions are fair and valid. And I¡¯m not gonna say that you arepletely wrong. However, I want to let you know that this situation was neither expected nor intentional by any means.¡±


    ¡°Then I suppose we can¡¯t expect you to provide us with a solution.¡±


    Kamil looked at Opert with contempt.


    At the same time, Opert smiled bitterly and shook his head at Kamil¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°Our knight order is trying our best to figure out a way to take care of this situation. In fact, the strongest of our members are fighting to solve the problem right now. They will kill Nigrato, the god of death before he fully reaches hisplete form.¡±


    Opert turned his head to look at the swollen darkness.


    Sina¡¯s gaze also headed to the spot where the me had soared from earlier. However, nothing could be seen from there anymore¡ªonly darkness remained.


    ***


    Nigrato tightly held Juan with his huge hands as he squeezed Juan¡¯s body. However, he got confused as there was no blood or flesh leaking out of his hand like he had anticipated. When he looked at his hands, he noticed Juan holding his fingers and forcibly prying them open them with red eyes.


    Juan faintly smiled as his eyes met Nigrato¡¯s.


    ¡°Nigrato.¡±


    At that moment, fire soared from within Nigrato¡¯s palms. Nigrato raised his hands just as they burnt into white ashes in an instant, and took a step back.


    Shortly after, skeletons appeared from the darkness with a rattling sound. The skeletons that appeared clung to the spot where Nigrato¡¯s hands used to be, and became his new hands.


    ¡ºDon¡¯t you dare imitate His Majesty¡¯s power! You are nothing but a filthy heretic!¡»


    Nigrato shouted as if he was genuinely angry.


    Meanwhile, Juan didn¡¯t even feel the need to respond to him. Nigrato was the one who yed around with the personas of many of the sacrifices made to him, including Ethan and Ras. He seemedplicated, but his essence was rather simple.


    Nigrato was a god. With just that fact alone, Juan calmed down and his gaze became cold. All the emotions and doubts that he had prior to facing Nigato quickly subsided, leaving only one thing behind¡ªa raging murderous intent.


    Nothing more or less, only the burning murderous intent was left inside Juan. Juan burned Talter¡¯s blood and charged wildly at Nigrato.


    Nigrato swung his newly formed arm at Juan, but due to his big size, his movement was slow.


    Juan stabbed Talter¡¯s short sword into Nigrato¡¯s arm joint, and twisted his sword to crush Nigaro¡¯s bones. A pile of skeletons fell to the ground and shattered like pottery. However, new skeletons soared to his injury before his amputated arm even touched the ground. Dozens of new skeletons clung to the spot where Nigrato¡¯s arm used to be, and created a muchrger and deformed body.


    ¡ºHow dare you put your sword near His Majesty''s spear!¡»


    Juan attacked and cut Nigrato¡¯s body several more times, but he was unable to cause any serious damage. Rather, arge cluster of skeletons that was at least several times bigger than before had appeared. It had hundreds of skulls and thousands of ribs with limbs waving like the overflowing sea which connected to its shoulders. Such an appearance resembled a huge building. The hundreds of skulls simultaneously opened their mouths and shouted at the same time.


    ¡ºSuch profanity! Regardless of you being only a young child, you won¡¯t be forgiven formitting such sinful profanity!¡»


    ¡°I think I¡¯m gonna go insane If I continue to take your bullshit seriously.¡±


    Juan scoffed when the world¡¯s most profane and disturbing being scolded him. He already had a headache from fighting against the one who didn¡¯t die even after being cut.


    The waving arms of the skeletons on the ground constantly tried to grab Juan¡¯s body, and Juan couldn¡¯t hold out unless he endlessly lit his blood on fire.


    Juan went over what he could do. Grunbalde¡¯s gray cloak was of no use inside the deep darkness, while Talter¡¯s blood was almost running out. Besides, physical strikes didn¡¯t work on Nigrato. Juan was lucky that at least lighting his blood on fire worked against Nigrato.


    ¡®<i>But how much blood would I need in order to burn all these¡­</i>¡¯


    Juan tried to estimate the number of undead that Nigaro could summon and the amount of mana they had¡ªit was certain that Juan¡¯s blood would dry up first before he could burn them all. As the mes which Juan had been using to attack Nigrato consumed the mana in his blood, it was only natural that Juan couldn¡¯t hold out for a long time.


    ¡ºIn the name of His Majesty, I shall judge your sins with iron and blood!¡»


    At that moment, Juan detected an unexpected change in Nigrato.


    Nigrato plunged his right shoulder into the ground and began to pull something out. The ground vibrated and the buildings copsed due to the pulling. Eventually, Nigrato pulled out a huge weapon tens of meters wide which was made up of white bones. The weapon seemed to be a sword, yet Juan refused to call it a sword¡ªrather it was a siege weapon.


    ¡ºWith this holy sword that was granted to me by His Majesty¡¯s representative, His Holiness The Pope, I will cut off your neck. I will give you a chance to repent in front of this glory! Give up your head!¡»


    ¡°Did you be even more stupid after you became the god of death, or did you go insane?¡±


    The moment Nigrato swung his sword, Juan opened his eyes wide and dodged with all his might. Nigrato¡¯s sword narrowly grazed past Juan¡¯s neck. Juan couldn¡¯t deny what he thought¡ªNigrato was moving exactly like Ethan with his huge size and monstrous weapon.


    ¡ºFor His Majesty!¡»


    Although Nigrato wasn¡¯t as fast as Ethan, he was much bigger and had no limits on how his joints could bend. This made his movements much more flexible; Juan had no choice but to focus on defense.


    Juan did his best to dodge Nigrato¡¯s attacks, but he couldn¡¯tst long. Eventually, Nigrato¡¯s sword caught Juan.


    ¡°Keuk¡­!¡±


    A heavy shock hit Juan¡¯s body. Nigrato¡¯s sword wasn¡¯t very sharp as it was made up of bones, but the force behind it had the potential to shatter one into pieces.


    Juan used his mes to reduce the shock as much as possible before his body collided with Nigrato¡¯s sword. Nevertheless, Juan¡¯s body bounced off helplessly and rolled around on the ground.


    The hands on the ground didn¡¯t miss this chance and tried to grab Juan¡¯s body.


    ¡°Piss off!¡±


    The hands around Juan spontaneously burned and disappeared. Juan felt his body getting weaker as he was still suffering from the internal injuries caused by using The Emperor¡¯s Voice on such arge scale, and he had gotten injured by fighting against the dead on his way to Nigrato; he had lost too much mana.


    Above all, Juan had burned too much of his blood. The rate at which his wounds recovered was also significantly slower than before.


    ¡ºSomeone as trivial as you isn¡¯t allowed to use those mes. How unpleasant.¡»


    Nigrato raised his empty left hand, which was wobbling with hundreds of bones, and from where darkness was flowing out. Soon, something began to flow out of the mud-like lump made of unholy energy; it was flesh clumped with maggots and blood.


    All kinds of body fragments which were half melted began to cover the top of Nigrato¡¯s bones. It was a terrible sight that would make most ordinary people freeze upon seeing it. The revolting pieces of flesh covered Nigrato¡¯s bones, creating a glove-like form.


    Nigrato narrowed the distance, almost as if he was ready to attack Juan with his huge hand. Nigrato¡¯s hands couldn¡¯t easily approach Juan due to his mes, but neither could he burn the hands to ashes instantly¡ªthe hands only got roasted.


    ¡®<i>Perhaps he can resist the mes.</i>¡¯


    Some of the things attached to Nigrato¡¯s hands had the form of a human, but they were already pale and their eyes had no focus, almost as if they were nothing but a corpse.


    Nigrato¡¯s hand swept over Juan in an instant. The heavy piece of flesh seemed so soft, but Juan couldn¡¯t burn through all of it.


    There were not too many choices Juan could choose from, and it was time for him to think of ways to escape from this ce. However, Juan couldn¡¯t leave Ras behind.


    Juan squeezed out thest drop of Talter¡¯s blood he had in his body. In a sh, Nigrato¡¯s hand approached Juan. When Nigrato¡¯s hand was about to crush Juan¡¯s body, Juan disappeared and left only a faint afterimage of fog.


    Before Juan could even reposition himself from where he had escaped to by using Blink, Nigrato smashed his sword toward his new position.


    Juan tried using Blink again. It seemed like Nigrato was swinging his sword without a n, but his movements were urate and sharp. The nasty scent of rotting corpses blocked Juan¡¯s breath, and cold sweat ran down his back.


    ¡®<i>Just one more time.¡¯</i>


    Nigrato¡¯s eyes chased after Juan and swung his sword once again.


    Dodging Nigrato¡¯s attack, Juan realized that he was finally at a close distance from his target. Juan used Blink for thest time. For a moment, his vision suddenly turned white.


    <i>Crunch!</i>


    Juan flinched at the sharp pain from something piercing his abdomen; Nigrato had sprouted sharp thorn-like bones from his entire body to pierce Juan as he sensed something unusual. With the eleration from Blink, Juan was even pierced in his abdomen, thigh and his left shoulder.


    ¡°But¡­¡± Juan smiled. ¡°It¡¯s toote for you.¡±


    Nigrato flinched.


    Before Nigrato knew it, Juan had grasped Ethan¡¯s fiery sword pierced through his chest, and refused to let go.


    Juan had wondered why Nigrato didn¡¯t pull the sword out of his chest when it must be disturbing to leave it in. Although it was only a vague possibility, Juan guessed that Nigrato had no choice but to leave it there because it couldn¡¯t be touched¡ªit was a splinter stuck in his body that couldn¡¯t be touched.


    It was at that moment that Juan heard a voice.


    ¡ºJuan. No, Your Majesty.¡»

 Chapter 66 – The God of Death (2)

    <h4>Chapter 66 ¨C The God of Death (2)</h4>


    Juan quickly turned to the voice. Ras, and not Nigrato, was nkly staring down at Juan.


    ¡ºWhat are you doing here? Where are the others from the Order of Huginn? I¡­¡»


    ¡°Ras! Don¡¯t look anywhere else! Focus on me!¡±


    Ras was looking at his limbs and the surroundings that had beenpletely ruined. Finally, Ras directed his gaze toward Juan who had stabbed a sword deep into Ras¡¯ chest.


    ¡ºI see what happened now, Your Majesty.¡»


    ¡°Don¡¯t me yourself for this Ras. You have¡­¡±


    ¡ºYou have once again killed everyone, just like you always have.¡»


    Juan froze at Ras¡¯ words.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡ºYour Majesty¡¯s life consisted of nothing but ughter. You were born to ughter, and you ended your life to ughter. Your Majesty was so mighty that people continued to ughter under your name even after your death. I can see that nothing has changed even after you have returned.¡»


    Juan remained silent.


    ¡ºLet¡¯s see¡­ How many have you killed until now? Even though I¡¯m the incarnation of death, I¡¯m afraid that I can¡¯t be proud of my title as I only ughtered a few in a short amount of time, unlike Your Majesty who has been ughtering all your life.¡»


    ¡°Shut up.¡±


    ¡ºYou killed countless civilians back in Tantil. You killed trivial mercenaries as well as knights who willingly gave up their lives to protectw and order. You killed so many of the Laus Mountain Scouts¡­ It¡¯s hard for me to even remember everyone. Your Majesty, I am truly proud to be the child of such a great ughterer.¡»


    ¡°I told you to shut up.¡±


    ¡ºWhat is the purpose behind you ughtering so much? Ah, that¡¯s right. You don¡¯t need to have a reason to kill. You kill just for the sake of killing, and only want the deaths of others. Excellent! Marvelous! I really admire you, Your Majesty. But at the same time, I wonder¡ª¡» Nigrato derided and whispered in Juan''s ears. ¡º¡ªthat maybe the reason why big brother Gerard killed you was to put a stop to your ughters.¡»


    Juan¡¯s cold face stiffened at the words ¡®Ras¡¯ was saying. Juan¡¯s mes flickered violently in the wind.


    ¡ºBig brother Gerard was the most caring and excellent out of all of us brothers¡ªyou also considered big brother Gerard to be your sessor. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder why such a person would stab you in the back.¡»


    Nigrato bluntly ridiculed Juan and pricked at Juan¡¯s scabs, stirring the emotions he was hiding inside. Any and all history rted to death was known to Nigrato; every murder left a scar on both the souls of the murderer as well as the victim. Nigrato could easily use those scars to identify who was killed by who. Nigrato was currently digging into Juan¡¯s weak spot. Juan getting so close to him was a perfect opportunity; when Juan finally got his chance to kill Nigrato, Nigrato created a situation for Juan to kill his child with his own hands.


    Greed was brewing inside Nigrato¡ªJuan was a much more fascinating prey to consumepared to Ethan and Ras. If Nigrato could take Juan¡¯s soul and use his abilities to create undead with Juan¡¯s body, Nigrato would no longer need to repeat his cycle ofmitting suicide and undergoing rebirth for more strength.


    ¡ºAnd here you are, now trying to kill me too. Am I wrong?¡»


    Juan¡¯s mes began to be noticeably weaker. Nigrato realized that his whispers were working perfectly on Juan and shaking his inner emotions. It would be a different story if one was born a murderer without any emotions, but anyone was bound to be shaken by Nigrato¡¯s whispers if they had doubts about themselves¡ªespecially if it was someone like Juan, who had been killed by the one he was closest to.


    ¡ºDidn¡¯t you wish to die?¡»


    Juan suddenly flinched.


    When Nigrato saw Juan¡¯s reaction, he was convinced that his n was working. Juan had been wishing for his own death up until just a few months ago.


    In fact, Juan wished for death more than anyone else¡ªso much so that even Nigrato could recognize his desire to die.


    Nigrato doubted that Juan¡¯s determination for death had changed. Nigrato didn¡¯t think that Juan¡¯s wish had changed much. Nigrato was certain that Juan still wanted to die and had only been putting it off.


    ¡ºWhy are you reliving a life that is only filled with death? Your Majesty, you shouldn¡¯t live to kill. You have the right to take a rest¡ªit¡¯s what you have wanted for a long time. You wished for your own death, didn¡¯t you?¡»


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡ºIt¡¯s a sleep that you will never wake up from. And I will protect you, right beside your bed. Take the rest that you have wanted for so long¡ªthis time without any betrayal or murder.¡»


    Nigrato slowly began to grasp Juan¡¯s body in his hands when the mes weakened.


    Juan¡¯s body was gradually trapped inside Nigrato¡¯s hand as if the cover of the coffin was closing. Pale white fingers wrapped around Juan¡¯s body.


    At that moment, Nigrato suddenly saw a smile on Juan¡¯s face.


    ¡°You monster, did you really think that I¡¯d fall for your tricks?¡±


    mes began to rise from Juan¡¯s entire body, and Nigrato screamed at the sudden burst of heat.


    Juan had only been pretending to be led astray by Nigrato in order to buy enough time to recover his strength from using Blink so many times.


    Nigrato writhed in agony as he realized that he had been deceived by Juan.


    Meanwhile, Juan didn¡¯t even move an inch.


    Although he didn¡¯t show it, Juan also wished to let out a scream. The blood in his body boiled up and the red steam rose. mes burst out from Juan¡¯s eyes and breath. Juan felt the instantaneous disappearance of the mana that made up his physical form, as well as his also starting to get extinguished.


    ¡®<i>I won¡¯tst long.¡¯</i>


    Meanwhile, Nigrato felt his heart even by just being near the high-heat mes which were as hot as a smelting furnace; Juan¡¯s mes were so hot that even Nigrato¡¯s white bones were scorched ck due to fire and smoke.


    At the same time, Juan¡¯s body wasn¡¯t doing any better than Nigrato''s; all the blood in his body was burning. All parts of his body were losing strength and beginning to break down.


    <i>¡®I need at least¡­ to get¡­ Ras¡­ out of here.</i>¡¯


    Ethan¡¯s sword stuck in Nigrato¡¯s chest burned even more intensely with golden mes. Nigrato writhed due to the heat rising from inside his body and tried to get Juan off of him, but his hands vaporized and disappeared before they could even touch Juan.


    ¡°A god trying to deceive me¡­ how arrogant.¡±


    ¡ºYou threw away your only chance to have a peaceful death! Now I will let you know how your soul can be in more pain than even your body!¡»


    Juan ignored Nigrato¡¯s roar and attempted to cut him.


    However, Juan couldn¡¯t put strength in his hands.


    Juan disconcertedly squeezed his hands and tried to apply strength one more time, but his body was no longer listening to hismands. At that moment, Juan saw his fingertips breaking and turning into ashes. The pain from his fingertips then spread to his entire body.


    ¡®<i>Why now of all times¡­</i>¡¯


    Juan realized that his body had finally reached its limit.


    In an instant, every part of his body began to break and fall apart. Juan was yet to realize it, but his foot had already disappeared a while ago. Juan couldn¡¯t control his body anymore, and the vision in one of his eyes had dimmed. Juan was at a point where he could no longer sustain his physical form with just mana alone.


    Nigratoughed like a madman upon seeing the ashes that Juan¡¯s body had turned into.


    ¡ºTired already, Your Majesty? You called me arrogant, but you should take a good look at yourself first!¡»


    ¡°You are mistaken if you think that I can¡¯t take you down with me on my way to hell.¡±


    Nigrato frowned upon hearing Juan¡¯s words. The mes rising from Juan¡¯s body were lethal and had enough power to damage Nigrato¡¯s essence before Nigrato fullypleted his physical form.


    Juan squeezed thest bit of strength he had left in his body to move his hands¡ªbut soon his consciousness began to blur.


    ***


    ¡°Keuk, hah, ugh¡­¡±


    ¡°Dame Sina!¡±


    Unable to move due to the tremendous pain, Sina covered her left eye with her hand.


    When Kamil forced Sina¡¯s hand off of her left eye to check her condition, Kamil couldn¡¯t help but be perplexed; the tattoo on Sina¡¯s left eye was glowing to the point that it appeared golden and the heat emanating from it was so hot that even Kamil could feel it.


    ¡°Dame Sina, what in the world is¡­¡±


    ¡°Th=they are¡­ fighting¡­ right now.¡±


    ¡°Fighting? What are you talking about?¡± Kamil asked in confusion.


    Sina pointed to the darkness with difficulty.


    A me burning brightly within the darkness was constantly eating up Nigrato¡¯s darkness. However, the me didn¡¯t get any bigger to engulf the darkness, but remained the same size.


    Although Sina couldn¡¯t understand exactly what was going on, she could clearly tell that the me had something to do with Juan.


    ¡®<i>Juan.</i>¡¯


    Juan¡¯s thoughts, his strength, his frustration, his current condition¡ªeverything about Juan was being transmitted into Sina¡¯s head; even Juan¡¯s will to kill Nigrato despite his body turning into ashes.


    Sina pushed Kamil off of her body and tried to approach the darkness.


    ¡°Sina, don¡¯t! It¡¯s too dangerous!¡±


    ¡°Let me go! I must go. If I don¡¯t help him¡­¡±


    ¡®<i>If I don¡¯t help him¡­ then what?¡¯</i>


    Sina was flustered at her own words. While Juan was doing his best to save everyone, Sina had no reason to be so desperate to help him¡ªespecially when considering that he had killed all of Sina¡¯srades and turned her hometown into a sea of fire. However, Sina found it difficult to ignore Juan¡¯s will. Sina suspected that the tattoo that Juan had engraved on her left eye was brainwashing her.


    Then, someone walked in front of Sina; it was Anya, the Deputy of the Order of Huginn.


    Anya reached out her arm to cover Sina¡¯s left face with her palm. Smoke rose from Anya¡¯s hand with a sizzling sound, and Sina freaked out and pushed Anya¡¯s hand away.


    ¡°What are you doing¡­?! Is your hand okay?¡±


    Anya looked at her palm without a change in her expression.


    ¡°The emperor¡¯s watchdog,¡± Anya muttered.


    Sina flinched when Anya read out what the tattoo on her left eye said.


    Anya silently stared at Sina and then opened her mouth.


    ¡°The emperor¡¯s watchdog shouldn¡¯t jump into the fire with them, but rather find out what they can do to save them.¡±


    Sina looked dumbfounded, almost as if she had been hit in her head.


    ¡®<i>What I can do to save the emperor.¡¯</i>


    .


    Anya was right¡ªif Sina jumped into the darkness without a n, she would only turn into another undead that attacked Juan. There wasn¡¯t much she could do, as she was not a Temr and did not have the Grace bestowed by His Majesty.


    Right when Sina was about to give up and ept that there was nothing she could do to help Juan, one thing came to her mind¡ªshe could bark.


    Sina turned around and immediately ran toward Bishop Rietto. Sina grabbed and shook Bishop Rietto, who was still in a daze with his eyes out of focus.


    ¡°Rietto! Bishop Rietto! You muste to your senses!¡± Sina shouted.


    ¡°...When the dayes, His Majesty will appear again with the grand army¡­¡±


    Rietto didn¡¯t reply to Sina and only muttered a quiet prayer.


    Surprised at Sina¡¯s aggressive behavior, Kamil tried to stop Sina.


    But Sina pulled Rietto up by his cor and shouted in a loud voice.


    ¡°If you consider that a pathetic man like yourself is His Majesty¡¯s servant, you should know that you have no time to talk in your sleep like this!¡±


    At that moment, a me burst out of Sina¡¯s left eye. The small me zed over Rietto¡¯s face for a short second, while everyone in the room jumped as if they had been electrocuted.


    When Sina shouted at Rietto in that moment, Rietto was certain about who the owner of the power he felt in Sina¡¯s voice was. After all, he had already felt it once¡ªit was definitely the power of His Majesty.


    Bishop Rietto¡¯s pupils regained their focus. He widened his eyes and looked at Sina with an unbelievable expression on his face.


    Without even realizing what she had done, Sina continued to urge Rietto.


    ¡°Wake up, Bishop Rietto!¡±


    ¡°That voice just now¡­that was¡­¡±


    ¡°His Majesty¡¯s biggest enemies are not humans, but rather evil beings¡ªand they areing back. We need His Majesty¡¯s power right now more than ever! Rietto!¡±


    Bishop Rietto could no longer feel His Majesty¡¯s power from Sina¡¯s voice. However, His Majesty¡¯s will was fully transmitted.


    Rietto stared into Sina¡¯s burning left eye as if he had been possessed. As Rietto had heard His Majesty¡¯s voice, which he never thought he would hear in his life, and then felt his will just now, he felt closer to His Majesty than ever.


    ¡°So today is the day,¡± Rietto muttered to himself.


    Rietto stood up from the floor.


    Kamil tried to help him move, but he refused her help and powerfully strode forward. Rietto directly faced Nigrato¡¯s darkness, and stared at the mes burning like the lighthouse within the darkness.


    The mes burning inside the darkness had the same color as the me on Sina¡¯s left eye, but it was gradually dimming.


    Rietto tried to grab his rosary, but his hand grabbed nothing. Rietto recalled that Juan had crushed his rosary earlier. However, Rietto was able to use his Grace even without the rosary.


    ¡°His Majesty who shines brighter than the sun and burns hotter than the smelting furnace, our great Kennosis¡­¡±


    Rietto¡¯s prayer wasn¡¯t fast, but it was full of energy.


    All of a sudden, Rietto realized that his personalities were no longer split. In fact, he was singing his prayer in a united voice.


    A group of lights began to condense over the dark sky in response to Rietto¡¯s prayer.


    ¡°Here is a servant of yours who is in need of your benevolent power¡­¡±


    Drops of sweat began to form on Rietto¡¯s forehead. The prayer Rietto was reciting was much more dangerous and burdensomepared to the one he was reciting when he tried to summon Kelegrenon to Hiveden.


    To a certain extent, it even felt disrespectful.


    However, Rietto felt that in all his life as a Bishop, this was the best thing he was about to do.


    ¡°Please allow your power to bless yournd and your soldiers.¡±

 Chapter 67 – The God of Death (3)

    <h4>Chapter 67 ¨C The God of Death (3)</h4>


    Juan¡¯s mes became extremely dim as his consciousness blurred. Juan¡¯s limbs had already turned into ashes, and his limbless body with only his head was faintly burning.


    Nigrato had been anxious at Juan¡¯s sudden counterattack, but was certain that he would be able to absorb Juan sooner orter. Furthermore, Juan left an unexpected gift for Nigrato; he had extinguished the mes on Ethan¡¯s sword that was stuck in NIgrato¡¯s chest.


    ¡ºThank you for such an unexpected gift, Your Majesty,¡» Nigrato said sarcastically upon seeing that Juan had gotten noticeably weaker.


    Nigrato picked a spot from Juan''s body that was not on fire and carefully lifted Juan¡¯s body using his long fingers. Although Nigrato was cautious and tried to avoid contact with Juan¡¯s mes, his flesh continued to burn. Nigrato had no choice but to constantly use energy for recovering his physical form.


    ¡ºIt''s such a relief that I got to fight you in your current iplete state. I must acknowledge that even the current you were a threat to me. As a show of respect, I will use methods to make sure your body doesn¡¯t decay when I preserve it.¡»


    Nigrato checked Juan¡¯s body, only to find that the mes were still burning and slowly turning Juan to ashes. The fact that the mes had yet to extinguish was a problem for Nigrato.


    ¡ºI need to get rid of these annoying mes somehow¡­¡»


    Nigrato sent his massive finger toward Juan¡¯s heart in order to finish him off for good. Nigrato¡¯s sharp dagger-like finger touched Juan¡¯s chest. As he carefully tried to avoid leaving damage on Juan¡¯s body as much as possible, Nigrato adjusted his strength with caution.


    However, when blood seeped out of Juan¡¯s pale skin, Nigrato suddenly felt the unexpected change in his surroundings. Nigrato¡¯s gaze turned toward the sky above him.


    A group of lights had pierced through the darkness, and Nigrato felt something unusual upon seeing the lights shaking as if they were dancing.


    Although Nigrato didn¡¯t want to damage Juan¡¯s body, he decided to hurry up and firmly squeezed Juan¡¯s body with his hand in order to remove any unexpected variables.


    At that moment, Juan opened his eyes and the light suddenly burst out from his body.


    Upon seeing the sudden burst of bright light piercing through the darkness, Nigrato fell into confusion and couldn¡¯t understand what was happening.


    Nigrato stumbled and quickly tried to kill Juan, but he only managed to swing his arms in the air. Only then did Nigrato realize that his arms were no longer attached to his body.


    A blinding light shed from the spot where Juan had been¡ªand there he was inside the light, burning as fiercely as a me itself.


    Juan¡¯s body was still slowly burning to ashes. But this time, it was due to apletely different reason¡ªJuan¡¯s current physical form was unable to withstand the overwhelming mana that was suddenly empowering him.


    Juan grabbed Ethan¡¯s sword with hands that he had out of mes. In an instant, Ethan¡¯s sword that had been cooling down instantly started burning with a golden glow.


    The scenario of dying had always been a positive situation for Nigrato, but it became more terrifying to him than ever as he faced death right in front of his eyes¡ªthe death he faced wasn¡¯t cold and pale like he had expected, but rather it burned fiercely. Nigrato desperately swung his sword at Juan.


    ¡ºYou don¡¯t even know what death is!¡»


    Nigrato¡¯s sword met Juan¡¯s sword. At that moment, it was like the sun had exploded and the sudden burst of light from the sun swept the entire Hiveden.


    Juan nkly stared at the light as he felt familiar heat from it. Juan then noticed that his physical form had scattered into pieces andpletely disappeared.


    ¡®<i>No¡­it¡¯s different.¡¯</i>


    Juan realized that he was constantly absorbing an overwhelming amount of mana, which his physical form had been unable to handle. As his physical form was gone, the mana now took the form of an enormous burst of light¡ª this light was Juan himself with his will. Juan could guess the source of the mana being poured into him.


    ¡®<i>The heart of Mananen McLeir.</i>¡¯


    The mana from Juan¡¯s true body, which was known to be resting on the imperial throne was currently being connected to Juan directly. If it were any other ordinary person who absorbed Juan¡¯s mana, they would instantly explode or turn into ashes. While the same was true for the current Juan, his consciousness was kept upright. At this moment, Juan was the emperor himself.


    ¡ºHow can, such a trivial, you dirty little¡­¡»


    Juan could hear Nigrato¡¯s voice from beyond the light. His voice sounded as if he couldn¡¯t believe what was going on while he tried to recover his physical form with all his might in order to desperately block the light.


    Of course, Juan wouldn¡¯t allow him to seed.


    With a smashing sound, Nigrato¡¯s body shattered into dust. It was the humble end of the god of death, who had almost shaken the entire world.


    Nigrato¡¯s physical form that held him on the ground scattered away as ashes. The only thing that was left in the ce where Nigrato had disappeared was his essence.


    Juan reached out his hand topletely eliminate Nigrato¡¯s essence.


    ¡º...Your Majesty.¡»


    Then, a weak and tired voice came from within the essence. Such a heavy and calm voice didn¡¯t belong to Nigrato.


    ¡°Ras.¡±


    ¡ºSo Nigrato¡¯s consciousness had¡­ It seems like I¡­ ended up being a burden to you.¡»


    ¡°Don¡¯t think of yourself as a burden.¡±


    Juan surrounded Nigrato¡¯s essence in light.


    ¡°Ras. I could feel it whenever you helped me fight Nigrato. But I¡¯m nning topletely annihte Nigrato¡¯s essence. He is the god of death, and there is a possibility of him resurrecting as soon as there¡¯s a chance. Above all, I can¡¯t stand the fact that you would have to live within Nigrato¡¯s essence for eternity.¡±


    Ras remained silent for a moment, but soon agreed to Juan¡¯s words.


    ¡ºYou¡­ are right. In the end, you even have to¡­ take care of¡­ the mess I created¡­¡»


    ¡°Do not say that Ras. Dilmond told me that he heard your voice. I understand the situation you were in, as well as your anguish. There is no need for you to consider yourself a burden.¡±


    ¡ºI¡­ appreciate your consideration¡­ There is something I want to¡­ give you. If I¡¯m going to perish anyway¡­ I want to be able to help you¡­ the power bestowed upon me by Your Majesty sharing your essence¡­ with me. Please use that and¡­¡»


    The essence Juan had given to Ras had stayed with him for so long that it hadpletely be a part of Ras. The same would be true for the others whom Juan had given his essence to.


    However, as Ras was fused with Nigrato, separation of the essence was impossible.


    ¡°Ras, that¡¯s impossible.¡±


    ¡ºIt is¡­ possible. I researched¡­ and developed the replica of Mananen¡¯s heart¡­ for a long time¡­ with Dane. At that time, I developed¡­ a way to objectify mana¡­¡»


    Ras¡¯ voice was unclear and hard to understand, but Juan noticed what Ras was about to do. Before Juan could even stop him, Ras began to condense the darkness leaking from Nigrato¡¯s essence into Juan¡¯s essence.


    ¡ºI¡­ have made far too many mistakes.¡»


    ¡°Ras!¡±


    ¡ºBut getting the chance to see you again, father¡­¡»


    Ras whispered hisst words to Juan.


    ¡º¡­it has all been worth it.¡»


    ***


    Everyone in Hiveden could see the light in the sky above the city¡ªeveryone including the Temrs who continued their desperate battles while being surrounded by the frightening darkness, the soldiers who jumped into the copsing buildings to save the civilians, and the civilians who were waiting for their deaths while hiding in the basement. In that moment, they all saw the light and felt their bodies heat up with a gentle warmth.


    The light was bright, but not blinding, and the heat was gentle, and not painful. The unidentified light quickly cleared away the darkness that had been hanging over the entirety of Hiveden, while all the undead disappeared, turning into dust.


    The survivors nkly stared at the light. Theycked the experience and knowledge needed to understand the situation they were in.


    Kamil was the first one to kneel down out of everyone that was staring at the light. Her understanding of the situation pointed to one thing only.


    ¡°Your Majesty.¡±


    Upon hearing those words from her, the Temrs all simultaneously toward the light. Words of praise for His Majesty echoed throughout the city.


    The knights from the Order of Huginn were perplexed at the sight¡ªwhile they also worshiped His Majesty, their history and life was surrounded by deep-rooted doubts.


    However, they too had no choice but to kneel before the sacred sublimity soon enough.


    People of Hiveden were not the only ones that felt the immense power that could shake the world. It was only for a short moment, but the continental tectonic te had shaken. Most people had only felt the light vibration, but there were also few people that knew what the vibration meant.


    Thest remaining dragon in the world lifted her head up within her nest. She was the only dragon who survived the massacre led by Gerard Gain, the first son of the emperor. She shook and spread her wings upon feeling the presence of a mythical being whose presence she had not felt in the past few decades.


    The god who had been hiding her divinity and living among the ordinary people took off her headscarf. While most believed that all the gods were either dead or exiled, she was able to survive with the help of a few faithful believers. She remembered an old memory that she thought she had forgotten¡ªthe sound of war was approaching.


    The magicians who believed that they had learned the truths in the world turned their attention back toward the world. They shuddered at the appearance of unbelievable power, and dusted off their old books. They felt the flow of lifeing back to the world that had stopped.


    The people who had inherited His Majesty¡¯s essence detected the presence of a figure that shouldn¡¯t exist in the current world.


    In the north, the captain of the Order of Penlil and His Majesty''s eldest daughter, paused the war that she had been fighting ever since she was five.


    In the west, His Majesty''s third son, a Doctrinal Executor and Bishop, who also held the title of the captain of the Order of the Hammer and The Fanatic, paused his inquisitorial trial.


    The Saintess who had been spewing out new oracles atop the altar of lies stopped her prophecies. Then she cut off her own tongue as she imed that she could no longer lie.


    The Pope who had been listening to her prophecy while sitting in the very front seat was drenched in her blood and felt chills running down his spine.


    The monster who had remained silent in the crevice of the world opened his mouth for the first time in decades. His voice was stained with betrayal and despair. The monster who had been aging to the point he got mosses on his body shuddered and raised himself up.


    Thest survivor of the race that used to be an assistant to the gods but were then destroyed by them stared toward the south¡ªBarth Baltic¡ªmuttered as if he couldn¡¯t believe it.


    Everyone spoke in unison.


    ¡°His Majesty.¡±


    His Majesty had awakened. This unbelievable fact rang throughout everyone¡¯s minds.


    Sina was in tears to see such an enchanting light¡ªit was a benevolent light that didn¡¯t hurt anyone who faced it. There was no doubt that this was the light of His Majesty. Sina couldn¡¯t stop crying; she could no longer deny that Juan and His Majesty were the same.


    ¡®<i>Juan. You are¡­¡¯</i>


    Sina cried because she could understand Juan¡¯s disappointment as well as the despair he felt toward humans, and she cried because she could imagine the loneliness he felt¡ªSina cried because she couldn¡¯t acknowledge Juan, who had been distorted by such dark emotions as the Emperor.


    ***


    Ras¡¯ voicepletely disappeared.


    Juan noticed that the mana pouring into his body was gradually diminishing, but he wasn¡¯t surprised; he already knew that it would be temporary. It was unknown as to who it was that connected Juan¡¯s current body and his emperor''s body enshrined on the throne by force, but Juan was grateful that he was able to escape from the crisis, thanks to the stranger.


    ¡®<i>So what happens when all this mana disappears?¡¯</i>


    It would be best to make all this mana his own, but the current Juan didn¡¯t have a physical form that could ept such an enormous amount of mana. Juan wondered if he would end up dying if he forced it, but he had a feeling that he wouldn¡¯t.


    ¡®<i>I should at least give it a try.¡¯</i>


    Juan reformed his physical body with the mana that remained around him before doing anything else. Soon after that, Juan hastily poured the mana into his new physical form. While he hurried to recover his body, he noticed that the sess of storing mana into his new body wasn¡¯t due to his will, but rather due to a magic that had been implemented to help him. In fact, the magic had already been engraved on Juan¡¯s soul. This type of magic was unknown to Juan, but he thought that it might be rted to his resurrection.


    The light that surrounded Hiveden disappeared not long after, and Juan felt that his connection to his original body hadpletely disappeared. However, he still sensed a small connection that was as thin as a thread. It wasn¡¯t powerful enough to bring the mana from his original body to his current body, but it allowed him to feel connected to his past that had been broken off.


    Juan slowly raised his hand¡ªhis fingers were long and lean as if he had just been born, since his body had just been newly created.


    <i>¡®I¡¯m maybe about 18 years old now?¡¯</i>


    Juan¡¯s new body was developed enough to be called an adult. Now, Juan waspletely free from the limitations he faced due to his height being too short and weight being too light. Up until now, Juan hadn¡¯t been able to utilize his skills to full potential due to his short limbs and light weight.


    ¡®<i>But the mana that I recovered is not as much as I wanted¡­</i>¡¯


    As Juan used too much mana to fight Nigrato in the first ce, and more had been used to recover his body, Juan couldn¡¯t fill his new body with enough mana to be satisfied. However, he still managed to absorb an iparable amount of manapared to the mana he possessed when he first arrived in Hiveden.


    At that moment, Juan heard rushed footsteps.


    ¡°Juan.¡±


    Juan could already tell that the footsteps belonged to Anya even before he turned his head to face her. Anya was looking at Juan while she panted with a flushed expression, as if she had run all the way.


    Anya seemed perplexed for a moment upon seeing Juan, but soon approached him while she caught her breath. Anya hesitated as if she didn¡¯t know what to say, but then quietly put one knee on the ground and bowed.


    ¡°Greetings to Your Majesty.¡±

 Chapter 68 – Omen

    <h4>Chapter 68 ¨C Omen</h4>


    In the cathedral within the Vatican in the holy city of Torra, Pope Helmut Helvine had been washing his face repeatedly since early in the morning before sunrise. He wasn¡¯t the type to sleep much in the first ce, but his attitude was rather unusual today.


    Helmut repeatedly muttered curses while roughly washing his face over and over. He had been washing his face so much that his pale white face had turned red.


    ¡°Shit¡­ damn it¡­¡±


    Helmut looked at the reflection of his face on the water surface while washing his face. On the surface of the water was the reflection of the face of an old man whose face was filled with wrinkles. Although Helmut was told many times that he looked sly, he had no majorints about the way he looked¡ªhe made sure those who were impudent enough to make suchments paid the price without anyone else knowing.


    However, things were different this time.


    ¡°WHY! ISN¡¯T! THE SMELL OF BLOOD! GOING AWAY!¡± Helmut shouted in rage.


    A few days ago, the Saintess had been reciting the prophecies at the altar as usual. Because there was no special oracle that day, she had been spitting out prophecies which Helmut had made up. Then, the Saintess suddenly had a seizure and cut off her own tongue after saying that ¡®she no longer wanted to lie.¡¯ Helmut, who had been praying at the very front, was drenched in the blood that was pouring out of the Saintess¡¯ mouth. Helmut had freaked out and stepped back immediately, but it was toote; his entire body and face had already been sprayed with blood.


    The Saintessughed like a lunatic with a mouth that didn¡¯t even have a tongue anymore, and continued to throw a fit. The Priests restrained her and used their Grace to treat her wounds as soon as possible, but a Saintess without her tongue was of no value to Helmut.


    The issue came after the incident.


    Helmut had washed his body many times to wipe off the Saintess¡¯ blood, but the smell of blood and the stickiness didn¡¯t disappear. Helmut continued to roughly wash his face, then knocked over the wash basin. When the water spilled all over the floor, an apprentice Priestess rushed to pick up the wash basin.


    ¡°...Bring me new water,¡± Helmut ordered.


    The Priestess bowed her head and backed off.


    Helmut thought about what he must look like in the eyes of the Priestess who was clearly scared¡ªhe was certain that he must look like a madman. Although he was well aware, he just couldn¡¯t stand the smell and feeling blood on his body.


    The Pope called the priestess who was on her way out to bring new water in the basin.


    ¡°Hey, you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Holiness.¡±


    ¡°Come here and smell my face.¡±


    The Priestess seemed perplexed. But as she knew that the Pope didn¡¯t like to repeat his words twice, she had no choice but to carefully approach him and smell his face.


    ¡°What does my face smell like?¡±


    ¡°...All I smell is soap, Your Holiness.¡±


    Helmut was about tosh out at her, but soon thought that there would be no reason for her to lie to him. Suddenly feeling tired, Helmut waved his hand at the Priestess as if he was telling her to get out.


    ¡°Nevermind. You don¡¯t need to bring in new water.¡±


    The Priestess bowed her head while feeling relieved and quickly left the room, leaving the wash basin behind.


    Helmut agonized over what had happened to him¡ªperhaps he really had gone crazy, he thought. Helmut wasn¡¯t a weak man to get shocked over only an incident like that of a Saintess cutting her own tongue off. He was a soldier who had lived through His Majesty¡¯s era, and he had repeatedly participated in ¡°purging¡± ever since after the eternal rule. He had seen worse things in his life, and thought he could bear the weight of blood better than even most knights.


    ¡®<i>Or is there really something in her oracle?</i>¡¯


    The status of a Saintess was nothing more than a formality. Any decent maiden or Priestess was appointed as a Saintess and stood on the altar, as they were only meant to reassure the public and gain poprity for the Church.


    Strangely, there were times when a Saintess appointed by improper ways suddenly uttered an unexpected prophecy. It was only natural for Helmut to not believe such a prophecy considering that he was the one who made up the status of a Saintess, but in fact, such a prophecy was right in all likelihood.


    Such cases had been very frequent recently; including the prophecy about the ck emperor, and the incident of the Saintess cutting off her tongue was the worst of all.


    Helmut fell into a dilemma on whether he should get rid of the position of Saintess or not. When the empire was in chaotic times, it was difficult for the Church to maintain public sentiment without a Saintess who was popr among the public.


    ¡®<i>I should only choose the most ordinary maiden as the Saintess after this.</i>¡¯


    When Helmut had been thinking about the next step, he heard someone knocking at his door; it was the Priestess from earlier who was asked to leave. Helmut frowned upon seeing the ck scroll she had brought in with her. A ck scroll symbolized an urgent message, and it wasn¡¯t something that an apprentice was allowed to bring.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Who gave this to you?¡±


    ¡°It was the Priest who was in ck clothing, Your Holiness¡­¡±


    The Priestess carefully handed the scroll over to Helmut. The Priests in ck clothing were the Inquisitors. Among them, the Inquisitors working in the holy city of Torra were the ones who carried out Helmut¡¯s secret mission.


    Helmut¡¯s face stiffened, and he opened the scroll in haste. Upon reading through the document at a fast pace, Helmut¡¯s face turned red and blue, and then eventually turned pale. In fact, the anger that filled his body from head to toe calmed him down.


    [The imperial envoy sent by the Pope has gone missing. The Order of the White Crow attacked the city of Hiveden. The Order of the White Crow was wiped out, and only a few of them were able to flee. There have been notable testimonies, but they are under investigation as the case is serious and raises questions about their credibility. Subsequent reports will be deliveredter.]


    ¡°They are telling me to believe this?¡±


    The scroll was full of terrible reports only. Helmut¡¯s hands that were holding the scroll trembled, and he breathed heavily as if he was about to faint.


    ¡°Your Holiness, please calm down,¡± the Priestess carefully whispered as she noticed that Helmut was overly enraged.


    ¡°Calm down?¡±


    Helmut only then realized why the Inquisitor had avoided directly delivering the message to him and rather got the Priestess to do the delivery¡ªthey were already well aware of how angry he would be when he saw the report.


    Helmut picked up the wash basin and smashed the Priestess¡¯s head with it. The Priestess let out a faint scream, but Helmut didn¡¯t stop and continued to repeatedly hit her head with the wash basin. With a gruesome sound, the Priestess fell to the floor. Nevertheless, Helmut constantly swung his hand. The brutal sound of blood sttering and bones being crushed filled the Pope¡¯s bedroom. Every time Helmut swung his hands, the Priestess¡¯s body convulsed.


    After a long time, Helmut threw the wash basin to the floor which had beenpletely crushed. The room was entirely covered with blood, and the fragments of the Priestess¡¯s head could barely be found. Helmut breathed heavily and slowly pointed with his thumb.


    The Priestess¡¯s head, which only had a few fragments left, began to recover in an instant. The Priestess¡¯s nerves, blood vessels, bones, and flesh began to quickly regenerate from the center of her spine, as if a new tree was growing. The Priestess¡¯s new body trembled and she soon exhaled her first breath with her new body.


    ¡°Huff¡­!¡±


    As soon as the Priestess opened her eyes, she let out a scream at the sight of blood, bones and brain matter around her. When she realized that the messy remains were of her own, the fear of death filled her eyes in an instant.


    Helmut gestured to her with his chin with a tired expression.


    ¡°Clean up the room and bring me new water to wash my face.¡±


    ***


    The Loen basin near the holy city of Torra¡ªthe basin rumored to have been created when an ancient god had fallen, was well known as and that couldn¡¯t grow any nts other than shallow grass.


    At times, there were people who visited the Loen basin either in search of beautiful scenery or to look for a ce to live in it. However, civilians had beenpletely prohibited from entering the Loen basin ever since the basin had been designated as the exclusive training ground for the Order of the Capital.


    This was in fact, a lie.


    Loen basin was a ce that even made Pavan Peltere, the captain of the Order of the Capital, nervous.


    Pavan followed the heavy sound that resonated from a distance and slowly walked into the basin. Shortly after, Pavan found an old man with a long drooping beard who seemed to be at least two times taller and bigger than himself. Every part of the old man¡¯s firmly defined muscles were filled with scars left behind as a memory of the long battles and duels he had fought. Pavan could feel the air in the surroundings getting heavier just by approaching the old man.


    In front of the old man was a golden cow that had a height of about ten meters. The old man was currently grabbing the cow¡¯s horn and twisting its head to ram it into the floor. The cow struggled to escape the old man¡¯s hand while foaming at the mouth, but the old man tightly held the cow and didn¡¯t move an inch.


    Pavan tried to find an opportunity to speak, but he couldn¡¯t find the right time to open his mouth.


    ¡°What a beautiful creature, isn¡¯t it?¡¯


    The sudden heavy voice of the old man shook Pavan.


    ¡°You came at the wrong time, Pavan. I was in the middle of taming this fellow right now.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a¡­ majestic beast.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a holy beast. Sometimes there are beautiful things left by gods, just like this fellow here. Maybe it¡¯s the first time that you¡¯ve seen it.¡±


    Pavan nodded his head in surprise.


    <i>¡®A holy beast.¡¯</i>


    They were the beasts that used to be the gods¡¯ pets and assistants. Pavan had always believed that a majority of them went extinct during His Majesty¡¯s era, but some still remained¡ªit was indeed his first time seeing a holy beast in real life. Pavan couldn¡¯t even guess where the old man had captured and brought the holy beast from.


    ¡°So. What is it that you have to tell me?¡± the old man asked.


    It was only then that Pavan recalled why he hade all the way to Leon basin and visited the old man.


    ¡°It¡¯s the emergency report from the Capital¡¯s Intelligence Agency. It is said that the Order of the White Crow was defeated,¡± Pavan quietly said.


    However, the old man didn¡¯t show any interest in his words.


    ¡°It is said that the Order of the White Crow refused the Pope''s order, and pursued the Order of Huginn and tried to dominate the city of Hiveden. The Pope even sent the imperial envoy to stop them, but the envoy went missing and the Order of the White Crow carried out their attack. Under the circumstances, the imperial envoy appears to have been murdered.¡±


    ¡°What a mess.¡±


    ¡°Even Bishop Rietto helped the Order of the White Crow, but the Order of the White Crow fled, only leaving a few Temrs behind. Captain Ethan Etil went missing, and the Pope seems to be trying to use this situation to crack down on the people internally.¡±


    ¡°Huh. That kid Ras Raud isn¡¯t too bad after all. I see¡­ So he managed to hold out against the Bishop. I thought the Order of Huginn had already been wiped out when they arrogantly attacked us.¡±


    Pavan breathed heavily before getting into the point.


    ¡°Ras Raud appears to be dead.¡±


    The old man remained silent at Pavan¡¯s words, and soon replied in a calm manner.


    ¡°I see. So another one has fallen just like that.¡±


    ¡°There is one more thing I have to report. I personally think that this information is so absurd that itcks credibility. Perhaps it¡¯s either a false piece of information that the Order of Huginn purposely leaked, or a rumor created by the city that was involved with the war. But I don¡¯t know in what ways Pope Helmut might use this information, so¡­¡±


    ¡°It really must be a ridiculous report to see youy out excuses like that. Go ahead and tell me.¡±


    ¡°It is said that at one point, Ras Raud had be Nigrato, the god of death.¡±


    ¡°...At one point?¡±


    ¡°Yes. But¡­ they say His Majesty appeared in Hiveden and conquered him.¡±


    For the very first time, the old man showed a reaction to Pavan¡¯s words. The old man slowly turned his head.


    The moment Pavan directly faced the old man¡¯s gaze, he was more than overwhelmed by it. The old man¡¯s powerful eyes were staring at Pavan, as if his gaze had fixed Pavan¡¯s neck to prevent him from looking away. What stood out the most about the old man was the white horn on his head, which was bent in a round shape like a crown¡ªit was as if he was born a king right from birth.


    Pavan hurriedly continued his words.


    ¡°Once again, it¡¯s a rumor from the battlefield. Ras had already turned into an undead a long time ago, so I think it¡¯s fair that people misunderstood the situation in the brutal battlefield where everyone was in panic. After all, it was the first time that Ras showed himself in public. The rumor about His Majesty is suspected to have been spread by the Pope. Perhaps it was his intention to crack down on the Church at a time like this. Rather than chasing ridiculous rumors, the Order of the Capital is nning to watch out for the movements of the Vatican first to¡­¡±


    With a cracking sound, the holy beast suddenly dropped down to its knees. The entire basin shook and vibrated as the giant body of the beast fell sideways to the ground. The old man, who had bent the holy beast¡¯s neck 180 degrees with a single gesture, threw the holy beast¡¯s broken horn to the ground.


    ¡°Pavan,¡± the old man quietly called out Pavan¡¯s name.


    Upon hearing his name, Pavan closed his mouth and bowed his head unknowingly. Cold sweat began to run down from Pavan¡¯s entire body. Despite not being his own will, Pavan had no choice but to obey the old man¡¯s voice. Pavan realized yet again who he was speaking to.


    ¡°Go get me detailed information. Not rumors, the truth,¡± the old man ordered.


    If the old man had sought to be the new emperor, there would be no one in the empire who could stop his reign. However, he did not do that. Instead of taking the seat of the emperor, heughed at everyone as if he wasn¡¯t interested in such a trivial position.


    Although he didn¡¯t take the seat of the emperor, no one doubted that he was the most powerful force that moved the empire. The old man went by many names. Previously known as the empire¡¯s Great General whomanded the imperial army, thest survivor of the Hornsluine, as well as the empire¡¯s number one.


    The Regent¡ªBarth Baltic.

 Chapter 69 – Rebuild (1)

    <h4>Chapter 69 ¨C Rebuild (1)</h4>


    The rooms within the hospital were filled with the smell of death and pain. It was only natural, since it was a hospital in the city that had just suffered a disaster and a war at the same time.


    Juan fumbled over a mask that he had pulled up all the way up to his nose and wandered around the room, looking for someone.


    While the civilians, soldiers, and knights were all groaning in pain, the citizens of Hiveden were passionately taking care of the injured.


    Such a sight could be seen everywhere in Hiveden¡ªalthough there were many aggressive men in Hiveden, to the point that the city was called the wless city,¡¯ surprisingly no one plundered or gave up on the city. The people of Hiveden only quietly searched for the survivors and grouped up to rebuild the city.


    The same was true of the Order of the White Crow. No one gave them a good look since they were no different from ughterers, but people already stopped caring too deeply about that¡ªthe things they had all experienced were too intense and the shared experience had banded them together.


    Only a few people had ever seen a god in person even among the older people, and the same was true of incarnations of gods. It was surprising enough that the god of death had appeared, but they had also faced the powerful being who was capable of bringing down the god at once.


    There was no one making a big fuss over it, but everyone had been quietly whispering to each other¡ªthat ¡®His Majesty has returned,¡¯ and that he had kept his promise to return when the empire was in crisis.


    Soon after, Juan found the person he had been searching for among the soldiers¡ªit was Dilmond.


    Dilmond¡¯s whole body was covered with wounds as if he had been stabbed widely, and heid sideways as he couldn¡¯t lie on his back due to the painful burns on his back. It seemed like the bandages wrapped around his entire body were being changed quite often, but focused treatment and care was hard to expect in this messy ce with therge numbers of patients. Nevertheless, he was still alive.


    ¡°Dilmond.¡±


    Juan approached Dilmond and began to change his bandages.


    Dilmond opened his eyes upon Juan¡¯s touch.


    ¡°What¡­ who is¡­oh, it¡¯s just you.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ you look quite disappointed. I had been feeling sorry for you, but all of a sudden I don¡¯t anymore. So you recognized me at once, huh?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already heard from Anya that your face has changed a little bit¡ªthough I didn''t expect this to be what she meant. Well, it doesn¡¯t matter. Anyway, it seems like you made it out alive,¡± Dilmond said.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I wanted to say to you as well. But we can¡¯t be too relieved just yet, based on your wounds.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Just a few scratches and burns here and there. If these puny wounds could kill me, I would¡¯ve been dead a long time ago when I tripped over a stone. Compared to when sir Ras Raud fought against Barth Baltic, I¡­¡±


    Dilmond hesitated to continue his words for a moment, as if it was hard on him to mention Ras¡¯ name. Dilmond looked at Juan who was silently changing his bandages and asked. ¡°Did sir Ras end up dying?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a bitplicated, to be honest,¡± Juan answered as he pulled out the essence left by Nigrato when he died from his pocket.


    The fluctuating mass of darkness moved constantly; it looked like a liquid, but it also looked like it could be gas.


    ¡°It¡¯s the essence of Nigrato. But I couldn¡¯t feel any presence of Ras when I checked. I think we should just consider it as a lump of mana. I¡¯m not sure how such a thing can even exist, but¡­ thinking about it, it¡¯s not the first,¡± Juan exined.


    ¡°There¡¯s something just like this?¡± Dilmond asked.


    ¡°The heart of Mananen McLeir.¡±


    Dilmond looked straight at Juan.


    Juan put the mass of darkness back into his pocket.


    ¡°Yes. Ras had been trying to clone Mananen McLeir¡¯s heart until he died, and he did make some sessful progress. So I¡¯m guessing that he did something simr to Nigrato¡¯s essence. But the problem is that I have no idea what function it has. It¡¯s not like I can absorb it into my body like Mananen McLeir¡¯s heart.¡±


    ¡°It must mean something if sir Ras had left it for you. How did the Captain die? People spoke some nonsense, but I couldn¡¯t believe it as I was the only one unconscious at the moment.¡±


    ¡°Ras regained consciousness in the end. He asked me to finish everything off for him.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it? Anya brought up to me an unbelievable story.¡±


    Juan immediately understood which story Dilmond was talking about. He wanted to avoid exining, but he didn¡¯t think it would be easy based on the way that Dilmond was ring at him.


    ¡°Well, what do you think?¡± Juan shrugged.


    ¡°Half and half. I did think of you as someone simr to His Majesty or maybe his incarnation, but I never thought that you were His Majesty himself. To consider you as His Majesty, you are too¡­¡±


    ¡°Weak?¡±


    ¡°A brat.¡±


    Juan burst outughing, and Dilmond also chuckled. But Dilmond soon shook his head.


    ¡°It seems like Anya has no doubt that you are His Majesty.¡±


    ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t know, Dilmond. Up until not long ago, I didn¡¯t know how and what to prove¡ªI was the emperor himself and that was it. But as time went by, I thought that I was the one who didn¡¯t know anything. The title of emperor began to feel odd and heavy to me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a bit¡­¡±


    ¡°Maybe the brat is growing up. Anyway, I don¡¯t consider myself to be the emperor right now just because I was the emperor in the past. Dilmond, what do you think was the reason for which Ras had been trying to clone Mananen McLeir¡¯s heart?¡± Juan asked.


    The reason why Ras tried to clone Mananen McLeir¡¯s heart was definitely not to seek strength, nor was it to be as strong as the emperor¡ªwhat Ras tried to create wasn¡¯t simply just a source of strong power. Ras wanted to create the emperor¡ªRas had hoped for the appearance of a being who could save, lead, and unite the empire once again. Ras wanted to rely on such being¡¯s support.


    ¡°When my thoughts got that far, one person came to my mind. There is one person who refuses to acknowledge me as the emperor.¡±


    .


    Sina Solvane.


    Even after Juan had shown his powers as the emperor, Sina didn¡¯te to visit him. However, Juan could tell that she was alive, just as Sina could tell what state Juan was in. There was only one reason why Sina didn¡¯te to find Juan; regardless of whether Juan had the power of the emperor or not, Sina couldn¡¯t acknowledge him as the emperor.


    Dilmond silently looked at Juan, then reached out his hand. The thick and rough palms of Dilmond¡¯s hand roughly patted Juan¡¯s hair.


    ¡°Looking at you agonizing like that, I¡¯m starting to think that maybe you are more of an emperor than a brat,¡± Dilmond said with a bright smile which revealed all his teeth.


    Juan remained silent.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure either. I had only seen His Majesty only a few times, you know. But sir Ras respected and epted you no matter what you did or what you looked like. Perhaps he was able to do that since he had deep trust in you, and I trust sir Ras, just like he trusted you.¡±


    Dilmond smiled and whispered to Juan.


    ¡°And at least those who have such thoughts and worries are more like the emperor than those who don¡¯t.¡±


    ***


    The Order of Huggin still held their base in the dark and humid underground of Hiveden.


    Juan clicked his tongue as he looked at the walls that seeped sewage water when rubbed with his hands and a room filled with mold. Juan thought that such an environment must have yed a part in negative rumors about the Order of Huginn.


    However, Anya didn¡¯t seem to be nning on moving the home base of the Order of Huginn just yet.


    ¡°The reactions of the residents of Hiveden are neither good nor bad,¡± Anya said.


    ¡°Even when it was the Order of Huginn that stopped the massacre of the Order of the White Crow and stopped the advent of Nigrato?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°We might be praised for the former, but I must admit that we are also at fault for the advent of Nigrato. Although it feels a little unfair, I think it¡¯s reasonable for them to resent us in the situation where there are so many casualties due to the undead. After all, we had been summoning and controlling them since a long time ago,¡± Anya said with a sigh.


    There were quite a few people who received help from the Order of Huginn and the Order of the White Crow when the city had been submerged in darkness; there were many people who remembered Sina and Deputy Kamil in particr.


    ¡°Anyway, everyone seems to haveplicated feelings toward us. There are people who resent us, and there are people who appreciate us for our help. But I think everyone has a shared bond¡ªthat they are all ¡®survivors.¡¯ Especially when they witnessed that His Majesty had returned!¡±


    Anya straightened her chest and pointed to Juan as if she was proud. Upon hearing Anya¡¯s words, Kamil who had been quiet the whole time flinched and widened her eyes to look at Juan.


    ¡°About that title¡ªI think it would be for the best that you just call me Juan for the time being,¡± Juan said with an irritated face as he held his forehead.


    ¡°Okay, Juan!¡±


    ¡°You are not even going to ask me why?¡±


    ¡°You are His Majesty, and I¡¯m sure that you made the decision after considering the big picture and deeper meanings.¡±


    Juan felt as if he had fallen into an even deeper pit. Nevertheless, he was relieved that he could avoid aplicated exnation.


    Meanwhile, Juan felt Kamil ncing at him. The only reason she could stay at the home base of the Order of Huginn as the Deputy of the Order of the White Crow was that she gave up her position as a Temr.


    ¡°Did you say your name was Kamil? I heard it was rathermon for the Temrs to give up their position.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s true,¡± Kamil answered while looking at Juan with aplicated expression.


    When the light that extinguished Nigrato had appeared, Kamil had definitely felt the presence of His Majesty. The same was true for everyone in the Order of the White Crow.


    However, the existence of Juan was barely known to others except for the Order of Huginn. However, people gossiped about it privately.


    ¡®<i>I did think that there would be someone like His Majesty behind it, but it was that young man?</i>¡¯


    Kamil held a skeptical view of Juan. In fact, Kamil¡¯s reaction was rather normal¡ªit was Anya who was unusual.


    ¡°Can you tell me why you gave up your position as a Temr? As far as I know, being a Temr is a symbol of high status,¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°...That day when His Majesty showed his power to destroy the enemies, we all fell into a dilemma. We questioned whether we had been fighting against the wrong enemy this whole time. Although Ras was the servant of the god of death¡­¡±


    At that moment, Anya pulled out her stiletto even before Kamil could finish his words. Juan grabbed Anya¡¯s hand to stop her, and Anya stared at Kamil without any expression. Kamil quietly continued her words at Juan¡¯s gesture.


    ¡°¡­Although Ras was the servant of the god of death, it is also true that the Order of Huginn tried their best to defeat the god of death. There are many witnesses too. When we found out that His Majesty wasn¡¯t a Temr or a Priest, but one of the people who had fought alongside the Order of Huginn, many people became skeptical. I was no different from them.¡±


    ¡°Is that really a good enough reason to give up your status as a Temr?¡±


    ¡°The Order of the White Crow had already lost its function as a knight order. The number of Temrs we had gone down dramatically, and Captain Ethan Etil¡­ had gone missing as well. The most important for the Temrs is to have faith without any suspicions. However, we were already in doubt. I bet there isn¡¯t a single Temr who doesn¡¯t doubt their faith after the current situation.¡±


    The emperor who appeared in front of Kamil and the others captivated people, made them look back on themselves, and shook the future by existing alone. Juan still feltplicated, but one thing became clear to him.


    ¡°Then would it be okay for me to assume that the Order of the White Crow will no longer be the Order of Huginn¡¯s enemy?¡±


    ¡°That I can promise. But if you ask me to join the Order of Huginn¡­ I¡¯d have to decline. It¡¯s hard for the other Temrs and myself to even describe what we are feeling right now. Besides, we have more work to do.¡±


    ¡°More work to do?¡±


    ¡°We are nning to help the survivors of the massacre we started in this city for the rest of our lives. I don¡¯t know how they will see us, but it¡¯s the least we can do considering the sin wemitted which stained His Majesty¡¯s name,¡± Kamil whispered as she dropped her eyes.


    Juan was satisfied with the Order of the White Crow¡¯s decision. It didn¡¯t matter to Juan where and how Kamil and the Order of the White Crow would live the rest of their lives. It would have been best for them to join the Order of Huginn, but such would be impossible as the two knight orders had decades of resentment toward each other¡ªit wasn¡¯t something that could be solved with ease. Juan was content just by them not being hostile to each other.


    At that moment, Anya spoke to Kamil with a serious look on her face.


    ¡°Kamil. In that case, I have a favor to ask you¡­¡±


    ¡°A favor? Go ahead and tell me.¡±


    ¡°Can we me everything about this incident on Ethan?¡±

 Chapter 70 – Rebuild (2)

    <h4>Chapter 70 ¨C Rebuild (2)</h4>


    Kamil made a dumbfounded expression at Anya¡¯s words.


    ¡°...Sorry? What do you mean? If you are saying that you want to frame Captain Ethan for everything¡­¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s the exact opposite, actually. Why don¡¯t we say that it was Ethan who got rid of Nigrato and saved Hiveden? Of course, we would have to discuss and make up the details. Oh, we can even say that Bishop Rietto cooperated and helped him. They are both dead, so it would be easier to make up the story,¡± Anya said.


    Then, Juan¡¯s gaze turned to Anya.


    ¡°Bishop Rietto died?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°It seems that you didn¡¯t know. He was found dead for some reason after Nigrato disappeared.¡±


    ¡°How did he die?¡±


    ¡°I witnessed the scene. The knight named Sina Solvane and I were protecting him together, but his head suddenly exploded somehow¡­ It was a terrible sight. We think that he died from the aftermath of using a powerful Grace which was beyond his limit,¡± Kamil answered Juan instead of Anya this time.


    Juan pondered upon hearing Kamil¡¯s reply, and assumed that the sudden flow of power into his body during his fight with Nigrato had to do with Rietto¡ªno one other than Bishop Rietto would have been able to demonstrate such an ability in Hiveden in the first ce.


    Juan didn¡¯t feel at ease after hearing about Rietto¡¯s death since he was the one who aided Juan¡¯s victory, not to mention that Juan had suspicions about his death.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to look into his deathter,¡± Juan muttered.


    ¡°But Anya¡­ Why are you trying to make up a fake story like that?¡± Kamil asked.


    ¡°Because the Imperial Army wille,¡± Anya answered.


    Kamil nodded her head as if she had immediately understood Anya¡¯s intention.


    ¡°Although the responsibility of the Order of the White Crow lies with the Church, the empire¡¯s administration will interfere as the Laus Mountain Scouts and Hiveden have suffered severe damage. Not only the Church but the Imperial Army wille to inspect the situation. So let¡¯s make all this the Church¡¯s problem by using Ethan and Rietto when the timees,¡± Anya exined.


    ¡°They would be the empire¡¯s heroes. I personally don¡¯t mind going with the story, but there must be testimonies from other people as well,¡± Kamil said.


    ¡°But those testimonies won¡¯t be as powerful as the testimony of the former Deputy of the Order of the White Crow. And I¡¯m sure there isn¡¯t anyone who saw everything up close.¡±


    ¡°Is the Order of Huggin okay with the n? Even if we make a hero out of the captain of the enemy?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t mind,¡± Anya, who became the new captain of the Order of Huginn, cheerfully replied.


    ¡°I know this because I¡¯ve already died once, but one of the most meaningless things in the world is painting someone¡¯s grave with gold. I bet the Order of Huggin won¡¯t care about Ethan being praised as a hero as long as they no longer suffer from the damage,¡± Juan smiled.


    Kamil flinched once again as she looked at Juan who was saying that he had ¡®already died once.¡¯ Anyone could tell that hisment implied that he was the emperor. There were many things that Kamil wished to ask and say to Juan, but doing so would be no different from acknowledging him as the emperor. Kamil shut her mouth as she was still unsure about everything, and brought up another topic instead.


    ¡°...But is all this really necessary? Why can¡¯t we just say that you defeated Nigrato and reveal that you are the hero who saved Hiveden?¡±


    <i>¡®And dere that His Majesty has returned to thisnd in the empire?¡¯</i>


    Kamil swallowed her words with difficulty, as she knew that she would no longer be able to deny the fact that Juan really was the emperor if she did make such a bold move.


    Kamil remained silent for a long time with her eyes lowered after she uttered her words. However, she lifted her head again when she didn¡¯t hear any replies even after some time had passed. Upon looking up, she found Juan and Anya staring at her.


    ¡°Kamil. That¡¯s a rumor that has already been spread far and wide,¡± Anya said.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡±


    ¡°The rumor had spread even before the Order of Huginn could do anything about it, to the point that it couldn¡¯t be stopped. The whole point of us suggesting to have Ethan shoulder everything is to confuse the Church. In fact, we have already thought of our next n in response to what might happen afterward,¡± Anyaughed yfully. ¡°Although that far future has yet to arrive.¡±


    ***


    Juan, Anya and Kamil sorted out the immediate matter, and their meeting moved on to the next issue that needed to be addressed.


    ¡°Who do you think wille from the Imperial Army?¡± Anya asked.


    ¡°Perhaps the Church will send a Bishop since this incident is a pretty big deal. Since most things have been sorted out already, maybe a high-ranked official from a knight order or the army wille by themselves rather than sending the whole army here¡­¡± Kamil said.


    ¡°So someone like Barth Baltic?¡±


    Both Anya and Kamil¡¯s gazes turned to Juan upon hearing his question. Their eyes expressed a hint of surprise, perplexity, and confusion as if they wanted to know why he had mentioned Barth Baltic¡¯s name.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way the Regent woulde,¡± Kamil answered.


    ¡°I agree. I am quite surprised that you expect the Regent toe.¡±


    Anya and Kamil looked surprised, but it was Juan who was even more confused to see their reaction. Juan thought that if he had the choice of who to send, he would send at least the Regent topletely get rid of the trail left by the death of a god.


    ¡°The Regent is the current head of the empire. He is the Regent¡ªeven if he doesn¡¯t wear a crown, he still holds the same status as His Majesty. There¡¯s no way someone like him woulde to just clean up this mess,¡± Anya exined.


    <i>¡®Ah¡­ of course.¡¯</i>


    Upon hearing Anya¡¯s exnation, Juan realized that they held a different point of view from him. They didn¡¯t know how hardy a god¡¯s life was, nor did they know how dangerous the gods are. Although they had seen the god of death in real life, they saw him die as soon as he appeared.


    On the other hand, Juan had seen and fought gods who exterminated entire races. When fighting against and killing gods, Juan had to act as if he even hated the dust sitting on the chopped-up pieces of their bodies.


    However, Anya and Kamil didn¡¯t know all this; it was only natural for them to think that a high-ranked official wouldn''t move for such an incident.


    ¡°...Maybe it¡¯s for the best,¡± Juan muttered.


    Juan hoped they would never have to know all this, as it would be hard for anyone to remain sane once they learned the terror of gods.


    ¡°Juan?¡±


    ¡°Nevermind. I thought that if Barth Baltic was still the same man as my memory, he mighte himself. He¡¯ll probably send the most powerful person within the Imperial Army if he decides not toe. Is there anyone else who holds a high rank that you can think of?¡±


    ¡°Hm. The strongest person is of course the Regent Barth Baltic, but¡­¡±


    Juan had no doubt about Anya¡¯s words. Barth Baltic was powerful enough to be called the empire¡¯s number two even in the past when Juan had ruled the empire. Besides, Barth was a member of the Hornsluine race, which was known as a race that did not weaken even with age; there was a possibility that he might have be even stronger than he was in the past.


    ¡°How strong is Barth?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not too sure because I¡¯ve only seen the Regent on the tform. Actually, the Church and the Imperial Army rarely interact with each other. Wouldn¡¯t the Order of Huggin know more about him?¡±


    Anya shook her head at Kamil¡¯s question.


    ¡°It¡¯s also hard for us to confidently say we know more about him. Sir Ras Raud and the Order of Huginn did try to assassinate him in the past, but¡­ we had to escape without being able to leave a single scar on his body, even when we hade up with a thorough n. And that was from just Barth Baltic alone. Sir Ras Raud was very frustrated because of him.¡±


    Anya made a gloomy face as she mentioned Ras¡¯ name. It was clear that Ras had been rtively stronger at that timepared to now.


    If Ras hadn¡¯t been a match for Barth even when he had epted Nigrato¡¯s essence, Juan felt that Barth was even stronger than in the past.


    ¡°Who¡¯s the next strongest?¡±


    ¡°I think that would have to be General Nienna Nelben of the Order of Penlil, although she¡¯s not well known,¡± Kamil answered.


    Anya nced at Juan.


    His Majesty had four adopted children; Gerard Gain, Nienna Nelben, Dismas Dilver and Ras Raud. Among them, Nienna Nelben was the second child. Juan held no objection to Nienna being considered as the second strongest in the empire, as she was already strong before Juan even taught her after adopting her when she was five years old.


    ¡°Nienna won¡¯te. I can¡¯t imagine that kid leaving the Northern Front line unattended over an incident like this,¡± Juan said.


    Nienna had been fighting the monsters from the Crack ever since she had the strength to hold a sword, and she silently remained in the coldnd of the north even during the time when the emperor had been active all over the empire. It was even said that the people of the north were more loyal to Nienna rather than the empire. Above all, Nienna didn¡¯t get along very well with Barth.


    ¡°What about the third strongest?¡±


    ¡°Captain Pavan Peltere of the Order of the Capital.¡±


    ¡°That would be Lenly Loen of the Imperial Guards.¡±


    Anya and Kamil answered Juan¡¯s question at the same time, and their gaze turned toward each other with curiosity.


    ¡°What? How can the Captain of the Imperial Guards be ranked third? He is way over the hill.¡±


    ¡°Anya, it seems that you think too highly of Sir Pavan. He would be fifth or sixth at most. There are lots of captains of the knight orders that are as good as him, and¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough,¡± Juan said.


    Two knights were busy arguing over who was stronger than whom in the empire. Juan signaled Anya with his eyes to speak first.


    ¡°Pavan is the Captain of the Order of the Capital who directly works for Barth Baltic. There¡¯s no way he is weak,¡± Anya answered triumphantly.


    ¡°It would be more urate to say that he is the loudest barking dog of the Regent Barth Baltic,¡± Kamil derided.


    ¡°...I guess the Church doesn¡¯t seem to be on good terms with the Imperial Army,¡± Juan said.


    ¡°The Temrs are His Majesty¡¯s fists and spears. How strong can the army and the military officers bepared to us? And they make all kinds of fuss when we try to exercise our rights.¡±


    The Church and the Imperial Army often shed over who had the right tomand the other¡ªjust like the time the Order of the White Crow conscripted the Laus Mountain Scouts.


    Although the Imperial Guard held a negative view of the Church, they couldn¡¯t publicly rebel against them since the Church had a stronger influence within the empire. It was only natural for the knight orders and military officers who made decisions during times of war to be hostile to each other.


    ¡°What¡¯s Lenly Loen like?¡±


    Anya waved her hand at Juan¡¯s question.


    ¡°You don¡¯t even want to know. The honorable Imperial Guards of the past scattered into pieces a long time ago. The current Imperial Guards are the servants that manage and clean the eternal throne. It¡¯s basically the tomb cleaners,¡± Anya exined.


    ¡°I have to agree with Anya on this one. Although there is no question that it¡¯s an honorable position, the Imperial Guards that failed to protect His Majesty hold no value. After the incident of His Majesty¡¯s assassination, the Imperial Guards hold only a title and no status. Now the Imperial Guards is a gathering ce for people who are destined to never be sessful. But Lenley Loen isn¡¯t a person who should be treated that way.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    ¡°Lenly was a genius who was supposed to be the next captain of the knight order he was in ever since he was appointed as a Temr. But for some reason, he went off his highway to sess and joined the Imperial Guards. There¡¯s also a story that he had a conflict with the Pope. He could have still rejoined the knight order if he had begged for forgiveness since he was an excellent knight, but he ended up applying for the Imperial Guards. The rumors say that he is one of the few who reached the fourth stage of Baltic Sword in the empire.¡±


    ¡°Stage of Baltic Sword?¡± Anya asked with curiosity.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing official, nor something to talk about in public. It basically quantifies the stages of the Baltic Sword. Because the exquisite principle of swordsmanship left by His Majesty is so mesmerizing, it gives amazing power to those who perform the stages of swordsmanship step by step.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I think I¡¯ve heard of that. I was told that training the Baltic Sword to the extreme allows for magical effects; one¡¯s movements be a cast, and the sword bes the mana and magic itself. One of the senior knights of the Order of Huginn told me the same thing.¡±


    ¡°If stage one is at the level of an ordinary knight, stage two is at the level of putting spirits into a sword¡ªmost Temrs including myself are at this stage. There is a female knight named Sina, and I believe she is at the beginning of entering stage two. Stage three is at the level of using the sword with several times the power and speed of ordinary people. Captain Ethan Etil was at stage three.¡±


    ¡°Interesting,¡± Juan muttered.


    ¡°In general, it is said that no ordinary human could be your match once you reach stage three. From the fourth stage, well¡ªyou can barely find anyone at that stage. Rumor has it that stage four has a visible effect beyond something physical. It really bes magic, and Lenly Loen is at stage four at the very least.¡±


    Kamil looked as if she was proud of being a Temr just like Lenly had been.


    Juan made an odd face at Kamil¡¯s story. The Baltic Sword certainly could turn a movement into a cast itself and give a magical effect, and it was also true that it had been quantified as stages. However, just because one reached a higher stage than the opponent didn¡¯t mean he was stronger. While it was true that training in the Baltic Sword allowed for useful effects at higher and higher stages, Juan didn¡¯t think it was a factor that determined victory in a battle.


    Juan wondered if the fourth stage was worth praising like that. Juan assumed that the overall levels and skills of the knights had fallen over time.


    ¡®<i>How many stages did I make?</i>¡¯


    The standard of the highest stage was the limit reached by Juan. After all, Juan¡¯s current skills and abilities itself was the limitation of the Baltic Sword.


    <i>¡®...Hmm.¡¯</i>


    Juan had a number in his head, but he didn¡¯t want to excite Kamil by speaking it out loud. Until now, Juan couldn¡¯t properly perform his swordsmanship due to his size being too small. But things ought to be different now that his body had grown to the size of an adult.


    ¡®<i>I need to get used to my new body since it¡¯s different in many ways from my heyday anyway.</i>¡¯


    Instead of talking about the stage he had reached, Juan decided to return to the topic he had been talking about.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think he would being either,¡± Juan said.


    ¡°Sorry? Oh, yes. Of course, he wouldn¡¯t. The Imperial Guards are forbidden to even leave the holy city of Torra where the eternal throne is located, ever since the incident of His Majesty¡¯s assassination. As far as I know, If anyone vites this, their fellowrades from the Imperial Guards behead the vitor,¡± Kamil exined.


    ¡°Weren¡¯t we talking about who out of the strongest men in the empire might show up to Hiveden?¡±


    ¡°...Oh, right.¡±


    <i>¡®Damn knights.¡¯</i>


    ¡°Then Pavan Peltere of the Order of the Capital is the most likely toe. Besides, he is Barth¡¯s henchman,¡± Anya said triumphantly as if she had won against Kamil.


    Juan grinned and rested his chin on his hand, as he recalled something upon hearing Anya and Kamil¡¯s conversation.


    ¡°Maybe we don¡¯t have to wait for them toe.¡±


    ¡°Sorry?¡±


    ¡°Although it was only for a short moment, I was empowered by being connected directly to my original body as the emperor during my fight with Nigrato. Since then, I¡¯ve been feeling that I am very weakly bonded to my original body. While it''s not a bond strong enough to share strength, I think I could still exert somewhat of an influence.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I mean that maybe I can connect to my original body and do something¡ªwe find them first before they find us.¡±

 Chapter 71 – The Emperor Has Appeared (1)

    <h4>Chapter 71 ¨C The Emperor Has Appeared (1)</h4>


    The pub called the ¡®Bastard¡¯s Pocket¡¯ was not just a ce to drink. It was also a ce where smugglers and fencers actively gathered. Now that Hiveden¡¯s order hadpletely copsed due to the recent situations, the smugglers and fencers were enjoying unusual prosperity. As lots of people involved in managing the city had died, the smugglers and fencers began to sell out the items they had been hiding.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think that merchants who took advantage of the chaos after a disaster would be weed,¡± Juan said.


    ¡°No. The profits earned here will all be used for the reconstruction of Hiveden,¡± Opert, the head of the smugglers, answered as if there were no problems. ¡°The fencers and smugglers are all moving under themands of the Order of Huginn. Other members of the organizations have also quit and be obedient, so we are able to control everything with ease. Oh, by the way¡ªdidn¡¯t you say that you were looking for something?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m looking for items that are required to transfer my spirit to a different body,¡± Juan nodded.


    ¡°To transfer¡­your spirit?¡± Opert asked with a perplexed look.


    ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s possible for me to do it with my own power, so I¡¯m going to need some tools for help,¡± Juan said as he handed over the paper that had the required tools and ingredients written on.


    Opert took the paper from Juan¡¯s hand, but still had a worried expression on his face.


    ¡°Is it too difficult to get these ready? I only wrote down things that would be easy to get.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not that. But¡­¡±


    At a time like this when the whole city of Hiveden was busy with reconstruction work, Opert had a tremendous amount of tasks to take care of as the head of the smugglers. Nevertheless, he couldn¡¯t turn down Juan¡¯s request, who saved everyone¡¯s lives¡ªwhat Opert was worried about was something else entirely.


    ¡°I¡¯m the head of the smugglers, but I¡¯m also a schr belonging to the magic tower. I¡¯ve only read about transferring spirits, but I know how dangerous and difficult it is.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just an ordinary transfer of spirit,¡± Juan grinned as he spoke. ¡°I¡¯m trying to return to my original body.¡±


    ¡°Original body¡­ t-then are you really¡­¡±


    Opert couldn¡¯t finish his sentence as he was shocked. Opert had already been told by Anya that Juan was the emperor who had returned. However, Opert still found it hard to believe that the young man in front of him was Juan who had been a child until only a few days ago.


    ¡®<i>And he¡¯s the emperor on top of that?</i>¡¯


    Opert was a schr. And as a schr, he had doubts about Anya¡¯s words. Opert felt that there was a great distance between him and His Majesty, who was almost like a god.


    While Opert liked to analyze everything logically, he couldn¡¯t logically analyze the appearance of ¡®the light¡¯ either¡ªhe had only been denying that such light can¡¯t be evidence enough to prove that Juan was the emperor. It was only natural since it wasn¡¯t a matter of simple acknowledgement; it was reasonable for Opert to be suspicious until he could be certain.


    ¡®<i>But what if Juan¡¯s spirit really went inside His Majesty¡¯s body?</i>¡¯


    If Juan really was the emperor, it would be a historical event for the empire; however, if Juan wasn¡¯t the emperor, there would be nothing more impious. Opert wondered if transferring Juan¡¯s spirit to the emperor¡¯s body was even possible.


    ¡°I-I think it would be difficult. Anyone who has any knowledge on how to transfer their spirit would¡¯ve thought of putting it into action. But I¡¯ve never heard of it being sessful. Furthermore, His Majesty¡¯s body is in an iplete state. Who knows what will happen if¡­¡±


    ¡°No, it is possible. When I extinguished Nigrato, the emperor¡¯s power was directly connected to me, and it left a very weak connection between the two bodies. But the connection is slowly getting weaker, and I don¡¯t know when it will disappear. But, I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be too hard as long as I still have this connection.¡±


    ¡°T-then¡­ do you know how to transfer a spirit?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve done it a few times.¡±


    Opert¡¯s eyes widened at Juan¡¯s words. One of the consequences of the Church¡¯s monopoly of magic was that they had confiscated all the books in the library from the magic tower. In particr, any books rted to the transfer of spirits were seized more strictly as they were considered impious. But a young man who was suspected to be the emperor was telling Opert that he had transferred spirits before.


    ¡°I-I heard that transferring a spirit is very dangerous.¡±


    ¡°It is dangerous. But I don¡¯t think there will be much danger. Besides, I¡¯m confident with magic. But, I do think it would be too much for me to handle all by myself. What do you think?¡±


    Opert¡¯s contemtion didn¡¯tst long. He was a schr. He was certain that this would be his first andst chance of seeing some transferring their spirit to His Majesty¡¯s body. Opert dly epted Juan¡¯s request.


    ***


    A wreath woven with mistletoe branches was ced atop the Priestess¡¯s head. The Priestess dressed in a translucent silkce clothing in the middle of a small dark room trembled as if she was afraid. Such a reaction was only natural, since the person who smashed her head to pieces was standing right in front of her eyes.


    Helmut was satisfied with the Priestess¡¯s reaction; he wanted her to be afraid and submissive¡ªit was exactly what he wanted from the next Saintess.


    The incident of the former Saintess cutting off her own tongue had further stirred up the atmosphere of the holy city of Torra, which had already been chaotic. While dark rumors continuously spread from the south, an ominous incident urred on top of that. Due to such reasons, all the women who wanted to be the Saintess had disappeared, making the matters worse. Helmut no longer wanted such an unexpected situation to ur again.


    ¡°Is it true that you haven¡¯t been granted any Grace at all?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes. Yes¡­¡±


    Helmut smiled contentedly. Even he felt that it was strange that he appointed a girl whom he had beaten to death as the Saintess, but it also meant that she was a safe choice, since she had no abilities. Furthermore, Helmut was certain that she wouldn¡¯t act unexpectedly, considering how afraid she was of him. Helmut was content with his choice.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go. It¡¯s almost time.¡±


    The Priestess stood up with an uneasy expression. When Helmut was about to exit the room while holding the Priestess¡¯s hand, he felt that her hand was wet with sweat.


    ¡°You¡­ no, what¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°I-it¡¯s Ivy Isildin, Your Holiness.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Miss Ivy. Don¡¯t look too intimidated. And stop being so nervous. A Saintess¡¯ status is on the same level as the captain of the knight order. There is absolutely no reason for you to look like you are about to die like that.¡±


    ¡°Ugh. Y-yes, Your Holiness.¡±


    ¡°Answer only once. And smile.¡±


    ¡°...Yes, Your Holiness.¡±


    Ivy pulled her lips by force to smile. Helmut clicked his tongue at Ivy, then led her outside the room.


    When the door opened, a hall with thick and magnificent white pirs appeared. A ray of light poured majestically from the ceiling and shone on the altar. In front of the altar were countless people who were waiting to greet the new Saintess.


    While struggling to move her feet as if every step was painful, Ivy noticed red traces in the cracks of the bricks on the altar; she was about to stand in the same ce where the former Saintess cut off her own tongue and sprayed blood. Ivy almost copsed to the floor with goosebumps all over her body, but Helmut quickly grabbed her arm.


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you once again if you don¡¯t do this properly.¡±


    Ivy was about to burst into tears at any moment, but she forced her legs to stand strong and barely stood on the altar. Upon standing on the altar, Ivy saw arge crowd looking at her. It wasn¡¯t a small room, but the people who gathered topletely fill the room were all either celebrities, nobles, or Priests. The two knights who stood right beside Ivy were the captains of the Order of the White Lotus and the Order of the ck Cross, which were known to be the Church¡¯s wings.


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±


    Only then did Ivy realize the weight of the position she was going to bear. Although she was nothing but the Pope¡¯s puppet, the Saintess¡¯ prophecies were the words that were directly rted to the Church¡¯s policy and had the power to shake countless people.


    Helmut thought it would be better to end the ceremony as quickly as possible upon seeing Ivy breathing heavily with anxiety. Ivy didn¡¯t even know the process of the ceremony, but she was led by the Priest beside her and spoke when she was told to.


    .


    Many of the nobles in the crowd yawned and chatted during the boring ceremony. The ceremonysted a long time, but Ivy felt like everything happened in a short second. Ivy began to feel like she was somehow getting farther away from her true self.


    At thest part of the ceremony, Helmut poured some wine into the ss and made Ivy drink it. Ivy obediently cleared a ss, and Helmut finally dered the end of the ceremony.


    ¡°With this, I dere that a new Saintess has been born in the empire. Your Majesty, please lead us.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, please lead us.¡±


    The people that filled the hall all simultaneously reiterated the Pope¡¯s prayer and blessed the birth of a new Saintess.


    Helmut was relieved that the ceremony was concluded without any mistakes. Although Ivy was nervous and absent-minded, she wasn¡¯t too bad for an improvised Saintess.


    ¡°Well done. You can go and rest once you finish reciting the prayer of loyalty,¡± Helmut whispered in Ivy''s ear.


    However, Ivy dropped her head and didn¡¯t move an inch.


    The crowd began to buzz as the Saintess remained still without doing anything, and Helmut strongly pulled Ivy¡¯s arm in panic.


    At that moment, Ivy shook off his hand.


    ¡°What are you¡­¡±


    When Helmut¡¯s eyes met with Ivy, he instantly froze.


    Ivy¡¯s beautiful eyes were no longer green, but they were pitch ck like ink. Ivy wasn¡¯t trembling anymore, and not a single shred of fear could be found on her face unlike a moment ago. To be exact, she lookedpletely indifferent toward everything.


    Ivy walked past Helmut as if he didn¡¯t even exist. Ivy stood upright on the altar, and her atmosphere hadpletely changed. The crowd was surprised to see the Saintess act so strangely when she had been timid and appeared a little scared just a moment ago.


    Then, a loud voice that echoed throughout the entire hall burst out of Ivy¡¯s mouth.


    ***


    Juan felt strange.


    With the help of Opert, Juan had been trying to transfer his spirit to his original body using the weak connection that connected his bodies together. Juan had anticipated that he might be able to take a look at the condition he was in, although it would be hard topletely take over his original body.


    However, Juan¡¯s soul entered a woman¡¯s body before it could connect to his original body. It was an unexpected situation.


    <i>¡®I don¡¯t think this woman has anything to do with me.¡¯</i>


    Juan noticed the countless numbers of nobles, Priests, and knights under therge and magnificent altar; but he didn¡¯t know of a woman so famous that she would receive so much attention from such a crowd.


    Then, someone next to him dered in a loud voice.


    ¡°With this, I dere that a new Saintess has been born in the empire.¡±


    <i>¡®A Saintess?¡¯</i>


    It was a position Juan had heard of. Juan was told by Anya that the Pope distorted the emperor¡¯s teachings andmands as he pleased by manipting the Saintess.


    <i>¡®He dares to distort and manipte my teachings andmands?¡¯</i>


    Juan looked at the face of the man who grabbed his arm. The man had a face that resembled a sneaky rat. Juan thought that he had seen the man somewhere before, but figured that the man hadn¡¯t held an important status¡ªif he had been in an important position, Juan wouldn¡¯t have forgotten his face.


    Juanpletely ignored the man as he thought the man was not worth paying attention to. Juan walked past the man and stood on the altar. He decided to show the crowd what the real emperor¡¯s teachings andmands were.


    ¡°I, Juan Calberg Kennosis, pass down a message through this body.¡±

 Chapter 72 – The Emperor Has Appeared (2)

    <h4>Chapter 72 ¨C The Emperor Has Appeared (2)</h4>


    Ivy copsed to the floor as if she had fainted as soon as she finished her prophecy.


    However, no one in the hall could move a muscle, and no one went to help her stand. Everyone was too stunned by what had just happened, and Helmut waspletely frozen in his seat.


    There was no one who could understand what had just happened. The prophecy, or rather the oracle, which the Saintess had recited was short. Since it was only about past events rather than the future, it was hard to call it a prophecy. In short, His Majesty conveyed the message that ¡®an evil god had appeared in Hiveden and had been defeated by himself.¡¯ No one was surprised about this part; the rumors had already spread. But the Saintess continued and said a few more words directly to the Pope. The message said that ¡®the emperor is watching.¡¯


    Everyone in the hall wondered what His Majesty meant by telling the Pope that His Majesty was watching him. With the entire hall engulfed in silence, the only thing that could be heard were quiet whispers like the sound of falling leaves.


    At that moment, a pping sound suddenly came from somewhere in the hall. One of the nobles stood up with an admiring expression and pped his hands. The apuse soon spread like mes throughout the hall.


    ¡°Our Saintess!¡±


    ¡°Glory to His Majesty!¡±


    Helmut looked around the hall with a dumbfounded face, then soon realized what these idiots were thinking about what had just happened; they believed that the incident was nothing more than a performance to celebrate the birth of a new Saintess.


    The prophecy saying that His Majesty had appeared to kill the evil god and is watching his proxy sounded like a well put on show for the ceremony. To relieve the tension in the hall, the nobles quickly pped. Although the nobles only considered it a show, they judged that themon civilians would be busy praising the new Saintess and the Pope¡ªat least the pping nobles believed so.


    However, those who had been bestowed with His Majesty¡¯s Grace had a different reaction from the nobles.


    Helmut could tell what had just happened was definitely real from looking at the Priests who had been exchanging nces as well as the Temrs and captains of the knight orders who were greatly agitated.


    In fact, Helmut himself was more aware than anyone else that everything that happened was real. The Saintess had given a ¡®real oracle.¡¯


    Of course, it wasn¡¯t the first time for a Saintess to give a real oracle. But unlike in the past when only ambiguous and confusing words had been recited, it was the first time the oracle expressed a clear intention.


    Helmut¡¯s heart was beating like crazy.


    <i>¡®What¡¯s about to happen? Is His Majesty reallying back or what?¡¯</i>


    Ivy, who had copsed and fainted on the floor btedly woke up to the sound of apuse. Ivy was perplexed to see the crowd apuding her with admiration. While everyone was celebrating the birth of a new Saintess, Helmut had no choice but to bite his lips as he stared at Ivy.


    ***


    As soon as Juan cut off the connection with the Saintess, he spurted out blood from his mouth. Blood sprayed over the magic tools organized to help Juan¡¯s ritual of transferring his spirit.


    ¡°Juan!¡±


    Anya quickly supported Juan and helped him spit out the rest of the blood. His blood had turned ck, and it seemed like he had severe internal injuries. After a long while, Juan managed to barely regain some strength. Juan''s face was pale, but he seemed to be in a good mood.


    ¡°Are you okay? You looked like you were in bad condition throughout the whole ritual,¡± Anya said.


    ¡°It¡¯s not as easy as I thought it would be,¡± Juan answered.


    Juan suffered from damage when he hadn¡¯t even returned to his original body, and only used the Saintess¡¯ body as an intermediate medium to speak. Juan had expected his body to be able to endure it since he had grown from a child¡¯s body, but it seemed like it might take a long time to get used to his new body.


    Although he failed to return to his original body, finding out that it was possible to connect to the Saintess¡¯ body to move and talk was a great achievement alone.


    <i>¡®What I want to know is why is the Saintess involved?¡¯</i>


    It was unknown whether there were other barriers that blocked Juan from connecting to his original body, but he was hopeful for now.


    ¡°Anyway, we should be happy with our achievement. The emperor dered that he was the one who killed the evil god of Hiveden with his own voice using the body of the Saintess, who is known to be ¡®the emperor¡¯s mouth.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Wow¡­ I can¡¯t believe that you really seeded. But do you think people will believe that?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if they believe it or not. The Church will have no choice but to act like they believe it. At least they won¡¯t barge into Hiveden and interrogate about the recent incident. They would look like theycked faith in their own beliefs if they did.¡±


    ¡°As expected! You are amazing, Juan!¡± Anya said as she hugged Juan tightly, not caring about being covered in his blood.


    Juan pushed Anya away and made eye contact with Opert, who had been assisting him in his ritual to transfer his spirit. Unlike Anya who had only learned the practical side of magic, as a schr, Opert knew exactly which magic Juan used. The way Juan handled and delicately controlled his mana, recited spells and made use of various magical items were excellent enough to be the textbook for magicians to refer to.


    Opert inadvertently recalled an old story¡ªthe god of magic was the Mana God Manenen McLeir, and his remains were buried beneath the magic tower even now, and His Majesty had absorbed Mananen McLeir¡¯s heart. Opert thought that it would be reasonable to refer to His Majesty as the Mana God.


    ¡®<i>Is he actually the emperor himself?¡¯</i>


    If anyone saw the way Juan performed magic, they would have no choice but to acknowledge that he was indeed the emperor. Furthermore, Juan didn¡¯t simply control the consciousness of the medium; he was also able to make them move.


    Opert suddenly felt a chill. He couldn¡¯t even imagine how powerful Juan would be once he began to actively use the magic of spirit transfer.


    ¡°Opert.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh, yes!¡±


    Juan wiped the blood around his mouth and stood up.


    ¡°I have something to discuss with you privately. You¡¯re the only person I can talk to about this right now since this was my first time doing this as well. Could you help me?¡±


    When Juan reached out his hand, Opert nkly stared at his hand.


    ¡®<i>Someone who is no different from the god of magic is in need of my knowledge?¡¯</i>


    Opert¡¯s previous concerns about Juan¡¯s overwhelming power immediately left his mind. Opert decided to disregard his own concerns of Juan abusing his power for wrong intentions¡ªit was more important to Opert that the flow and distribution of knowledge that had been halted ever since the start of the eternal rule began to flow once again.


    ¡°I¡¯d be more than happy to help!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re eager to help all of a sudden. It¡¯s nothing too serious, but my spirit got transferred to the Saintess¡¯ body instead of my original body during the ritual. It felt as if I was blocked from connecting to my body. I¡¯m not sure what happened because I¡¯ve never heard of such a case before. Do you know anything about it?¡±


    ¡°The Saintess you say¡­ Hm, I¡¯m not too sure either. I don¡¯t have much knowledge about spirit transfer, but it is possible that the Church did something to intervene. The existence known as the ¡®Saintess¡¯ only appeared after the start of the eternal rule anyway. If the Pope really did do something, then maybe¡­¡±


    Opert suddenly stopped moving.


    ¡°Maybe he put a barrier of some sort on His Majesty¡¯s body.¡±


    ¡°A barrier?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°Yes. A Saintess would function as the barrier to prevent anything other than pure power from entering His Majesty¡¯s body. It could be a good thing since it can prevent evil spirits from entering or controlling His Majesty¡¯s body. But if there was a negative intention¡­¡±


    Opert¡¯s eyes nced at Juan.


    ¡°It could be that the Pope is trying to stop His Majesty¡¯s soul from returning to his own body.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a possibility.¡±


    Juan recalled the scene he saw and felt through Ivy¡¯s body¡ªa scene where countless nobles and Priests watched the appearance of a new Saintess while they held their breath. If the Pope had been using Saintesses as barriers, Ivy¡¯s existence was likely to be decently significant within the Church. Juan wondered what would happen if she broke free from the Pope¡¯s control.


    ¡°Hm. What do you think will happen if I broke through the barrier by force?¡±


    ¡°It will definitely be risky. She might die. But the bigger problem is that the barrier might not break even if the Saintess dies. In the worst case scenario, that weak connection you have between your body and His Majesty¡¯s body might end up breaking.¡±


    ¡°So what should we do?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we practice and get your body used to the ritual while maintaining the weak connection for as long as possible? Maybe we¡¯ll find a way once we get used to the magic of spirit transfer.¡±


    ¡°Alright. It seems like that¡¯s our only way.¡±


    ***


    Helmut lit an incense after washing his face. As the scent of the incense filled the room, Helmut felt dizzy and his body loosened. He had often used this type of incense when he was still young.


    The Priests were worried that the incense would paralyze the brain and cause addiction, but Helmut thought it was much better than washing his face every thirty minutes.


    Helmut¡¯s obsessivepulsion had subsided, but since a few days ago when he appointed the new Saintess, the symptoms had returned. He still couldn¡¯t forget the voice that echoed out of the Saintess¡¯ body which resounded through the entire hall. That voice wasn¡¯t one that belonged to a woman. Although it sounded young, it was definitely a man¡¯s voice.


    ¡®<i>That wasn¡¯t His Majesty¡¯s voice.¡¯</i>


    Helmut had met His Majesty in person before, and he remembered His Majesty¡¯s voice, atmosphere, and ent that resonated on the battlefield with his whole body. Because of that reason, Helmut couldn¡¯t be sure whether or not the voice belonged to His Majesty. The words that Ivy shouted seemed to be His Majesty¡¯s voice, but at the same time, it was the voice of someonepletely different. Helmut felt more and more confused.


    ¡°Hey, you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, your Holiness.¡±


    The new Priestess who had been standing in a tense position answered Helmut while she straightened her back.


    ¡°Bring me the Saintess.¡±


    ¡°At¡­ this hour, Your Holiness?¡±


    It was in the middle of the night, when the sun had not even risen yet. It was clear that the Saintess would be still asleep as it was too early for a dawn prayer.


    However, Helmut didn¡¯t repeat hismand. He directly picked up the wash basin and threw it at the Priestess. The wash basin missed the Priestess and crashed into a wall and shattered into pieces. The Priestess didn¡¯t hesitate to hastily run out of the room to call for the Saintess.


    Helmut chewed his fingernails while waiting for Ivy. He didn¡¯t know what to do about the situation¡ªstories about Ivy¡¯s ceremony had already spread throughout the holy city of Torra, and even the nobles were fond of Ivy, who seemed in but extraordinary. It was only natural since she spoke on His Majesty¡¯s behalf from her first appointment ceremony. While not a lot of people seriously believed that the prophecy that she had recited was real, everyone was fond of her anyway.


    The bigger problem was the rumors that had been spreading within the Church. Although Helmut was making sure that no one spoke of it, the Priests and Knights were clearly agitated. Even the captain of the Order of the White Lotus, who used to look down on the Saintess, bowed his head politely in front of her after that incident.


    ¡°Shit, shit, shit¡­¡±


    Helmut was ced in a situation where he couldn¡¯t do anything. A Saintess who was liked and respected by people was not suitable to be a puppet that Helmut could control ording to his wishes.


    At that moment, Helmut heard a knock.


    ¡°Come in!¡±


    The door opened, and Ivy carefully entered the room with a scared expression. She was only wearing a jacket on top of her pajamas as if she had run to Helmut¡¯s room as soon as she woke up.


    Helmut felt like he was going crazy¡ªIvy¡¯s reaction was exactly the one he wanted from a Saintess. However, that silly coward had now be the most dangerous bomb stuck in Helmut¡¯s hand.


    Helmut beckoned her toe near him, and Ivy made a timid face at Helmut¡¯s ferocious eyes. Ivy slowly approached Helmut with cautious steps.


    Helmut suppressed his boiling anger and beckoned.


    ¡°...Make yourselffortable and sit down. How have you been recently?¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯ve been still adjusting, Your Holiness.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be too nervous and feel free to tell me everything. Things must have changed a lot from before when you had only been a Priestess. The position of the Saintess is an honorable one. It¡¯s normally a position that someone with a low status such as yourself couldn¡¯t even hope to reach in an entire lifetime.¡±


    Ivy had no choice but to sit down on the couch and undergo Helmut¡¯s interrogation. Ivy was forced to answer Helmut¡¯s persistent questions.


    ¡°I definitely feel that the way other people treat me has changed after I became the Saintess. I feel strange seeing my fellow Priests, who used to be my friends and the Temrs who used to ignore me, lower their bodies to bow down to me¡­¡±


    Helmut gritted his teeth at her words. Not being able to notice, Ivy continued her words.


    ¡°Oh, and¡­ I¡¯ve been forgetting things a lot more frequently, like the time I lost my memory during the ceremony. Did my predecessors go through the same thing by any chance?¡±

 Chapter 73 – The Emperor Has Appeared (3)

    <h4>Chapter 73 ¨C The Emperor Has Appeared (3)</h4>


    Helmut¡¯s eyes widened. When Ivy¡¯s eyes met his, she quickly shut her mouth.


    Helmut¡¯s lip muscles trembled as he thought Ivy was just as dangerous as expected. Ivy¡¯s words meant that there was a high possibility of her acting unpredictably.


    If Helmut left the situation as it stood, it would only be a matter of time before Ivy escaped from his control and created a new opposition force. Ivy had already proved her extraordinariness from the start, and word about her was bound to spread even further. Furthermore, Helmut couldn¡¯t disregard the fact that the Church had been disobeying the guidelines set by him more frequently than in the past, just like the time when the Order of the White Crow ignored hismands.


    ¡®<i>No, no. Let¡¯s think about this from a different perspective¡­¡¯</i>


    Helmut wondered whether he should be putting all the me on the Saintess. Considering that it had already been over forty years since he came into power, it would only be natural for his power to be unstable as time passed. Helmut recalled there had always been attempts to shake his authority in the past, and thought that he might be able to use the Saintess as an opportunity.


    ¡®<i>However, that is only possible if I can ensure that she stays by my side.¡¯</i>


    The Pope had a monopoly on His Majesty¡¯s Grace, and had the right to distribute it freely ording to his will. However, there was a limit to the amount of Grace and strength one could hold. Because of this reason, Helmut had to keep the Church in his palm¡ªif he couldn¡¯t get people to be on his side, it couldn¡¯t be said that he held power.


    Within the Church, the Saintess would be the best means to buy the poprity of the public and the respect of the Church at once, not to mention her ability to make prophecies. Although there had been unexpected problems caused by her up until now, Helmut thought that he would be able to control the unpredicted situation if he blocked the Saintess¡¯ contact with the world outside as much as possible.


    Helmut looked down at Ivy, and reached out near her head.


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±


    Ivy flinched as if she was nervous, but Helmut whispered a warning in a low voice.


    ¡°Stay still.¡±


    The Pope controlled all of His Majesty¡¯s Grace. The Pope was powerful enough to revive the dead, and kill thousands at once¡ªit wasn¡¯t too hard for Helmut to manipte a person¡¯s mind. But despite his power, Helmut always had to be cautious around Barth Baltic, which made him infuriated.


    ¡°Tear down the walls you have built inside your heart¡­and ept me.¡±


    Helmut ced his hand on top of Ivy¡¯s head, and he could feel her trembling like a small hamster under his palm. Helmut decided to make her submit to himpletely, such that neither her body nor mind could escape him, and so that she wouldn''t dare to have any other intentions. Helmut used Grace to dominate Ivy¡¯s mind.


    ¡°All of my words andmands are on behalf of His Majesty and represent him.¡±


    Mana spurted from Helmut¡¯s hand and seeped into Ivy¡¯s head without any resistance. The Grace he was using was a dangerous one which could cause memory damage and make one lose their mind if used incorrectly, but it wasn¡¯t Helmut¡¯s first time performing it. Helmut had no doubt that he would seed.


    ¡°...Your Holiness?¡±


    To Helmut¡¯s surprise, Ivy didn¡¯t show any reaction to his use of the Grace. Helmut looked down at Ivy with his mouth agape as he realized that he couldn¡¯t see any sign of mental domination from Ivy. In fact, the mana he sent to her body had leaked out as if he poured water into a cup with a hole.


    ¡°What¡­ but how¡­¡±


    In frustration, Helmut performed the Grace once again without being able to carefully coordinate, but nothing he did worked on Ivy. She only sat still with a frightened look on her face which made Helmut feel as if she wasughing at the Pope¡¯s ability to be able to use all types of Graces.


    ¡°How can this even be possible!¡±


    ¡°Your Holiness, you look unwell¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡±


    Helmut unwittingly pped Ivy¡¯s cheek, and Ivy fell to the floor with a soft scream. Helmut felt both anger and fear at the same time. Helmut had already been frustrated recently due to the fact that no one had been following his orders properly, and now, the appearance of someone who was resistant to His Majesty¡¯s Grace was thest straw that drew Helmut almostpletely insane.


    ¡°Y-your Holiness¡­ Ahhhh!¡±


    ¡°You fucking bitch! Popping out of nowhere and ruining everything!¡±


    Helmut grabbed Ivy by her hair and swung his fist.


    Ivy tried to desperately cover her face, which left bruises on her arms and shoulders.


    The only thought on Helmut¡¯s mind was that he must kill her. Helmut feared that she, who could deliver His Majesty¡¯s words and was resistant against the effects of Grace, could destroy Helmut¡¯s foundation; he didn¡¯t even want to think about what she could do in the future.


    ¡°P-please stop!¡±


    ¡°This seat belongs to me! A trivial bitch like you will never be able to take it away from me!¡±


    Helmut grabbed Ivy¡¯s thin neck with his hand and began to tighten it strongly. Ivy tried to push Helmut off with a painful expression, but he didn¡¯t move a single inch. Although the Grace didn¡¯t work on her, physical pain still seemed to be very effective.


    Ivy struggled desperately, then suddenly grabbed something that had been rolling on the floor with her hand and swung it at Helmut.


    With a dull nging sound, Helmut fell to the floor. Helmut looked at Ivy with a stunned look, and noticed the ashtray gripped in her hand which had been burning the incense up until a moment ago.


    Ivy stepped back with a mixed look of pain and fear on her face, and then hastily ran out of the room.


    ¡°Huh¡­¡± Helmut sighed as he nkly stared at her back.


    Feeling a warm and sticky sensation, he touched his face with his hand to find out that he was covered in ashes and blood¡ªit was the first time he had been beaten by someone ever since he became the Pope.


    It wasn¡¯t long before Helmut realized what he had done; he had tried to kill the highly popr Saintess in his room. No matter how much influence he had in the Church, it was something that could drag him down until the day he died.


    ¡®<i>I¡¯m on the edge of a cliff here.¡¯</i>


    Helmut felt as if he had been driven into a corner which jeopardized his status due to his anxiety. Helmut had a hunch that he could copse at any time if he didn¡¯te to his senses.


    Helmut shouted to call the Priest who was waiting outside the room.


    ¡°...Bring me the ck Priests.¡±


    Upon seeing the wounded Saintess running away from Helmut¡¯s room which turned into a mess, the Priest didn¡¯t ask a single question.


    Helmut lied down on the couch and decided to organize his ns step by step; first, he nned to kill the kid who had been making a fuss in the south. Then he nned to kill the unfaithful traitors of the Order of the White Crow and the remnants of the Order of Huginn. Killing the Saintess who dared to rebel against him was thest on his list.


    Helmut continued to organize his ns in his head, then suddenly smelled a scent of blood from his face. He picked up an ashtray that had his blood on it.


    Soon, the room was once again filled with the smell of incense.


    ***


    Juan slowly opened his eyes. The white steam was loosely wavering, and the temperature of the warm water surrounding his body felt pleasant. When Juan exhaled quietly, a thin nasal sound of a woman came out. Juan raised his hand to see the droplets of water flowing down along the smooth pale hand which didn¡¯t have a single scratch.


    ¡®<i>I guess she was taking a bath this time.¡¯</i>


    Juan had connected to Ivy¡¯s spirit at this moment. It was already his fourth attempt to transfer his spirit to the original body, but he still couldn¡¯t get past the Saintess. The more he attempted to transfer his spirit, the more natural his movements had be.


    Juan tried to return to his body by cutting off the connection with the Saintess like always, but his eyes inadvertently turned to the mirror next to him.


    The Saintess was a bit too skinny, but she had a beautiful face and body as she had been strictly selected to aim for public poprity. However, her appearance under the clothes that Juan saw for the first time didn¡¯t look adequate to be the Saintess.


    ¡®<i>The wounds¡­¡¯</i>


    Juan noticed wounds all over her supposedly smooth naked body, and realized that her eyes were bloodshot red as if she had been crying. Her wounds weren¡¯t severe, but there were bruises all over the sides of her body and shoulders. Juan took a closer look just in case, but there were no signs of any other wounds except those from the beatings. The worst wound on the body was the red bruise on her neck.


    .


    ¡®<i>It seems like someone tried to strangle her. I don¡¯t think it was the assassin though.¡¯</i>


    Rather than the professional work done by assassins, the traces showed that it was an ordinary beating and failure to choke the Saintess. Juan wondered the reason for the Saintess getting beaten, and thought the cause might be what he said at the ceremony.


    ¡®<i>The Pope.¡¯</i>


    Juan made an eerie smile upon recalling the Pope¡¯s greedy face.


    To be honest, Juan wasn¡¯t too fond of the Saintess as she too was nothing more than a person who borrowed his name to gain benefits like any others. However, the fact that the person who delivered his words was beaten for the consequence of doing so was uneptable.


    ¡®<i>I¡¯ll need to do something about it.¡¯</i>


    Juan tried moving her body very slowly. When he first connected with Ivy, her body moved unnaturally as if he had been dreaming. All he could do back then was move her feet and speak, but he felt like he could do more this time.


    Juan wiped off the water with a towel and put on some clothes. Looking in the mirror, the way he dressed the Saintess¡¯ body looked a bit off, but Juan didn¡¯t pay much attention to it.


    Juan decided to move her body a little more while he was connected to Ivy. When Juan opened the bathroom door, he noticed an unfamiliar silhouette sitting on the chair in the middle of a dark room; it was a man wearing a ck Priest¡¯s uniform.


    Juan had a sudden feeling that the person in front of him was a gangster rather than a Priest¡ªhe wasn¡¯t an assassin, but he was someone who hade to threaten the Saintess.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°Saintess. I had been waiting for¡­ I¡¯ll give you some time to arrange your clothes.¡±


    The ck Priest who had been sitting rxedly turned his head upon seeing the Saintess.


    Because the clothes of the Saintess were quite different from the clothes of ordinary people, Juan didn¡¯t know how to wear them properly¡ªin other words, Juan had tossed on some clothes rather than actually wearing them.


    ¡°If you have something to say, tell me quickly and leave. Don¡¯t waste my time.¡±


    Maintaining his spirit inside someone else¡¯s body caused harmful damage to him. Although it was only an internal injury, and he could recover from it by resting for just a day, it wasn¡¯t a pleasant experience.


    The ck Priest cleared his throat and stood up with his face turned away.


    ¡°Neither do you speak like a Saintess, nor do you behave like one. I had heard that you were kind and in.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not in a ce to educate me on etiquette when you¡¯ve snuck into a woman¡¯s room in the middle of the night with the lights turned off.¡±


    ¡°...You speak as if I¡¯m a hooligan of some sort, Saintess. I¡¯ve onlye to deliver a message from His Holiness. ¡®Please consider today¡¯s incident as a light warning.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Warning?¡±


    The ck Priest approached Juan.


    The fact that the ck Priest who was two heads taller than the Saintess was standing within reach in front of her was overwhelming alone. It would only be natural for the Saintess to be in fear since she was alone with the ck Priest in the middle of the night, right after having a bath.


    However, the ck Priest couldn¡¯t read any emotions from her face.


    ¡®<i>...What¡¯s going on?¡¯</i>


    The ck Priest had interrogated, tortured, and even executed many heresy and apostasy suspects until now. He didn¡¯t hesitate in doing all the filthy tasks the Pope wanted done. Even many of the Priests shrunk back from those tasks. As such, the ck Priest was used to controlling people through fear, and could read their emotions with ease. However, he couldn¡¯t feel anything from the Saintess other than shallow annoyance, disgust and irritation. It was an emotion that he never thought she could feel in this environment.


    ¡°So what¡¯s the warning? I¡¯m busy so hurry up.¡±


    ¡°...I wasn¡¯t nning to dirty my hands, but I guess I¡¯m left with no choice.¡±


    nting pain and fear or humiliating someone without leaving any wounds was simple. The ck Priest ran his eyes through the curves of her pale figure exposed under her thin clothes.


    The ck Priest reached his hand toward the slender neck of the Saintess.


    At that moment, the Saintess grabbed the ck Priest¡¯s hand. The ck Priest tilted his head out of curiosity as he btedly noticed the Saintess¡¯ hand reaching out for him. But before he could even feel the soft texture of her hand, he let out a scream due to the pain of his finger bones shattering.


    ¡°Ugh-ahhhhhhhhh!¡±


    The ck Priest toppled down on his knees while he screamed, but his fingers couldn¡¯t escape from the Saintess¡¯ hand. White bones were exposed, as his fingers had beenpletely folded back, while his broken bones nked and bumped into each other whenever the Saintess moved her fingers.


    ¡°Make sure to ask for my permission the next time you wish to visit me during the day, and not in the middle of the night.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, I-I will! P-please¡­!¡±


    Juan dropped the ck Priest¡¯s hand as if he was throwing it away.


    The ck Priest who barely managed to escape tried to crawl out of the room in a haste. However, Juan stopped him before he could.


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    ¡°Keuk, y-yes?¡±


    ¡°You know how to use healing magic, right? Treat my injuries before you leave,¡± Juan said as he held out the Saintess¡¯ broken hand.


    It was only natural that his hand was broken, since he broke the hand of such a strong man with the thin fingers of a girl.


    Nevertheless, not a single shred of pain could be found on the face of the Saintess.


    ¡®<i>Who the hell is she¡­?¡¯</i>


    The ck Priest had to drastically revise his perception of the Saintess. Apart from that, he had to treat the saintess¡¯ fingers while his hand was in terrible pain.

 Chapter 74 – The Emperor Has Appeared (4)

    <h4>Chapter 74 ¨C The Emperor Has Appeared (4)</h4>


    Juan decided to venture out of the Vatican while he was still in possession of the Saintess¡¯ body.


    Theyout of the Vatican was unfamiliar to Juan as it had been constructed only after Juan¡¯s death, but he managed to find his way out somehow.


    The guard was worried for the Saintess¡¯ security as it was still early in the dawn, when the sun had not yet risen, but Juan had someone to protect and guide him.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. This guy will show me the way.¡±


    The ck Priest followed Juan with a distorted look on his face. His broken hand had been treated, but he was having a hard time forgetting the pain. The scariest part was the fact that the Saintess¡¯ expression remained the same when she had broken his finger.


    ¡°...It¡¯s been a while. It has changed a lot.¡±


    Juan muttered to himself with emotion as he looked at the huge city squares and buildings outside the Vatican. The capital didn¡¯t have much meaning to Juan except for the fact that the Imperial Pce was located in it. However, Juan felt slightly nostalgic upon seeing the capital city after such a long time, even though he was borrowing someone else¡¯s eyes to see the view. It looked very different from what he remembered, but numerous memories of the capital passed through Juan¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Where is the Imperial Pce?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°I-Imperial Pce? It¡¯s northwest from here. It¡¯s not too far away,¡± the ck Priest answered with difficulty.


    He had been seeking a chance to leave, but Juan didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of letting him go.


    Juan headed directly toward the Imperial Pce. Juan couldn¡¯t maintain the spirit transfer for a long time as there would be greater damage to his body, but Juan decided to check one thing while he was still moving around in Ivy¡¯s body.


    <i>¡®What would happen if I saw my body in person?¡¯</i>


    Juan thought that even if he couldn¡¯t transfer his spirit into the body, something might happen if he saw his body. If not, he could still see the state his original body was in. ording to the stories Juan had heard, it was said that his body neither rotted nor dried from the day he had been stabbed. But Juan had a feeling that he would be able to tell whether or not it was preserved in an unusual way if he saw it with his own eyes.


    ¡®<i>Maybe I will be able to find traces of the day I died.¡¯</i>


    Juan also had to look for a way to protect the Saintess. Unlike the other Priests who were granted different kinds of Grace, no Grace could be detected from her. The amount of mana she could handle was also slim. All Juan could do was control the Saintess¡¯ small and weak body by force, but even that alone had limits.


    ¡®<i>It would be nice if I could use magic.¡¯</i>


    There were many hidden magic items and potions in the Imperial Pce. Juan wasn¡¯t sure if they would still be there, but he figured it wouldn¡¯t be a bad choice to visit the Imperial Pce for all these purposes.


    As the ck Priest said, the Imperial Pce was pretty close. As Juan began to approach the Imperial Pce, the view of familiar terrain and buildings filled his eyes. The Imperial Pce was still dark, quiet, and solemn, just like how it used to be in the past.


    When Juan arrived at the huge square surrounding the Imperial Pce, he stopped. In front of him was a building that wasn¡¯t very big or fancy, but was still quite elegant. Twelve towers surrounded the huge pyramid-shaped dome in a circle, and there were no walls around the building as the Imperial Pce itself functioned as a great defensive wall.


    Juan looked down at the stone pavement on the floor of the square, which was engraved with runes. The stone pavement with the engraving of runes surrounded the Imperial Pce in a round shape. When Juan got close, a subtle golden wall appeared and blocked his view.


    ¡°S-saintess. You might have seen it for the first time, but this is the famous miracle barrier called ¡®the Veil of Benevolence.¡¯ Only those who are permitted can enter. It offers such a strong defense, that Harmon Helwin from the Six Apostates staged a four day sit-in alone after His Majesty¡¯s assassination.¡±


    ¡°Four days? How did they enter after that?¡±


    ¡°The head of the Helwin family at the time and General Dismas, the third adopted son of His Majesty, entered and beheaded Harmon. No one other than His Majesty¡¯s adopted children or the Imperial Guards living inside can enter even now. The same is true for His Holiness and the Regent¡­¡±


    The ck Priest couldn¡¯t even finish his words, as Juan approached the Veil of Benevolence and reached out toward it. The ck Priest shook his head on the inside as he thought it would be impossible to open the barrier, but soon felt like screaming.


    The golden wall split open, and the door began to open. The ck Priest opened his mouth wide upon seeing the door open. He had never seen the Veil of Benevolence being opened from the outside¡ªeven the Pope who received all of His Majesty¡¯s Grace, or the Regent who held the control of the entire empire and exercised authority that was no different from His Majesty¡¯s could only enter the Imperial Pce after the Imperial Guard opened the door for them from the inside. However, the Saintess had opened the Veil of Benevolence as if it was the door to her own house.


    ¡°I¡¯m d it still works,¡± Juan said as he breathed a sigh of relief.


    The Veil of Benevolence could only be opened by injecting a special pattern of mana into it. Because such a way to open the veil was impossible to replicate or imitate, Juan had given a magic item that could function as the key to the Imperial Pce only to his children and a few of the Imperial Guards. In other words, Juan could open the veil as long as he could use mana and only he could open it in this manner.


    ¡°The structure of the inside hasn¡¯t changed, has it?¡± Juan looked back as if he was asking the ck Priest.


    However, the ck Priest didn¡¯t follow Juan¡ªhe was just simply bowing on his stomach outside of the Veil of Benevolence.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°S-Saintess. I-I don¡¯t d-dare to enter the Imperial Pce. Only the honorable chosen ones can enter the Imperial Pce, and you have proved your qualifications by opening this door yourself. P-please punish me for the impious behavior I showed earlier.¡±


    Every single wording from the mouth of the ck Priest was sincere. He had heard the rumor that the Saintess was extraordinary, but the Church¡¯s absolute power was held by the Pope. The ck Priests were a private sanction group that only followed the orders of the Pope within the Church, and the Saintess was not too different from them, considering that she was nothing more than the Pope¡¯s tool.


    But this Saintess was different. A Saintess who could open the Veil of Benevolence on her own had never appeared in history. The ck Priest had no choice but to beg for forgiveness while bowing down for having had bad intentions toward her.


    ¡°I have nothing to say even if you try to get me executed. But if you give me a second chance, I¡¯d like to serve you and sacrifice my life for you, Saintess. With mercy and forgiveness, please show me His Majesty¡¯s Grace and¡­¡±


    The ck Priest inadvertently raised his head slightly as he couldn¡¯t feel any presence. There was no one in front of him¡ªthe Saintess had already left, and the Veil of Benevolence had long since closed again.


    The ck Priest tried to stand up upon seeing the empty square, but sat back down. He felt like he had a dream.


    ***


    The Imperial Pce was exactly the same as before Juan died¡ªit looked just like it looked before he left to go to the northern front and meet hisrades who had been protecting the capital. He even felt that he could feel the breath he exhaled at the time.


    At the time, the Imperial ce had been noisy with many nobles, chiefs, officials hired by Harmon, tough knights and many more. However, it was now nothing more than a dead space where the flow of air had stopped and had no trace of human life; it was a space which hadpletely separated from the present era.


    Juan could feel where his body was located¡ªit was in the middle of the Imperial Pce, where the throne was located. Juan headed toward the throne as if he was possessed by the voice of his body calling for him.


    ¡®<i>Kennosis.¡¯</i>


    Juan could see the sculptures and murals engraved with the history made by the emperor among therge and magnificent stone pirs; the murals of the gods, the demonic beasts, the demons, and the devils all had stories attached to them. They all looked down on humans with arrogant eyes and persecuted them, but ended up being horribly murdered by the emperor.


    <i>God decided to destroy Man and Man rebelled against God in retaliation.?</i>


    <i>An emperor arose in thisnd as a result of the rebellion.?</i>


    <i>The emperor cut the gods to pieces and scattered them across the mountains, rivers, and fields.</i>


    The history of the ughter was engraved on the mural. Reading the epic on the wall that praised the great emperor, Juan continued to walk as if he had be a dog that was being dragged by a chain.


    <i>Who could resist this glory.</i>


    <i>Who could relinquish this power.</i>


    <i>Come!</i>


    Upon reading till the end of the epic on the wall, Juan arrived in front of the huge iron gate. It was the ce where the ending of the emperor who once saved and led mankind was recorded¡ªthe ce where the Eternal Rule began.


    Such an iron gate wasn¡¯t there during the era when Juan had still been alive. It seemed like it had been built after the Eternal Rule began, and it looked more like a castle gate rather than an ordinary door considering its size. Juan was doubtful whether the door would open or not, but it was so well managed that not a grain of dust could be found.


    Juan felt strong mana and power beyond the iron gate. He found the power to be morefortable and cozy rather than feeling threatened. He felt that he would fall asleep, almost as if he was lying on his home bed. There was a huge iron gate between him and the original body, but that alone caused Juan to start losing control.


    He wanted to enter.


    He wanted to enter the room and be one.


    He wanted to be a part of this huge amount of mana.


    Juan looked at the painting engraved on the iron gate¡ªit was a painting depicting the emperor. It was the face of a middle-aged man who sat on the throne and looked down at the ground with a heavy expression.


    The solemn and authoritative face somehow felt very distant to Juan. Juan noticed that something which appeared to be a ck branch was piercing the chest of the man in the painting¡ªand Juan recalled his memory.


    The memory of the day that Gerard stabbed him, and the memory of a ck de that prated through his chest and stretched out like a thunderbolt. Juan remembered everything, including the blood that spurted out of his body as well as the face of Gerard Gain who was looking at him with despair. Juan ced his hand on the iron gate as if he was possessed.


    It was then.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    Juan heard a voice from behind his back and quickly came to his senses. He was surprised at the fact that he hadn¡¯t been able to notice the presence of someone approaching him at all. By the time he returned to his senses, his mana was leaking out of the Saintess¡¯ body at a fast rate. Cold sweat ran down Juan¡¯s back.


    <i>Come.</i>


    <i>Let¡¯s be one.</i>


    ¡®<i>It wants my spirit and body to be one again.¡¯</i>


    Juan¡¯s body and spirit wanted to merge, and Juan would have been sucked into his body if he had lost his mind and ended up entering the iron gate. Even now, Juan felt like he was being pulled and that it was hard to escape. It would only be a matter of time to get caught by the pull if he didn¡¯t immediately cut off his connection with Ivy. Even if Juan¡¯s spirit entered his original body in its current state, he wouldn¡¯t be able to regain his body. There was a high possibility of losing himself and bing just a mass of mana.


    ¡°I asked who you were.¡±


    Upon turning his head toward the person asking the question, Juan saw a shabby man holding a bucket and a mop in his hand. The man seemed to be wearing something closer to a rag rather than clothes.


    ¡®<i>Is he a janitor?¡¯</i>


    Juan tried to identify him, but it was difficult to hold onto his consciousness that had been maintaining the connection with Ivy. Even now, his power was being sucked into the original body. It would only be a matter of time for him to lose every bit of mana that had been maintaining his new body if he continued to hold out in this state.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t answer, I¡¯m going to assume that you are here to harm His Majesty,¡± the shabby man asked again.


    However, Juan didn¡¯t have much time left to have a long conversation with him. Just about when he tried to disconnect with Ivy, he thought that the Saintess might be suspected by others for entering the Imperial Pce. Although he had made one of the ck Priests submit, it was unclear whether he would continue to protect Ivy.


    Left with no other choice, Juan used thest of his strength to speak before he disconnected from Ivy¡¯s body.


    ¡°Protect¡­this woman.¡±


    The man opened his eyes wide at the emperor¡¯s voiceing from the Saintess¡¯ mouth.


    Juan soon lost his connection.

 Chapter 75 – The Emperor Has Appeared (5)

    <h4>Chapter 75 ¨C The Emperor Has Appeared (5)</h4>


    In the Vatican, Helmut lied on his couch and nkly stared ahead. In front of him stood a group of individuals wearing a suit representing ck Priest. The unpleasant scent of incense that filled the room seemed to make them ufortable, but there was nothing they could do about it. They quietly waited for the storm to pass by.


    In front of Helmut¡¯s feet was one of the ck Priests who had been sent by Helmut to threaten the Saintess, lying t on his stomach and begging him. But instead of fulfilling his duty, he tried to persuade Helmut which made everyone wonder what had happened to him during his mission.


    ¡°Your Holiness. I¡¯m not trying to deny you. I would never. It¡¯s just that¡­¡±


    ¡°Then what is it that you are trying to do?¡± Helmut asked.


    ¡°The new Saintess is no ordinary Saintess, Your Holiness,¡± the ck Priest said firmly.


    The Pope silently nced at the other ck Priests. Most of them were expressionless, but a few of them were looking at their fellow ck Priest lying face down with a deriding expression; such attitude and expression was natural to them, considering they were Inquisitors who searched for heretics and heard all kinds of apostolic information from them. For such a reason, Helmut had never imagined that a ck Priest could confront him.


    ¡°Your Holiness. I saw it, and I felt it. The Saintess was different from the dolls in the past that had been controlled and manipted. I felt His Majesty¡¯s will through her eyes and voice. I once thought that she might have been possessed by a demon, but the moment I saw her open the Veil of Benevolence, I had to change my mind.¡±


    ¡°Hah¡­¡±


    ¡°Your Holiness, please take your orders back about the Saintess. And please listen to her voice. I¡¯m certain that she will be a valuable help to the Church and¡­¡±


    The ck Priest couldn¡¯t finish his words. He suddenly grabbed his own neck as if he was suffocating, and not even a groan came out of his mouth.


    The other ck Priests who had been watching realized that their fellow ck Priest wouldn¡¯t be able to escape death.


    The ck Priest struggled on the floor as he couldn¡¯t breathe, and soon noticed arge swollen tumor on the back of his hand. Round abscesses and tumors began to appear all over his body. Soon after, the ck Priest¡¯s entire body swelled up withrge tumors as if he had bubbles growing beneath his skin, and dropped to the floor. It would be difficult for anyone to think that he used to be a human at one point, but he wriggled faintly as if he was still alive and breathing.


    ¡°Lock this apostate in the dungeon,¡± Helmut ordered with his chin raised up, as if he didn¡¯t even have the energy to be angry.


    The incense was efficient in calming his mind and removing the scent of blood, but it also made him feel lethargic.


    A few of the ck Priests quietly dragged out their fellow who had be a ball of tumors outside the room.


    ¡°Is there anything else you all wish to say?¡± Helmut asked as he turned to the remaining ck Priests.


    ¡°Is it true that the Saintess opened the Veil of Benevolence?¡±


    Helmut shook his head at the question.


    ¡°There was a security guard who saw her leaving the Vatican in the middle of the night, but no one saw her entering the Imperial Pce. Not to mention that the Saintess hasn''t left the Vatican since that night. Nothing is clear.¡±


    The ck Priests were convinced, but they couldn¡¯t be too certain as they thought it was a lie that was too vague to make up.


    ¡°But why does it matter even if she did really open the Veil of Benevolence? You all are the guardians of the doctrine. Isn¡¯t it only right for you to draw your swords to right the wrongs when I point out an injustice?¡±


    ¡°Everything is as you say, Your Holiness.¡±


    The ck Priests answered without hesitation, and Helmut was content with their answers.


    The ck Priests were a group of carefully selected Inquisitors created by Helmut who were especially loyal to him. The Saintess getting one of the ck Priests on her side waspletely unexpected, but such an incident proved how dangerous she was. If she was capable of getting a ck Priest out of all people on her side, it would only be a matter of time before the others to start supporting her as well. Helmut grew more determined.


    ¡°Go find the Saintess. Either cut off her tongue, or make her kill herself. It wouldn¡¯t be so unusual since many of the previous Saintess¡¯ have done so too.¡±


    ***


    Outside the Vatican, there was a small orphanage that functioned as a school. The ce was called the Cradle, and orphans from all over the empire were brought over. They raised the talented among them as Priests of the Church, while those without talent were taught to be loyal to the empire and sent out in society upon reaching an appropriate age. Ivy was also from the Cradle.


    ¡°I feel like I keep forgetting my memories too often these days,¡± Ivy said.


    ¡°It¡¯s probably because you are under a lot of stress. It¡¯s an honor to be a Saintess, but it¡¯s not an easy task. Besides, you have to meet that perverted Pope so often,¡± Lua, a young apprentice Priestess, replied to Ivy¡¯sint.


    Lua and Ivy had known each other ever since their time together in the Cradle, even before Ivy became a Saintess. In fact, Lua was one of the children Ivy had raised. Although there was a big age gap between the two, Lua followed Ivy around as if she was her older sister. Ivyughed at Lua¡¯s words, but quickly covered her mouth.


    ¡°Lua, you can¡¯t say things like that so recklessly. You¡¯ll get in huge trouble if His Holiness hears you.¡±


    ¡°Do you think he would harm even a young child like me? Ah, on second thought, he actually might, considering how nasty he is.¡±


    Lua continued to boldly curse the Pope. While Ivy was nervous whether someone might hear Lua, her lips were twitching, as she badly wanted to actively agree with Lua¡¯s words. Since everyone around her had been reced by the people selected by the Pope after she became the Saintess, Ivy was grateful to have someone like Lua still around to talk to.


    As Ivy walked while holding Lua¡¯s hand, she looked back along the way to the dormitory. She used to feel that thisndscape was very boring in the past, but now she was missing it more than anything. The only chance she got to spend time with Lua was once a day, when Lua was returning to the dormitory from the Cradle.


    ¡°To be honest, while I feel it to be a bit strange, I¡¯m happy that you became a Saintess. Miss Ivy as a Saintess. A Saintess¡­ hm, it¡¯s an extremely honorable and great position, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°I also feel strange. I don¡¯t think it suits me that much anyway.¡±


    ¡°No way. Other kids have been saying that you¡¯ve changed since the day you became a Saintess. They think that you look really cool. But Miss Ivy is still Miss Ivy. It would be nice if I could still call you Big Sis Ivy like the past¡­¡±


    Ivy bitterly smiled at Lua¡¯s words. Ivy could also feel that the way other people treated her had changed¡ªthey all looked at her with fear and respect at the same time, and it was all very unfamiliar to Ivy. Ivy felt strange¡ªto think that an orphan girl from the Cradle was respected for bing a Saintess. Even the Temrs who used to ignore her, never even looking at her, now bowed their heads and showed her respect. But Ivy had a feeling that they were expressing their respect to someone else and not to her.


    <i>¡®Maybe it has to do with my asional loss of memory.¡¯</i>


    ording to what she had heard, an ¡®oracle¡¯ about Hiveden came down on the day she was appointed as the Saintess. Ivy had no memory at all, and such memory loss had been happening more and more often recently¡ªlike the time when she was taking a bath, but suddenly opened her eyes to find out that she was lying down on her couch wearing outdoor clothes. Ivy couldn¡¯t help but feel afraid as she couldn¡¯t figure out what was going on during the times when she lost her memory.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll get going then. See you next time, Miss Ivy!¡±


    When they arrived in front of the dormitory, Lua waved her hand and left first.


    Ivy stood there for a long time while waving back at Lua. Ivy quietly headed back to her room after Lua hadpletely disappeared from her sight, and the Priestesses who had been waiting to assist her followed.


    The shadow of the pirs were hanging down as the sun went down. It was a dreary sight.


    At that moment, Ivy inadvertently had a strange feeling. While the corridor she was in usually didn¡¯t have many people, it was her first time seeing the corridorpletely empty, with not a single person in sight. When Ivy curiously looked back, wondering if the corridor behind her was empty as well, she noticed that the two Priestesses who had been following her had closed the door to the corridor and left.


    In just an instant, Ivy was left alone in the corridor, and an ominous feeling overwhelmed her. Soon, people wearing suits that symbolized their status as ck Priests walked out from behind a huge pir and surrounded Ivy. The canes and daggers in their hands glowed ominously in the light of the sunset. Ivy felt suffocated; she had a hunch that no one woulde to save her even if she screamed.


    ¡°P-please don¡¯t do this¡­¡±


    Ivy¡¯s legs trembled, but the ck Priests approached her without saying a word. A pale-looking Priestess wearing a ck priest¡¯s suit stood before Ivy, and slowly held out her dagger in front of Ivy.


    Ivy felt like she was going to faint at any moment. The Priestess turned the handle of the dagger around and held it out in front of Ivy.


    ¡°Cut it off.¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry?¡±


    ¡°Either cut your tongue off, or slit your throat. I¡¯ll let you choose between the two. It is His Holiness¡¯ order that he will spare your life if you cut your tongue off.¡±


    Ivy was close to bursting out a scream, and tears ran down her face. She hadn¡¯tmitted any crimes¡ªin fact, she hadn¡¯t done anything other than doing as the Pope said, being beaten, and submitting to him. Ivy couldn¡¯t understand why the Pope was trying to harm her.


    ¡°If you can¡¯t do it on your own, I¡¯ll help. Just choose which of the two options you want.¡±


    Ivy hastily looked around her, but there was no one to ask for help nor any gap she could escape from¡ªtwelve ck Priests were surrounding her without giving her a chance to run away.


    Then, Ivy suddenly saw a man who wasn¡¯t wearing ck clothing; it was a man in shabby clothing, holding a bucket and a mop. Ivy could instantly tell that he was a janitor who cleaned the Vatican.


    The ck Priests followed the Saintess¡¯ gaze, and frowned upon noticing the janitor.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? I thought we made sure that no one entered the corridor.¡±


    ¡°It seems like no one does their job properly¡­ send him back before it¡¯s toote.¡±


    One of the ck Priests, holding a cane in his hand, approached the janitor. The janitor just nkly watched as if he didn¡¯t know what the ck Priests were doing.


    Ivy wanted to ask him for help, but the Priestess pressed a dagger to the back of her neck.


    ¡°If you let out even a single word, it won¡¯t end with just your death.¡±


    Ivy couldn¡¯t move a single inch.


    ¡°We are busy with our Inquisitorial duties. Go back and clean the other ces first!¡± the ck Priest holding the cane shouted at the janitor.


    However, the janitor didn¡¯t budge¡ªhe simply stared at the ck Priests silently.


    The ck Priest holding the cane frowned, and pushed the janitor¡¯s chest with the tip of his cane.


    ¡°Are you deaf? I told you to fuck off!¡±


    ¡°My Priests, what duty do you have that requires you to use daggers inside the Vatican?¡±


    The janitor opened his mouth for the first time.


    The face of the ck Priest holding the cane became distorted at his words. Soon, the ck Priests all made eye contact with each other.


    ¡°Your useless eyes and tongue of yours is shortening your life,¡± the ck Priest said.


    The ck Priest struck his cane toward the janitor. The cane which was made of steel could easily break the human head at once.


    Ivy covered her mouth with her hand as she imagined what was about to happen.


    However, the cane couldn¡¯t even brush against the janitor.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    The ck Priest was only swinging his empty hand. Before anyone knew it, the janitor quickly swung his mop to take away the cane from the hands of the ck Priest.


    Then everything was over in a sh.


    The janitor wrapped the ck Priest¡¯s hands and neck with the mop, and pulled him forward. The ck Priest¡¯s body swung in the air, and his head struck on the floor, causing him to faint while foaming at his mouth.


    Realizing that the janitor was not an ordinary opponent, all the ck Priests charged toward him at once.


    The result was instantaneous.


    All the ck Priests who had been surrounding Ivy until just a moment ago were groaning while rolling on the floor. They had broken bones and were disjointed, but none had died.


    The ck Priestess who had been threatening Ivy tried to take her hostage as ast resort, but she ended up falling to the floor when the bucket of mop water hit her on the head.


    ¡°W-what¡­ but how¡­¡±


    Ivy looked at the janitor with a stunned look.


    Even after knocking down all of the ck Priests in less than ten seconds, the janitor did not seem strained¡ªhe was simply looking at Ivy with eyes that were half curious and half respectful.


    Ivy felt strange that even the mysterious janitor was looking at her with such eyes. Calming her rapidly beating heart, Ivy carefully asked the janitor.


    ¡°W-who are you?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean ¡°who are you¡±? Weren¡¯t you the one whomanded me to protect you?¡±


    ¡°Cmanded you? I did?¡±


    The janitor nodded as he pulled out his fingers from his ragged sleeve.


    Ivy¡¯s eyes widened upon seeing what was on his finger¡ªit was a ring that symbolized the Imperial Guards.


    ¡°I¡¯m Lenly Loen, the captain of the Imperial Guards. His Majestymanded me to protect you.¡±

 Chapter 76 – Stranger (1)

    <h4>Chapter 76 ¨C Stranger (1)</h4>


    ¡°Juan!¡±


    When Juan opened his eyes, he saw Anya looking down on him with tears in her eyes.


    Juan was just about to ask if anything had happened during the time he was gone, but Anya hugged him first. Juan looked around, almost as if he was asking for an exnation. At the same time, Opert was looking at him with a concerned look on his face.


    They were in a bedroom, and not the room where the ritual for the transfer of spirit was performed. It seemed that a long time had passed after the ritual for the transfer of spirit was finished.


    ¡°How long was I asleep for?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°You were unconscious for two days after thest time you transferred your spirit. Near the end of the ritual, your hair suddenly turned white, so I contemted whether I should wake you up by force or not. But I have heard that it was dangerous to forcefully stop the transfer of spirit¡­¡±


    Juan looked at the condition of his hair. His hair was white near its ends, while all his remaining hair had turned gray due to the depletion of mana and suffering from a spiritual shock. However, he wasn¡¯t too worried; he knew he would recover soon with the mana left in his body.


    ¡°Well done. I didn¡¯t think it would be this sessful¡­ The Saintess seemed to be in a dangerous situation, so I took care of it¡ªalthough I will have to wait and see what happens. I¡¯ve also visited the Imperial Pce.¡±


    Opert looked utterly surprised to hear that Juan had gone to the Imperial Pce.


    ¡°N-no way. Are you saying that you managed to get through the Veil of Benevolence¡ªthe ce where only the blood rtives of His Majesty and the Imperial Guards who have permission can enter? Is that even possible during the ritual of transferring your spirit into someone else¡¯s body? What state was His Majesty¡¯s body in?¡± Opert couldn¡¯t hold back his curiosity and poured out questions.


    Any faithful Imperial citizens would long to see His Majesty¡¯s body, and even the Priests from the Church rarely got a chance to see his figure. Although it was for a slightly different reason than normal people, Opert was also curious about the existence of His Majesty, who controlled such enormous power and maintained his life in a form that was neither alive or dead.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t even see my body. As soon as I got near, the body started sucking and draining my mana¡ªI felt as if I was about to drown to death in a whirlpool. I had no choice but toe back as I thought my spirit wouldn¡¯t be able to hold out any longer.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ as expected, I see. It can¡¯t be helped. I have heard that returning to your own body using spirit transfer is much easier than entering someone else¡¯s body. If you really are His Majesty¡­ it¡¯s only a natural result,¡± Opert answered as he nodded his head.


    Anya frowned upon noticing Opert¡¯s doubts, but Opert couldn¡¯t help it. While he too was already ny-nine percent sure that Juan really was His Majesty, his schrly pride didn¡¯t allow him to conclude anything unless he was one hundred percent sure¡ªespecially if it was a matter rting to His Majesty.


    Juan looked at his palm upon listening to Opert¡¯s words. Inside the Imperial Pce earlier, Juan was nothing more than a small boat out on the sea. The huge flow of power behind the iron gate was something that Juan couldn¡¯t do anything about, and it was beyond his control. It was obvious that he would get absorbed into the enormous power if he tried to transfer his spirit again. In fact, it was rather fortunate that the Saintess¡¯ body stopped him from further maintaining the connection.


    <i>¡®In order to take the lead, I need to have equal power¡ªif not, at least enough to not be swept away.¡¯</i>


    Juan had to form a huge tide in order to withstand the emperor¡¯s power. And there was only one way to gain such great power; using the vestiges of gods throughout the empire and traces of gods sealed or killed by Juan in the past when he was the emperor. They could be useful tools to help Juan.


    But before that, there was work that had to be done first.


    ¡°Opert. Can you get Anya off me?¡±


    ***


    What must one do after fighting a war with thirty Temrs, fighting the god who tried to drive the world to death, and safely enduring a situation in which their entire spirit was almost absorbed?


    There were many options, but Juan simplyy on his bed.


    ¡°Juan! How are you feeling? Is moving your body easier now?¡±


    Of course, Anya wasn¡¯t a professional doctor treating Juan¡ªAnya had just begged to take care of him.


    Innread dot".


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve felt better. Now, will you let me go?¡± Juan groaned at Anya, who barged into the room with the door wide open.


    After seeing that Juan¡¯s hair had turned gray, Anya made quite a fuss and strongly suggested convalescence. Juan wanted to immediately go and find the remains of gods that he had sealed in order to restore his power, but he wasn¡¯t given the chance to do that.


    Anya examined Juan¡¯s hair.


    ¡°You still don¡¯t have your pretty ck hair back yet. You have so much gray hair.¡±


    ¡°Well, the bottom part is ck again. It¡¯s not a big deal, it¡¯s just faded. The fact that I began to grow ck hair again means that I am already healed. I would have kept growing gray hair if my mana was still depleted.¡±


    ¡°Nope. Can¡¯t hear you, won¡¯t hear you. Anyway, get some more rest. It¡¯s okay for you to take a break after wandering around for so long, isn¡¯t it? Eat delicious food or something, hm?¡±


    Anya ced the food she brought on the table next to Juan¡¯s bed.


    While Juan didn¡¯t need to consume food as long as he had enough mana in his body, the smell of the food was so good that even Juan wanted to try it. Juan showed curiosity about the food for the first time in a long time.


    ¡°What is that?¡±


    ¡°Oh. There¡¯s a festival going on outside, so I bought some. The line was really long.¡±


    What Anya had brought was a fried chicken sandwich cooked with honey sauce. The meat alone looked great, but the scent of the honey sauce was mouthwatering. It was a dish that Juan had never seen before even during the time he had established the empire.


    ¡°A festival?¡± Juan asked.


    Anya nodded as she took a bite of the sandwich.


    ¡°So that¡¯s why it¡¯s been so loud outside. I thought there was construction going on. Come to think of it, it¡¯s been a while since I went outside. Throwing a festival when it hasn¡¯t even been that long since the battle ended¡ªdo they have that many resources left?¡±


    Juan recalled the rationing that was implemented in Hiveden due to the city being in bad condition shortly after the battle.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t heard, have you? There are a lot of people visiting Hiveden right now, and I¡¯m not talking about poor people. It¡¯s people with tons of money.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Why is that?¡±


    Anya smiled to see Juan wonder in curiosity.


    ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to His Majesty¡¯s favor.¡±


    ording to Anya¡¯s exnation, rumors about ¡®His Majesty¡¯s appearance in Hiveden¡¯ had spread throughout the empire, starting from the capital, and thus, pilgrims were converging toward Hiveden from all over the empire.


    The pilgrims visiting the ¡®holynd¡¯ did note empty-handed. Countless unbelievably wealthy people as well as poor people who only had a handful of rice had constantly been flocking to Hiveden.


    Thanks to this, the people of Hiveden couldn¡¯t even think of the past when the city used to bewless, and almost felt as if they were the monks of this ¡®holynd¡¯.


    ¡°It¡¯s so funny to see the gangsters say things like ¡®I could feel my sins being cleansed the moment I saw His Majesty¡¯s divine light, and witnessed the evils getting wiped out¡­¡¯ Everyone from Hiveden is basically all saying the same thing, but people immediately gather whenever someone opens their mouth to start a story.¡±


    Juan smiled bitterly. He had been trying to destroy sanctification, but the rumor seemed to be flowing the opposite way somehow. Juan had no choice but to ept it as the rumors had been helping Anya.


    ¡°Thanks to the festival, Opert has been screaming in joy. Hiveden has already received more than enough donations to rebuild the city, and the people seem to be enjoying the experience as well. Because they think of themselves as the ones who witnessed the light of His Holy Majesty, they will think twice beforemitting any crimes. Anyway, they¡¯re holding a festival to refresh themselves in such an atmosphere.¡±


    ¡°Good for them.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just good. It¡¯s a dramatic turnaround. I couldn¡¯t even think of something like this when I heard that you connected with the Saintess.¡±


    The same was also true of Juan. It seemed like the position of the Saintess was more important in the capital than he had expected.


    ¡°This also means that there are a lot of outsidersing in. Are you okay with that? People that worship the emperor could be sensitive about the Order of Huginn.¡±


    ¡°Well, the Order of Huginn never showed itself on the surface. All the famous senior knights have disappeared anyway. Sir Dilmond is the most famous one out of all of us, but he can¡¯t move an inch as he is still recovering.¡±


    ¡°Nevertheless, the fact that a lot of strangers areing also means that the possibility of unpredictable incidents also increases. Be careful, and tell others to be careful as well. To be honest, I¡¯m not sure what the bastards from the Church might do.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Anya stared at Juan as she narrowed her eyes, causing Juan to feel mildly irritated.


    ¡°What?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°How can you have so many things that bother you all the time? Juan, you¡¯ve never had fun or rested properly in your life, have you?¡±


    ¡°What kind of nonsense are you saying again?¡±


    Juan snapped, but realized that Anya was right after he inadvertently thought about it. When he used to be the emperor, he often drank with his children and subordinates. But after he came back to life, his nerves had been on edge all along. Let alone attend a festival, Juan had never even rested properly.


    ¡°The Almighty Emperor that I know is someone who fought well and also had fun. So don¡¯t be like this. If you are that sensitive all the time, you¡¯ll get tired extremely quickly. ¡®A sharp de breaks more easily.¡¯ It¡¯s something that you said, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Juan was left speechless as it was true that he had once told his subordinates the same words.


    ¡°Alright! Why don¡¯t we do this? Let¡¯s go out and enjoy the festival to have fun. Captain Ras always said that you should consume lots of alcohol and meat after the day you killed lots of people. That¡¯s the key to not getting depressed.¡±


    Juan couldn¡¯t imagine Ras saying that, but Anya didn¡¯t give him a chance to refute. Anya snatched Juan¡¯s hand in an instant.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go!¡±


    ***


    Juan sat on the copsed outer wall of Hiveden and took a sip of his beer. He couldn¡¯t even remember what happened after Anya dragged him out to the festival. They ate skewers that were made out of who knew what, bought some weird-smelling beers, and danced around the bonfire in a circle. Juan wondered if he could even call it a dance¡ªit was certainly different from the dance he danced with Heretia.


    Juan only barely managed to escape from Anya after he spilled half of the beer he held in his hand. Juan looked at the people dancing and singing unknown folk songs around the bonfire in the dark evening.


    Anya was still dancing, and Juan was starting to question whether she thought of herself to be the same as a nine-year-old girl she had been dancing with. This whole situation somehow felt like a dream. Juan felt dazed even though he wasn¡¯t drunk.


    However, it wasn¡¯t a bad feeling.


    ¡®<i>I guess a day like this is fine every once in a while.¡¯</i>


    After dancing for a long time, Anya came back with a red face, sweating all over. She appeared to be extremely happy due to her excited face.


    ¡°Juan! Why did you leave first? I was looking all over for you!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think you were the type to enjoy festivals.¡±


    The impression Juan had of Anya was that of a cold-hearted killer. If she were a normal person, it would be reasonable to think that she would enjoy festivals like this considering her age, but it was because of who she was.


    ¡°Huh? I¡¯m not a huge fan of festivals. But this time, you are here with me.¡±


    ¡°What does that have to do with anything?¡±


    ¡°I wanted to see you dancing a strange dance while feeling perplexed.¡±


    Juan couldn¡¯t recall what expression he had on his face, but he had a feeling that it must have been an expression that satisfied Anya.


    Anya burst outughing and patted Juan on the back.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be angry. Ever since we first met, you were always like a tightly pulled bow, and I couldn¡¯t be sure if the bowstring would break first or the arrow would be released first. It felt like you thought that you only had two options¡ªeither run toward your goal nonstop, or get broken before you could.¡±


    Anya smiled and took the beer ss, which only had foam left, toward her mouth.


    ¡°So stop being so stiff around everything, okay? Don¡¯t act like you¡¯re fighting the entire world alone. You¡¯re no longer alone, you know.¡±


    At that moment, the musician changed the song and began to y a different song which was much more exciting and fast-pacedpared to the previous song.


    Anya jumped up from her seat as soon as she heard the song.


    ¡°Oh, I know this song! Juan, do you want to dance to one more song? I saw you dancest time, and you were good.¡±


    ¡°...At the mansion of Henborn. No, I¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting for you!¡±


    Anya ran out before she heard Juan¡¯s answer, and Juan shook his head. Anya seemed to be acting more like a child than when he had a child¡¯s body. Juan wondered if the change of his appearance had anything to do with it.


    The moment Juan stood up to see Anya who was dancing at a closer distance, he noticed something strange. He could feel a disparate presence of someone amongst the numerous outsiders around him. However, Juan couldn¡¯t pinpoint who it might be as there were too many people.


    Juan felt as if a piece of de had been hidden on the sandy beach. No one would notice until they touched it, but such a feeling was unpleasant enough to make the entire sandy beach look dangerous once someone became aware of it.


    ¡®<i>Who is it?¡¯</i>


    Juan focused his senses on one ce that felt particrly dangerous. There were still too many grains of sand¡ªhis opponent was small and quiet.


    Juan narrowed in on the target by going through each grain of sand. At one point, Juan found someone burying their head deep into their hood and turning their back; it was the piece of de Juan had been looking for.


    Juan¡¯s shot toward him reflexively.

 Chapter 77 – Stanger (2)

    <h4>Chapter 77 ¨C Stanger (2)</h4>


    ¡°Whoa, what¡¯s going on!¡±


    ¡°What are you doing!¡±


    People scattered in a panic when Juan suddenly jumped into the crowd.


    Meanwhile, Juan hastily searched his surroundings. It had only been a moment since the stranger moved, but he had disappeared in a blink of an eye, leaving behind only a faint presence.


    Juan instinctively realized that the stranger was a strong opponent. He was definitely more skilled than Ethan, or perhaps just as powerful as Nigrato before he manifested into hisplete form. One thing that Juan could be certain about was that the stranger was the most powerful man Juan had met ever since he was revived.


    Juan ran along the faint trail that the stranger had left. The stranger was almost moving away at the speed of light. Although Juan had fully recovered from his injuries, concentrating to find the traces of the stranger and moving fast enough to catch up to him at the same time was still not easy. Juan wandered into an alley and finally narrowed the distance between them with difficulty.


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±


    However, the presence of the stranger disappeared all of a sudden when Juan was finally getting closer. The stranger was not only fast, but he was also skilled at hiding himself.


    Juan couldn''t stand the fact that someone so strong with unknown intentions loitering near the Order of Huginn.


    Juan looked around his surroundings and jumped onto the bell tower that was still being reconstructed, as it was a suitable ce to overlook the downtown of Hiveden.


    After taking a deep breath, Juan decided to use Grunbalde¡¯s gray cloak over a wide area. The fog began to spread from where Juan was standing.


    The sudden wave of fog baffled people, but they were more curious than afraid; they had realized that it was simply a night fog that didn¡¯t smell weird nor catch fire.


    ¡°Where are you¡­¡± Juan muttered.


    The stranger hadn¡¯t been too far away from Juan thest time he felt the stranger¡¯s presence, and Juan assumed that he would be quietly hiding nearby. The fog flooded into every corner of the city seeping even into rat holes and the cracks between the brick walls to search for the opponent.


    It didn¡¯t take long for Juan to find his opponent.


    Not long after, Juan felt a disparate presence as someone made a quick movement¡ªthe opponent was finally caught moving in Juan¡¯s sight.


    Juan didn¡¯t miss his chance and used Blink to charge at the stranger like an arrow, aiming for his legs. But, the unidentified stranger expertly parried Juan¡¯s sword and dodged his attack. Juan raised his eyes.


    ¡°The Baltic Sword?¡±


    Juan positioned himself and red at the stranger. The stranger stood his ground and faced Juan in a rxed manner, almost as if he no longer had the intention of running away anymore.


    The stranger was wearing a ragged ck robe with a hood which covered his entire face. There was pitch ck, ink-like darkness inside the robe that was long enough to prevent any exposure of the body, and even his hands and the weapons he was holding were wrapped in bandages.


    ¡®<i>He is definitely not a Temr. His spirit ispletely different from everyone I have met before¡­ is he a knight like Sina?¡¯</i>


    Juan could only assume, but it was difficult for him to say with confidence. After all, the opponent¡¯s spirit was also very different from Sina¡¯s healthy and upright spirit¡ªhis spirit was distorted and disgusting, which would make anyone dizzy just by looking at him. Juan couldn¡¯t understand how such a person could use the Baltic Sword at such a high level. Juan felt as if he was looking at himself.


    ¡°Take off the robe.¡±


    The stranger didn¡¯t budge at Juan¡¯s words, only staring at Juan with observing eyes.


    Juan found his gaze unpleasant. Without much movement, Juan and the stranger shed against each other once again.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t take off the robe, I¡¯ll take it off for you.¡±


    The stranger once again blocked Juan¡¯s attack with ease. Reposition or preparation wasn¡¯t required for attacks using Blink. As Blink allowed one¡¯s body to shoot out from their natural position, it was hard for anyone to block the sudden attack. However, the stranger readily ced his sword in the trajectory of Juan¡¯s sword and countered the attack as if he already knew Juan¡¯s attack pattern. The stranger appeared to be familiar with Blink.


    ¡®<i>He is just observing.¡¯</i>


    Juan distanced himself once again. No murderous intent could be felt from the opponent, which made it unbelievable to think of him as someone who had just been in an intense battle. Juan kept showing a gap to purposely give the stranger an opportunity to attack, but the stranger didn¡¯t bother to make any attempts to attack Juan.


    Soon, Juan gave up on overpowering the stranger. Juan felt like he would only be satisfied if he could at least figure out the identity of his opponent.


    ¡°You seem to be an expert.¡±


    If the stranger was as skilled as Juan at the Baltic Sword, attacking using the same method would be meaningless.


    Juan recalled Kamil¡¯s exnation about the stages of Baltic Swordsmanship.


    ¡®<i>Did she say Ethan Etil was at stage three?</i>¡¯


    Juan remembered Kamil mentioning that the strongest man of the empire was at stage four. Juan wondered what stage the stranger might be at.


    ¡°Let me see your skills.¡±


    Juan held his short sword in reverse. Juan had never once neglected his training in the application of the Baltic Sword and research. If all of the currently existing swordsmanship in the empire originated from the Baltic Sword, it would be no exaggeration to say that Juan had mastered all the stages and was further developing it beyond even the current highest level.


    The stranger was still quietly looking at Juan. However, Juan didn¡¯t move an inch even after a long time had passed. At that moment, the stranger hastily pulled himself back.


    <i>Swish.</i>


    With a sharp sound, the stranger¡¯s hood was narrowly cut. If he hadn¡¯t pulled himself back in time, Juan¡¯s short sword would have cut his entire face.


    At that moment, Juan¡¯s body moved like a fog and approached the stranger. Juan¡¯s movements were smooth without allowing any time for the stranger to be conscious of the attack, and the stranger felt as if the fog was tightly suppressing his body.


    It was the fourth stage of the Baltic Sword¡ªFog Solution.


    Up until now, Juan could only perform the basics of the Baltic Sword due to his body being too small. But as his body grew, the number of moves he could use also grew.


    ¡°...!¡±


    The stranger struggled to shake off Juan who charged toward him like a snake inside the faint fog. It felt as if dozens of snakes were biting his body, trying to drag him down no matter how hard he tried to shake them off. And this wasn¡¯t an illusion¡ªhis ragged robe really was being torn apart.


    As he could barely dodge Juan¡¯s attack, the stranger ended up repositioning his body just like Juan.


    Meanwhile, Juan sensed a sudden change in the stranger¡¯s spirit as the stranger also began to perform stage four of the Baltic Sword.


    Juan had already been aware that the stranger had a high level of mastery in the Baltic Sword.


    As Juan had already predicted that the stranger could perform stage four of the Baltic Sword, he could easily predict the direction of the stranger¡¯s attack.


    As Juan¡¯s short sword met with the stranger¡¯s sword, the bandages wrapped around the stranger¡¯s sword were torn apart.


    When the stranger¡¯s sword was exposed through the tattered fragments of bandages, Juan couldn¡¯t believe his own eyes.


    It was a ck sword split like a twig. It was quite simr to the sword that Juan would never forget even in his sleep¡ªa sword that had stabbed him in the back.


    ¡°You are¡­!¡±


    The stranger swung his sword at the same time Juan shouted. Being perplexed, Juan made a ridiculous mistake; he was holding his sword backwards, but he mistakenly thought that he was holding it upright.


    The stranger¡¯s sword that was aiming for Juan¡¯s heart flew toward him without any obstacles. Juan prepared for the fatal wound he was about to get.


    The tip of the stranger¡¯s sword shook for a short moment as if he also realized Juan¡¯s mistake, and viciously swung his sword.


    But what Juan felt was a dull shock rather than the sensation of his skin being pierced like he had been expecting.


    Juan¡¯s body bounced back as his chest had been struck. Juan couldn¡¯t understand what had happened. Such a sword could have pierced his body even when he had been the emperor¡ªit didn¡¯t make sense that it couldn¡¯t pierce through the weak and unstable body Juan had now.


    When Juan looked toward his chest, he realized what had protected him.


    It was the Nigrato¡¯s essence.


    The ck lump had covered Juan¡¯s body in the form of a cloak, and held the stranger¡¯s sword. The ck lump stretched like a sticky slime as the stranger hastily pulled out his sword, but it soon began to recover quickly to form a lump again.


    At the same time, Juan realized what Ras had meant by saying that he wanted to be a help to Juan.


    ¡°¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö!¡±


    The stranger suddenly burst into an unintelligible shout. As soon as he shouted, a huge ck crack appeared in the empty space with a loud cracking sound. The windows and jars nearby were broken at once due to the shockwave that even bounced off Juan¡¯s body.


    Juan already knew of the type of power that ck crack had, which even distorted the surrounding space. In fact, Juan had seen something like it recently.


    ¡°No!¡±


    Juan tried to grab the stranger in a hurry, but someone held Juan¡¯s hand at that moment.


    It was Anya. Anya was shaking her head with a pale expression.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go any closer, Juan!¡±


    Anya seemed to know the identity of the ck crack.


    While Juan was being held up by Anya, the stranger quickly jumped inside the crack. Before the stranger entered the ck crack, he muttered something while staring at Juan.


    Juan was filled with questions upon hearing the unfamiliar name that came out of the stranger¡¯s lips.


    At that moment, the crack slowly closed. The space remained distorted for a long time even after the stranger left, and then gradually disappeared.


    Juan looked at the ce where the stranger had disappeared with a devastated look on his face.


    ¡®<i>Qzatquizail?¡¯</i>


    Juan was confused by the unfamiliar name murmured by the stranger. He couldn¡¯t quite figure out the reason why the stranger muttered such a name while looking at him. However, the opponent who had the answer to Juan¡¯s question had already left. Juan looked back at Anya, who was still holding his hand.


    ¡°Do you know what that was?¡±


    ¡°Juan.¡±


    ¡°I asked if you know.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the power of the Crack,¡± Anya answered in a calm manner. ¡°I¡¯ve been to a lot of ces and have seen many things, Juan. I also know that no one has evere out looking normal after entering the Crack carelessly. It ends with either you bing a lunatic that does nothing but harm himself, or you return as a mixture of bones and flesh. Whichever way it would have been, I had to stop you.¡±


    ¡°That stranger who just went inside the Crack might be¡­!¡±


    ¡®<i>My son.¡¯</i>


    Just as Juan was about to shout that the stranger might be his first son Gerard Gain, Juan managed to calm himself down.


    There was no evidence the opponent was really Gerard Gain, other than the fact that he was holding the same sword that Gerard had stabbed Juan with. The stranger¡¯s sword was not Gerard¡¯s in the first ce¡ªwhich could only mean that Gerard had something to do with the Crack after all. It also meant that Gerard really did betray him. Because Juan had been hopeful that he was mistaken about Gerard after finding out about Ras¡¯ innocence, he didn¡¯t want to acknowledge Gerard¡¯s betrayal by saying such a fact out loud. Juan slowly took a deep breath.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Juan said to Anya.


    Anya did not answer.


    Juan didn¡¯t wait for a reply anyway, as he was thinking about something else. Whether the stranger really was Gerard Gain or not, it was true that he was a dangerous man. It was also clear that the stranger hade to find Juan, not anyone else.


    Juan¡¯s existence was attracting danger for those around him.


    It was time for him to take his leave.


    ***


    It was a deep moonless night. Just until a few weeks ago, walking the streets of Hiveden alone at night was considered crazy. This fact also applied to Opert, who was the head of the smugglers.


    Although there was no longer anyone who said that the streets of Hiveden were dangerous at night, Opert habitually hid his body as he walked to avoid Anya, the captain of the Order of Huginn.


    Opert held his breath and hurried along. Not far away, he caught sight of the city wall of Hiveden. He looked around and searched his surroundings to find the person who was waiting for him. Then, he saw a lump of darkness wriggling and moving. Opert flinched, but soon breathed a sigh of relief upon recognizing the face that appeared within the darkness.


    ¡°Juan.¡±


    Juan was wearing a ck cloak that blended into the dark night. Opert knew that Juan¡¯s cloak wasn¡¯t just dark clothing, but darkness itself. The essence of Nigrato was a source of unholiness which Ras once wore on his body to summon many undead. That essence now became Juan¡¯s coat. Grunbalde¡¯s gray cloak and the essence of Nigrato had smoothly fused with one another, almost as if they were originally a single item.


    ¡°It seems like it¡¯s been stabilized now,¡± Opert said.


    ¡°It seems so. It looks pretty good as a cloak. Maybe it¡¯s because they have simr attributes. It also feels like the Grunbalde¡¯s cloak has be even more powerful.¡±


    The value of the item created by merging the two precious weapons was priceless. Suppressing his schrly aspirations, Opert handed over the horse and the luggage to Juan.


    ¡°I did try my best to escape from Captain Anya¡¯s watch, but I¡¯m not too sure if she fell for it. I think I¡¯ve gotten used to hiding my presence, but I¡¯m not particrly good at acting.¡±


    Juan remained silent for a while, then shook his head.


    ¡°Anya didn¡¯t follow you.¡±


    ¡°...You must have checked already. You continue to surprise me every time. Your ability is quite something.¡±


    ¡°I just have keen senses, that¡¯s all. Anyway, don¡¯t you have the other item I asked for?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes. I brought it with me, although it did take me a long time to find it.¡±


    Opert pulled out a pouch from his pocket. When he slightly opened the pouch with caution, shattered pieces of purple gem filled Juan¡¯s sight.


    It was the Indeterminate Polyhedron.

 Chapter 78 – Stranger (3)

    <h4>Chapter 78 ¨C Stranger (3)</h4>


    Even though the Indeterminate Polyhedron had shattered into pieces and its original form was ruined, it still gave off an ominous aura.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking, why were you looking for the Indeterminate Polyhedron? Everyone had a hard time finding the pieces of the shattered gem from the ruins. It would be nice to know the reason,¡± Opert asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s because of Rietto,¡± Juan answered.


    ¡°You mean Bishop Rietto¡­? Isn¡¯t Bishop Rietto dead?¡±


    Bishop Rietto was found dead with his head exploded. While everyone thought that he had died from the aftermath of performing an extremely powerful Grace that was beyond his limit, Juan¡¯s thoughts were different.


    ¡°I entered his mind for a short moment when I was fighting against him. His mental world waspletely broken.¡±


    ¡°As expected. I have also heard stories about Bishop Rietto before. I was told that his mind had shattered from directly hearing His Majesty¡¯s words¡­ well, it seems like that wasn¡¯t true.¡±


    ¡°No. There were traces of the Crack behind his mind shattering.¡±


    ¡°The Crack?¡±


    Opert opened his eyes wide. In the current era, when gods had disappeared, the only thing that could pose a practical threat to the empire was the Crack, located to the north. The Crack was so powerful that even His Majesty had died of betrayal during the war against the Crack. General Nienna Nelben and the northern populus of the empire, who had been fighting against the crack for a long time, had been blocking their attacks very well so far, but the empire was severely damaged at times by the asional appearance of the beasts from the Crack.


    ¡°It seems like you¡¯re having a hard time believing it.¡±


    ¡°I apologize. It¡¯s because I barely know anything about the Crack. All I know is the exaggerated stories about the huge cliff whichpletely tears up the northern territory, the unidentified monsters crawling up from the gap between the cliff, and the ability of the crack to pollute and corrupt the minds of those whose name has been mentioned by the Crack.¡±


    ¡°Exaggerated? I feel like they didn¡¯t even describe a quarter of the horror,¡± Juan said with a grin.


    ¡°It¡¯s that bad?¡±


    ¡°Just from what I saw in the Crack, it¡­ nevermind. It¡¯s an unnecessary story. Just think of it as a ce where things from different worlds crawl up. Not only is their existence unusual, but their forms and strengths are also unfamiliar. You can¡¯tmunicate with them nor can you understand them. Compared to those bastards, Nigrato¡¯s existence seems much more reasonable. Anyway, what¡¯s important is that the traces of the Crack could be found in Rietto, even though he isn¡¯t in the north, but in the south of the empire.¡±


    Juan lifted up the pouch that contained the Indeterminate Polyhedron.


    ¡°There was a stranger who attacked me recently. When I felt the power of the Crack from him, I knew for sure. Although I don¡¯t know if this gem came from the Crack, it seems like this gem was what shattered Rietto¡¯s mind. Maybe he saw a glimpse of my power through his fragmented mental world. That¡¯s why he¡­¡±


    Juan tried to say something, but smiled ambiguously and closed his mouth.


    Opert seemed to know what Juan wanted to say¡ªthat this was the reason why Rietto¡¯s fragmented mental world couldn¡¯t hold out and ended up scattering when Juan had exerted his power as the emperor.


    ¡°I would¡¯ve looked into how the Indeterminate Polyhedron had been obtained if Rietto was still alive. But I guess that¡¯s not possible anymore. So I¡¯m nning to separately investigate whether the Crack was involved with it or not.¡±


    ¡°Is that all?¡±


    ¡°What else do you want?¡±


    ¡°The threat of the Crack is being averted by General Nienna Nelben, and the Order of Penlil is making sure to prevent the power of the Crack from growing within the empire. But you are abandoning Anya, no, the Order of Huginn¡ªno, are you abandoning all of us just over a piece of gem that appeared around the border?¡±


    Juan silently looked at Opert, and Opert felt his throat drying upon meeting his gaze.


    ¡°I have no chivalry nor faith in the emperor. But the light and power you¡¯ve shown has changed everything about the people who witnessed it all. I think I finally know what the people have been waiting for. We need you right now more than ever¡ª¡± Opert took a big gulp. ¡°...Your Majesty the Emperor.¡±


    Opert uttered the words that had been at the tip of his tongue for a long time. Opert had thought that he should never say it out loud, but it was hard for him to not at this point.


    ¡°The emperor, you say¡­¡± Juan smiled bitterly. ¡°You¡¯ve misunderstood something. Opert, I¡¯m the one who¡¯s putting all of you in danger. My existence is attracting the unknowns that tried to kill me. Also, I¡¯m not yet ready to take responsibility for all of you.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean you¡¯re not ready to take responsibility?¡±


    ¡°It means that I don¡¯t want to be the emperor again. Don¡¯t be surprised and hear me out. I¡¯ve been feeling that the title of the emperor is not as light as I had once thought. It¡¯s just like how someone can¡¯t be the emperor by simply iming themselves to be the emperor. I still have a lot to learn about, and have lots of work that I must finish. Until I take care of everything, please forgive me even if I act a little selfish. But if you need my help, I¡¯ll help at any time.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡±


    ¡°Until that dayes, I hope you call me Juan. And I ask the same for others.¡±


    Soon, Opert silently nodded with a stiff look on his face.


    Juan jumped on the horse with ease. One of the good things about growing taller was that Juan no longer had difficulties in handling horses.


    ¡°So where are you headed to now?¡± Opert asked.


    ¡°The ce within the empire where the Crack had most deeply infiltrated is¡­ the east.¡±


    The eastern empire was and connected with the sea, where the sun rose from, and where dragons used to fly in the sky. It was also a territory that Gerard Gain and his knight order had loved the most.


    The eastern territory was Gerard¡¯s, and it had long been known as thend that had been eroded by the Crack. Juan didn¡¯t consider all this to be a simple coincidence. If the Crack really was involved in any way, Juan felt that he must check it.


    ¡°If you are headed to the east for just that reason, I rmend going to Durgal, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Durgal? Is it the name of a ce?¡±


    Juan had never heard of such a ce. Opert nodded his head and continued exining.


    ¡°I heard it was the ce where the Indeterminate Polyhedron was found. It¡¯s known to be a city within the eastern territory, though I¡¯m not too sure about its exact location. I never thought of it having the traces of the Crack. Maybe you¡¯ll be able to find a clue there.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, I¡¯ll take that into consideration. Oh, also¡­ do you know about the name ¡®Qzatquizail¡¯ by any chance?¡±


    ¡°Qzatquizail? Did you say it was a name? It sounds like a word from anguage of a different world. No, I¡¯ve never heard of it, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Hm. That¡¯s fair¡­¡±


    At that moment, Juan felt as if he had been hit on the head.


    ¡®<i>A name? Did I tell Opert that it was a name? Why did I think that it was a name?¡¯</i>


    Qzatquizail was certainly an unfamiliar word to Juan. As Opert said, it might be a word from anguage of a different world or a rune. However, Juan had been aware that it was a name ever since he heard the word, even though it was his first time hearing it.


    Juan bit his lips as if he was confused. Juan suspected that the unidentified stranger had nted a strange concept in his head¡ªthe beings from the Crack were extremely good at doing such things anyway.


    ¡°...Nevermind. Tell Dilmond to take good care of himself on my behalf,¡± Juan said to Opert before he headed off on his horse.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be asking others for a favor that might get them kicked,¡± Opertined.


    ¡°Oh, also tell him to not get mad at me, since I really meant every word of the praise that I said to him.¡±


    ¡°Any words you want to leave for Anya?¡±


    Juan paused for a second, then soon snorted.


    ¡°She¡¯s a child that Ras chose to be his sessor. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll do well on her own.¡±


    After leaving the message, Juan kicked his horse to head off without looking back. The ck horse obeyed Juan¡¯smand, galloping away.


    Opert wanted to see Juan off until the end, but Juan¡¯s figurepletely blended into the darkness even before the sound of the horse hooves grew faint.


    Opert adjusted his clothes and turned back. There was a lot of work to be done¡ªhis first job had to do with what Ras tried to protect until his end.


    Mananen McLeir¡¯s heart had to bepletely cloned.


    ***


    Someone approached the entrance of the alley Opert had just been in. It was a female knight with blonde hair who was wearing a deep hood that covered her face. She stared toward the darkness where Juan had disappeared for a long time.


    Her lips quietly muttered a name.


    ¡°Juan.¡±


    Sina Solvane didn¡¯t know what to do. All therades she knew had already died, and the Temrs who she grew to respect and follow turned out to havepletely different values from her. Furthermore, Juan, whom Sina refused to acknowledge as the emperor until the end, clearly exerted the power of the emperor. The fact that Sina herself helped him to prove this power felt even more ironic to her.


    It was certainly true that she desperately wanted to help Juan when he exerted his power while in danger, since no one else could save Hiveden from the disaster other than Juan. And as she wanted, Juan eventually destroyed Nigrato.


    ¡®<i>So what is Juan to me now?¡¯</i>


    Sina still couldn¡¯t decide. Sina touched the tattoo of the rune covering her left eye. She still had a lot of questions left that she wanted to ask Juan, and there were a lot of things she had to find out about¡ªshe couldn¡¯t just sit and watch him leave.


    Sina began to ride her horse to the east.


    ***


    Helmut couldn¡¯t believe his own eyes upon seeing the ck Priest who had returned with a ck eye. Unlike the Temrs, the ck Priests didn¡¯t wear any physical reinforcement or the armors of the Temrs. This was because they already had powerful enough Grace which allowed them to faithfully fulfill their duties even against the Temrs.


    However, all twelve of the ck Priests Helmut had sent came back, lying on their sickbed due to fractures and bruises.


    ¡°Your Holiness, please forgive us.¡±


    Helmut red at the ck Priest who bowed his head at his feet.


    ¡°Are you trying to show me your grievances by showing up before healing yourself?¡±


    The ck Priest made a face as if his conscience had been pricked, but rubbed his head on the floor to hide his expression.


    ¡°Not at all, Your Holiness. Not just me, but all the other ck Priests are suffering from simr injuries. Everyone has been saying that their wounds from the bastard¡¯s ruthless attack are so severe, that the healing Grace isn¡¯t working properly. Perhaps he used a heretical trick on us to¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut it.¡±


    Helmut cut the ck Priest off. Holding his aching head with his hands, Helmut lit the incense again.


    ¡°You¡¯re trying to tell me that the captain of the Imperial Guards who protects His Majesty uses heretical tricks? Are you telling me to dere that I havemitted the grave sin of cing a heretic next to His Majesty with my own hands? I can already see the captain of the Order of the Capital deriding me.¡±


    ¡°Y-Your Holiness, that wasn¡¯t my intention.¡±


    ¡°Why the hell would that bastard Lenly Loen protect the Saintess¡­?¡±


    Things had gonepletely wrong for Helmut. Helmut was well aware of Lenly Loen, as he used to be a rising star who even had a chance to be the captain of a knight order. However, Lenly Loen was too rigid¡ªhe had often shed with Helmut, and was an extreme worshiper of the emperor and the doctrines, to the extent that it was dangerous.


    For such reasons, Lenly Loen couldn¡¯t get along with the Church. When Lenly said that he wanted to give up his position as a Temr to join the Imperial Guards, Helmut was rather relieved. Helmut thought that it was better for him to forever remain neutral while staying with the Imperial Guards rather than to have him join the Order of the Capital and allow him to go mad and be hostile to himself.


    Helmut couldn¡¯t believe that he was shing with Lenly once again after all this time over a Saintess¡ªit was a rather unexpected situation.


    In principle, no one could mess with the Imperial Guards. Until now, Helmut had only been suggesting those that were upright and not greedy join the Imperial Guards. Never once did he think that this woulde back to bite him now.


    ¡°...What¡¯s the Saintess up to?¡±


    ¡°She is resting in her room, but the captain of the Imperial Guards hasn¡¯t left the front of the room, standing there to protect her. We kept telling him that it is Your Holiness¡¯ order, but he told us that ¡®His Majesty¡¯s order is his priority and it precedes everything.¡¯¡±


    Helmut gritted his teeth as he realized the Saintess had given yet another oracle. Helmut didn¡¯t know exactly what was going on, but thought that he must sort things out as soon as possible to prevent everything from getting out of control.


    Helmut med everything on the wind that blew from the south; the prophecy about the ck emperor, the demon of Tantil, the annihtion of the Order of the White Crow, and the emperor¡¯s oracle all seemed to be intertwined with each other as one.


    It was time for Helmut to sort things outpletely.


    Helmut gave new orders to the ck Priest.


    ¡°Command Velkre, the captain of the Order of the Evil Snake, to pause all the other missions and focus on chasing Tantil¡¯s demon. And dere a reward of ten thousand gold pieces under the name of the Church for the demon¡¯s head.¡±

 Chapter 79 – The Red Wasteland (1)

    <h4>Chapter 79 ¨C The Red Wastnd (1)</h4>


    The eastern territory of the empire was once considered the most beautifulnd. The long eastern coast was one of the wonders of the empire, and it was famous for the dragons that flew through its sky. It was a rare, and beautiful scenery of nature¡ªuntil Gerard Gain, the ruler of the east at the time, had stabbed the emperor¡¯s back.


    After the incident of His Majesty¡¯s assassination, most of the members of Gerard Gain¡¯s dragon knight order were either killed or had to flee, as they were used as aplices. The eastern territory lost its leader and had be and that produced the principal offender, thus beginning to be ostracized by the empire.


    Taking advantage of the chaos, the forces of the Crack that had crawled in from the north turned most of the eastern territory into a wastnd. Duke Henna, a native of the East, began to hold them back with the military support she managed to get with difficulty, but the eastern territory had long since been ruined.


    The wind raged and sprayed red dust over the barracks. The messenger sent from the holy city of Torra realized just how devastated the eastern territory had be by just listening to the sound of the dust storm raging against the barracks.


    The young messenger from the holy city of Torra found it hard to believe that this devastatednd was once considered to be the empire¡¯s most prosperousnd in the past.


    The person he was waiting for at the moment was the only one who controlled this vast wastnd by herself.


    The curtains of the barracks lifted, and an old woman with a small figure walked in. She was wearing a cloak that was covered in red dust, with her head deeply buried in it. The messenger reflexively stood up and saluted the old woman.


    The old woman was Duke H Henna, the noble that had been ruling the entire eastern territory alone after most of the nobles here had left thend.


    ¡°I apologize for having kept you waiting. I¡¯ve been on reconnaissance. Pavan sent you here?¡± H asked.


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m Suvole Sore from the Order of the Capital,¡± Suvole said as he handed over a letter to H.


    H frowned and took off her cloak before taking the letter from Suvole. Upon taking off her cloak, the face of an old woman who only had her left eye remaining was revealed. Her right sleeve pped around, as she didn¡¯t have a right arm either, but H proficiently opened the letter with her left hand and began to read the letter. After reading through the letter, H crumpled the letter in her hand.


    ¡°Damn that Pavan¡­ Why does this asshole always maintain silence when we need his help, but politely addresses me as ¡®master¡¯ whenever he wants to ask for my help? As far as I remember, that¡¯s not how I taught him to behave. Perhaps that nasty pig Barth Baltic taught him to behave like that?¡±


    ¡°Duke Henna.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare try to point out mynguage. If you have a problem with me and mynguage, go and raise issues with your boss."


    Of course, Suvole had no intention of doing so. Although he was a knight from the Order of the Capital, he had a good diplomatic sense.


    ¡°Go tell either Pavan or Barth, whoever you feel like it¡ªI hope they die as soon as possible and that they should choose a dog as the next Regent. At least a dog knows how to be grateful when he is given food.¡±


    One of the reasons why Pavan sent a knight with a good diplomatic sense as a messenger was because he was very well aware that Duke Henna had quite a bad temper.


    ¡°Duke Henna, you know the situation in the capital well enough. The activity of giants in the west is unusual, and General Nienna Nelben in the north writes daily letters to request more troops for military support. And the south¡­ I have nothing else to say¡­ the letter already states it. I¡¯m sorry that we aren¡¯t able to take good care of the eastern territory, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to lecture me on the absurdities of capital politics or what?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m asking you to understand the situation that the Regent is under, where he has to lead the Imperial Army in the most efficient way. It¡¯s such an urgent matter that the Church even dispatched twelve knights from the Order of the Evil Snake. I¡¯m sorry to ask you for such a favor, but we have no choice other than to urgently request for military support from you¡ªDuke Henna, the leader of the fourth division of the local Imperial Army.¡±


    ¡°So those living in other territories are the people of the empire, while those living in the eastern territory are pigs? You cheeky little bastard. I wouldn¡¯t be saying all this if it was your first time discriminating against the east. If you guys had sent military support when we needed it most, we would have ended the civil war way earlier and the eastern territory wouldn¡¯t be suffering like this. You think things are easy out here just because we are fighting against humans, and not monsters?¡±


    Compared to the Crack in the north, the Giants in the west, and the Undead in the south, the civil war in the east was rtively recent. However, Duke Henna who had been suffering from civil war for decades had a belly full of anger, as it was the civil war that took her right eye and her right arm.


    ¡°I must have sent at least a hundred letters saying that the Crack, no¡ªthe Thornbush Priest Organization is behind the civil war. The fanatics desperately want to cut off His Majesty¡¯s neck, and the bastard who calls himself the empire¡¯s Regent must think that everything is funny. After all, his neck is so much thicker than His Majesty¡¯s, am I right?¡±


    ¡°Please restrain yourself from making rudements about His Majesty, and¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡±


    H threw the crumpled letter at Suvole¡¯s face.


    ¡°I¡¯m at war right now, and I need every single soldier I can get for this war, not to mention that we alreadyck military support. And what are you asking for at such a time? You want me to gather my troops, leave the war to chase after a criminal who has been causing a mess in the south? What kind of bullshit are you talking about? If it¡¯s so urgent, why don¡¯t you go and chase after him yourself? You are from the Order of the Capital, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Of course, the troops sent by the Order of the Capital are also there. But we would be more than grateful if Duke Henna could provide additional support to¡­¡±


    ¡°Those assholes don¡¯t have troops to help us, but they have troops to chase after a criminal?¡±


    H tapped and pushed Suvole¡¯s chest with her left arm. Suvole stepped back as he was scolded by H, who was so small that her height only came up to his chest. Although he was a well-trained knight, he still had to have cold feet in front of the veteran who had been fighting on the battlefield for decades.


    ¡°What did you bastards do after taking out Gerard Gain and the Order of Lindwurm? Absolutely nothing! Who was it that restored and rebuilt the east, which had basically descended intoplete anarchy? It was me! As I received nothing, I also have nothing to give! No, it would make more sense for me to receive something from you right now. Do you even know how many talented individuals you took away from me?¡±


    ¡°My apologies. I have no excuses. I¡¯m sure that Captain Pavan is feeling guilty as well. But as a captain of the Order of the Capital, he must follow themand of the Regent as the system is¡­¡±


    ¡°Whatever. I can¡¯t help you for free this time.¡±


    ¡°...What are your conditions?¡±


    ¡°Seven thousand soldiers of the Imperial Army. And they bring the supplies needed; we will not provide the supplies.¡±


    ¡°Yes, for sure.¡±


    H paused her movement upon hearing Suvole¡¯s agreement. Her face was filled with suspicion.


    ¡°What did you say? ¡®For sure?¡¯ But you didn¡¯t even bother to ask for Pavan¡¯s permission before agreeing?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. So I can assure you. I¡¯ve been delegated with the authority, and so I¡¯ll provide you with a contract as a guarantee if you want. We¡¯ll send the soldiers as soon as possible.¡±


    H was surprised to see Suvole ept the conditions she had offered; she had only thrown her condition out there, and didn¡¯t think he would ept it anyway. In H¡¯s mind, there was no way that he would send seven thousand Imperial soldiers in return for chasing after one criminal. Her n was to kick Suvole out when he whined and tried to bargain against her conditions. But seeing Suvole willingly ept her offer, H felt strange and grew nervous¡ªH wasn¡¯t the type to easily let go of her anxious foreboding.


    ¡°You son of a bitch, what are you nning?¡±


    H grabbed Survole by the cor, and Suvole raised both his arms to prove that he had no intention to resist.


    ¡°That¡¯s just how much importance Captain Pavan attaches to this request. I can promise you that we won¡¯t intervene with the way you decide to use the troops. As I¡¯ve already mentioned, Captain Pavan had always felt that he owed Duke Henna a debt. I¡¯d appreciate it if you could consider this as his way of repaying his debt to you.¡±


    Henna couldn¡¯t believe his words. Until Pavan began to work under Barth, he had been a student whom H had taught on her own¡ªthis meant that she was well aware of his personality. Anxiety appeared on H¡¯s face, but it was also difficult for her to turn down this offer, considering what she could aplish with seven thousand Imperial soldiers.


    ¡°A criminal worth sending over seven thousand soldiers? What the hell is he anyway?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you more detailed informationter on. But I can guarantee you that you won¡¯t be happy with such a dangerous person crawling into the east.¡±


    H couldn¡¯t deny Suvole¡¯s words. H didn¡¯t want any more variables, and wondered what Pavan¡¯s true intention was.


    ¡°...Be honest with me. How much leeway were you given by Pavan?¡± H asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you are talking about.¡±


    While H still felt a little uneasy about her decision, she ended up choosing a more practical option.


    ¡°Write this right now¡ªyou will send ten thousand Imperial soldiers, and that they will bring the equipment and supplies needed as well. Don¡¯t you dare change your minds and put everything on our poor neighborhood,¡± H scolded Survole as she shoved a pen and paper in front of his eyes.


    ¡°Why are you suddenly adding three thousand more soldiers to¡­¡±


    ¡°Just shut up and write.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Suvole began to write down the contract on the spot. In just an instant, a few words decided on the movement of ten thousand Imperial soldiers. It was also the moment that made H feel pathetic about herself, as she found it extremely difficult to get even one thousand, no¡ªeven five hundred troops for support.


    H took the contract from Suvole¡¯s hand and red at him with a displeased expression.


    ¡°As I mentioned already, I can¡¯t take out much of my forces as we¡¯re in the middle of a civil war.¡±


    ¡°As I mentioned already, that¡¯s fine as long as you promise to get the job done.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that part. I have someone suitable for the job.¡±


    ¡°How many are you nning to send?¡± Suvole tilted his head as if he was curious at H¡¯s words.


    ¡°One, but he is better than a hundred.¡±


    ***


    The moonlight shone on the de of a sword.


    As Juan swung his short sword, the attacker¡¯s hand was split in half at once. Before he could even let out a scream, Juan¡¯s short sword was swung once again to cut the attacker¡¯s body for the third, fifth, and seventh times.


    The attacker spewed blood from his entire body, and screamed while being covered in blood.


    Juan didn¡¯t intend to let him scream for a long time¡ªsoon, Juan¡¯s short sword pierced the attacker¡¯s heart.


    All this had happened in the blink of an eye after only one of the many attackers had charged at Juan. As Juan scattered the blood on his short sword to the ground, the rest of the attackers backed away with pale expressions.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you already know this, but¡­¡±


    Juan slowly approached the attackers.


    A voice was echoing in their heads, warning the attackers that they should run away from this ruthless opponent. Despite the open wastnd they were on, the attackers felt as if they were in a narrow prison cell that was just three steps in any direction.


    ¡°I could have killed him instantly.¡±


    It had already been two weeks since Juan came to the eastern territory, and this was the fifth attack that Juan had encountered. Juan had been killing all the attackers without a question up until now, but he began to feel strange as the raids continued.


    It was clear that the attackers were looking for Juan, but theycked skills needed to harm Juan. Also, the rate at which they found Juan¡¯s location all the time was too quick.


    The attackers all took a big gulp. Right up until the moment the first attacker charged at him, Juan had been sitting quietly.


    The attackers soon realized that Juan¡¯s intentions behind disarming the first attacker and violently killing him was to set an example.


    The man who appeared to be the leader of the attackers paused his movement and opened his mouth with difficulty.


    ¡°W-wait a second. This is all a misunderstanding. We didn¡¯te here for you.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯te for me?¡± Juan tilted his head out of curiosity.


    ¡°The Church is offering ten thousand gold pieces to catch the ck-haired kid, so the entire eastern territory is attacking anyone that has ck hair. T-that¡¯s the only reason why we attacked you. We are not the only ones, but everyone else is also on the hunt.¡±


    A cold sweat began to appear on the foreheads of the attackers upon seeing Juan remain silent.


    ¡°Look, We¡¯ll apologize if we made you feel unpleasant, but it¡¯s not like you were injured anyway. We lost one of ourrades, but you are unharmed. We¡¯ll leave you alone, so why don¡¯t we go our own ways without shedding any more blood?¡±


    ¡°Solving things without shedding blood¡­ I like that.¡±


    ¡°O-okay. Then¡­¡±


    ¡°Where is Durgal?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I asked where Durgal was. If you answer my question, I¡¯ll spare the life of one person.¡±


    Ever since Opert had told Juan about Durgal, he had been looking for the ce. However, it was difficult to find the exact location as it was neither a city nor a famous ce.


    ¡°Why are you looking for Durgal?¡±


    It was the man who had been standing behind all the attackers who answered Juan¡¯s question. All the attacker¡¯s gazes turned toward the back.


    A man with a small figure was looking at Juan with a faint smile. As soon as the attackers saw the man¡¯s smile, they realized that they had been fooled.


    ¡°You son of a bitch! You¡¯re the one who convinced us to attack the ck-haired boy sleeping on the street¡­!¡±


    The attacker couldn¡¯t finish his words. Something had suddenly popped out of the hand of the man with a small figure and stabbed the attacker in the neck. In just an instant, two-thirds of the attacker¡¯s neck was cut, and his head was left to dangle sideways.


    It was only then that everyone saw a long tentacle with an eerie texture on the small figured man¡¯s hand, which extended all the way to the attacker¡¯s neck.


    The rest of the attackers scattered while screaming.


    Meanwhile, Juan raised the corner of his lips.


    His opponent hade for him.

 Chapter 80 – The Red Wasteland (2)

    <h4>Chapter 80 ¨C The Red Wastnd (2)</h4>


    ¡°¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö.¡±


    As the man with a small figure whispered something, the attackers all stopped moving, and with a splitting sound purple tentacles began to pop out from their trembling bodies.


    The tentacles, which had a sticky texture, broke through the bones of the attackers to pop out of their bodies and slowly trembled under the moonlight. The attackers resembled corpses wrapped in thorny vines with tentacles sticking out of their bodies. Now, they were staring at Juan with eyes that werepletely out of focus.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s not a very pretty sight,¡± Juan said.


    Juan didn¡¯t bother taking any precautions, and only stared at the man with the small figure with his short sword still hanging down.


    The man with the small figure slowly began to walk toward Juan. By the time his face waspletely visible under the moonlight, the man slowly took off his hood. His eyes werepletely out of focus, just like the attackers and he had a strand of tentacles sticking out of his left eye. He, too, was a walking corpse, no different from the attackers.


    The man spoke as he flicked his purple tongue.


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask you again. Why are you looking for Durgal?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to pay me a visit first. I thought you would wait until I found you.¡±


    ¡°What a cheeky bastard you are,¡± The man smirked while flicking his tongue. ¡°It¡¯s not too hard to find out about Durgal, so it''s whatever. But you on the other hand, bother me in lots of different ways¡­ that ck hair of yours. You are that ¡®ck Emperor¡¯ who the Church is targeting and has ced a reward on, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡®<i>ck Emperor?¡¯</i>


    Juan had never heard of that title before.


    Instead of answering, Juan swung his short sword to cut off the man¡¯s neck at once. When Juan stabbed his short sword into the head of the man that was rolling on the ground and lifted it up, the man smirked and derided Juan while looking at him upside down.


    ¡°You have quite a short temper, Your Majesty.¡±


    Juan knew only one group of people that could use such tricks; the Crack, and those who worshiped it.


    ¡°I should havepletely ended you all when I was still alive.¡±


    Juan swung his short sword to throw the man¡¯s head on the ground, and stepped on his head to crush it. The purple fluid sprayed everywhere, and the torn tentacles crawled away with a strange sound.


    ¡°Huh, this is¡­¡± one of the attackers with tentacles all over his body said while staring at Juan.


    Juan had a fed-up look on his face upon seeing him, but the attackers crawled on their knees and made their way right in front of Juan.


    ¡°How very unexpected of you¡­ I can feel the spirit of His Majesty from within you. So Your Majesty, for what reason are you looking for us? Isn¡¯t Your Majesty¡¯s body located in the capital? I thought Your Majesty was hostile toward the Church?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s none of your business.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Honestly, you are right¡ªit is none of our business, Your Majesty the ck Emperor. But if you insist on looking for us¡­ the only reason for that could be Gerard Gain, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±


    The attackerughed at Juan in a disturbing manner.


    Juan¡¯s expression couldn¡¯t help but stiffen upon seeing someone so clearly associated with the Crack casually mention Gerard¡¯s name. Juan felt a strong desire to kill him.


    ¡°I didn¡¯te here to stop you, Your Majesty. Rather, I¡¯m waiting for you.¡±


    ¡°You must have prepared a feast for me,¡± Juan snickered.


    ¡°I can guarantee that we won¡¯t disappoint you. Please visit our Thornbush Priest Organization, Your Majesty. Pleasee and warm the seat we have saved for you,¡± one of the attackers whispered to Juan as he pulled on Juan''s leg.


    Juan stabbed his short sword into the middle of his forehead, but the rest of the attackers also grabbed Juan while they whispered the same words from all sides in the same voice.


    ¡°Please help us quench our thirst.¡±


    Juan grabbed the cheek of an attacker. The attacker¡¯s cheeks flushed, while mes rose from Juan¡¯s hand and engulfed the surroundings instantly. Juan swung his burning hand and destroyed the bodies of the attackers, which were already on fire.


    The fragments of burning corpses were scattered in the wastnd in the middle of a dark night. There was no one opening their mouths to whisper to Juan anymore.


    ¡°The Thornbush Priest Organization,¡± Juan muttered as he looked down at the corpses.


    The burning bodies lit up the wastnd. There was still a long time before the sun rose.


    ***


    ¡°The condition of these corpses is quite simr to the ones that had been reported in Hiveden.¡±


    A group of people wearing helmets shaped like snake heads were checking on the corpses in the middle of the wilderness. The white armor they were wearing indicated that they were Temrs. The Temrs walked around the corpses that were damaged to the point their original form couldn¡¯t be identified, and were scattered on the ground as broken lumps of charcoal.


    Among the Temrs, one of them who was holding a green gpole lowered his body to pick something up; it was a dried-up purple tentacle.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s proof of the Thornbush Priest Organization being involved. I knew they had something to do with this.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying that the devil of Tantil is also rted to the Thornbush Priest Organization? Aren¡¯t theypletely different directions?¡±


    ¡°Do not try to understand the Crack, brother. If you do so, the Crack will burrow deep into your mind.¡±


    Upon hearing the warning, the Temr made the sign of His Majesty on his chest and whispered a short prayer.


    Meanwhile, the Temr holding the green gpole continued speaking as he examined the traces of the corpses.


    ¡°Perhaps they don¡¯t get along well with each other. This is different from the way Thornbush Priest Organization has been simply ughtering while doing crazy things. They were killed efficiently, and in the cleanest way over a short time. Maybe it wasn¡¯t done by one person alone.¡±


    ¡°Are you suggesting that the Order of Huginn is also rted to this?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a possibility.¡±


    The Temr holding the green gpole tapped the ground with the gpole.


    ¡°Anyway, the chase is paying off, brothers. The bastard is not too far away.¡±


    ***


    The east had unstable public security. Because of this reason, the people of the eastern territory preferred private armed groups over the unstable public power; the private groups wouldn¡¯t betray them as long as they were paid properly. Thanks to this, mercenary groups were more prevalent in the eastern territory of the empirepared to the other regions.


    Among all the mercenary groups, a mercenary guild called ¡®The Dragon¡¯s Slumber¡¯ was the most influential guild with its branches throughout the entirety of the eastern territory. It was a guild that only hired veteran mercenaries who could handle most missions, but the topic of the wanted criminal that the Church had ced rewards on was a hot potato even among such mercenaries.


    A man with wounds all over his face stomped into the guild. Red blood dripped from the ck cloth he was holding in his hand, leaving traces of blood on the floor. The mercenaries around him whispered to each other and stepped back due to his unusual atmosphere; they could easily guess what the big, round object that was dripping blood from inside the cloth was.


    The man walked up to the counter and ced the cloth on the counter with a thud.


    ¡°Take a look.¡±


    The female employee who had been working at the counter frowned upon seeing the cloth, but gently untied the knot on the cloth while trying to avoid getting the blood on her hands.


    When the knot became untied, the head of a ck-haired man with his mouth wide open was revealed. The disgusting smell of blood filled the guild, and the wounded man leaned against the counter with a grin.


    ¡°Ten thousand gold pieces. I¡¯ve got it right this time, haven¡¯t I?¡±


    The female employee took a nce at him, and pushed off the head to the side as if it was not worth looking at.


    The wounded man had a distorted look on his face.


    ¡°Where did you even find this poor man? Mr. Harankel, I¡¯m sure the wanted list said they were looking for someone between the age of twelve and fourteen. The Church won¡¯t pay you just because you caught someone with ck hair. You need to catch the actual criminal,¡± the female employee said.


    .


    ¡°Ah, damn it. All the guys from beyond the border look the same. Can you just send it to the Church? People like you with a keen eye aren¡¯t thatmon. Who knows, maybe the Church will be fooled?¡±


    ¡°Stop talking nonsense and bury that poor man. Even though those that kill people from beyond the border aren¡¯t punished, you shouldn¡¯t go around killing them recklessly. You need to think about your reputation.¡±


    ¡°Well, reputation doesn¡¯t feed you, does it?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t¡­ but having a bad reputation sure can cause a knife to be stabbed into your back. If you continue being reckless just because you are a silver grade, your grade might be lowered in the¡­¡±


    The female employee didn¡¯t finish her sentence. Harankel followed the female employee¡¯s gaze, and opened his eyes wide.


    A ck haired man was walking into the guild. Up until recently, it hadn¡¯t been too difficult to see people with ck hair in the eastern territory. However, as the crackdown on those from beyond the border was reinforced due to the huge amount of reward money offered by the Church, they began to gradually disappear.


    Harankel looked closely at the ck-haired man just in case. Although the man was young, he was certainly not under the age of eighteen. Besides, he was quite good-looking and had the appearance of a noble. Not only was he outside of the age range, but he didn¡¯t have the face of a criminal who had been chased day and night.


    ¡®<i>Maybe he¡¯s a noble¡¯s toy or something.</i>¡¯


    Harankel clicked his tongue. He couldn¡¯t kill another innocent person, especially after just being scolded for killing an innocent person.


    The ck-haired man ignored Harakel and walked past the counter. The female employee was nkly staring at the man¡¯s face.


    Harankel shook his head upon seeing her face suddenly getting flushed.


    ¡®<i>Bloody women¡­¡¯</i>


    ¡°W-wee,¡± the female employee greeted.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking for a ce called Durgal.¡±


    As soon as the ck-haired man mentioned Durgal, he heard the sound of quite a few chairs moving simultaneously inside the guild¡ªit was the sound of the mercenaries all turning their bodies toward the counter.


    The female employee¡¯s face, which had been flushed until just a moment ago, quickly turned pale.


    ¡°W-why are you looking for Durgal¡­?¡±


    ¡°I heard that they are recruiting mercenaries there. I was told that it¡¯s best to ask around the mercenary guild for the exact location, since it¡¯s a remote ce.¡±


    ¡°Hey, you,¡± Harankel grabbed the shoulder of the ck-haired man from behind. ¡°Are you a mercenary, not a servant of some noble lord? There¡¯s no way that you are a mercenary. Why would anyone go to the territory of Durgal unless it¡¯s someone who¡¯s been driven to the edge of a cliff? I¡¯m sure you could make a living by making good use of your handsome face.¡±


    The ck-haired man grabbed Harankel¡¯s hand and shook it off like dust, then spoke to the female employee again.


    ¡°So what should I do to get to Durgal?¡±


    ¡°Um, well¡­ the territory of Durgal¡­ is strictly restricted to mercenaries of higher grades, since there have been too many mercenaries who went there and never came back. You need to be at least silver grade in order to go now¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s better to say that it¡¯s your fortune if you don¡¯te back. Those who managed toe back from there had either gone crazy or were disabled. Of course, there were also some of them who brought back enormous amounts of gold and silver, but a weak guy like you would lose your neck if you went. If you are going to lose your neck in Durgal anyway, just leave it here instead. ck hair is quite valuable in this area anyway,¡± Harankel cut off the female employee and exined to Juan.


    Harankel reached out his hand as if he was about to stroke the ck-haired man¡¯s head. But before Harankel could touch the ck-haired man¡¯s head, he grabbed Harankel¡¯s hand. Harankel flinched and tried to retract his hand, but his hand didn¡¯t move an inch as if it was stuck in a stone.


    ¡°ck hair, huh¡­¡± the ck-haired man muttered as he took a nce at the head ced next to the counter.


    ¡°Oh, this is a case of misunderstanding while looking for a wanted criminal, but I will give a strict warning to everyone so that they no longer harm the innocent. As for going to the territory of Durgal, it¡¯s only possible for the silver grades or higher mercenaries to go there. Do you have a mercenary registration card?¡± the female employee answered in haste.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have such a thing. Hm¡­¡±


    The ck-haired man turned his gaze toward Harankel, who was still trying to pull his hand out. The ck-haired man¡¯s eyes turned to the silver brooch on Harankel¡¯s left shoulder.


    ¡°Is this the brooch that proves silver grade or whatever?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes. But¡­¡±


    Even before the female employee could finish speaking, the ck-haired man reached out his hand to grab Harankel¡¯s cheek. Despite being much taller than the ck-haired man, Harankel was forced to kneel on the floor as his face was grabbed.


    The cracking sound of Harankel¡¯s jaw being crushed echoed throughout the guild. The ck-haired man was breaking each of Harankel¡¯s teeth just by grabbing his cheek with only one hand.


    Harankel couldn¡¯t even let out a scream with his mouth being blocked by the ck-haired man¡¯s hand, and could only tremble his shoulders in pain while swallowing his screams.


    The ck-haired man soonpletely crushed Harankel¡¯s jaw, and then knocked him backward on the floor.


    ¡°I think I just proved my capabilities,¡± the ck-haired man said as he took the silver brooch off of Harankel¡¯s left shoulder.


    But the female employee shook her head.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but it doesn¡¯t work that way. Also, fighting inside the guild is prohibited.¡±

 Chapter 81 – Ten Thousand Gold Pieces (1)

    <h4>Chapter 81 ¨C Ten Thousand Gold Pieces (1)</h4>


    Juan was kicked out of the mercenary guild by the female employee, who basically pushed his back and forced him to leave. The guild¡¯s mercenary grade wasn¡¯t something that could be obtained easily just by winning against a mercenary of a specific grade¡ªit could only be obtained when one had earned enough credit, reputation and skills all at once.


    In other words, it was impossible to obtain a silver mercenary grade in a short period of time, unless one made a huge contribution or was a famous mercenary even before he joined the guild.


    ¡°They have be a much more demanding group than I remember.¡±


    The mercenaries that Juan remembered from when he used to be the emperor were nothing more than men who were crazy over money, alcohol, and women. It was alsomon for the mercenaries of various mercenary groups to join Juan¡¯s army. They used to be simple and unsystematic, but they had changed quite a bit over time.


    <i>¡®Anyway, how am I gonna get to the territory of Durgal?¡¯</i>


    The only information Juan had found out about Durgal was that it was a rural vige located somewhere in the Manas Mountains. Juan had heard a chaotic rumor about the vige¡ªit was said that the forces which rebelled against the empire were caught in a trap there and suffered from mass persecution by the empire. The rumor also said that the survivors had buried enormous amounts of jewels underground, thus the mercenaries or adventurers constantly visited Durgal to search for the hidden treasures. Juan assumed that the rumors about the hidden treasure must be true considering that the Indeterminate Polyhedron had been discovered there.


    But that was all Juan knew about Durgal. Juan had never heard of the territory of Durgal before, and he thought it must either be a very smallnd that wasn¡¯t well known, or it was only established after his death. Juan didn¡¯t think that it was worth wandering the whole mountain range just to look for a small vige.


    ¡°Hey, you, the ck-haired young man over there.¡±


    At that moment, Juan heard a voice from above his head. A woman who had a slender figure and silver bobbed hair was looking down at him with a smile that revealed all her teeth from the terrace on the second floor of the mercenary guild building. She was carrying a huge horn bow made with the horns of an unknown creature on her back.


    ¡°Why are you looking for the territory of Durgal?¡± the woman asked.


    ¡°Do you know anything about it?¡±


    ¡°Continue walking and forget it if all you are looking for is nothing more than wealth and fame. There¡¯s no such thing in Durgal.¡±


    ¡°You must know Durgal well, right?¡±


    ¡°Maybe?¡±


    The woman lifted up her hair. Beneath her hair was the stub of her ear that had been cut off. The woman grinned and continued.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got things even worse than this underneath my clothes, although I can¡¯t show them to you in the middle of the day. Thank god that the guy who stabbed me in the back was so obsessed with cutting my ear.¡±


    ¡°Is that a wound you got due to going to the territory of Durgal?¡±


    ¡°It sure is. I¡¯m one of the few mercenaries who have made it out of there, alive.¡±


    ¡°So there are dangerous people there.¡±


    ¡°Dangerous people? Hehe. You really are clueless, aren¡¯t you? The guy who cut off my ear was the one I trusted most and could rely on.¡±


    ¡°Then why did he¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡±


    ¡°I also want to know why he did what he did. Thatnd just makes people crazy. I was the only one who barely managed to make it out alive from among the group I went with, but I couldn¡¯t go back to where that guy was again. So I gave up all the rewards and ran away from there alone. Usually, only one out of twenty people bring back gold and silver from there.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s more than I thought.¡±


    ¡°And four out of those five who seed in getting gold and silver treasures always go back for more. To sum it up, it can be said that only about one in a hundred people can sessfully make it out alive from the territory of Durgal. It¡¯s no wonder that the guild limits the ess to the territory of Durgal to only silver grades and higher.¡±


    The woman jumped down from the terrace with ease. Upon seeing her nimble movement and the fact that shended without a single sound, Juan noticed that she was an elf. It took Juan a longer time to realize her identity due to her ear which had been cut off, not to mention the way she was dressed to disguise as a human. Other people besides Juan would bepletely fooled.


    ¡°So? Why are you trying to go there?¡± the elf woman grinned as she circled around Juan.


    ¡°Why do you want to know?¡±


    ¡°If I like the reason behind you wanting to go there, I¡¯ll lead the way myself.¡±


    Juan¡¯s eyebrows twitched. He didn¡¯t like the idea of having to exin everything to her, but the idea of a ¡®crazy elf woman¡¯ made Juan feel uneasy and caused his heart to ache for some reason. Besides, he figured that it would be difficult for him to get there without the elf woman¡¯s help if he could only rely on asking others for the location of the rural territory hidden in the mountains.


    ¡°I¡¯m nning to kill someone there.¡±


    The elf woman opened her mouth wide and pped her hands upon hearing Juan¡¯s answer.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, you couldn''t find a better ce. I won¡¯t ask you who you¡¯re trying to kill since that sounds too personal.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯ll guide me there?¡±


    ¡°Sure thing, if you pay the right price, that is. I am a mercenary after all.¡±


    Juan sighed with his arms crossed. He didn¡¯t think paying her would be a waste, but having a conversation with this woman somehow made Juan tired.


    ¡°How much do you want?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°Ten thousand gold pieces,¡± the elf woman said with a big smile.


    At that moment, she quickly took two steps back from Juan upon seeing him cing his hand over his short sword. The elf woman didn¡¯t erase the smile off her face and shook her head.


    ¡°Whoa, whoa, don¡¯t try to cut off my neck all of a sudden. If you can¡¯t pay ten thousand gold pieces, your head will be enough. Am I right, ten thousand gold pieces? I know that you¡¯re the one that the Church is desperately trying to find and offering a reward of ten thousand gold pieces for.¡±


    ¡°I never tried to hide it¡ªI only wondered why they are still looking for a young child. How do you know about this already?¡± Juan said with an eerie smile.


    ¡°I get my information quickly, thanks to my connections,¡± the elf womanughed loudly and continued speaking. ¡°I have lots of friends, especially in Hiveden as there are a lot of jobs for me over there. I heard an interesting story from a friend there. I won¡¯t ask how a thirteen-year-old boy turned eighteen in just a day. I have learned from the territory of Durgal that there are many things in the world that you are better off not knowing about.¡±


    ¡°If you want my head, shoot your shot. I won¡¯t stop you.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± the woman elf shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to fight you, Mr. Ten thousand gold pieces. How would I dare to fight someone that¡¯s worth ten thousand gold pieces?¡±


    ¡°Then what do you want?¡±


    ¡°If Mr. Ten thousand gold pieces don¡¯t want to pay me in advance, I¡¯ll still guide you to the territory of Durgal. If you happen to die in there, I¡¯ll cut off your head, just like my ear. Let¡¯s say that you¡¯ll payter, why don¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°What if I survive?¡± Juan asked out of pure curiosity, as he didn¡¯t think even for a little bit that he would die.


    ¡°Then the fact that you survived will be enough to pay the price. So what do you say? Is this an eptable condition for you?¡± the elf woman said as she looked at Juan with a mysterious smile on her face.


    The elf woman smiled a broad smile and held out her hand.


    Juan suddenly felt that he was intertwined with crazy elves too often as he looked at the elf woman¡¯s eyes which were filled with madness and confusion. However, he didn¡¯t think that her suggestion was a bad one, especially when he never even considered dying in the territory of Durgal.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Juan said.


    While Juan nodded his head, he didn¡¯t hold the elf woman¡¯s hand, causing her to retrieve her hand awkwardly and smile.


    ¡°My name is Swan. I hope we get along well until we arrive at Durgal, Mr. Ten thousand gold pieces.¡±


    ***


    Unlike her tone and behavior that made her look crazy, Swan was a gold-grade mercenary, someone who surpassed the silver grade. This fact didn¡¯t surprise Juan, as he already knew that her skills far surpassed the man whom he had beaten up in the guild.


    What did surprise Juan were the exceptional reactions of the people around her when she took up the task of getting Juan to Durgal. She directly got Juan, who didn¡¯t even have a mercenary grade, on a carriage that would take him to the territory of Durgal. She also sold Juan¡¯s horse for more than it was worth, and she even made the carriage leave earlier than intended when Juan made a fuss. Any and all issues which seemed to be problematic to resolve were simply neglected by people hearing the words ¡®it¡¯s Ms. Swan¡¯s request.¡¯


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Juan asked with suspicion.


    ¡°I¡¯m apetent mercenary. Worth paying ten thousand gold pieces, aren¡¯t I?¡±


    Swan answered Juan as if it was nothing, then pushed Juan into the carriage.


    Everything happened in an instant¡ªJuan departed for the territory of Durgal.


    The sound of the wheels of the carriage ttering was monotonous, and thendscape of the red wastnd passing by rxed Juan and Swan.


    Swan leaned against the window to take a nap, almost as if she was sleeping in her own bed. The same was true of other mercenaries in the carriage.


    The mercenaries who had to travel quite often used public carriages like this one, but its speed was rather disappointing for Juan.


    ¡°It¡¯s too slow. Why are we on a carriage when we could be riding our horses?¡± Juan asked as he woke Swan up by kicking her feet.


    ¡°Because this is the only way to safely get to Durgal, Mr. Ten thousand gold pieces.¡± Swan yawned loudly while stretching. ¡°Only a madman would suggest going to the territory of Durgal with just two people, not to mention theplicated directions. It¡¯s better to ride a carriage with many people. So you should get used to the shaky carriage trip, Mr. Ten thousand gold pieces.¡±


    There was nothing Juan could do about it despite hisints, as Swan was the guide leading him.


    ¡®<i>Then, I guess I have nothing better to do other than check the condition of my body.</i>¡¯


    Juan checked the condition of his mana heart with ease. When his body had been reconstructed in Hiveden, most of the mana that stayed separate inside his body had fused together as one¡ªthe emperor¡¯s own mana, the mana from Talter¡¯s blood, Grunbalde¡¯s gray cloak, and even a part of Nigrato¡¯s mana had all been absorbed and fused into his body.


    Although Juan hadn¡¯t been able to fully ept all the mana into his body due to the limited capacity of his current body, it was still quite the progress. Juan had also mostly recovered the mana that had been stolen by his original body when he had visited the Imperial Pce.


    ¡®<i>But the problem is that the nature of the mana has changed.</i>¡¯


    When the enormous powers fused under the leadership of the emperor¡¯s mana, their natures changed from the way they used to be originally. For example, Juan could no longer use the power of Talter¡¯s blood as that blood had beenpletely fused and mostly lost its original properties. But if he wanted to, it was still possible to explode its power to a certain extent, such that it was a bit weaker than before. The same was true of Grunbalde¡¯s gray cloak and a part of Nigrato¡¯s power.


    It was different from magic¡ªJuan was now able to ess a small portion of the powers that used to be unique to the gods. However, the power gained in this manner was definitely far from the power that he wielded as an emperor.


    Juan couldn¡¯t tell if this was a good thing or a bad thing. While Juan would no longer have to worry about losing control of the powers as they had already lost their egos, Juan felt a slight anxiety about his original mana being contaminated and corrupted, and thuspletely different from before if other types of mana continued to be fused into it like this.


    ¡®<i>I don¡¯t know what the side effects are.</i>¡¯


    Juan didn¡¯t know what kind of reaction his mana would show when he regained his original body one day; the properties of his mana could end up bing very different by then.


    Thinking that it would be better to watch the condition of his body for the time being, Juan decided to practice being able to handle the unfamiliar mana with ease inside his body.


    ***


    The journey to Durgal was now in its second day. The surrounding scenery was rather boring with only red wastnd and rolling dust, and the mercenaries eagerly waited for the carriage to stop so that they could stretch their stiff bodies. Whenever the carriage stopped for a while to give the horses some rest, everyone was busy making a fuss toe outside to stretch¡ªexcept for Juan.


    ¡°Excuse me, Ms. Swan.¡±


    While everyone was moving their stiff joints, one of the mercenaries spoke to Swan.


    ¡°Huh? What is it?¡± Swan asked.


    ¡°Um, well. Who is yourpanion?¡±


    ¡°Does he bother you? I thought he¡¯s been quiet.¡±


    ¡°I mean, he is quiet¡­ but he is too quiet, don¡¯t you think? All he¡¯s been doing for two days straight is sitting quietly with his eyes closed other than the times he drinks water.¡±


    ¡°And he has ck hair too, huh?¡± Swan grinned.


    ¡°...That too, yes. Other mercenaries also feel ufortable to see a guy from beyond the border acting unpleasantly.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not the type to harm anyone, so just ignore him.¡±


    The mercenary returned with an unsatisfied expression.


    Swan turned her head to look at Juan, who was still sitting in the carriage. His expression was calm, but no one could figure out what he was thinking. It was natural for others to feel ufortable about Juan, as it would even be hard to tell that he is breathing unless you took a closer look at him.


    Swan looked at Juan¡¯s face for a long time, and gently reached out her hand toward his nose. As soon as her fingertips were about to touch the tip of his nose, Juan suddenly opened his eyes.


    ¡°Someone¡¯sing.¡±

 Chapter 82 – Ten Thousand Gold Pieces (2)

    <h4>Chapter 82 ¨C Ten Thousand Gold Pieces (2)</h4>


    Swan instantly hopped to the top of the carriage and searched the surroundings. Red dust was rising from the edge of the western horizon, but Juan didn¡¯t even bother turning his head; his senses became extremely sharp and sensitive whenever he concentrated on refining his mana.


    Juan quickly sensed the familiar spirit of about thirty heavily armed people riding their horses to approach the carriage.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Temrs,¡± Juan said.


    Swan looked at Juan with a surprised look, since she could see only their silhouettes from such a distance.


    Juan wondered how Swan would respond to the arrival of the Temrs. Swan handing Juan over to the Temrs to receive the reward of ten thousand gold pieces was a reasonable possibility. Juan contemted what he should do in such a situation, but soon shook his head because it didn¡¯t matter what she decided to do with him.


    Juan had already decided that he would not go out of his way to hide his identity nor his traces ever since he annihted the Order of the Blue Rose¡ªand the same was true of his journey to Durgal.


    At that moment, Swan put arge hood over Juan¡¯s head.


    ¡°Hide that head of yours well¡­ After all, it is worth ten thousand gold pieces,¡± Swan said.


    As the sounds of the horse hooves got closer, the mercenaries began to turn their heads one by one. The Temrs didn¡¯t pass by the carriage and stopped their horses nearby.


    ¡°O¡¯ Mighty Temrs, is everything okay?¡± the horseman of the carriage said, ying innocent.


    However, the smile on his face disappeared as soon as the Temrs drew their swords. One of the Temrs who appeared to be the leader of the group came up to the horseman.


    The Temr in question was carrying a gpole on his back that had ck snakes drawn on a green background.


    ¡°Who¡¯s in the carriage?¡± the Temr demanded.


    ¡°T-they are the mercenaries, sir. They are the mercenaries heading to Tiery through the Manas Mountains to join Duke Henna¡¯s forces.¡±


    The Temrs exchanged nces with each other. When the Temr wearing the snake-headed helmet signaled, all of the Temrs surrounded the carriage at once.


    The mercenaries who were nervous due to suddenly being surrounded also grabbed their weapons.


    Just one of these Temrs could easily kill at least about six mercenaries, but there were thirty Temrs in front of their eyes. A cold sweat ran down from the mercenaries¡¯ foreheads.


    ¡°I feel bad to be a nuisance to the Duke, but I must inspect the inside of the carriage. Open the carriage door,¡± the Temr wearing the snake-headed helmet said, then shouted with a loud voice in front of the carriage door. ¡°I¡¯m Captain Velkre of the Order of the Evil Snake! I ask all the mercenaries inside to cooperate with the inspection without resisting! If you obediently cooperate, I promise that you will be allowed to go as soon as possible.¡±


    Temrs were people who didn¡¯t hesitate to wipe out entire viges using ¡®cleansing¡¯ as an excuse when others didn¡¯t follow their will. Being well aware of the fact that there was no point in resisting, the mercenaries rxed their hands which had been gripping the weapons.


    Meanwhile, Juan grabbed his short sword in his hand and looked for a gap to break through the Temrs. He thought that he might be able to run out of the carriage and knock down at least three Temrs without having anyone notice.


    At that moment, Swan put her hand over Juan¡¯s short sword. She still had a smile on her face and shook her head at Juan.


    The carriage door opened, and the mercenaries began to walk out one by one. When Juan and Swan walked out of the carriage at the end, the Temr who introduced himself as Velkre turned his gaze toward Juan.


    Juan didn¡¯t move an inch as he looked back at Velkre¡¯s eyes.


    When Velkre reached out his hand to lift up the hood that had been covering Juan¡¯s head, a head of hair as ck as the night was revealed. The Temrs drew their swords and approached Juan upon seeing his ck hair, but Velkre raised his hand to stop them. Velkre didn¡¯t say much and put the hood back on Juan¡¯s head again.


    ¡°These are tough times for people from beyond the border. However, I ask for your understanding as we are all on edge because one of you from beyond the border is making a fuss in the south. Have you seen a kid around thirteen years old? He has ck hair just like yours.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen him.¡±


    This wasn¡¯t a lie. He considered being honest and telling him the truth, but decided to continue the act since he found this situation to be quite amusing.


    ¡°If you do see someone like him, please report him to the nearest base of the Imperial Army or the Church. I¡¯m sure it would be better for all of you if we could end this situation as soon as possible.¡±


    The Temrs showed signs of dissatisfaction upon seeing Velkre let Juan go. However, they all bowed their heads when Velkre red at them¡ªthe position of captain held absolute authority within knight orders.


    ¡°I would also like to make an announcement to the other mercenaries. Traces of the Thornbush Priest Organization and a heretic have been detected around here. Six heretics were found, burnt to death, and this is simr to the traces left behind by the devil of Tantil. If you see anyone suspicious, make sure to report them without hesitation to show your faith in His Majesty!¡±


    None of the mercenaries showed much enthusiasm, but Velkre finished speaking regardless of their reaction and turned back. Then, he whispered something at Juan as he had inadvertently remembered something.


    ¡°People that came from beyond the border don''t know of His Majesty¡¯s teachings. You should watch your every action from now on as I have remembered your face.¡±


    Velkre finished his warning and signaled the Temrs.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Velkre said.


    After Velkre and the Temrs disappeared to the south, a sigh of relief broke out of the mercenaries. The mercenaries crawled back into the carriage while they cursed the Temrs and the Church.


    ***


    Velkre stared ahead silently as he whipped his horse. Knowing that he was in a bad mood, the other Temrs didn¡¯t bother talking to him.


    Velkre didn¡¯t like this red wastnd at all. The wilderness which extended all the way to the horizon made him recall his old memories¡ªthe eastern territory of the empire was thend Velkre was born and raised in.


    To Velkre who was born after the Eternal Rule began, the eastern territory was a cruel and terrible ce. Before he could even recognize the beauty of his homnd, he lost his family to the burning ruins. Wandering around the eastern territory that turned into a devastating red wastnd, Velkre had survived by following the army and eating garbage off of the streets.


    ¡°Brother Velkre.¡±


    While Velkre was lost in his thoughts, someone approached him. The man who walked up to Velkre had snake-like pupils, which eerily reflected the light under the visor¡ªit was Marco, the deputy of the Order of the Evil Snake.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think that we should have captured that ck-haired guy in the carriage? He was obviously extraordinary,¡± Marco said.


    ¡°Let him be. His Holiness hasmanded us to look for a ck-haired kid around thirteen years of age. If he really is extraordinary, there will be no need for us to go out of our way to make an unnecessary fuss.¡±


    ¡°But he¡¯s still a heretic who hasn¡¯t been blessed by His Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Brother Marco.¡±


    Velkre red at the deputy of the Order of the Evil Snake with irritated eyes.


    ¡°Keep in mind that the Order of the White Crow ended up where they are right now due to ignoring His Holiness¡¯ orders and wasting their energy doing unnecessary things. We are basically cleaning up after their mess. Do you still think that we should be wasting our time on such unnecessary things?¡±


    ¡°...My apologies. I was imprudent.¡±


    Marco was quick to admit his carelessness, and recalled themand given to them by Pope Helmut¡ªto not be distracted by useless matters and only focus on chasing the ck-haired boy.


    The twelfth knight order, the ¡®Order of the Evil Snake¡¯ was specialized in such pursuit and assassination-rted tasks, and their main task was to travel all over the empire to carry out the secretmands given to them by the Pope. They were usually divided into small groups to perform various missions in different ces within the empire, and it was rather rare for all of their Temrs to be gathered like this¡ªmost of the missions were easily carried out by using the ¡®snake¡¯ that the Order of the Evil Snake was granted anyway.


    They specialized in thepletion of special missions, but they were still Temrs. Although they weren¡¯t obligated to do anything about it, their hostility toward those from beyond the border and those who were used of heresy was only natural. After all, the Church instigated hatred against heresy.


    However, Velkre was different. He was not moved by faith, but rather a longing for survival and sess.


    ¡®<i>The ck-haired boy, huh.</i>¡¯


    Usually, Velkre¡¯s targets for the missions varied anywhere from a newborn from a powerful noble family to old men who seemed to have only a few more days left to live. But this time, his target was unique. Velkre found it difficult to figure out the truth within the rumors that had been spread throughout the empire.


    ¡°The ck emperor, the devil of Tantil, the butcher of the Blue Rose, and even¡­¡±


    ¡®<i>The rumor about His Majesty''s return.¡¯</i>


    This was a rumor that made him feel extremelyplicated and unpleasant. To be honest, Velkre didn¡¯t have much faith in His Majesty. He considered himself to be the Pope¡¯s private soldier more than a believer of His Majesty; he was willing to do anything and everything to escape from the hell that was the eastern territory of the empire.


    Fortunately, the Priests of the Church epted Velkre¡¯s desire as a form of faith in His Majesty. Nevertheless, the rumor saying that His Majesty had returned somehow made him feel ufortable.


    ¡®<i>His Majesty returned to save the city of Hiveden during its time of disaster, they say¡­ of course he did. Perhaps the eastern territory appeared to be a happy ce that doesn¡¯t need saving in His Majesty¡¯s eyes, huh.</i>¡¯


    Although it was true that a lot of people died in Hiveden, the number of the victims was iparable to the number of people who died because of the civil war in the eastern territory that had been going on for more than forty years.


    As someone who grew up in the eastern territory, Velkre found the rumor of His Majesty¡¯s return to be ridiculous.


    ¡®<i>Well, a rumor is just a rumor.¡¯</i>


    Velkre recalled how the rumor about the ck-haired boy had been changing constantly, and how people were now saying that the boy had turned into a warrior of a giant me.


    At that moment, Velkre stopped his horse in a hurry.


    ¡®<i>Wait. Has his appearance changed?</i>¡¯


    The Temrs who had been riding their horses at full speed for a long time also came to a hasty stop upon seeing Velkre stop. A thick cloud of sand rose, and Velkre¡¯s expression turned pale as he took off his visor.


    ¡°Everyone, we are going back.¡±


    Velkre didn¡¯t repeat hismand, and immediately turned his horse¡¯s head to run back the way he came from.


    The Temrs didn¡¯t question him, and instantly followed him back.


    As Velkre chased the silhouette of the carriage that had already disappeared beyond the horizon, Velkre cursed at himself.


    The red dust of the wastnd rose in front of Velkre.


    ***


    Juan, who had been paying attention to the Temrs as they moved far away from the carriage, sighed upon realizing that they were returning. The Temrs were furiously riding their horses with murderous intent and frustration to catch up to the carriage once again.


    Swan opened the window and looked to the east, and frowned when she saw the dust cloud rising from over the horizon.


    ¡°You have good senses,¡± Swan said.


    ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Juan asked as he got ready to pull out his short sword.


    This time, Swan didn¡¯t stop him from drawing his short sword.


    ¡°What do you mean what am I going to do?¡± Swan answered Juan, then suddenly opened the door of the carriage and shouted.


    ¡°Everyone get off the carriage!¡±


    ¡°Huh? Wh-what¡¯s going on?¡±


    The mercenaries asked back in panic, but Swan moved fast to grab the nearest mercenary by the cor and threw him out of the carriage instead of answering. The mercenary screamed and rolled on the ground of the wastnd.


    ¡°M-Ms. Swan, what are you doing?!¡±


    Despite the mercenaries¡¯ints, Swan grabbed another mercenary who stood next to her and threw him outside as well. The mercenary tried to resist, but he ended up rolling on the ground unconscious as he was hit on the head. When Swan took a nce at the remaining mercenaries, they decided to jump right out of the carriage without a word as well. No one seemed to be seriously injured as the carriage had been running at a slow pace.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you get off as well, Mr. horseman?¡±


    ¡°You are going to have to give me an exnationter, Ms. Swan!¡±


    The horsemanined, but handed the reins over to Swan without resisting.


    The carriage which was now being led by a different horseman began to move much faster than before. However, it was not fast enough to shake off the Temrs who were chasing them furiously.


    Meanwhile, Velkre took a nce at the mercenaries that had been kicked out of the carriage. However, he decided to ignore them and quickly passed by; he figured that there was no reason to waste his time on such an unnecessary matter.


    But Deputy Marco¡¯s judgment was different¡ªwhen he slightly raised his finger and sent a signal, five of the Temrs who had been riding their horses at the very back left the line.


    Soon, the Temrs¡¯ spears pierced through the chests of the mercenaries who had just begun to crawl and stand up on their feet.


    Swan had a distorted look on her face when she heard the screams of the mercenaries, but she only bit her lips and didn¡¯t look back.

 Chapter 83 – Ten Thousand Gold Pieces (3)

    <h4>Chapter 83 ¨C Ten Thousand Gold Pieces (3)</h4>


    Juan could no longer leave the situation in Swan¡¯s hands alone. When Juan asked Swan to guide him to Durgal, he hadn¡¯t expected that such a situation might end up happening.


    ¡°Get off the carriage,¡± Juan said.


    ¡°What?¡± Swan asked.


    ¡°I can¡¯t promise you that I¡¯ll be able to ensure your safety if we get into a fight. So get off.¡±


    Swan tried to retort, but Juan didn¡¯t let her¡ªhe directly threw Swan out of the carriage just like she had done to the other mercenaries. Being the flexible elf that she was, Swan quicklynded on her feet before she even touched the ground.


    Juan grasped the reins and pulled them powerfully to turn the direction of the horses.


    Noticing that Juan¡¯s direction had changed, the Temrs also changed their route to follow. The Temrs had noticed that Swan was out of the carriage, but didn¡¯t bother killing her as there was quite a distance between them, unlike the other mercenaries they killed¡ªthey were obstacles on their route.


    Swan soon got covered in red dust and disappeared from their sight.


    ¡°Heretic!¡± Velkre shouted with a loud voice.


    When Velkre pulled out the green gpole he had been carrying on his back and raised it high up in the sky, the Temrs went around to surround the carriage in a concave shape. Upon Velkre waving his g, a spear emitting a white light appeared in the hands of all the Temrs simultaneously.


    The Temrs quickly struck their spears toward the carriage all at once. With a loud thundering noise, the carriage broke into pieces and scattered as if it had been struck by dozens of lightning strikes.


    ¡°Surround the carriage and stand by!¡±


    The green g was waved once again, and the Temrs circled around the carriage while maintaining the speed they were riding their horses at. They quietly waited for the red dust to settle.


    After instructing the Temrs to prepare the Spear of Wrath, Velkre quietly watched the middle of the red dust cloud that had yet to settle down.


    At that moment, red dust suddenly shot up from the ground. Juan approached the Temrs in an instant, and swiftly swung his short sword to the nearest Temr without the slightest hesitation. His movements were so fast that even the Temrs who had been watching out for him didn¡¯t quite catch it.


    The Temrs¡¯ shields had the ability to protect its owner as long as it recognized the enemy. However, Juan had already anticipated that. Juan kicked the shield and swung his body in the air to strike one of the Temrs in the back of the head with his short sword.


    ¡ªat least he wanted to.


    There was someone who raised his sword even faster than Juan to block his attack. A man with snake-like green eyes and vertically arranged pupils which were hidden under the visor was blocking Juan¡¯s way. Juan couldn¡¯t help but doubt his eyes.


    ¡®<i>He managed to keep up with the speed of Blink?</i>¡¯


    Keeping up with the speed of Blink was only possible for those who could also use Blink themselves, under the assumption that they had predicted the direction of Blink.


    A stream of blood ran down Juan¡¯s cheek before he even had the chance to ponder about his opponent. Time was passing very slowly for Juan¡ªhe was cut even before the Temr who Juan had attacked realized what was happening.


    Juan could feel that the Temr who had blocked his attack was attacking his entire body with a speed beyond human perception, even before Juan¡¯s back could touch the ground.


    ¡®<i>Is it eleration magic? ¡­no, it can''t be.¡¯</i>


    A simple eleration alone couldn¡¯t allow a person to achieve speeds this fast¡ªJuan figured that the opponent must also be using Blink.


    The Temr in front of Juan was using Blink naturally, almost as if he was simply breathing. Not only was he using Blink to move fast by catapulting his body, but he also used Blink to attack Juan; the movements of swinging his sword, the movements of stepping on the ground, and the movements of stabbing and retrieving his sword were all apanied by Blink.


    .


    His actions appeared rather crazy in Juan¡¯s eyes. When using Blink to move one¡¯s body at fast speed, it was easy for limbs to be torn or broken unless one¡¯s body could fully support and bear the magic. However, the Temr in front of Juan was smoothly using Blink with ease as easily as breathing.


    Fortunately, the Temr didn¡¯t seem to be an expert in swordsmanship. But Juan felt that the level of his swordsmanship would be irrelevant if he could move at such speeds; his opponents would be dead before they could even see his de.


    At that moment, Juan read the slightest hint of a smile from his opponent¡¯s round, curved eyes hidden under the visor¡ªthe opponent was enjoying the battle as if he was ying a trick.


    ¡®<i>Hah, this guy¡­</i>¡¯


    The corner of Juan¡¯s lips lifted up as he felt excited; someone was looking down on him after a very long time.


    When Juan¡¯s back finally touched the ground, the opponent swung his sword toward Juan¡¯s heart as if he wanted tond the finishing blow.


    At that moment, the opponent¡¯s sword slipped and bounced off of Juan¡¯s body with a dull feeling.


    Juan immediately used the momentum to widen the distance from his opponent.


    Meanwhile, his opponent was perplexed for a moment upon seeing Juan dodge his attack.


    The opponent paused and watched Juan fall to the ground, even though he could have easily followed Juan to attack him once again. Blood gradually began to seep out of dozens of wounds on Juan¡¯s body.


    Other Temrs were still clueless as to what had just happened right in front of their eyes, and btedly found Juan who had exited from the dust cloud. Velkre stabbed the ground with his gpole.


    ¡°Brother Marco!¡± Velkre shouted.


    ¡°Yes, brother. I just checked his abilities since he seemed to be a little unusual. It looks like he can use Blink as well. I think he might be an illegal mage.¡±


    The snake-eyed man called Marco grinned and loosened his sword.


    Meanwhile, Juan analyzed his opponent. Juan had never seen someone use Blink so naturally, almost as if they were breathing. Although Juan often used Blink during his time as the emperor, he had never considered using Blink in such a way.


    ¡°Is that also a kind of Grace?¡± Juan asked as if he was probing.


    ¡°Yes. It is the Grace which His Majesty has bestowed upon me. I went through a long period of hardship in order to be able to use this Grace to its full potential,¡± Marco arrogantly answered Juan.


    While Juan was mildly irritated by his attitude, he could understand the source of his arrogance.


    ¡®<i>He must have endured immense pain for over ten years to properly handle his own body while using Blink in such a manner.</i>¡¯


    Juan thought that Marco should have had several near-death experiences before he got used to using Blink. Since Blink used a method ofpressing space to catapult and allow one¡¯s body to move unlike eleration, it was easy for a part of one¡¯s body to fall out if Blink wasn¡¯t used with caution. Such practice to get used to Blink would only be possible in Church, where one could receive healing Grace whenever they were severely injured.


    Marco¡¯s murderous and resentful mentality, as well as him wanting recognition was reasonable, but the problem was that he wished to be recognized by desperately killing others.


    Juan felt that it was absurd and also massively disappointed that his own power could be used in such a way.


    ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know what to say¡­¡± Juan muttered.


    ¡°Is that yourst will? ¡®I honestly don¡¯t know what to say?¡¯¡± Marco derided.


    Instead of answering, Juan took out a deep breath. The blood that had colored Juan¡¯s entire body began to burn and turned into red smoke and disappeared.


    Although they couldn¡¯t see anything, the Temrs made nervous expressions as they felt the heat on their skins.


    ¡°As expected. He knows how to handle mes. I think he¡¯s the one we are looking for, brother Velkre.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I think so too. Make sure that he is killed, Marco,¡± Velkre ordered.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go at it again,¡± Juan said as he held out his short sword.


    Marco frowned slightly upon seeing Juan hold out his short sword.


    ¡°What are you waiting for? Use Blink to your heart¡¯s content. I¡¯m quite excited to see someone else who can use Blink for the first time, ¡± Marco said.


    ¡°No need.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be no good if you n to use it when you try to run away¡­¡±


    In Marco¡¯s eyes, Juan requesting a frontal confrontation was like a little brat asking to be killed.


    But Juan only smiled.


    ¡°I feel somewhat bad for you,¡± Juan said.


    ¡°For what?¡±


    ¡°For you overexerting your body from using Blink just to be able to swing your sword a little faster. I mean, ten years of practice? You should¡¯ve just trained your swordsmanship during that time. Then you might have already reached the level you wanted.¡±


    Marco¡¯s face became distorted with anger. Juan¡¯s words were no different than denying Marco¡¯s entire life.


    ¡°Go ahead and babble all you want before you die.¡±


    When Marco took a step forward to use Blink again, Juan put his spirit into the short sword he was holding. As soon as his short sword shed with Marco¡¯s sword, Juan pushed into the range of Marco¡¯s sword as if he had been waiting. Whenever his short sword was blocked by Marco¡¯s sword, Juan rotated his body to push even deeper into Marco¡¯s range, despite Marco¡¯s sword grazing past his body and leaving behind cuts.


    ¡®<i>What an idiot.</i>¡¯


    Marcoughed and cut Juan¡¯s body as if he was ridiculing him. He nned to peel off all of Juan¡¯s skin and let him die skinless to make him pay for acting so arrogant.


    In the eyes of those who saw Marco¡¯s de shing against the backdrop of sunlight, Juan appeared to be jumping into a huge shredder. No one doubted that Juan¡¯s body would soon be shredded into minced meat.


    However, Marco suddenly felt that the tip of the sword he had been swinging was no longer touching anything.


    ¡®<i>What¡¯s going on?</i>¡¯


    Marco¡¯s sword de was clearly cutting, stabbing, and shredding Juan¡¯s body¡ªat least he thought so.


    Unlike his n to make Juan bleed to death, his sword couldn¡¯t reach Juan¡¯s body¡ªit could only brush against his blurry appearance as if Marco was shing the fog.


    ¡°What kind of tricks are you ying!¡±


    Marco¡¯s sword began to move even faster, and Juan opened his eyes wide as he pushed even further into Marco¡¯s range. Marco found the look in Juan¡¯s eyes to be extremely disturbing. Juan had yet to even use Blink, but sweat was beginning to run down Marco¡¯s forehead already.


    On the other hand, Juan¡¯s body continued to remainpletely intact. Not a single wound appeared on his body. He wasn¡¯t even sweating. Like a ghost or a ball of fog, Juan was only dodging Marco¡¯s sword.


    At one point, the sword in Marco¡¯s hand vibrated with a loud nging noise. Marco flinched, but tried his best to remain calm in the face of the first collision between their swords. Marco was irritated, but thought that Juan wouldn¡¯t be able to dodge his attacks forever. Meanwhile, Marco himself was capable of using Blink indefinitely with the power of His Majesty¡¯s Grace and the power of the ¡®snake.¡¯


    Whether Juan knew all this or not, his short sword continued to sh against Marco¡¯s sword once again.


    In a blink of an eye, Juan and Marco had already fought for dozens of exchanges. The sparks from the metal colliding with metal sprang up everywhere.


    Marco was gradually beginning to feel anxious and annoyed.


    Then, Marco sensed something unusual all of a sudden.


    ¡®<i>...He is getting faster and faster?</i>¡¯


    Marco¡¯s sword which was being swung using Blink was fatal due to its speed alone. But not only was Juan tracking the sword¡¯s trajectory and blocking it, he was also counter-attacking without even using Blink.


    Marco was superior to Juan in every way, including his physical condition, equipment, and the Grace he had been bestowed with. But none of those mattered in front of Juan¡ªhe was still driving Marco into a corner despite his disadvantages.


    In this chaotic battle, Juan¡¯s attacks even seemed to have a rhythm of some sort. Juan¡¯s attacks could no longer be considered to be at the level of just swordsmanship anymore, and his attacks only got faster and faster over time.


    Before anyone knew it, Marco had begun to focus on defense rather than offense. All his previousposure was gone, while sweat was running down from his forehead. Marco was entirely focused on dodging Juan¡¯s furious attacks.


    For a second, Marco had an illusion that Juan became a monster with eight arms. The other Temrs who had been watching the battle were beyond shocked upon seeing Juan¡¯s incredible speed, which even Marco, who used Blink proficiently, found unbelievably fast. Juan was now moving even faster, to the extent that it was hard to follow his movement with human eyes and figure out when he was attacking.


    ¡°What¡­ foolish¡­ trick!¡±


    Marco realized that he wouldn¡¯t be able to hold on if Juan got any faster. He found it difficult to understand the current situation he was in, where Juan didn¡¯t even get tired, but became even faster.


    Marco was a Temr who had been wielding his sword while using Blink as naturally as breathing. In order to reach such a level, he had trained with all his heart and soul for speed fighting rather than any other types ofbat. Thus, Marco found it hard to believe that he was being overpowered by Juan.


    ¡°Die!¡± Marco tightly bit his lips and vigorously thrust his sword¡ªit was a desperate blow where he was risking his life.


    At that moment, Juan¡¯s eyes shed. He threw the end of his short sword toward Marco¡¯s sword, almost as if he had been waiting all along.


    <i>sh!</i>


    An unbelievable sound echoed throughout the wastnd.

 Chapter 84 – Ten Thousand Gold Pieces (4)

    <h4>Chapter 84 ¨C Ten Thousand Gold Pieces (4)</h4>


    Marco nkly stared at the broken sword in front of his eyes¡ªit was a holy sword that was granted with His Majesty¡¯s Grace. The de of the sword shattered and its broken pieces cut into his skin, but Marco still couldn¡¯t take his eyes off of his broken sword.


    It was impossible for a holy sword to break. In fact, such a thing had never happened ever since the beginning of Eternal Rule.


    Marco saw Juan smiling at him while he was looking at the broken sword with a dumbfounded look. Only then did Marco realize that Juan had been repeatedly attacking only one specific spot on his holy sword despite their fierce battle. Although Marco had thought that Juan¡¯s attacks were messy and some of his moves were unnecessary, Juan had actually been striking only one spot of the holy sword, as if he was picking at it stubbornly with only a needle. It seemed impossible, just like a drop of water trying to pierce through a rock, but the holy sword granted with His Majesty¡¯s Grace was broken in vain.


    When Marco flinched and trembled due to the shock of the destruction of his holy sword, Juan swung his short sword toward him to put an end to the battle.


    At that moment, Velkre struck his sword toward Juan. Having beenpletely focused on his battle with Marco, Juan couldn¡¯t dodge Velkre¡¯s sword and ended up getting his cloak cut. However, Velkre realized that he failed to do any damage to Juan due to the cloak having a mushy texture that absorbed the shock.


    Velkre frowned upon seeing the cloak that Juan had draped on his shoulder and observing the gruesome and negative energy that it exuded.


    ¡®<i>It is certainly no ordinary cloak.</i>¡¯


    In the meantime, Juan rolled over and escaped the area which was within reach of the Temrs.


    ¡°Brother Marco. Are you okay?¡± Velkre asked with concern.


    Although Velkre wasn¡¯t fond of Marco as he wasn¡¯t the most obedient subordinate, Marco was still a valuable asset to the Order of the Evil Snake.


    Marco didn¡¯t answer Velkre and quietly looked down at his broken sword as if he was still greatly shocked by the fact that his holy sword broke. Velkre found it hard to believe that Juan was able to push Marco to such an extent.


    ¡°I did have some doubts before, but I¡¯m d that I can confidently confirm your identity now,¡± Velkre said.


    There was no doubt that Juan was the devil of Tantil that the Pope had ordered to eliminate. Velkre, who had been exhausted by carrying out unhonorable missions up until now, felt motivated for the first time in a long time.


    Juan appeared to be quite exhausted from the battle, but he seemed to be raring to continue the battle.


    ¡°So you want to go at it again?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m quite impressed by your skills. Though I¡¯m not sure if I saw everything properly since it all happened so fast¡­ are you perhaps using the Baltic Sword? At stage four?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my first time trying so hard in a battle like this. I¡¯m also d that I learned something from it. It¡¯s hard for me to say what stage I¡¯m on. I just swung my short sword rapidly¡ªthat¡¯s it.¡±


    Although Juan did use the fourth stage of the Baltic Sword, the Fog Solution, detailed and sophisticated control was unnecessary. Rather, what was most important was attacking using the most optimal route while minimizing his movements. Even those on the third stage of Baltic Sword could perform such an attack.


    While Marco was extremely fast, his swordsmanship was rather terrible. Juan didn¡¯t need to use such tricks; he could¡¯ve easily won against Marco even without them, but he wanted to put Marco in his ce through a frontal confrontation.


    It was hard for Velkre to be sure, but he judged Juan to be an expert in the Baltic Sword after considering Juan¡¯s footwork and the way he swung his short sword. Having witnessed Juan using Blink, an extremely high ranked Grace, on top of being so skilled in the Baltic Sword, Velkre could see why the Pope was so eager to kill him.


    ¡®<i>He must either be the child or a disciple of one of the apostates¡­ either way, he is a living mass of the denial of our faith.</i>¡¯


    ¡°Keuk¡­y-you fucking bastard¡­¡±


    Marco btedly stood up and gritted his teeth as if he had just recovered from his shock. Velkre frowned at Marco¡¯s attitude of ignoring him, and only ring at Juan.


    ¡°Back off, brother Marco. You are no match for him. He is a warrior who has been trained to the point that he is beyond you,¡± Velkre ordered.


    ¡°Brother Velkre! I¡¯ve trained hard for over 10 years by tearing my own flesh and bones to master my skills. Ten years! It¡¯s even been more than twenty years if I were to count the years I¡¯ve spent training my swordsmanship as well. And you are telling me that I¡¯m not any better than this little kid?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am,¡± Velkre said sternly. ¡°Do you think you can be that fast by just swinging your sword fast enough? No¡ªthere are countless obstacles such as damage to the joints, achieving enough eleration as well as air resistance. The reason why this man can catch up to the speed of Blink is because every single cell in his body has been trained and engraved with the experience of his previous battles and with optimal movements.¡±


    Juan¡¯s skill could also be said to be the epitome of the Baltic Sword. The Baltic Sword was treated as the basis of Imperial Swordsmanship, but it was rare to find someone who had honed their skills to such an extent. Furthermore, this young man had not only the form, but also had the practical skills and countermeasures to every attack of the opponent. Velkre could recognize at a single nce that Juan waspletely different from what his appearance suggested¡ªhe was extremely powerful.


    ¡°That¡¯s bullshit! Hey! Somebody lend me a sword! If I could fight him again, then¡­¡±


    Marco couldn¡¯t be convinced of his defeat easily.


    Velkre sighed, feeling frustrated upon seeing Marco¡¯s ignorance.


    ¡®<i>Does he not know the significance of being able to strike only one part of the enemy¡¯s sword with a short sword in the midst of a fierce battle?</i>¡¯


    This meant that if Juan had physical abilities that were on par with¡ªno, even if he had only a quarter of the physical abilities Marco had, he would have easily been able to slice off Marco¡¯s head without taking a single wound.


    ¡°Calm down,¡± Velkre said.


    ¡°Please give me a chance to avenge that humiliation¡­¡±


    ¡°I ordered you to calm down.¡±


    Velkre waved the green gpole gently.


    Then, Marco¡¯s snake-like green eyes suddenly returned to ordinary human eyes. At that moment, Marco realized what had happened to his body.


    ¡°T-This is¡­¡±


    ¡°With my authority as the captain, I deprive you of the power of the ¡®snake¡¯ granted to you. It looks like you won¡¯t be of any help to us right now. If you want it back, you¡¯re going to have to work hard for it.¡±


    ¡°B-but Brother Velkre!¡±


    Marco desperately called Velkre¡¯s name, but Velkre simply ignored him and turned his gaze toward Juan once again.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Marco to end up like this. Who are you anyway? Are you really a devil?¡± Velkre asked.


    ¡°You won¡¯t believe me even if I told you,¡± Juan derided.


    The Temrs raised up their Spears of Wrath as if they were about to charge toward Juan at any time, but Juan continued his words with a sneering look.


    ¡°I want to know what you think I am. Do you suspect that I might be one of the four great knights who has been living since the era of the emperor? No, maybe you think I am the emperor¡¯s hidden child? How about one of the apostates who struck a deal with the devil to regain their youth? What are <i>you?</i>imagining in your head?¡±


    Quite a few of the Temrs looked a little shaken upon hearing what Juan had said, almost as if they really had imagined Juan to be such things. Juan grinned and looked up at Velkre.


    ¡°Or who knows if the rumor is true? Haven¡¯t you heard? That I might be the emperor himself?¡±


    ¡°You arrogant piece of¡­!¡±


    Velkre wildly raised the green gpole as if he was about to strike it toward Juan. When Juan tried to run toward Velkre, Velkre¡¯s eyes under the visor turned green and his pupils turned vertical. A murderous intent much more dangerous that of Marco¡¯s burst forth from Velkre.


    At that moment, the sound of air being ripped emerged from the space between Velkre and Juan.


    At the same time, Velkre quickly swung his gpole to block an arrow shot in their direction, and his metal gpole vibrated due to the impact. Velkre¡¯s green eyes shed and turned toward the direction where the arrow hade from.


    Swan was aiming her second arrow at Velkre.


    ¡°How dare you!¡± Velkre shouted.


    ¡°Back off, Mr. Temr,¡± Swan said.


    Velkre felt like his forehead had already been pierced with an arrow upon seeing Swan¡¯s smiling face.


    The remaining Temrs moved simultaneously to surround Swan, but she did not budge.


    ¡°Stop meddling, mercenary. This is none of your business! You should know what it means to point a weapon toward a Temr!¡±


    ¡°You are the one who interfered in my business with him first. You should understand what it means for me to not make a hole in your eye right now¡ªit means that I¡¯ll spare your life if you don¡¯t do anything stupid.¡±


    ¡°Do you think that <i>you?</i>can pierce through the armor of the Temr? It seems like you think that you can shoot me easily because I don¡¯t have a shield. But, I have to wonder¡­ just now, was that a random stone that I just bounced off with my gpole?¡±


    ¡°That arrow was meant for you to block. The gaps in your visor are big enough for me to aim, Temr. Test me if you want.¡±


    Velkre red at Swan. Velkre could tell that the horn bow held by Swan was no ordinary bow at a single nce. The arrow that he had just struck away was powerful enough to make his hand tingle from the shock.


    Although he could easily signal the Temrs with his eyes to throw their Spears of Wrath toward Swan to turn her into dust without a single trace, he decided to have a conversation with her first. When he waved his gpole again, his green eyes returned to their original color.


    ¡°This man is not worth protecting,¡± Velkre said.


    ¡°Who told you that ten thousand gold pieces weren¡¯t worth it? The Temrs must be rich, huh?¡±


    ¡°...Ten thousand gold pieces! Are you protecting him just for that? Collect your arrow right now, then I¡¯ll pretend that nothing happened and even pay you the reward.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­? That doesn¡¯t sound too bad,¡± Swan said, then calmly went on. ¡°But I can¡¯t do that. The ten thousand gold piece reward is amission fee that I¡¯m supposed to receive after taking that young master to his destination. It¡¯s not in the nature of a mercenary to be rewarded without fulfilling their duty. Why don¡¯t you get moving if you¡¯ve had enough rest?¡±


    While Velkre was humoring Swan¡¯s random bbering, Juan was already on the move.


    Juan hadn¡¯t been listening to Velkre and Swan¡¯s conversation, and he took the chance to get enough rest to recover his body. Then, Juan¡¯s short sword sprung out from under Velkre¡¯s chin, and Velkre quickly dodged as he btedly detected Juan¡¯s movement.


    However, Juan wasn¡¯t aiming for Velkre¡¯s neck. Juan¡¯s short sword broke Velkre¡¯s saddle strap, causing Velkre to lose his bnce and fall off his horse. Then Juan¡¯s short sword flew toward his throat.


    However, at that moment, Juan saw Velkre¡¯s pupils shing green.


    ¡®<i>No.</i>¡¯


    Juan managed to stop his short sword just in time as he realized that he shouldn¡¯t stab Velkre right now. Juan could tell that Velkre didn¡¯t have any fear of death, but that wasn¡¯t simply because he was a Temr. Juan felt something beyond that from Velkre¡ªsomething with a lot of resentment and malice.


    Instead of cutting Velkre, Juan dragged him down and quickly jumped onto his horse. Velkre seemed perplexed as he was expecting Juan to cut him.


    ¡°Run, Mr. Ten thousand gold pieces!¡±


    When Swan shouted at Juan, one of the Temrs attacked her from behind. However, she turned her horn bow and shot an arrow at his face as if she had already predicted his actions. Although her arrow was blocked by the Temr¡¯s shield, the arrow was powerful enough to break the Temr¡¯s bnce and drop him from his horse to the ground.


    Juan rode Velkre¡¯s horse and rushed toward Swan, but the Temrs blocked his way. Juan took a deep breath and shouted.


    ¡°Stop!¡±


    Juan roared using His Majesty¡¯s voice, but made sure that it was weak enough to not burden his own body.


    The Temrs immediately stopped moving and flinched as if they had been electrocuted by Juan¡¯s voice alone. The Temrs themselves couldn¡¯t even understand why they were reacting to his voice like this.


    While the Temrs were left confused, Juan immediately guided his horse toward Swan. Juan didn¡¯t signal her, but she knew exactly what she had to do. Swan quickly climbed onto Juan¡¯s horse.


    ¡°Get them right now!¡±


    As soon as Velkre swung the gpole, his eyes turned dark green.


    When Swan felt an unusual spirit from Velkre, she slowly began to raise her body.


    The Temrs couldn¡¯t believe the sight in front of them¡ªSwan was standing on the back of a running horse. Standing on a running horse was extremely difficult by itself, but she even knocked her horn bow with an arrow and aimed it toward Velkre.


    ¡®<i>That¡¯s impossible.</i>¡¯


    A running horse caused one¡¯s body to vibrate like crazy, and standing on a running horse required most of the nerves in the body to concentrate on maintaining bnce. But shooting an arrow on top of that required one to have concentration that is on a whole other level. The Temrs were about to shake their heads in denial, but the arrow had left Swan¡¯s horn bow already.


    Before Velkre even realized it, the arrow pierced through the gap in his visor struck his eyeball. Velkre fell backward in an instant.


    ¡°At least I didn¡¯t damage your armor. So don¡¯t hate me too much!¡± Swan shouted and waved her hand as she got further away from the Temrs.


    The remaining Temrs were perplexed, as they didn¡¯t know whether they should track Juan and Swan or tend to Velkre¡¯s injury. It was the first time that both the captain and the deputy of a knight order had copsed at the same time.


    Then, Velkre staggered and rose up from the ground.


    ¡°There is no need to chase after them,¡± Velkre said.


    ¡°Brother Velkre! Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a light wound. It¡¯s not a big deal.¡±


    Velkre pulled an arrow out of his eye. His eyeball waspletely destroyed, but the arrow hadn¡¯t prated too deeply, since it was caught by the visor¡ªhe would recover soon after he received a healing Grace.


    Velkre didn¡¯t care about his eye being destroyed. What made him angry was the fact that he allowed the apostate to escape just because of his small kindness of wanting to go easy on them. Velkre broke the arrowhead in his hand.


    ¡°I¡¯ve ced one of the ¡®snakes¡¯ on them. It¡¯s only a matter of time before we catch them.¡±


    ***


    ¡°It seems like they aren¡¯t chasing after us.¡±


    Juan looked back, but there was no dust cloud chasing after them. If the Temrs decided to follow them and attack, they would have alreadye pretty close to getting caught. It would only be natural since there was no way that the horse carrying two people on its back would be fast enough to outrun the other horses, and Juan would also have to protect Swan on top of that. However, there was no tracking for some reason.


    The wind began to chill as the sun went down. The night of the wastnd was cold and harsh.


    Juan began to prepare to sleep in the open. Juan personally didn¡¯t feel the need to take a rest, but the horse and Swan were tired from running all day. Juan looked at Swan, who tightly grabbed Juan¡¯s waist with her head buried on his back, and quietly muttered as if he was talking to himself.


    ¡°The carriage overturned.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I know how to get to Durgal anyway,¡± Swan answered in an exhausted voice.


    ¡°Okay then. Get ready to rest.¡±


    Swan quicklypleted preparing to sleep out in the open, as if she was used to sleeping out in the wastnd. Although it was cold, Juan and Swan decided not to make a fire since they were worried about the pursuit of the Temrs.


    As Swan crawled into a shallowly dug hole, Juan sat by the pit and looked down at her.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you hand me over to the Temrs earlier?¡±

 Chapter 85 – Ten Thousand Gold Pieces (5)

    <h4>Chapter 85 ¨C Ten Thousand Gold Pieces (5)</h4>


    ¡°Why are you sleep talking when you haven¡¯t even fallen asleep yet, Mr. Ten thousand gold pieces?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t change the subject. You could¡¯ve handed me over to the Temrs earlier and gotten the ten thousand gold pieces you¡¯ve been talking about nonstop. So why did you choose the dangerous path?¡±


    ¡°It seems like Mr. Ten thousand gold pieces has no trust in a person¡¯s good faith or upational professionalism. Are you suspecting me right now for protecting you rather than betraying you?¡±


    ¡°Well it¡¯s easy to get stabbed in the back if you trust people easily.¡±


    Swan tried to smile, but couldn¡¯t lift up the corners of her mouth. She realized that she felt timid in the face of the energying out of Juan even before she knew it. The ck-haired young man sitting loosely in front of the pit and simply staring at her could easily kill her before she even blinked her eyes. Although no murderous intent could be felt from Juan, Swan wiped off the cold sweat on her forehead under the heavy atmosphere which made it difficult for her to breathe.


    ¡°It seems like I won¡¯t be able to get away without answering your question,¡± Swan said.


    ¡°I won¡¯t kill you, only because you have to show me the way to Durgal.¡±


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll admit it. I was nning to take Mr. Ten thousand gold pieces to Durgal in the first ce.¡±


    ¡°Even if it meant going against the Temrs?¡±


    ¡°People of the eastern territory have always been shunned by the capital anyway. Did you know that there are no Bishops or Temrs in the entire eastern territory? Those bastards from the Order of the Evil Snake are the odd ones here. They probably only came here because Mr. Ten thousand gold pieces¡¯ existence is so exceptional. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll leave eastern territory once Mr. Ten thousand gold pieces leaves.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I understand that going against the Temrs is not a big deal for you now. But still, why would you take me to Durgal if the gold pieces aren¡¯t your purpose?¡±


    Swan¡¯s expression seemed like she was ming the Temrs for making thingsplicated. In fact, Juan didn¡¯t care whether or not Swan gave him an answer. All Juan needed was a guide to take him to Durgal, and he didn¡¯t care about Swan¡¯s purpose for helping him as long as she took him to Durgal. Juan thought that it wouldn¡¯t be toote to consider cutting off Swan¡¯s neck after they arrived at Durgal.


    However, Juan wanted to hear Swan¡¯s excuse; he knew that there wouldn¡¯t be many people that would be willing to help him by bing hostile to the empire.


    ¡°Um,¡± Swan hesitated for a while, but soon opened her mouth. ¡°To be honest, it¡¯s for the same reason as Mr. Ten thousand gold pieces.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just as I said. You told me that you n to kill someone in Durgal, right? Well, same here. But um¡­ I was thinking that I don¡¯t stand a chance of killing him alone. That¡¯s when I heard the rumor about Mr. Ten thousand gold pieces¡ªthat a troublesome brat had appeared in Hiveden. Furthermore, I found out that Mr. Ten thousand gold pieces was looking for the location of Durgal. How could I miss this opportunity?¡±


    ¡°Who is it that you¡¯re trying to kill?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°Hey,e on. I didn¡¯t ask Mr. Ten thousand gold pieces any personal questions, so you do the same and let¡¯s move on.¡±


    Juan looked at Swan with a dumbfounded expression, but he was convinced by her words; he agreed that such information wasn¡¯t important to him. Juan was very likely to kill many people and make piles of corpses in Durgal, and he might unintentionally kill the person that Swan wanted to kill in the process of doing so.


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying that the person you want to kill might try to kill me.¡±


    ¡°The possibility is very high. It would be hard for me to handle him, but I feel like Mr. Ten thousand gold pieces might be able to. Even if you can¡¯t, it¡¯d still be worth it for me since I¡¯ll be getting Ten thousand gold pieces.¡±


    In summary, Swan considered Juan to be a bomb she was about to throw in Durgal.


    ¡°Is the person you want to kill called Gerard Gain?¡±


    Juan asked as if it wasn¡¯t a serious question, but the weight of his question was certainly not light.


    Swan nkly stared at Juan upon hearing his question, then soon waved her hand in denial with a surprised look.


    ¡°Gerard Gain? The emperor¡¯s killer? Are you insane? Why would he even be in Durgal? Oh, wait¡ªnevermind. It¡¯s Durgal, so he really might be there. But still, why would you think that I was involved with that guy? If I was, I would immediately run to the opposite side of the empire.¡±


    Juan smirked at Swan¡¯s exaggerated reaction. Swan didn¡¯t seem to be lying.


    The reason for Juan heading to Durgal was to find out about the connection between Gerard Gain and the Crack. It was unknown if it was simply a coincidence or not that Swan had someone she wanted to kill in Durgal, but Juan felt that she wouldn¡¯t have approached him in a poor way if she really had something to do with Gerard Gain.


    At that moment, Juan turned his head. Swan followed Juan¡¯s gaze as he was looking in an odd direction all of a sudden, but there was nothing but empty darkness.


    ¡°Is something there?¡± Swan asked.


    ¡°No.¡±


    Juan thought he felt someone¡¯s presence, but there was nothing there. Juan expanded his senses as much as he could, but he could only detect the presence of those he had already been sensing; the Temrs and few pursuers chasing after Juan, then¡­


    ¡°It seems like there¡¯s no one at close distance,¡± Juan said as he raised his head to look up at the sky.


    Swan turned her gaze toward the sky just like Juan, but she could only see an empty sky.


    However, Juan was clearly looking at a specific spot in the empty sky.


    ***


    Velkre stood on top of the hill to look over the horizon. Somewhere in that vast wastnd, the target that the Pope had ordered to capture was hiding. Velkre could have immediately tracked the target, but he had been patiently waiting and ordered his subordinates to be on standby.


    Waiting while holding their breath, snatching the neck of the prey, tearing their limbs to pieces to make sure they can¡¯t resist, then swallowing them whole to make them face an irresistible death¡ªthis was the Order of the Evil Snake¡¯s, the ¡®snake¡¯s¡¯, way of performing their duties.


    This time was their only exception. As they had encountered their target out of the blue without any preparation, they weren¡¯t able to move ording to their usual methods. At the same time, the opponent¡¯s capabilities far exceeded what had been described in the reports, not to mention the fact that they had an unexpected disrupter.


    Velkre could give many excuses for not having been able to catch the target, but he could summarize all of it in a single sentence; he had let his guard down.


    It was only natural for Velkre to let his guard down; an entire knight order, which was capable of destroying an entire city if needed, was mobilized to catch just one person.


    Now that their existence had been revealed to the opponent, he had to approach the target in a much more meticulous and stealthy way, unlike earlier¡ªhe had already paid the price for his carelessness with his eyeball.


    ¡°Brother Velkre.¡±


    At that moment, someone spoke to Velkre from behind his back while concealing her presence. It was a woman with long silver hair which moved limply in the air translucently like a mirage. Her eyes were green and vertical right now.


    ¡°Sister Nora.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve confirmed the location of the target. It seems like their horse was too tired to run any longer. It¡¯s a dark night, but it won¡¯t be too hard to catch up to them. We have taken measures to prevent them from running away quickly.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? How did they look?¡±


    Velkre wasn¡¯t asking about their condition¡ªhe was asking how much Nora could achieve with the power of the ¡®snake¡¯ that was granted to her. Nora hesitated to answer, but soon opened her mouth.


    ¡°It would be easy to slit the woman¡¯s neck. But the ck-haired one would be very difficult.¡±


    Velkre was a little surprised to hear Nora¡¯s answer. The power of the ¡®snake¡¯ granted to Nora was special even within the Order of the Evil Snake, and was the best in its ability to assassinate. If Marco could kill his enemies as fast as the wind, Nora couldpletely hide her presence and kill her opponents without them even knowing¡ªeven an archer who pierced Velkre¡¯s eyeball would stand no chance of surviving her assassination attempt. For such a talented Temr to say that it would be difficult to kill someone, it could only mean that the opponent would be impossible for ordinary people to assassinate.


    ¡°Did he notice you?¡± Velkre asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s unclear whether he did or not. I managed to get very close to him, and my eyes met his eyes for just a moment. Although I couldn¡¯t tell if our eyes had just met by chance or if he had really felt my presence, I stepped back as I figured that he was dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Well done. We still have time, and I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a reason why he hasn''t moved yet either. Good work, sister. Thanks to you, we were able to track the heretic with stability. I hope you continue to carry out your mission sessfully.¡±


    ¡°Yes, captain. Also, an unexpected name came out of his mouth.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°The name of Gerard Gain was mentioned.¡±


    ¡°The apostate? In what way was his name mentioned?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s ambiguous. The female mercenary said that there was someone she wanted to kill, and the ck-haired man asked if it was Gerard Gain. I couldn¡¯t tell whether or not the ck-haired man was hostile to Gerard Gain.¡±


    Velkre frowned upon hearing Nora¡¯s words.


    ¡°I already knew that Gerard Gain had something to do with the Priests of the Crack. But never did I expect him to be involved with the devil of Tantil as well. I have a feeling that this is a much bigger deal than I originally thought. Now I understand why His Holiness considered this issue to be so important.¡±


    Gerard Gain had not been officially sighted ever since the assassination of His Majesty. Until and unless his death was confirmed, the empire¡¯s number one enemy was Gerard Gain. There would be no greater honor for anyone in the empire than being able to catch and kill him.


    Thinking that he might be able to unexpectedly catch Gerard Gain, Velkre¡¯s heart began to race. However, he soon shook his head¡ªhe had to focus on his target, as his target ordered by the Pope was the ck-haired heretic. He was bound to let him escape again if he got distracted.


    ¡°Keep an eye on the ck-haired man for now. It seems like more and more people are beginning to notice him. Also, find out more about that woman with the horn bow¡ªher archery skills far exceeded the level of ordinary mercenaries.¡±


    ***


    Sina Solvane looked at the dead horse in front of her in despair.


    Losing a horse in the middle of the wastnd was the equivalent of a death sentence. Fortunately, the ck being that was munching on the dead horse didn¡¯t seem to care too much about Sina¡¯s existence. Whenever the ck beast opened its mouth wide to take a bite, huge chunks of the horse¡¯s body disappeared. The entire body of the horse seemed to only be enough for less than ten bites for the ck beast. Sina thought that she might be the next victim, but she couldn¡¯t take her eyes off of the ck beast.


    ¡°My apologies.¡±


    Sina turned her head to the voice that came from behind her back. A man about thirty years old wearing an imperial uniform and carrying an incredibly long spear on his shoulder was looking down at Sina. Sina nkly looked up at him, then turned her head back to the ck beast.


    ¡°Is¡­ is that what I think it is?¡± Sina asked.


    ¡°A dragon, yes.¡±


    The ck beast had a white horn, ck scales, and an enormous size that made the horse look like a small dog. The ck beast looked exactly like the dragons Sina had heard about as a child.


    As a knight, it was only natural for Sina to be interested in the stories of dragons. But Sina was left speechless upon seeing a dragon that was said to be extinct suddenly fly down from the sky and start munching on her horse.


    ¡®<i>Honestly, I don¡¯t even care about the horse.</i>¡¯


    Sina was sad that the horse was dead, but she was more surprised to see a live dragon. Looking closely, Sina noticed that there were saddles and equipment on the dragon¡¯s back to control it.


    ¡°I heard that the dragons went extinct after the Order of Lindwurm was forced to disband¡­¡± Sina muttered.


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s still one left,¡± the man answered softly, but soon realized that his words needed more exnation and continued. ¡°I release him in the empty wastnd sometimes when we are resting, but I didn¡¯t think there would be a person nearby. I¡¯ll pay you double the price of the horse, and I¡¯ll also take you to the vige if that¡¯s okay with you.¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t care about the price of the horse, but¡­ are you a soldier of the Imperial Army?¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    The man held out his hand toward Sina.


    ¡°I¡¯m Horhell Helmer, the centurion of the fourth division. I¡¯m carrying out a mission under the order of Duke Henna. Do you happen to be a knight?¡±

 Chapter 86 – The Territory of Durgal (1)

    <h4>Chapter 86 ¨C The Territory of Durgal (1)</h4>


    A red mountain that resembled the color of the wastnd appeared on the horizon.


    Juan had been keeping an eye on his pursuers, but they didn¡¯t show much movement. Rather, the spirits of two of them disappeared to a far distance that Juan could no longer sense.


    However, three of them were still steadily following Juan and Swan. Juan intentionally moved at a faster pace to leave them behind, but their presence could still be felt¡ªmaking it clear that they were quite well-trained knights.


    Instead, it was Swan who was suffering from Juan¡¯s fast pace. Swan hadn¡¯t been able to eat or drink anything for the past two days as they had left all their luggage in the carriage. At the same time, in this devastated wastnd, all the sources of water had already been contaminated.


    ¡°...Finally. A lifesaver,¡± Swan muttered as she looked at the red mountain.


    She lifted her finger with difficulty, pointing toward the path in the valley between the mountains. Juan could see a tent and few people gathered around the area.


    ¡°Go that way, Mr. Ten thousand gold pieces. Those are people who are trying to get through the Manas Mountains.¡±


    ¡°Is it like a vige?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a vige, but it¡¯s more like a ce where mercenaries from all over the region gather. The lord of Durgal has always been quite eager to find mercenaries, since going to Durgal by yourself alone is considered a suicide.¡±


    Juan recalled the information about the Manas Mountains. In the past, there was an incident where he had torn apart a god to death in the area near the Manas Mountains. Juan only had a very faint impression of the Manas Mountains, since it had already been a long time since he gained the true power of the emperor at that time¡ªit was simply not worth paying attention to the Manas Mountains in the past. Other than the fact that he had killed a god in the area, Juan hadn¡¯t heard of any rumors saying that Manas Mountains were particrly dangerous.


    ¡°Is it really that dangerous there?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°I think Mr. Ten thousand gold pieces will be fine, but¡­ they say that you won¡¯t be attacked as long as you move in groups.¡±


    Upon reaching the tent where the mercenaries had gathered, Juan could see merchants selling water, bandages, arrows and other items needed by the mercenaries.


    Swan gulped down water as soon as she arrived at the tent, and then threw a coin out of her pocket to the merchant before he couldin about her drinking the water before paying. Swan had given the merchant a silver piece, but the merchant didn¡¯t show any sign of giving back the change.


    ¡°I thought there would be more, but I don¡¯t see a lot of mercenaries here. It seems like they are already all gone.¡±


    As Swan said, there were only two mercenaries wandering around the tent. The two mercenaries wereining at the ridiculously high prices mentioned by the merchants, but they still bought and stocked up on the necessary items as much as they needed. Juan noticed that they both had a silver brooch on their shoulders.


    ¡°Are there no useful items in Durgal?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°No, there are. In fact, the lord provides it all for free. But still, the way to get to Durgal is quite dangerous so they need to get prepared before they leave,¡± Swan exined.


    In the meantime, the mercenaries began to walk toward Juan and Swan as if they had finished bargaining for their items. One of them was a bald man carrying an ax on his back, while the other one was a man covered with scars and holding a spear in his hand. The scarred man opened his mouth to speak to Juan and Swan.


    ¡°Hey, you two. Are you guys also on your way to Durgal? Do you have any otherpany?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just the two of us. What about you two?¡± Swan asked.


    ¡°There were five of us originally that came together in a public carriage, but three of them changed their minds and returned upon seeing a mercenary who returned from the red forest,pletely wrecked. It was a sight so terrible that even I flinched and almost changed my mind after seeing him. All the other mercenaries ran away too, and ourrades went back with them. If you join us, there will be five of us including the horseman.¡±


    The scarred mercenary lightly chinned at the empty carriage parked in the middle of the open space.


    The horseman slightly nodded to greet Juan and Swan.


    ¡°It seems like the two of you also had some issues on your way here too. Your appearance tells it all,¡± the scarred mercenary said.


    Swan opened her mouth at the words of the mercenary.


    ¡°We had an ident, so the rest of ourrades went back and our carriage broke down.¡±


    Swan lied without even batting an eye, and the mercenary seemed convinced.


    ¡°My name is Jaeden. Jaeden Joir. And this is Orel. Would you like to apany us if you don¡¯t mind?¡±


    ¡°My name is Swan. And this is¡­Mr. Ten thousand gold pieces.¡±


    ¡°Ten thousand gold pieces?¡±


    Jaeden made a curious look, and soonughed as he saw a smile on Swan¡¯s face.


    ¡°Oh, I see. Is it because the Church offered to pay a reward for the ck-haired kid? You must have had a lot of trouble in the eastern territory. Everyone¡¯s making such a big fuss about it¡ªthere are so many ignorant men among mercenaries, you know? But it seems like you have the guts to work as a mercenary despite being young. You must be quite good at swordsmanship,¡± Jaeden said to Juan.


    ¡°Kind of,¡± Juan answered with his arms crossed.


    Jaeden narrowed his eyes at Juan¡¯s answer, then grinned as he looked at Juan.


    ¡°Who cares if youe from beyond the border or if you get mistaken for a wanted criminal? It¡¯s rather fortunate to have one more hand holding a sword when we might be entering into a monster''s mouth. So are you guys in?¡±


    Swan didn¡¯t think too long. She liked Jaeden as he looked like a veteran mercenary.


    ¡°If we ride the carriage, we will arrive in about a day. What do you say?¡± Jaeden asked.


    Juan nodded at Jaeden as if he was telling Jaeden to do as he pleases.


    ¡°Alright, then let¡¯s get going.¡±


    ***


    The road along the valley of the red mountain was well polished; it looked like quite a few people traveled on this road. As the carriage passed through the mountain range along the valley, a disordered but flourishing forest of red trees appeared. The red maple leaves would feel cozy and warm at normal times, but it only felt creepy due to the gloomy atmosphere and humid environment of the forest.


    ¡°The territory of Durgal is located in the basin inside the Manas Mountains. It¡¯s really humid in the red forest since it¡¯s surrounded by mountains from all directions. The wastnd would be fertile again if even half of this moisture flowed into the area, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Jaeden exined and talked non-stop about the things that no one asked him about; he was a very talkative person.


    Meanwhile, Swan constantly answered him and repeatedly asked him questions to act like she had never heard of anything that Jaeden said.


    Swan seemed toe across as the type who valued the bonds between mercenaries, but Juan was not interested in such conversations at all. His nerves were entirely focused on the energy surrounding the whole forest.


    ¡®<i>It¡¯s strange in here.</i>¡¯


    The forest was filled with a strange energy, and Juan wondered if the source of this energy was something simr to divinity. A god¡¯s power came in two different kinds¡ªdivinity and unholiness. However, not all divinity was always good, and not all unholiness was evil; they simply had conflicting energies.


    Then the categories split again into several branches under it.


    Juan¡¯s powers as the emperor were close to divinity, especially closer to being the power of fire. However, his powers might not necessarily be the same as they used to be, given that he had absorbed numerous different powers. The energy flowing through this forest had a nature simr to that of Juan¡¯s current condition.


    ¡®<i>It¡¯s simr to the condition of my mana right now.</i>¡¯


    There was something with divinity somewhere inside this forest, and there was also something with a terrible unholiness at the same time. They were constantly mixing in a disorderly manner causing the mana here to bepletely mana out of pattern.


    ¡®<i>It would be better to call it the smell of rotting corpses rather than simply mana¡­</i>¡¯


    When a body gets dposed, all kinds of rotten waste flows out of the body and maggots grow on it. While it is a terrible scene of unholiness, it is also the ideal ce for the birth of new life.


    Due to this logic, Talter and Nigrato had ipatible energies.


    The mana flowing within the forest seemed to be inplete flux, mixing with each other in an unorganized form.


    Juan couldn¡¯t even imagine what would happen to the creatures that remain exposed to such a messy environment for a long time.


    Juan took a nce at Swan and wondered what she had been through.


    Meanwhile, Swan was still chatting with Jaeden.


    ¡°Hey, the young man worth ten thousand gold pieces over there. There¡¯s nothing to be afraid of¡ªthere¡¯s no one that would charge at a running carriage. A bandit could cut down a tree to overturn the carriage, but they¡¯re not clever enough to do such a thing.¡±


    Jaeden made a joke to lighten the atmosphere; he thought that Juan was nervous upon seeing him remain quiet for a long time.


    ¡°What exists in this forest that you¡¯re so wary of?¡± Juan asked.


    Jaeden¡¯s face stiffened at Juan¡¯s question. When he turned his gaze toward Swan, she simply smiled and shrugged her shoulders.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to exin it to me or something? It¡¯s even my first time asking a question¡­¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ ah, whatever. I¡¯ll exin it to you. There are no wild beasts or demonic beasts here in this forest,¡± Jaeden lowered his posture and whispered. ¡°But there are mercenaries.¡±


    ¡°Mercenaries?¡±


    ¡°Yes, mercenaries who ran away from Durgal and went insane. They are sopletely insane that they can¡¯t escape from the forest and keep wandering around. Those who move alone or slowly will be caught and be their prey.¡±


    The wind blew into the carriage and shook Swan¡¯s hair, clearly revealing her ear that had been cut off. Swan was still smiling even after her eyes met with Juan.


    At that moment, Orel cleared his throat loudly.


    ¡°Myrade must be a little cold,¡± Jaeden closed the window with a smile. ¡°The lord of Durgal puts a reward on the necks of the mercenaries who go insane and run away, since it''s unknown what they¡¯re gonna do? All they know is murder, and all they have are weapons. They are most certainly dangerous. The worst out of all of them is a guy called Jules¡­¡±


    ¡°Jules?¡± Swan frowned and asked back. ¡°That bastard is still alive? I heard about him about six years ago.¡±


    ¡°So thisdy knows of him. You¡¯re right, Temr Jules. He went to Durgal to find a heretic, but he went insane and ran away into the forest. He threw all the armor he was wearing and jumped into the forest naked. Although he no longer has any of his Temr equipment, no ordinary mercenaries are a match for him, since the power of Grace still remains in his body. I heard he still wanders around the forest and eats alive any mercenaries unlucky enough to meet him.¡±


    ¡°The Temrs just left him to be like that?¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t seem to care too much since they retrieved his equipment already. Besides, the Church has been deliberately ignoring the eastern territory in the first ce. Anyway, it would be nice to catch those mercenaries if anyone wants to, but the reward for it is less than the reward for exploring the dungeon under themand of the lord of Durgal. So hardly anyone goes out of their way to catch them.¡±


    Juan paid attention to the word that caught his ears.


    ¡°Dungeon?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°Wait, you don¡¯t even know about that? I honestly have no idea what you came here for. But yes¡ªthere is a huge dungeon under the mansion of the lord of Durgal. There¡¯s a story that says that it was built by an ancient heretic or something¡­ Anyway, I heard that there are tons of treasuresing out of the dungeon nonstop, and most of them are used to pay the hired mercenaries.¡±


    ¡°Why would they go that far to search the dungeon?¡±


    ¡°Think about it. What do you think would be at the end of the dungeon that constantly spits out treasures? There must be the most valuable treasures out of all of them. Of course, there are a lot of mercenaries that end up dying or going insane, but the pay is really good. The treasures from the dungeon make people even crazier, so there is a huge demand for them. Also, there¡¯s another rumor,¡± Jaeden whispered quietly as if he was about to tell Juan a precious secret, and put his face close to Juan. ¡°A rumor that the relics which belonged to the killer of His Majesty, Gerard Gain, can be found inside the dungeon. If it¡¯s the relics of a man who had been the eldest adopted child of His Majesty and also the one who killed His Majesty, of course they would be no ordinary treasures. I¡¯m sure they are priceless. People have been saying that the item that the Lord of Durgal is after is this.¡±


    Juan had no particr interest in Gerard Gain¡¯s relics, as he was only interested in Gerard himself. Meanwhile, Juan observed the condition of Orel who had been sitting next to him. Orel had been showing odd signs of nervousness ever since earlier, and Juan didn¡¯t think this was because he had a silent personality. Orel had now broken out in a cold sweat, and repeatedly grasped his hands.


    ¡°Is yourrade all right? He doesn¡¯t look very good,¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°He must be nervous after seeing that injured man in the red forest earlier. Are you all right?¡± Jaedenughed and lightly tapped Orel on the shoulder.


    Orel tried his best to smile and nodded his head with difficulty.


    ¡°By the way, Mr. Ten thousand gold pieces. Can I ask you the reason why you came all the way here when you are absolutely clueless about this area? Do you have acquaintances in Durgal? Or do you maybe have¡­¡±


    ¡°Is the treasure you¡¯re talking about¡ª¡±


    Juan cut Jaeden¡¯s words off, as he grabbed a pouch out of his pocket. When he opened the pouch and dropped its contents into his palm, the finely shattered pieces of a purple gem appeared; it was the fragmented Indeterminate Polyhedron.


    A bright purple light filled the inside of the carriage.


    ¡°¡ªsomething like this?¡±


    Jaeden¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°T-this is¡­! Where did you get this from?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s none of your business.¡±


    The moment Juan put the pouch back in his pocket, he felt a very blunt murderous intent.


    As soon as Juan tilted his body, a long spear pierced through Jaeden¡¯s back and out of his chest.

 Chapter 87 – The Territory of Durgal (2)

    <h4>Chapter 87 ¨C The Territory of Durgal (2)</h4>


    The spear was aimed exactly at Juan¡¯s heart, but Juan swung his short sword at the same time and split the spear in half.


    Meanwhile, Jaeden couldn¡¯t even let out a scream and stared at the spear that pierced through his chest with his eyes wide open.


    ¡°You son of a¡­¡±


    Jaeden¡¯s hand trembled as he tried to grab the spear, but it was in vain. He lifted his head up to look at the seat of the horseman.


    However, there was no one there.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let him pull out that spear!¡±


    The moment Swan shouted, the spear that had pierced through Jaeden¡¯s chest got pulled back and disappeared from sight. Blood sprayed out of the hole in Jaeden¡¯s chest like a fountain and soaked the entire carriage.


    Meanwhile, the carriage began to shake, and the horses galloped frantically as they pulled a loosely shaking carriage without a horseman.


    ¡°Get off the carriage!¡± Juan shouted.


    At the same time, the horses split into two different directions with a tree in between, and then a loud crashing sound echoed shook the forest. The carriage shattered into pieces, and Jaeden¡¯s dead body was almost crushed against the tree.


    Juan had managed to barely throw himself out of the carriage before the collision. He quickly pulled himself up in preparation for the next attack, but there was no one attacking him. Then, Juan noticed Orel wriggling, foaming at the mouth, and bleeding next to the broken carriage. When Juan pulled out his short sword and approached him, Orel pointed to Jaeden''s body and groaned.


    ¡°The horseman¡­ and that bastard¡­ killed all of my¡­rades¡­ and¡­¡±


    ¡°And were disguising themselves. Thank you anyway,¡± Juan said.


    Juan judged that Orel had no hope of surviving after seeing his wounds. Juan cut Orel¡¯s throat at once and killed him, saving him from having to suffer anymore. After checking that Orel wasn¡¯t breathing anymore, Juan searched his surroundings.


    The horseman was nowhere to be seen, and Swan was on the top of the tree that the carriage had smashed into. Her ability in being able to escape the carriage showed her agility as an elf, but her expression was pale.


    ¡°Since when did you notice that these guys were our enemies?¡± Swan asked.


    ¡°Before we even arrived at the tents. I sensed the presence of two of those who had been chasing after us. They decided to wait ahead of us. I bet they were waiting for us toe after killing therades of this bald guy.¡±


    ¡°To match the numbers¡­ right. It¡¯s normal to wait for other people toe if there¡¯s not enough people to fill the carriage. You should¡¯ve told me to not get on the carriage if you knew everything in the first ce.¡±


    ¡°I was going to kill one and spare the life of another one to interrogate him, but he was quick to run away. I should just kill them all instead of interrogating them the next time Ie across them. Come to think of it, why did you tell me not to pull out the spear earlier?¡±


    ¡°Because mercenaries here are sensitive to the smell of blood,¡± Swan said as she continued looking down at Juan from atop the tree.


    Juan turned his head. He had noticed that someone was approaching them, and rustling could be heard from all directions. Juan suddenly felt very strange. Although he could hear the sounds of the forest and the trees nearby rustling, he could hardly feel anyone¡¯s presence because their energy was extremely simr to the mana flowing in this forest.


    However, it wasn¡¯t to the extent where the presences were indistinguishable. Juan¡¯s senses were still intact and urate.


    <i>Grrrr¡­</i>


    What appeared with an inhuman sound was a group of mercenaries. The impression they gave others was messy as everyone looked exhausted and had a shaggy beard. Juan noticed that their pupils had turned purple in their sunken eyes.


    ¡°The horseman must have been nning to throw us at these guys from the very beginning,¡± Juan said.


    Juan found it difficult to sense the horseman¡¯s presence as many mercenaries were beginning to gather around. There were at least over fifty mercenaries surrounding Juan and Swan. All of them were silver grades, and there were even one or two gold grades among them¡ªthey were all highly skilled warriors and centurions.


    One of the mercenaries swung a huge ax and charged at Juan. Juan quickly moved back and kicked the stone on the ground toward the opponent¡¯s face at the same time. The mercenary narrowly turned his head to dodge the rock flying directly toward his face. Juan found such a sight interesting.


    ¡®<i>So they¡¯re quite different from the undead.</i>¡¯


    Although they had gone insane and became more violent, their habits and skills from when they used to be sane still remained. Anyone would be in big trouble if they charged toward them thinking that they were no different from the undead.


    ¡°The more you cut these bastards, the stronger the smell of blood, which will attract even more mercenaries, Mr. Ten thousand gold pieces. Let¡¯s just get out of here before we end up having to face the worst ones that don¡¯t even look human.¡±


    Swan was nocking an arrow on her horn bow, but didn¡¯t seem to want to shoot immediately. Swan was being cautious as she was well aware that there would be more blood once the mercenaries were shot, unlike the undead.


    However, Juan didn¡¯t move a single inch.


    ¡°What are you doing? Get ready to run away and¡­¡±


    ¡°Go ahead and run away. I¡¯m gonna stay and catch that horseman.¡±


    As soon as Juan finished speaking, he bounced off. Blood surged up from the necks of two mercenaries who were standing in the direction where Juan was moving.


    Upon seeing the sight of blood being scattered everywhere, Swan¡¯s face turned pale.


    ¡°Oh my goodness, what have you done¡­!¡±


    As the blood scattered, even more mercenaries gathered as if they were excited. More than a dozen weapons were swung toward Juan, but none could reach Juan. Rather, some of the mercenaries tripped over the weapons that they had been swinging and thrusting, unintentionally cutting each other, and causing even more blood to spurt out, which only fed their craze.


    ¡°Ahhhhh!¡±


    The mercenaries roared and brandished their weapons even more furiously.


    It was an agonizing scene. Swan couldn¡¯t hide her nervousness as she watched the blood flowing out of the mercenaries¡¯ wounds to the point where even the ground turned into bloody mud. Juan was dodging the weapons with ease, but the number of mercenaries was increasing exponentially. Swan wondered where in the forest they had been hiding all along.


    ¡®<i>There¡­ there are too many¡­ even if it''s the road where the carriage travels, isn¡¯t it too much¡­?</i>¡¯


    Realization btedly struck her. It was clear that the horseman had set up this ce in advance¡ªhe had sprayed blood around this area after killing all of Orel¡¯srades, and his n was to use the insane mercenaries of the red forest to attack Juan.


    ¡°Mr. Ten thousand gold pieces! This is a trap!¡±


    However, it was toote.


    Swan then pierced the head of a mercenary charging at Juan from behind his back with the arrow she had been nocking on the bow.


    ¡°I know,¡± Juan answered with a grin.


    At that moment, something that had been hiding amongst the mercenaries suddenly popped out of nowhere to stab at Juan¡¯s back.


    Everything happened in an instant without giving Juan any time to dodge.


    However, the assassin attacking Juan felt like something had grabbed his dagger tightly instead of the dagger prating flesh.


    ¡°You¡¯ve finally appeared,¡± Juan said.


    Only then did the assassine to his senses. Juan was looking back at him with a smirk, and the assassin realized that Juan¡¯s cloak had turned liquid and covered his dagger instead of getting torn apart. The assassin freaked out and tried to let go of the dagger, but the cloak¡ªno, the darkness had already swallowed his hand before he knew it.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you.¡±


    The assassin thought that something had passed by him, and in the next instant, his lower arm fell off. The assassin¡¯s hand quickly disappeared into Juan¡¯s ck cloak. The assassin quickly pulled back in an attempt to run away, but Juan hastily kicked him in the leg before he could escape.


    The assassin, who had lost his arm, ended up losing his bnce to miserably sprawl to the ground.


    ¡°I know your ways to secretly attack or stab someone behind their back. It¡¯s simply not worth using my short sword. Nigrato¡¯s shadow will be enough for you all.¡±


    The mercenaries ran wildly at Juan.


    ¡°I no longer have business with you all.¡±


    When Juan unfurled his cloak, darkness spread through the air like ink¡ªit was a new ability gained after fusing the essence of Nigrato and Grunbalde¡¯s gray cloak.


    In an instant, the mercenaries flinched and paused their movement as the darkness covered their surroundings to obscure their vision. Juan nodded upon seeing their reaction; it was as he had suspected.


    ¡®<i>They are relying on their senses, since they are still alive.</i>¡¯


    Darkness wouldn¡¯t be an issue to the undead, but these were people that were still alive. They had no choice but to rely on sight and hearing.


    Some of them lit torches to secure their vision, but that only made them the best target for Swan to aim at.


    ¡°Take care of them,¡± Juan said as he looked up at Swan.


    Swanined, but she took out her bow without resisting.


    ***


    Less than a few secondster, Juan recalled the darkness that he had spread around. All that was left on the ground was a group of a lot of dead bodies¡ªa <i>lot?</i>of dead bodies.


    After cleaning up the surroundings, Juan approached the man who had tried to assassinate him.


    As expected, it was the horseman. He looked pale as he had lost too much blood. Juan ced his hand over the horseman¡¯s wounds. Soon, the horseman trembled, while the smell of burning flesh rose from the wounded areas.


    ¡°Who are you? Where did youe from?¡±


    Juan began to ask questions after cauterizing the horseman¡¯s injuries. However, the horseman didn¡¯t reply and only flinched while enduring tremendous pain. Juan grabbed the horseman¡¯s chin and lifted his head up by force.


    ¡°I don¡¯t torture people. If they don¡¯t want to answer, I simply kill them. I¡¯m not that curious,¡± Juan said.


    The horseman looked up at Juan and grinned. Then, he opened his mouth wide as if he was mocking Juan. His tongue had already been cut almost to the root and there was nothing left inside his mouth¡ªhe was not capable of speaking in the first ce.


    ¡°Thanks for the answer.¡±


    Juan tightened his grip. With a cracking sound, the horseman¡¯s neck broke. Juan threw away the horseman¡¯s body carelessly.


    Swan quietly watched the scene, then opened her mouth.


    ¡°Look under his chin.¡±


    Juan slightly raised the horseman¡¯s chin and found a thin scar on it.


    ¡°It¡¯s the assassination organization,¡± Swan said.


    ¡°An assassination organization?¡±


    ¡°Yes. They don¡¯t go by a specific name, they are just called the assassination organization. It¡¯s the biggest contractor in the empire. I¡¯ve heard that they can change their skeleton and figure by inserting potions and surgical instruments through that scar. I have heard that they don¡¯t hunt for bounties, but I guess ten thousand gold pieces must be worth it, even for them. It is higher than what mostmissions offer anyway.¡±


    ¡°All sorts of things areing at me¡­¡± Juan muttered.


    ¡°Well, ten thousand gold pieces is a lot of money. They¡¯re gonna have to do way better than this, though¡ªI had heard that the assassination organization kills those on their hit-list by any means, but they have failed this time. Anyway, congrattions. One of our pursuers has been revealed now.¡±


    Juan felt that all this was a bit ridiculous, but was relieved that one of their pursuers was gone for good. It was difficult for Juan to detect the presence of people in this forest because of theplex mana flowing in it. Furthermore, the opponent he had just faced hadn¡¯t been an easy one; he had willingly used hisrade as a trap to catch Juan.


    ¡®<i>I wouldn¡¯t have died immediately even if I waspletely surrounded, but¡­</i>¡¯


    If Juan hadn¡¯t been aware of the horseman from the beginning, Juan might have been wounded even before he began fighting with the mercenaries. Furthermore, Juan had to watch out for the Temrs as well.


    Juan feltplicated. Although he had decided to not hide his identity and ept all the challenges as they came, he didn¡¯t like the fact that he kept getting held back.


    ¡®<i>It¡¯d be nice to have an opportunity to get rid of all the unnecessary dregs at once.</i>¡¯


    Juan stood up and looked up at the tree where Swan was.


    ¡°What are you doing up there? Aren¡¯t youing with me? I thought you said that we won¡¯t arrive until evening even if we started walking now.¡±


    ¡°Um, yes. We should go.¡±


    Juan noticed that she was a little intimidated, in spite of her tone. It looked like she had felt something from Juan after witnessing him annihting those mercenaries in an instant.


    ¡°So. Do you still think you can take my head after we arrive at Durgal?¡± Juan asked.


    Swan wondered if he was asking her whether or not she had set up a trap in Durgal. Swan tried to smile.


    ¡°To be honest, I feel a little less confident now. I feel like I¡¯m gonna be getting the short end of the stick.¡±


    ¡°If you need heads, there''s plenty right here,¡± Juan said as he kicked the body of a mercenary lying on the ground. ¡°Didn¡¯t they say the Lord of Durgal bought the dead bodies of the mercenaries?¡±


    ¡°Well, he doesn¡¯t pay that much. He only shows off and takes credit for himself. There have been more and more incidents involving mercenaries whoe to the territory of Durgal only to get killed by the insane mercenaries. To get a decent bounty, you would need to at least bring the body of¡­¡±


    <i>Thump.</i>


    At that moment, the sound of the branches breaking and leaves pouring down from the tree was heard.


    Swan nkly raised her head. Someone big enough to meet her eyes, who had been sitting on a tall tree, appeared as he snapped the entire tree to the side¡ªit was a huge naked man with purple eyes. He was holding the lower body of one of the dead mercenaries in his mouth.


    ¡°¡­at least¡­ the body of¡­ the guy called¡­ Jules¡­¡±


    Swan¡¯s words ended feebly.


    Meanwhile, Jules looked toward Juan and Swan, then dropped the lower body of the mercenary he was holding in his mouth as his chest swelled up.


    A loud roar shook the entire forest.

 Chapter 88 – The Territory of Durgal (3)

    <h4>Chapter 88 ¨C The Territory of Durgal (3)</h4>


    ¡®The red swamp¡¯ was the old name that used to refer to thend around the territory of Durgal, while the name before that was unknown.


    When the emperor had torn down an unknown god at the top of the Manas Mountains, the dead body of the god rolled down the basin. The blood that seeped out of the god¡¯s body colored the entire area red. The altars and buildings that used to enshrine the god were submerged under the blood, and all the followers of the god were forced to turn their backs on their hometown.


    Over time, the god¡¯s blood had permeated the ground. The trees that soaked this blood to grow up grew out red leaves, and thend had been nicknamed the ¡®red forest¡¯ instead of ¡®red swamp,¡¯ and came to be called Durgal ever since.


    Mark Moore, the Lord of the territory of Durgal, was secretly proud of the fact that his territory had such a creepy history. The nasty and rotten smell caused by the red forest¡¯s bloody leaves and humidity, as well as the red fungus that grew tangled in every corner of the territory were all marks of the achievement left behind by His Majesty.


    Mark liked the fact that he lived in this famous mythicalnd. But on the other hand, he was depressed that there were no heroes, great knights, or historical monsters living in the same era as him. There were only crooks, lunatics, and armed rascals.


    ¡°It seems like none of the mercenaries that came this time are useful either,¡± Mark muttered as he looked down at the mercenaries from the second floor of the pub.


    The violent and smelly mercenaries that were on the first floor were either criminals or crooks. Mark had been employing mercenaries at high rates for a long time, but the number of mercenariesing to Durgal had gradually decreased as the vicious rumors about the mercenaries that went insane or were killed started spreading. The mercenaries that still visited the territory of Durgal were either on the edge of life or on the run.


    ¡°How many mercenaries are gold grades this time?¡± Mark asked.


    ¡°Only two, my lord. The other seven of the new arrivals are all silver grades, and there are a few that are either bronze grade or have no grade at all,¡± the butler replied as he rummaged through the list of the mercenaries.


    The bronze grades were those who had less than a year of experience as a mercenary, and those without grades were people that came to Durgal recklessly without even being registered as a mercenary. None of them were worth using as a force.


    Mark clicked his tongue. Ten years ago, not only gold, even tinum grade mercenaries used toe. Of course, that was a long time ago and even the excavation work now was very difficult.


    ¡°It¡¯s already been two years since we found the deep area, but we still haven¡¯t been able to search through it properly and we¡¯ve been putting off the work. Are there really no gold grade mercenaries that are willing toe to Durgal?¡±


    ¡°Rampage, the centurion of the fourth division, and a few of his men were dishonorably discharged a few months ago. So I have been trying to find out what they are up to¡­¡±


    ¡°A centurion? That¡¯s a reliable position. Were you able to get a hold of them?¡±


    ¡°Apparently no one has heard from them ever since they went down to the south. There¡¯s a rumor saying that he died after being caught up in a disturbance at a certain colosseum, and there¡¯s another rumor saying that he was used of heresy and burned at the stake. I¡¯m not exactly sure what they are up to.¡±


    ¡°There is not a single man who would be a good help¡­ I can¡¯t believe it¡­ it''s like there are no heroic figures in this era.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we send those without a grade and bronze grades to the middle area and get them to search the area again, my lord.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ howmentable it is to see only rascals roaming around thend where His Majesty once heroically yed a god¡­¡±


    ¡°It truly is, my lord. Shouldn¡¯t we at least make those useless mercenaries pay for the meals we feed them? I¡¯ll send the wrecked ones out the back door as usual.¡±


    Usually, the Lord said whatever he wanted while the butler took care of the territory without paying proper attention to what he said. Despite the excavation of numerous treasures and relics in the dungeon, the territory of the Durgal remained poor. This was entirely because the lord of Durgal, Mark, spared no money and poured all his fortune into the excavation process of the dungeon.


    However, the ominous rumors about the mercenaries going insane or being killed had spread as the years passed, which made it difficult to hire mercenaries to search the dungeon. Mark had to change his strategies¡ªwhether the mercenaries were powerful enough to survive or not, send all of them into the dungeon anyway. The weak ones would naturally be eliminated, while the survivors would grow in their own ways and be stronger.


    Quite a few of the remaining mercenaries had improved their skills that way. But, their mental state had be quite precarious as a result. The ominous rumors had only worsened as a result, but the rapid destruction of the entire system was prevented thanks to the mercenaries who visited the territory of Durgal for money.


    The sun began to set, and there were only a few carriages running through the forest after sunset. Mark decided to go back without waiting any longer for more mercenaries to arrive. Mark let out a long sigh. He had heard that his father was a knight who had fought alongside His Majesty on the battlefield.


    Compared to the previous generations of his family, Mark felt infinitely small. His father¡¯s armor that had been handed down to him did not fit his body, and the weapon his father left behind was too heavy for him to lift.


    ¡®<i>Is growing old as a noble in the rural area really the suitable ending for me?¡¯</i>


    Mark was suffering from a mid-life crisis.


    ¡°Ugh¨C Ahhhhhhhh!¡±


    At that moment, a sudden scream broke out from the entrance to the vige which made Mark frown. There were quite a few incidents where a lunatic wandering around the forest crawled into the vige, as mercenaries frequently gathered in the area. Before Mark could give anymands, the mercenaries had already gathered to find out about the source of the scream.


    ¡°Should I go and find out what¡¯s going on, my lord?¡± asked the butler.


    However, Mark shook his head and headed to the entrance of the vige himself. There was no fighting nor screams anymore¡ªthere was only a murmur of admiration and fear. Mark approached the crowd while feeling curious.


    ¡°Oh my goodness, that¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s Jules, right?¡±


    ¡°He matches the description given by the guy who returnedst time with his lower bodypletely destroyed. I mean, who else could be Jules other than someone that looks like that guy over there?¡±


    ¡®<i>Jules?</i>¡¯


    Mark heard a familiar name. It was the name of a Temr¡ªthe Temr with whom he curried favor and gave a lot of gifts as bribes, even saying that ¡®his achievements are on the same level as His Majesty,¡¯ all to bring him to Durgal.


    Although he was helpful in the beginning, he ended up being a pain in the ass.


    ¡®<i>He hase back?¡¯</i>


    Soon, Mark¡¯s eyes widened when he saw those who had entered the vige.


    A ck-haired young man and a woman who looked utterly tired and covered in blood were walking into the vige. The head of a man with messy hair was being dragged by the ck-haired young man, while the muddy ground was turning red with blood.


    Mark was the only person who knew what Jules looked like among everyone here, and so Mark was certain that the head belonged to Jules.


    Jules¡¯ head rolled toward Mark when the ck-haired young man threw it, mildly irritated.


    ¡°Where the hell is the guy who¡¯s supposed to pay me for this head?¡± the ck-haired man asked.


    The mercenaries who had been eyeing each other with perplexed looks all turned their gaze toward one direction.


    Meanwhile, Mark couldn¡¯t take his eyes off of the ck-haired young man.


    ¡®<i>His Majesty is finally helping me.¡¯</i>


    ***


    ¡°It¡¯s very impressive that you managed to catch Jules. The number of people he has killed should at least be in triple digits. I owe you a great deal.¡±


    Juan and Swan were currently in the mansion of the Lord of Durgal as he had invited them. The mansion built on the hill overlooking the vige had an appearance akin to a small castle. However, it was hard to tell which era the construction belonged to; it looked like the original building had been expanded and altered. In particr, the ck stone pavement filled with red mosses gave an extremely unpleasant impression.


    ¡°How much is the reward for Jules¡¯ head? As far as I remember, it is pretty big,¡± Swan asked.


    ¡°Ah-um. I had promised one hundred gold pieces. To be honest, I thought no one would ever be able to catch him, so I had put out a ridiculouslyrge reward¡­ but you guys certainly have the qualities of the legendary heroes, don¡¯t you? I¡¯ll pay you a hundred and fifty gold pieces!¡±


    Swan didn¡¯t look very satisfied, but she didn¡¯t ask for more since one hundred fifty gold pieces was quite a big amount of money. Juan should be the person to receive the reward since he was the one who caught Jules, but Juan wasn¡¯t interested in such things. Juan only felt that the reward was much better than he had expected.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking, can you tell me how you managed to capture Jules? Traps never worked on him, not to mention the fact that his wounds would bepletely healed in just a day if we somehow managed to inflict any injuries on him. I had started to feel that it was literally impossible to catch him. Temrs can be such a hassle. I could¡¯ve asked the Church to take care of him if he had gone insane while still wearing his equipment, but the Temrs returned after only retrieving his equipment.¡±


    ¡°Why was a Temr in Durgal?¡± Juan opened his mouth for the first time after arriving at the mansion.


    Mark had been anxious upon seeing Juan maintain silence the entire time; Mark had instinctively noticed that Juan was the real powerhouse among them. The way Juan talked to Mark was rather insolent considering that he was a noble and Juan wasn¡¯t, but Mark respected the worthy and the strong as much as he could. To Mark, Juan was the closest to the ¡®real¡¯ powerful man that he imagined.


    ¡°Because of an old legend here. There is an unknown dungeon here in the territory of Durgal. Odd incidents often ur inside the dungeon, perhaps due to the blood that soaked the entire dungeon¡ªthe blood of the god who was yed by His Majesty back in the day. Jules had heard a rumor that there was a heretic in the dungeon, and came to fulfill his duties as a Temr. Well, I can¡¯t deny that some amount of money was also involved in motivating him, but still.¡±


    ¡°Did he sessfully fulfill his duty?¡±


    ¡°He was a great force for us since he was a Temr. We had only been able to enter the middle level of the dungeon before he came, but he found a way to the deeper area. But that was it. I have no idea what he saw inside the deeper area, but he wentpletely insane¡­¡±


    After that, Jules probably turned into what Juan had seen in the forest.


    ¡°Anyway, we made a few more attempts to get into the deeper area in the dungeon, but it was hard to even navigate past the middle area. Moreover, the number of mercenaries who are willing to help out has significantly decreased these days, perhaps due to the prolonged civil war. Haha.¡±


    In fact, the reason why the numbers of mercenaries had decreased was due to the ominous rumors spreading everywhere¡ªbut Mark deliberately hid this fact. It would be for the best if they hadn¡¯t heard of the rumors, but even if they had, there was no need for Mark to remind them.


    Upon realizing that Juan had no signs of being a mercenary, Mark thought of the possibility that he might not be a mercenary.


    ¡®<i>A mysterious expert from beyond the border.</i>¡¯


    Mark felt pretty good about Juan¡¯s title, as the chances of trouble were lesser even if things ended up going wrong. And the woman who came with Juan not only carried an unusual-looking horn bow, but also wore a gold badge on her shoulder. For Mark who had been hungry for experts, they were precious talents that Mark wanted to greet with his arms wide open.


    ¡°Now, I want to get down to business¡­¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯ll get down to business first.¡±


    Juan cut Mark¡¯s words off and held out a pouch in front of Mark. Mark felt a bit irritated, but looked at Juan as if he was curious about what Juan was about to say.


    Upon opening the pouch, fragments of Indeterminate Polyhedron poured out, causing Mark to open his eyes wide.


    ¡°Do you know anything about this gem?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°Huh, this is¡­? This is a gem that you can only find here. It must have been a pretty big gem based on these fragments. Why is such a precious gem in such a state?¡±


    ¡°This is a mineral only found from the Crack.¡±


    Mark flinched for a moment, but soon shook his head in denial.


    ¡°The Crack? No¡ªthis is a gem I named ¡®god¡¯s blood.¡¯¡±


    ¡°God''s blood?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I believe this purple gem is the result of the hardening of the blood of the god that His Majesty yed. There are only a few of them that can be found in the dungeon, but it¡¯s really popr among the enthusiasts.¡±


    Juan frowned upon hearing Mark¡¯s words. He didn¡¯t care what Mark had named the gem, but he did care about Mark mentioning its amount.


    ¡°This is popr? Do you have any more of it?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ finding something as rare as the ¡®Indeterminate Polyhedron¡¯ owned by Bishop Rietto would be difficult. That was the best of all the gems that my father had found when he was alive. I¡¯m sure that most rich nobles own some quantity of this type of gem. This type of gem is like a lofty beauty that gets on people¡¯s nerves, but at the same time possesses them with its charms.¡±


    Juan pondered Mark¡¯s words. It was true that he had killed a god around this area, but he had never heard a story of the god¡¯s blood hardening and bing a mineral. Juan hadn¡¯t sensed the traces of the Crack from the god he had killed, thus the two were likely to bepletely different items. However, this Lord named Mark didn¡¯t seem to know anything about the Crack.


    ¡°But¡­¡± Mark hesitated and opened his mouth cautiously. ¡°Well, um. To be honest, I can¡¯t say that Durgal has nothing to do with the Crack. Although it is not as bad as it is in the north, I''ll admit that this ce has been affected by the Crack to a certain extent. But I can swear that I¡¯ve never even seen the Thornbush Priest Organization before. But there is something that concerns me.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°The Order of Lindwurm had once been secretly hiding here.¡±

 Chapter 89 – The Territory of Durgal (4)

    <h4>Chapter 89 ¨C The Territory of Durgal (4)</h4>


    The Order of Lindwurm was a knight order belonging to the eastern territory; it was led by Gerard Gain. Juan had also heard of the rumor saying that the Order of Lindwurm was in Durgal.


    ¡°You know about Gerard Gain who assassinated His Majesty, right? He was chased by the Regent Barth Baltic and eventually escaped. Back then, the eastern territory was known to have been eroded by the Crack. This fact yed a huge part in creating the rumor that the reason behind Gerard Gain suddenly going insane and bing an apostate was because of the Crack. Don¡¯t you think that his knight order would also have been affected?¡± Mark exined.


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°The Order of Lindwurm obviously couldn''t escape punishment when their captain hadmitted such a crime. They were devastated and almost disbanded; however, some of them fled and gathered here and built this castle. They probably thought that they would be able to hide just like the Order of Huginn, since Durgal is in the middle of the mountains. But this ce ended up being theirst hiding ce¡­¡±


    ¡°Last?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°I have heard that there was an internal conflict and that a huge fight broke out within the knight order, one where the knights even killed each other. It is understandable though¡ªtheir captain had disappeared, and they were branded as traitors who were involved in the assassination of His Majesty. Back then, everyone thought it was a divine punishment. A few among them swore about Gerard Gain¡¯s innocence until the end, but who would believe that?¡±


    ¡°...Are there any survivors?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. But based on the stories that have been floating around ever since, it is said that even if there are survivors, they wouldn¡¯t be sane; it is said that they were covered by body fragments and intestines everywhere. People say that the reason behind there being so many lunatics around this area is the curse of the knights of the Order of Lindwurm that died at that time,¡± Mark chuckled as he spoke, as if he didn¡¯t believe in these curses at all.


    ¡°It seems like you don¡¯t believe in the curse, huh?¡±


    ¡°I believe in magic or Grace, but when ites to a curse in a traditional sense¡­ well, I¡¯ve been living in this territory longer than anyone, but I haven¡¯t gone insane, as you can see.¡±


    Juan agreed with Mark. If something had to be believed, it would be better to believe that the Order of Lindwurm went insane due to the influence of the Crack.


    The traces of the Crack could clearly be observed in the forest. Juan thought that it was very strange that Mark was not aware of such a fact¡ªunless Mark had also gone insane, in apletely different way.


    ¡°It seems that you know the story quite well,¡± Swan said with sarcasm.


    However, Mark didn¡¯t seem to be bothered. Rather, he replied while feeling proud.


    ¡°Of course I do. The first person to find the scene at that time was my father. He was not only one of the nobles who had been sent to subjugate the apostates, but he was also one of the knights who had once fought beside His Majesty! He had said that he expected a fierce battle when he walked in. But he only witnessed the terrible scene of fighting and killing in this very room we are standing in¡ªthe conference room,¡± Mark said in a loud voice as if he was excited.


    The story he had heard from his father was the beginning of the Moore family, and it was what connected Mark with His Majesty¡¯s era¡ªit was only natural for Mark to get excited when talking about such a topic.


    Meanwhile, Swan silently smiled without answering him.


    The mes from the firece flickered, and its light shone on the red moss and dirt hiding in the gap between the floor and the wall.


    Juan lowered his eyes at the unpleasant traces. The Order of Lindwurm had been one of the knight orders that had served him for the longest time. Juan never would have thought that they would meet their fate in such a cold and humid ce.


    Upon seeing Swan and Juan¡¯s reaction, Markughed out loud, shaking his head.


    ¡°Oh my, are you surprised? But what kind ofnd has never had any dead bodies on it, am I right? Don¡¯t worry¡ªthe red traces in the gap aren''t left behind by blood. It¡¯s just been stained since the soil here is originally red. It¡¯s a lovely color once you get used to it.¡±


    Mark spoke as if he was joking, but Juan couldn¡¯t easilyugh it off as a joke. Juan could already sense a strong connection between this castle, the Order of Lindwurm, and the Crack.


    This castle basically had the same style of trendy architecture from the time when Juan used to go on conquests beyond the border as the emperor. After that, the structure became a little moreplicated as the Moore family expanded it. Juan could tell that the basic framework of the castle was still following the ancient style, as if the Order of Lindwurm had thoroughly thought about where to build the castle¡ªthey had built a castle on top of a building that had existed even before humanity had settled in the area.


    <i>¡®Gerard.¡¯</i>


    Juan inadvertently muttered his eldest son¡¯s name and recalled a serious but friendly face. Gerard was more like a knight than any other knight Juan had known, and he had been such a sweet child that Juan couldn¡¯t believe Gerard¡¯s betrayal even in the moment when Gerard had stabbed his back.


    <i>¡®Was he really corrupted by the Crack?¡¯</i>


    When Juan remained silent for a long time, Mark cleared his throat, feeling regretful about getting overly excited when talking about the story.


    ¡°Um, your name was... Juan, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a good name. If you don¡¯t have any more questions, let¡¯s get to the point. I am sure you¡¯re not here to just listen to old stories, so would you be interested in the dungeon expedition we talked about earlier? I can guarantee good profits. Ms. Swan, if you decide to join as well, I¡¯ll pay you the price for four people, and a bonus on top of that. I¡¯m sure you guys will be able to go deeper than Jules. Perhaps you¡¯ll be able to find many more precious treasures there.¡±


    ¡°A bonus?¡± Swan asked curiously while rejoicing at the sweet word that tickled her ears.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m a generous man when ites to supporting the mercenaries. Why don¡¯t I give you thirty percent of whatever you find inside the dungeon, and also cover the basic cost of exploration¡­¡±


    ¡°Make that fifty.¡±


    Mark¡¯s face stiffened at Swan¡¯s words.


    ¡°Fifty percent is too much. Even Jules only asked for thirty percent¡­¡±


    ¡°And we are the ones who brought back Jules¡¯ head. Besides, it¡¯s us that are risking our lives to enter the dungeon. Aren¡¯t you the one who would be in trouble without us, my lord? I don¡¯t want to make it hard on you, so fifty.¡±


    ¡°...Fine. I¡¯m not interested in money anyway¡ªall I care about are the relics excavated from the dungeon. I have to get everything I want, you know. Then let¡¯s do this: both Juan and Swan must participate, and I¡¯ll be the first one to pick out the items I want. Deal?¡±


    Swan grinned and looked back at Juan. Juan had absolutely no intention of being hired by someone, but he figured that it would be for the best to stick around and find out about the information Mark had as well as get knowledge about the dungeon.


    ¡°As you please,¡± Juan answered.


    ¡°Perfect! Then I¡¯ll call you as soon as Ie up with an expedition group. Until then, enjoy yourself in the vige while you wait. Alcohol, meat, women, men¡ªif you put any of them on credit, I¡¯ll deduct it from your share. So don¡¯t feel pressured to ask for anything you want and enjoy yourselves.¡±


    ***


    Mark offered to provide them a room in the mansion, but Juan refused and left the mansion. He didn¡¯t want to stay in this mansion for even a second longer¡ªit was an unpleasant ce, that was even filled with the smell of damp mold and the smell of blood.


    ¡°Mr. Ten thousand gold pieces, where are you going?¡± Swan asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna go and take a look around the vige.¡±


    Juan knew that the Lord of Durgal had lied to them¡ªJuan instinctively felt that Mark was already well aware of the Thornbush Priest Organization. Thus there were two possibilities; he either knew about the Crack but neglected it, or he had already been affected by the Crack.


    Although the lord didn¡¯t appear to be crazy, mental illness could take on many forms. If the lord was rted to the Crack in any way, it was clear that there would be traces of it somewhere in the vige.


    Juan went off to search for the traces of the Crack and the Order of Lindwurm. The vige wasn¡¯t very big, but quite a few people were wandering around even though it waste; mercenaries often walked in and out of the vige.


    The most prosperous ce in the vige was a pub located in the center of the vige. After getting drunk, all the mercenaries in the pub went somewhere¡ªa temple.


    ¡°A temple has been built even over here¡­¡±


    Upon seeing the temple with his symbol engraved on it, Juan wondered if the Church had even managed to extend their reach all the way out to Durgal. However, he soon got rid of such thoughts upon seeing the women who came out of the temple.


    A half-naked woman weed a drunken mercenary and pulled him into the temple. The mercenary grabbed at the woman¡¯s breast while muttering nonsense as he crawled in. It looked like there were Priests in the temple, but they appeared to be intoxicated due to the use of a suspicious incense and had two women next to them.


    Juan wasn¡¯t surprised that the temple was being used as a pub and a brothel. In fact, Juan had no positive impressions of either the Church that served him nor the brothel.


    Beside the temple were countless tombstones. There were so many of them firmly stuck to the ground that they formed an abnormal pattern and extended out to the road.


    Thest tombstone seemed to have been ced quite a long time ago. Upon looking at the tombstones, Juan gave up hisst remaining hopes for any survivors. Jules¡¯ head was stuck on a stick at the entrance, and people didn¡¯t seem to care about the fact that he used to be a Temr.


    ¡°Is there something that you¡¯re looking for?¡±


    Juan looked back¡ªit was the old butler he saw at Mark¡¯s mansion.


    ¡°I was ordered by my master to guide you; he was concerned that you were wandering around at such ate time. If you¡¯re looking for anything, I¡¯ll lead the way,¡± the butler said.


    Juan knew that this wasn¡¯t true. It was clear that Mark was worried that Juan might run away after seeing the atmosphere of the vige. Mark¡¯s intention for sending his butler to Juan was very obvious, but Juan didn¡¯t care.


    Then Juan paused when he saw the butler¡¯s eye; it was an exquisitely made prosthetic eye.


    ¡°Is it still possible for you to lead the way when you can¡¯t even see properly?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°Huh, you¡¯re the first person to recognize it at just a nce. There¡¯s no need to worry. I¡¯ve lived in this vige the longest¡ªI worked for the predecessor of the Moore family as well. I dare say, I even know the rats that run around the vige.¡±


    The old butler looked quite healthy and didn¡¯t even have a cane to support him despite his old age. Juan wasn¡¯t particrly suspicious of him; he didn¡¯t feel anything strange when he first saw the butler at the mansion. Juan especially liked the fact that he had lived in this vige for a long time.


    ¡°Are there any ces where the traces of the Order of Lindwurm still remain?¡±


    The butler remained silent for a while, then carefully opened his mouth.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, may I ask you the reason you are looking for such ces? I think this is quite an impious topic to discuss in front of a temple.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what that ¡®temple¡¯ looks like in your memory, but the emperor wouldn¡¯t be angry, no matter what you say in front of it. He would have to beat too many people to their deaths if he were to get angry at this.¡±


    It was clear to Juan which side he should be angrier with out of those who were acting promiscuously in a ce that symbolized him and those who simply talked about traitors.


    The butler smirked as if he understood what Juan meant.


    ¡°I guess that is true. The Order of Lindwurm, huh¡­ it¡¯s rare to find people who are curious about those old stories now, but there are few ces that are relevant to the story. Even the temple in front of us was a ce whose foundation wasid by the Order of Lindwurm. I heard some of them worshiped His Majesty, but I¡¯m not sure if they were genuine in their faith or not. Oh, and that ce over there,¡± the butler spoke as he pointed toward a ce that was barely visible; it was hidden in the darkness. ¡°There is one building without any windows¡ªa concentration camp. There were a few among the members of the Order of Lindwurm that went on a rampage due to extreme stress. The rest of the knights from the Order of Lindwurm couldn¡¯t bear to kill theirrades, so they built the camp to lock them up. I guess that aspect hasn¡¯t changed much. After all, we keep mercenaries that aren¡¯t in good condition over there.¡±


    ¡°...Is there a chance that anyone from that time is still alive?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not possible. I have heard that everyone died when the internal conflict broke out, including those in the concentration camp. Maybe it was the victor of the internal conflict who killed them all. Oh, but¡ª¡± the butler said as he fiddled with his prosthetic eye. ¡°¡ªthere is a rumor about the knights that survived the internal conflict. Apparently, some of the survivors are still in Durgal, desperately waiting for the return of Gerard Gain. It is said that they are hiding among the mercenaries, hoping that Gerard Gain wille back one day,¡± the butler said while staring at Juan.


    Juan clicked his tongue. He had already heard quite a few legends simr to the story the butler just told him. Many of these kinds of legends were even rted to Juan himself. The matter of whether or not there were any Lindwurm knights still in Durgal wasn¡¯t really important unless Gerard Gain returned.


    ¡°There¡¯s no documents left?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°It was less than three years after His Majesty¡¯s assassination that the Order of Lindwurm waspletely destroyed¡ªa short time to leave any records behind. The previous lord also searched everywhere for their traces, but he didn¡¯t find anything rted to the incident.¡±


    Although he had already expected that there would be nothing left, Juan was still disappointed. As time went by, more and more things were pointing toward Gerard Gain having really betrayed Juan. But Juan was aware that this was the only ce other than the northern territory where he could strongly sense the power of the Crack. It was hard to believe that the Order of Lindwurm specifically choosing this ce as their hiding ce was simply a coincidence.


    <i>¡®Why?¡¯</i>


    Juan recalled the faces of the knights of the Order of Lindwurm one by one; Deputy Vekelt, who smiled brightly with his light-colored eyes even as he cut down his enemies, Horhell, who jumped into the enemy¡¯s territory by himself to back the enemy captain¡¯s head, the rest of the knights who said that they wouldn¡¯t mind dying the next day after all the enemies of mankind were dead, as well as their captain, Gerard Gain.


    Juan couldn¡¯t tell why they held hands with the crack, that was clearly an enemy of mankind.


    <i>¡®Or maybe, I was doing something wrong.¡¯</i>


    Juan bit his lips.


    ¡°Ah, there¡¯s one thing that you might be interested in¡­¡± the butler said.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s something like a scribble that one of the knights from the Order of Lindwurm left behind. But it¡¯s getting cold out here, don¡¯t you think? The weather¡¯s quite cold for an old man to be walking around during nighttime.¡±


    Juan immediately understood that the butler was suggesting that they should wrap up the talk and go inside.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go inside. What does the scribble say?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°Thank you for your kind consideration. You should see what it says yourself.¡±


    The butler took Juan and began to walk in the direction he had pointed earlier. After walking for a while, the butler raised up his torch. Under the bright light, the wall on the concentration camp revealed a red silhouette.


    The concentration camp was silent, but a whispering sound was constantlying out of the wall. The whispers sounded like humannguage, but also sounded like the growl of the beasts¡ªit was as if the wall itself was making a voice.


    ¡°In the middle of the wall over there¡­ Do you see it? I have no idea how they wrote it there when there¡¯s not even a window. The previous lord tried his best to erase it, but he said that it reappeared whenever it rained,¡± the butler exined.


    Juan stared at the writing in the middle of the wall. The writing was short and simple. Although it was unclear as to who left the writing, he was certainly full of conviction.


    [His Majesty will return.]


    Juan couldn¡¯t figure out if the intention of the writing was a sign of madness or a sign of desperation caused by despair.

 Chapter 90 – The Monsters of Crevice (1)

    <h4>Chapter 90 ¨C The Monsters of Crevice (1)</h4>


    The expedition party was gathered earlier than expected. Mark wore a pleasant expression as he looked at the people gathered for the expedition; it had only been two days, but quite a few more talented people had gathered to join the group. Mark had a feeling that these people might be talented enough to finally get to the deeper area of the dungeon this time.


    ¡°Each one of you are like legendary heroes! I have high expectations this time,¡± Mark proimed.


    However, there was a strange tension among the mercenaries; one could see that there were quite a few of them with unusual expressions.


    ¡°Uh, my lord. Is this ck-haired punk going with us too? I heard hanging around ck-haired guys in the dark brings bad luck. What if I end up making a mistake and blowing his head off in the dark?¡± a man with the crossed scar on his face asked Mark.


    Beside the man were two huge hounds tall enough to reach his waist. They were crouched next to him.


    ¡°He sure is. His name is Juan, and uses a short sword as his weapon. He¡¯s the one who brought back Jules¡¯ head. Remember how I left it to you for a year?¡±


    ¡°Wait, he¡¯s the one who caught Jules? Well, it¡¯s not my fault that I couldn¡¯t manage to catch him¡ªfor some reason, my hounds couldn¡¯t sniff him out properly in the mountains. I tried my best but I couldn¡¯t find him in the forest. Must you really me me for that?¡±


    ¡°Whatever the reason is, you have to acknowledge his achievement. Now, everyone. This hound trainer is called Meh. He¡¯s one of the best hunters in the eastern territory, and is a gold grade mercenary. He¡¯s not very good in the forest, but he¡¯ll be very helpful to find the way in the dungeon.¡± Mark introduced as he looked around the other mercenaries. ¡°Then shall we all briefly introduce ourselves? You are all about to enter a dungeon so dark that you won¡¯t even be able to see each other¡¯s faces. Don¡¯t you think you should know each other¡¯s names?¡±


    The mercenaries remained silent and no one bothered opening their mouths. In fact, half of the people that were about to enter the dungeon were new faces in Durgal and they didn¡¯t know of it at all.


    Then, someone opened their mouth to break the silence.


    ¡°My name is Nora, and I used to be a knight.¡±


    She was a sickly woman with long, straight silver hair. She was so skinny that one would even doubt whether she could hold a sword or not; however, Mark didn¡¯t seem to have any concerns.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to doubt Ms.Nora¡¯s skills; I¡¯ve checked it myself,¡± Mark said.


    Mark was already aware of the fact that Nora was a Temr, but he was keeping this fact a secret at her request.


    ¡°I¡¯m Swan and I use a horn bow.¡±


    ¡°Do you know how narrow it is inside the dungeon? Using a horn bow in there¡­ how ridiculous.¡±


    Meh openly derided Swan. However, the smile on his face disappeared as soon as he saw an arrow aimed at his eye. The arrowhead was close enough to cover his field of vision and shook as if it was about to tickle his eyeball.


    ¡°It¡¯s better if it¡¯s narrow. That just means there¡¯s nowhere to hide from me.¡± Swan recollected her bow and arrow while smirking at Meh.


    With a rotten look, Meh turned his gaze toward the next person. It was a man who gave off an extremely odd and strange feeling among the new faces. He was wearing a ragged ck robe and a white mask without any patterns on his face. He was not holding a weapon, but the chains wrapped around his waist grabbed everyone¡¯s attention¡ªhe seemed more dangerous than most monsters.


    [My name is Rem. I can be considered to have dabbled in magic.]


    Surprisingly, the sharp voice of a young man came out of him. But anyone could easily tell that it was a voice synthesized by magic which only made him seem even more like a monster. However, no one wasining; most mages working as a mercenary were illegal mages who hadn¡¯t been certified by the Church. It was only natural for them to hide their face and voice. Although it was a little unpleasant, the quality of expeditions which had mages was much higher whenpared to the ones without them.


    The real danger was elsewhere.


    ¡°Come to think of it, who will be the overallmander of this expedition? I feel like I¡¯m the most suitable person, since I¡¯ll be guiding the way, and I¡¯ve been working for the longest, so¡­¡±


    ¡°And my name is Mark Moore. I will be the overallmander of this expedition.¡±


    Lord Mark suddenly dered as he cut off Meh¡¯s words. Everyone suddenly went silent. Although no one had realized it until now, Mark was wearing armor and had even brought an iron mace with him. His armor was shaking loosely at his waist; it didn¡¯t fit him tightly.


    The mercenaries got ready tough as they thought Mark was joking, but Mark¡¯s expression was serious. The silence continued, and an atmosphere of urgency descended upon the mercenaries. The mercenaries exchanged gazes as if they were telling each other to deal with the situation, but no one was willing to protest against the lord.


    At that moment, Juan felt a hand gently pushing his back¡ªit was Swan. Swan opened her mouth and mouthed ¡®do something¡¯ to Juan.


    Juan replied by mouthing ¡®why the hell should I,¡¯ but it seemed like Juan was the only person who could speak out in front of Mark. After all, he was not interested in money.


    ¡°Are youing with us?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°Of course I am. How could I possibly miss out on it when this expedition might actually be the one where we might be able to break through the deeper area? There¡¯s no need to worry about me. I know I look quite weak, but I¡¯m a descendant of the noble who was once sent to defeat the traitors. I am capable of using weapons.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­that¡¯s not the problem.¡±


    He was different from young officers who ran out to the frontline without knowing they weren''t skilled enough. If the overallmander was stupid, the army would be in a dangerous position. If the overallmander wasn¡¯t well respected, the entire army would break down. Mark was someone who satisfied both conditions.


    Juan made a gesture of rubbing his hands against each other to the mercenaries without Mark knowing. Swan pulled Juan back and whispered.


    ¡°I was telling you to stop him from joining, not kill him.¡±


    ¡°Same thing. We don¡¯t necessarily have to kill him. We can just knock him out for a while.¡±


    ¡°Then the lord will freak out once wee back¡­ugh, this is driving me crazy.¡±


    In the end, Meh opened his mouth with difficulty.


    ¡°My lord. Is it okay if we cut you into pieces and feed you to the dogs if you die in a ridiculous way?¡±


    ¡°What!? How rude!¡± Mark yelled as he burst out in anger. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me dying! How many years do you think I¡¯ve lived here? I¡¯m a descendant of a mighty knight.¡±


    ¡°My lord, this isn¡¯t a war, and¡­¡±


    ¡°This expedition might be thest opportunity for me. I¡¯ve lived a wealthy life with the property handed down by my father, but I made no aplishments. When else would I get such an opportunity to follow in the footsteps of my father and get some heroic achievements?¡±


    Meh frowned and turned his head upon hearing Mark¡¯s words. The other mercenaries sighed and gave up on convincing Mark; they understood that Mark really meant his words.


    ¡°Wait, seriously? You¡¯re all going to take this clueless lord with us?¡± Swan said as she dumbfoundedly looked at the mercenaries around her.


    ¡°What can we do? He wants to die inside the dungeon.¡±


    Mark smiled triumphantly among the mercenaries looking away.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you worry. I¡¯ve been training steadily, so I won¡¯t hold you all back.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Ahhhhh! Your Majesty!¡±


    Meh cursed and grabbed Mark by the back of his neck and threw him to the ground. A club narrowly passed by the spot where Mark¡¯s head was. Mark, whose head narrowly avoided being smashed, continued lying on the ground and repeatedly shouted His Majesty¡¯s name. Mark wasn¡¯t a man with a small figure¡ªthe mercenaries who had to fight fiercely in the narrow hallway kept getting tripped over his body.


    ¡°You¡¯re getting in my way!¡± Swan yelled.


    She climbed on top of Mark¡¯s back and pulled the bowstring. Everytime an arrow ripped through the air, the skulls of the skeleton soldiers were smashed and scattered into pieces. What was revealed from their smashed skulls were purple tentacles.


    One of the tentacles grabbed the nearest mercenary and stuck to his face. The mercenary freaked out and struggled to resist the tentacles that were trying to enter his mouth, but he wasn¡¯t strong enough to get rid of the tentacles.


    At that moment, the tentacles fell to the ground with a sharp sound. Holding a shield as big as her body, Nora expertly handled her sword with only one hand.


    ¡°Keep pushing! We will all be done if we get pushed back!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s easy to say!¡±


    The moment Meh blew his whistle, two hounds moved fast like the wind. The hounds weren¡¯t easily noticeable due to their low stature, but they were very helpful within the narrow hallways.


    The tentacles that had been controlling the skeleton soldiers from inside the armor were helplessly pulled out when the hounds bit on them and pulled. The tentacles were easily destroyed by simply stomping on them once they came out of the skeletons.


    ¡°Rem! Do you still need more time?¡±


    Rem, the mask-wearing mage, was constantly mumbling magic spells. Rem had requested the other mercenaries to buy him some time to cast a spell, but the short time needed to cast a spell felt infinitely long in a situation where enemies were endlessly charging at them. Rem quickly recited and made a hissing sound to cast a spell, then raised his hand at one point.


    [Cover your eyes.]


    While it was extremely dangerous to cover your eyes in a battle, no one refused the mage¡¯s words.


    In just a moment, the skeleton soldiers that filled the hallway were illuminated by a bright light and scattered to the ground. When the tentacle monsters that had been hiding inside fell to the ground, the mercenaries ran and furiously stomped on them as if they were venting their anger.


    ¡°These fucking starfish bastards!¡±


    The tentacles resisted until the end by grabbing the mercenaries¡¯ legs, but they were soon chopped into pieces. Finally, there were no more tentacles left in the hallway. The mercenaries breathed heavily and were relieved that the battle was over.


    ¡°Ugh¡­my eyes¡­¡±


    One of the mercenaries who hadn¡¯t been able to cover his eyes in time sat on his knees and groaned. Meh took a closer look at his eyes.


    ¡°His eyes are gray like they are rotting. Hey, Mage, is this guy gonna be okay?¡± Meh asked.


    [He¡¯ll be fine soon if he only saw the light from his peripheral vision. But if he saw it directly from the front, he¡¯s going to lose his vision. Anyway, our losses are great even though we are still in the upper area.]


    It had only been a short battle, but two of the mercenaries were already dead. Although their role was only that of a porter rather than fighting, their loss was still quite harmful.


    The mercenaries¡¯ gaze turned toward Mark who was still lying on the ground. He was still repeatedly muttering ¡®His Majesty, His Majesty,¡¯ with his ears covered.


    ¡°Hey, you damn pig! Get up at once!¡± Meh shouted angrily, kicking Mark on the waist.


    Mark rolled on the ground, and btedly realized that the battle was over.


    ¡°Is¡ªis everything over now?¡± Mark asked.


    ¡°Are you kidding me? Fucking damn it. It¡¯s not like I¡¯ve gone on an expedition only once or twice, but this is insane¡ªwe are still only in the upper area! Have you done something to mess this dungeon up?¡± Meh growled.


    ¡°M-mess up? No. I had thought that there wouldn¡¯t be many monsters in the upper area since it was already subjugated enough. I also can¡¯t believe that so many of them poured out all of a sudden¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ enough! If the dungeon is messed up to this extent, I can¡¯t go any deeper. I don¡¯t want to die in a ridiculous way.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    It was Swan who answered instead of Mark.


    ¡°The expedition will continue. We were able to hold out earlier, weren¡¯t we? Just because we are in a dungeon doesn¡¯t mean the monsters will constantly appear. I¡¯m sure it was just the monsters from the lower level that crawled up earlier. That means that there will be less monsters as you go lower.¡±


    ¡°Are you crazy? I can see that youck one of your ears, but are you also missing a part of your brain?¡±


    ¡°I might becking an ear, but you are the one whocks two balls.¡±


    Mah was about to jump at Swan in a fit of rage, but Nora blocked him. Meh had no choice but to stop; he had seen Nora¡¯s extraordinary skills in the battle earlier¡ªif it wasn¡¯t for her blocking the enemies from the front, the damage would have been much greater.


    ¡°I agree with continuing the expedition,¡± Nora said.


    [I am fine with it as well. It¡¯s worth a try.] Rem agreed.


    .


    Meh had a distorted expression on his face upon hearing their answers.


    ¡°Why, you¡­ Fuck!¡±


    ¡°Enough, Meh. I know that you¡¯re trying to rip off moremission fees from the lord, but doing so when you can¡¯t even y your role properly will only undermine your grade level,¡± Swan said. Swan was already aware of Meh¡¯s intentions.


    Meh muttered a curse, and turned his head toward the lord.


    ¡°Hey, my lord. Are you gonna continueing with us? Now is yourst chance to go back.¡±


    Mark was trembling in fear, but he nodded his head.


    The mercenaries muttered a curse in unison. Even if they didn¡¯t acknowledge the lord¡¯s strength, they had to praise his guts¡ªeven if they didn¡¯t want to.


    Meanwhile, Nora looked around with a tired expression.


    ¡°By the way, where¡¯s the young man called Juan?¡± Nora asked.


    ¡°Come to think of it, where is this bastard?¡±


    Juan had disappeared among the enemies shortly after the battle began. No one could pay attention to him during the battle as it was an urgent situation, but the fact that he still hadn¡¯t returned could only mean that he was dead.


    Nora¡¯s expression was stiff.


    ¡°Mr. Meh, maybe we should release your hounds to go find him¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh,? It¡¯s over already?¡±


    Suddenly, Juan¡¯s voice was heard from the other side of the hallway. Juan was slowly walking toward the mercenaries under the dim light. Upon seeing Juan¡¯s rxed manner, Meh shouted furiously.


    ¡°You fucking bastard! Where were you when we were all busy fighting¡­ against the¡­¡±


    Meh stopped the words he was about to say.


    Juan was not empty-handed.


    ¡°There is a ce to rest at the end of that hallway. Why don¡¯t we go and rest there?¡± Juan said.


    What was being dragged by Juan¡¯s hand was a part of a monster¡¯s body¡ªone whose original form couldn¡¯t be guessed at all. The body part that was covered with countless nerves and wriggling tentacles reminded everyone of a heart. Mercenaries couldn¡¯t help but to naturally think of one question.


    ¡®<i>How big does the monster¡¯s size have to be for it to have such a huge heart?</i>¡¯

 Chapter 91 – The Monsters of Crevice (2)

    <h4>Chapter 91 ¨C The Monsters of Crevice (2)</h4>


    Upon arriving at the end of the hallway, the mercenaries were left speechless when they saw the body of a huge monster resting against the wall. The monster was huge enough to reach the ceiling, had ck eyes, ferocious fangs and was covered with tentacles all over. While the figure of the creature looked like a gigantic humanoid, and even looked like it had nerves, tendons and other body parts; it was simr to arge slime.


    The monster wasn¡¯t moving as Juan had pulled out his heart. The round wound from the cut made the mercenaries feel nauseous.


    [A shy¡¯gus.]


    Rem muttered as he looked at the monster¡¯s dead body. The mercenaries looked back at him as if they were curious about what he said.


    [The tentacle monsters we saw earlier would look like this once they grow up fully.]


    ¡°What? This?¡±


    [It¡¯s a type of monster. This one must have grown this big by eating the bodies of the mercenaries. This type of monster spawns tens of thousands ofrvae, those tentacle monsters we saw earlier, at once whenever it feels like it¡¯s in danger. So it¡¯s a good thing that we took care of thoservae quickly. Even those who are used to dealing with the Crack are likely to miss the timing if they don¡¯t hurry. I think I can guess where those skeleton soldiers came from. Anyway, I thought these monsters could only be found in the crack. I have managed to get a valuable specimen.]


    Rem approached the monster and cut off a bunch of tentacles and put them in a bottle. The mercenaries frowned at his ominous act.


    ¡°Wait, so where did this monstere from? I¡¯ve never seen one like it before,¡± Meh asked Rem.


    [He probably came from the lower area.]


    ¡°From the lower area? If it¡¯s this big, it must have eaten a lot to grow up, right? So if it grew up by feeding on mercenaries, that should mean that there won¡¯t be more of this type of monster in the dungeon, right?¡±


    [Maybe.]


    Remughed in a strange manner while wearing his mask.


    [But don¡¯t be relieved just yet. It probably climbed up after being chased by something. Shy¡¯gus¡¯ usually live secretly in hidden ces, so it¡¯s rare for them to change their habitat.]


    ¡°What do you mean, it could have been chased?¡±


    [A monster like it is as fragile as a flea in the Crack. He must run whenever a predator appears.]


    The mercenaries started to be agitated at Rem¡¯s words, and Rem seemed to be taking pleasure in their horror.


    ¡°That¡¯s a lie,¡± Juan said to Swan, who was sitting next to him. ¡°It is true that this kind of monster is asmon as a flea in the Crack, but the only areas of the Crack that could produce monsters stronger than this guy are the ones in the north. The energy of the Crack I can feel from here is about average for this level of these tentacle monsters. It was only able to be a shy¡¯gus because it grew aftering out of the Crack.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± Swan asked.


    ¡°Yes. If what he said was true, then Durgal would have already been destroyed.¡±


    Juan was firm. If a monster stronger than a shy¡¯gus appeared, it wouldn¡¯t just end with the devastation of the territory¡ªit would be a disaster where the military would have to be mobilized. However, Mark had quietly managed the territory so far and even conquered the dungeon to some extent. This proved that there were no other monsters stronger than a shy¡¯gus within this territory.


    ¡°Is the reason why you went inside instead of fighting with us because of that monster?¡± Swan asked as she stared at Juan.


    ¡°There¡¯s that, too¡ª¡±


    Juan nced around at the mercenaries. The mercenaries seemed rather reluctant to rest with a dead monster right in front of their eyes, but no one refused to take a break before moving on.


    ¡°¡ªbut there¡¯s someone among them who is after me.¡±


    ¡°...After you? Who?¡±


    ¡°Some of the five that have been following me from back in the wastnd. I¡¯m not entirely sure yet¡­ but I recognized one of them.¡±


    Juan nced at one of the mercenaries.


    Nora blinked and made a gesture as if she was grateful when her eyes met Juan.


    Juan grinned.


    ¡°She¡¯s a Temr,¡± Juan said.


    ¡°What? How did you know?¡± Swan asked.


    ¡°Let me just say that I have my ways. It seems like she thought that she wouldn¡¯t get caught as long as she didn¡¯t use her Grace and took off her equipment, but she already messed up by showing herself in front of me. Can¡¯t me her though, since she doesn¡¯t know who I am.¡±


    Nora was using the power of the emperor as she was a Temr, and Juan could urately detect her mana. It was only natural for Nora to get caught since she was using Juan¡¯s own mana. There was no way that Nora could guess that Juan was the emperor himself.


    ¡°She must be one of the Temrs from the Order of the Evil Snake. The other ones are hard to tell. There could be more of them or not. But I can say with confidence that the most trustworthy one out of this group is the lord,¡± Juan exined.


    Mark was vomiting in a corner of the hallway due to the anxiety from the battle.


    ¡°How trustworthy of him,¡± Swan grumbled.


    Juan wiped the dust off his clothes and stood up.


    ¡°Come to think of it, didn¡¯t you say that there was someone in Durgal who might be able to take my head?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Swan said as she looked around with slightly anxious eyes. ¡°He¡¯s still here, I¡¯m sure.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care if you tell me the reason or not, but I gotta admit that I¡¯m curious. What grudge do you have that you are willing to risk it all ande back all this way to Durgal?¡±


    Swan made aplicated expression.


    ¡°A grudge, you say¡­ To be honest, I don¡¯t even know if it¡¯s a grudge or not, although he did cut off my ear. What happened back then was¡­ a little exceptional. I don¡¯t hate him too much, but I must kill him.¡±


    The situation seemed asplicated as the look on Swan¡¯s face, but Juan could understand her. Juan also had such a strange rtionship with someone.


    ¡°Myrades and I were wiped out during our expedition in Durgal, and I ran away with my ear cut off. I¡¯ve been suffering from hallucinations and illusions ever since¡ªI¡¯ve been affected by Durgal¡¯s madness. It took me a long time toe back to my senses. It¡¯s not as bad as it used to be, but I still hear a crunching sound in my sleep sometimes.¡±


    Juan didn¡¯t ask Swan what the sound was; Swan was clutching her ear which was no longer there.


    ¡°Some would say that I¡¯m still crazy. But I just know it¡ªI can only truly leave this dungeon when I finish that expedition that I started. Either I die, or Ipletely destroy this dungeon.¡±


    ***


    Nora was exhausted from the battle that had been harder than she had expected. Of course, the monsters weren¡¯t a difficult opponent to her. However, the fact that she had to use a weapon she was unfamiliar with in order to hide her identity, move without the use of equipment blessed with His Majesty¡¯s Grace, and had to hide most of her skills to avoid getting caught was what made her exhausted rather than hunting those monsters. It would be quite frustrating if Juan were already aware of her identity, but Nora felt that she hadpletely deceived Juan.


    The Order of the Evil Snake was hiding in ambush around Durgal already, and they might have even followed the expedition group into the dungeon. Considering that the inside of the dungeon was filled with traces of heresy, Nora thought that it wouldn¡¯t matter if the Order of the Evil Snake captured the mercenaries together with Juan.


    ¡®<i>But¡­ I didn¡¯t think it would be this bad. It would have been better to capture</i><i>?the target outside the dungeon?</i><i>and bury him.¡¯</i>


    Velkre was a cautious man. In a situation where neither Juan¡¯s intentions nor his skills had been urately confirmed, he didn¡¯t wish to engage in a territorial invasion. Unlike the Order of the White Crow, the Order of the Evil Snake preferred to secretly carry out their mission and neatly kill their target once it was caught. This applied all the more due to their encounter with Juan in the wastnd.


    The order Velkre had given Nora was simple: Stay with Juan, and kill him if an opportunity arose. If not, keep an eye on him and deliver the information. Since Nora couldn¡¯t maintain the power of ¡®snake¡¯ for a long time when she was far away from Velkre, there wasn¡¯t much that she could do.


    ¡®<i>It won¡¯t be easy.¡¯</i>


    Nora had tried to take advantage of the battle to seek a chance to kill Juan, but Juan hadn¡¯t fought alongside the rest of the group. Nora wasn¡¯t sure if she could kill him without using the power of the ¡®snake¡¯ even if she had a chance to kill him, considering the agility he showed.


    Nora decided to patiently wait and keep her eyes on him. Nora believed that she would get her chance sooner orter since the dungeon expedition was much harder than she had expected.


    ***


    Meh scratched his chin. For some reason, his old scar felt quite itchy today. Meh could sense the murderous intent that the expedition members held toward each other, and all this murderous intent was targeting Juan, the young, ck-haired punk.


    Juan looked like the type who would be a toy for the nobledies no matter how much Meh looked at him. But he had to acknowledge Juan¡¯s skills. Juan was certainly skilled enough to make others understand why his head was worth ten thousand gold pieces.


    ¡®<i>Ten thousand gold pieces, huh.</i><i>¡¯</i>


    Ten thousand gold pieces was enough money to buy a noble position and build a mansion on the outskirts of the capital. Rumor had already been secretly spread among the mercenaries that Juan¡¯s head was worth enough money to change one¡¯s fate. In fact, it was Meh who had spread the rumor.


    ¡®<i>Good thing those bastards from the assassination organization died in the forest.¡¯</i>


    Meh was one of the assassins that had surrounded Juan in the forest earlier. Meh would normally act like an ordinary mercenary when he had no mission, but he would find his target and turn them into dog food once he was given a mission.


    In that sense, his mission this time was rather unusual. He had never been given such a mission¡ªto hide and assassinate the target once they came to him. As a result, Meh had to lie dormant in the rural territory for a year. But he was satisfied, since themission fee was big enough and made him a good amount of money.


    Juan, who hade to Durgal in the middle of his mission, was a target attractive enough to forget about his mission¡ªten thousand gold pieces already exceeded themission fee. However, he knew that it wouldn¡¯t be as easy as one would imagine. Meh was well aware of the skills and ruthless methods of his fellow assassins from the assassination organization. If such powerful people were defeated and killed by Juan, Meh had to be extra careful.


    Meh secretly spread the rumors that the ck-haired young man who caught Temr Jules was the ck-haired boy the Church was offering a reward for. Considering the fact that the rumors about him were already well-known, the mercenaries were easily tempted. All Meh had to do was to bring about as much confusion as possible and use it cut off Juan¡¯s head.


    Meh quietly waited for the opportunity.


    ¡®<i>Once I catch him, I can easily pay off all the debts I owe to the assassination organization.¡¯</i>


    ***


    Rem couldn¡¯t bear the situation he was in.


    Juan¡¯s appearance in the territory of Durgal was both a coincidence and a blessing. Rem had been researching the Crack for a long time without being corrupted by it and was able to satisfy his curiosity. It was very easy to be eroded by the Crack and be a ve to its creatures just by daring to look closely into it, but Rem had been avoiding the consequences by all types of means.


    In the process of researching the Crack, Rem ended up losing his face and voice. Although he had been thinking that he needed to be more cautious, Juan was an interesting subject of study that made him forget his wariness.


    ¡®<i>That appearance as well as that incredible prowess in the Baltic Sword. I¡¯m sure that¡¯s him.¡¯</i>


    Rem was certain. Many people forgot or misunderstood due to the Church distorting many facts, but Rem was a schr and a mage who only pursued wisdom. He was confident that he could easily find out Juan¡¯s identity. The fact that the ck-haired young man was using ¡®Juan¡¯ as his name seemed to prove that he had no intention of hiding his noble birth.


    Rem looked forward to the moment when this haphazardly organized expedition group copsed to leave only him and Juan alone; he thought that he and Juan were the only people capable of surviving.


    Rem was certain that he could get the best results out of the research that he had been working on for decades.


    ***


    The lord of Durgal, Mark Moore, managed topletely empty out his stomach. Looking at the vomit that had poured out of his own mouth, Mark thought that he would never be able to eat food made with rabbit meat ever again. The battle had been much harder than he expected, and he had grown to respect his father even more.


    Upon inadvertently looking around at the mercenaries, Mark felt a subtle tension in the air around the group. Feeling the odd atmosphere, he realized that it was lunchtime.


    ¡®<i>Everyone seems to be contemting about the lunch menu.¡¯</i>


    Come to think of it, Mark too was hungry after throwing up everything in his stomach. As the chiefmander of the expedition, he decided to pick out a lunch menu for everyone.

 Chapter 92 – Flame Crown (1)

    <h4>Chapter 92 ¨C me Crown (1)</h4>


    The expedition party continued deeper into the dungeon. The tentacle monsters used the bones and armor of the soldiers that had died a long time ago as shells to attack the expedition group. There were even tentacle monsters that hadpletely fused with the corpses of mercenaries and were wriggling around on the ground.


    Some tentacle monsters that had fused with humans stuck themselves to the walls and continuously whispered something, and tried to bite the foot of anyone who tried to pass through the hallways. The monsters had bizarre forms that made people¡¯s heads dizzy by just looking at them, but fortunately, these battles weren¡¯t as fierce as the fight that happened in the upper area. Rather, the battle was so much easier that ironically, the mercenaries grew more nervous.


    The mercenaries were overly anxious due to the fear that stronger enemies might appear at any time. However, the mercenaries continued to cut and slice the monsters¡ªthat alone was keeping the mercenaries from breaking down and losing their sanity.


    ¡°Finally¡­ we are in the deeper area,¡± Meh barely managed to speak.


    A huge door made of distorted tentacles shaped like an arch appeared in front of the mercenaries¡¯ eyes. Everyone was surprised at the enormous size of the door.


    ¡°Why is the door closed? The guys that had been here with Jules said they had left it open.¡±


    ¡°Maybe they closed it without realizing it. Who knows what¡¯s behind the door? What are we gonna do when they crawl out, huh?¡±


    Meh grumbled and rebuked Mark. Although his way of talking was rude, no one seemed to care; they all agreed with Meh¡¯s words¡ªeven Mark shut his mouth as if he imagined something terrible crawling out of the door.


    The mercenaries who were just approaching the door to the deeper area all looked utterly exhausted. Ordinary battles wouldn¡¯t wear them out to this extent, but a battle in a dark and enclosed structure made one particrly tired¡ªespecially if they are in a dungeon with an unusual and unfamiliar atmosphere.


    ¡°I can see why so manye out as lunatics¡­¡±


    Even Nora muttered to herself.


    The mercenaries agreed with Nora in silence, and slowly approached the huge door that led to the deeper area. The size of the door, which glowed with faint purple light, couldn¡¯t be estimated; it was easily seen even inside the pitch-dark dungeon.


    ¡°How big is this door¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait. There¡¯s someone there.¡±


    All the people in the party stopped upon hearing Meh. Just like he said, there was someone sitting alone in front of the door; it was a woman who was fiddling with something among mushrooms that glowed in the dark. The song she was humming in a low-pitched voice oddly caught everyone¡¯s ears.


    ¡°Be careful,¡± someone said.


    Of course, there wasn¡¯t anyone who wasn¡¯t being careful. Upon encountering a woman humming a song this deep into the dungeon, no one thought that she had lost her way or identally entered the wrong ce.


    Juan saw Swan clutching her horn bow so tightly that her fist was shaking.


    Meh looked back at Swan and signaled her to shoot an arrow at the woman.


    Swan bit her lips, then pulled her bow and shot an arrow.


    However, the arrow that flew toward the woman twisted at a strange angle and struck apletely different ce. When the mercenaries looked at the woman with a perplexed look, she slowly looked back.


    The woman had no face¡ªonly a haze creeping around her head.


    ***


    The mercenaries all fell silent.


    The first one to move was Lord Mark. After nkly staring at the woman¡¯s haze-covered face, Mark raised his sword to strike the nearest mercenary¡¯s head.


    None of the mercenaries shouted or screamed at the sight; all of them looked down at the corpse with their eyes out of focus, after which they turned their heads to look at each other. The mercenaries then began to whisper something and simultaneously swung their weapons at each other¡ªthe wordsing out of their mouths were the names of their father, mother or someone else that was close to them.


    When Juan realized that the woman with the hazy face had done something to the expedition party, he raised the power of mes residing in his body. The surroundings became sweltering in an instant, making it suffocating.


    ¡°Celine, I¡­¡±


    At that moment, Juan noticed Swan whispering something while holding an arrow, ready to stab her own neck. He quickly bent her arm and knocked her down, but Swan didn¡¯t move, and continued whispering despite the shock from falling on the ground.


    ¡®<i>The hallucination is stronger than I thought.¡¯</i>


    However, the hallucination wasn¡¯t strong enough to control Juan¡¯s mind.


    There were two different types of hallucinations; one was the type of hallucination that affected the nervous system and disrupted the neural structure of the body, while the second type was the hallucination of the mental system, one that directly prated the mind to cause confusion.


    No matter how powerful it was, the hallucination of the mental system couldn¡¯t affect Juan in any way.


    Juan twisted and dislocated the joints of Swan¡¯s arm to prevent her from hurting herself, then turned to the woman with the hazy face. She was still sitting on the same spot and quietly staring at Juan.


    <i>Smash!</i>


    Juan attacked using Blink and crossed the air in an instant. As soon as Juan¡¯s fist touched the wall, the wall split like a spider web with a loud roar.


    At the same time, the woman¡¯s hazy face had returned to an ordinary face with eyes, nose and mouth before anyone knew it.


    Juan could immediately recognize that she was an elf at just a nce.


    The woman rubbed her bleeding cheek with her hand while staring at Juan with perplexed eyes.


    ¡°...Huh, this is fascinating. I didn¡¯t think that anyone could even break the mirage of this Crack yet, but not only did you break the mirage, you even managed toe in contact with my body.¡±


    Juan ignored the woman¡¯s words and swung his fist at her again. The woman¡¯s face was pierced by his fist in an instant¡ªat least it should have been. Unlike what Juan expected, she just scattered through the haze, while still having a surprised look on her face.


    ¡°All yourrades are dying right now. Are you going to waste your time trying to hurt me when you can¡¯t even touch me?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care if they die.¡±


    At that moment, Juan drew his short sword from his waist. Juan had figured out that the woman was tricking him about how far she was by pawing the air just now.


    Juan struck the woman¡¯s head with his short sword without the slightest hesitation¡ªhe didn¡¯t miss this time. With a dull sensation in Juan¡¯s hand, blood sshed out of the woman¡¯s head. When Juan retracted his short sword, the woman trembled and copsed on the ground.


    At the same time the woman copsed, the strange hallucinations which had been disturbing his sense of direction quickly subsided. Upon confirming that the woman was no longer moving, Juan approached Swan who was nkly staring at him.


    ¡°Mr. Ten thousand gold pieces, this is¡­¡±


    ¡°A hallucination, yes. The other guys were all trying to kill each other, but you were only trying to hurt yourself for some reason.¡±


    Juan set Swan¡¯s arm that he had dislocated back to the right ce once again. Swan frowned due to the pain, but was soon able to move her arm again.


    The other mercenaries had also stopped stabbing at each other after the woman¡¯s death. However, the number of mercenaries had been reduced by more than half in that single moment.


    Among the many dead bodies lying on the floor was Mark, the lord of Durgal. Most of the mercenaries who had managed to survive were severely injured, and only a few were able to move their bodies properly. Swan was also suffering from her dislocated joints.


    Juan looked around to find Nora, but she was nowhere to be found. She couldn¡¯t be found among the survivors, and neither could her corpse be found among the pile of dead mercenaries.


    However, Juan couldn¡¯t pay more attention to Nora due to the familiar voice that was heard again.


    ¡°What a violent man you are. I thought you would give me more time to have a conversation with you.¡±


    The woman who clearly died earlier by getting her head struck by Juan¡¯s short sword was once again standing up to speak to Juan.


    It wasn¡¯t that Juan missed¡ªsmall tentacles were knotting themselves together and connected the wounds on her head. The root-like tentacles were connected and continued all the way to under her feet. Juan recalled seeing something simr to this scene before.


    ¡°Are you a priest from the Thornbush Priest Organization?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°Now I can tell who you are¡ªthe young man who was chasing the traces of Gerard Gain in the wastnd, right? I¡¯ve been waiting for you.¡±


    Juan tightened his grip on his short sword. He didn¡¯t know what this priest of the Thornbush Priest Organization knew about Gerard Gain, but he was going to force her to spit out everything she knew by any means necessary. What he was worried about was the woman dying before he could even ask proper questions. Fortunately, his concerns didn¡¯t seem to be a big deal upon seeing her healing her head that had been split in half.


    ¡°Mr. Ten thousand gold pieces.¡±


    At that moment, Swan staggered to her feet.


    ¡°That woman¡­ is myrade¡ªthe one who cut off my ears.¡±


    Juan looked at the spots where Swan¡¯s missing ears would be. Swan was telling Juan that the woman was therade who cut off her ears, nted the seed of madness in her, and rooted hallucinations in her. Just like Swan, the woman was also an elf. However, the woman still had both her sharp and pointy ears, unlike Swan.


    The woman stared at Swan for a while, then tilted her head to ask a question.


    ¡°Is that Swan standing next to you?¡±


    ¡°...Celine.¡±


    Swan limped forward. The elf woman called Celine smiled and continued speaking.


    ¡°Long time no see. I guess I didn¡¯t scare you enough by cutting off your ears back then, huh? How ironic. It was because of the mirage of this Crack that our group waspletely destroyed at that time. And here we are. You and I, the only survivors of the group, meet again at the same spot.¡±


    ¡°I still think about that time,¡± Swan forced a smile. ¡°When you were hallucinating and cut off my ears, I was thinking that I deserved such punishment; after all, I was the one who was blinded by money and dragged everyone to this dungeon. I thought that I could revive our forest as long as we had money. However, there was one thing I could never figure out. What you were thinking at that time. Why my ears? Why didn¡¯t you just kill me instead of just cutting my ears?¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Celine made a strange face. ¡°Maybe it''s because I hated those ears and I couldn¡¯t stand them. In the empire that was ruled by the emperor, those ears were subjected to such persecution and contempt¡ªthis was true for both you and me. In the end, you eventually found a ce to stay due to you losing your ears, and I found a ce where I could stay even if I had my ears.¡±


    Celine opened her arms and pointed toward the deeper area of the dungeon of Durgal.


    ¡°The Crack epted me, who was nothing more than a lunatic. Then the Crack gave me a glorious name and granted me the crown of thorns. That shabby elf from back then has now be a priest of the Thornbush Priest Organization, Swan. I am connected with everyone.¡±


    Celine smiled and beckoned to the ground.


    ¡°Yourrades are still here in this dungeon, Swan. Would you like to say hi?¡±


    As soon as Celine finished speaking, the stones and dust on the ground furiously moved up and down.


    A group of people began to slowly raise their bodies from the ground.

 Chapter 93 – Flame Crown (2)

    <h4>Chapter 93 ¨C me Crown (2)</h4>


    Swan held her breath upon seeing those figures slowly standing up from the ground. Just like Swan, all of them had their ears cut off. Furthermore, their nose, lips, and eyes had also been cut out¡ªhowever, she could recognize them at a nce. They were Swan¡¯s elfrades who had traveled with and helped her for a long time.


    They were also those that Swan and Celine had once taught as well as received help from. Although a long time had passed, their bodies seemed to have not rotted at all.


    ¡°...Undead?¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯tpare them to such crude things. They are still alive, you know.¡±


    Celine smiled and moved her fingers to gesture. One of the elves groaned and slowly turned his head at Celine¡¯s hand gesture. His mouth gaped open, but his empty mouth couldn¡¯t spit out a proper word.


    Swan covered her mouth with her hand; she was speechless at the miserable sight of her oldrade. Celine hummed a strange tune and wandered around herrades.


    ¡°The elves that were born after the emperor killed Iolin, who used to protect the forest and theke, couldn''t enjoy a long life like their ancestors. They lost their harmony with the spirits and ended up growing old, just like ordinary humans. Just like you and I, Swan. Our parents didn¡¯t even consider or treat us like elves,¡± Celine said as she reached out her hand to poke her finger into the empty eyes of the elf.


    ¡°However, that didn¡¯t mean that humans treated us like humans, even though we were no different from ordinary human beings after losing our God''s blessing. But look, myrades and I built a nest here in this dungeon, and we are stronger than ever.¡±


    ¡°That¡­ doesn¡¯t mean¡­ you got stronger¡­¡± Swan muttered.


    ¡°Of course, we had to pay a price. It seems that you believe that I have a monopoly on this power. But you¡¯re wrong. All the priests of the Thornbush Priest Organization are equal, and so are they.¡±


    When Celine put her two fingers on her tongue, a wet and muddy sound was heard. After a while, Celine opened her mouth to hide her tongue still wriggling with tentacles.


    ¡°Swan.¡±


    It was the voice of a man that came out of Celine¡¯s mouth. Swan waspletely frozen upon hearing the voice.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you for a long time, Swan.¡±


    Swan quickly pulled out an arrow and shot it in an instant, but Celine just slightly turned her head and dodged the arrow.


    ¡°...Did you really think that such a trick would work on me, Celine? Did you think I¡¯d be agitated if you just imitated Ergel¡¯s voice? You really thought that I came here without any resolution?¡± Swan said.


    But ¡®Celine¡¯ continued to speak.


    ¡°I remember the night when the star of Elpell crossed with the tip of the Sagittarius, Swan.¡±


    Swan waspletely rigid. Her hand which was holding the bow began to tremble. The story Celine was talking about was something that was not known by anyone other than Swan and the other person involved.


    ¡®Celine¡¯ continued to speak in a rxed manner.


    ¡°You said that you wanted to learn how to use the bow. Even though we told you many times that we could no longer shoot arrows that would lead us to the destination due to no longer being blessed by the wind spirit, you insisted that you still want to learn. You said the Order of Lindwurm shooting arrows from atop the dragon looked cool, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up,¡± Swan gritted her teeth.


    ¡®Celine¡¯ snorted at Swan¡¯s mutter.


    ¡°But you didn¡¯t know back then¡ªthat the Order of Lindwurm helped kill our god, Iolin.¡±


    ¡°I said shut up!¡±


    Swan fired an arrow again. This time, the arrow flew in apletely different direction, let alone the face.


    ¡®Celine¡¯ continued her words while looking at the arrow that missed her.


    ¡°I also remember you breaking your bow after you found out about this fact. None of us was as good at archery as you. Thus I gave you the bow made using the horns of a dragon that was passed down as a treasure within our forest¡ªso that it would never break.¡±


    Swan was biting her lips so hard that she was bleeding. She was tightly clutching her bow as if she was ready to fire another arrow at any time, but the bow seemed like it might break before that. ¡®Celine¡¯ lifted up her finger as if she was ying with a doll.


    ¡°But look, Swan. Celine did not flee to this dark, humid dungeon for nothing. She took a huge gamble where she was betting our lives. And look at what she got as her price.¡±


    A new group of people began to rise up from the ground once again; they were wearing old, rusty armor that had a symbol of a white dragon engraved on the chest.


    ¡°Celine managed to get the Order of Lindwurm in her hand.¡±


    Celine¡¯s tongue wriggled, and her voice returned to her original voice.


    ¡°I am now able to control andmand those who used to be the emperor¡¯s men, Swan. Don¡¯t you think this would be much more meaningful than rebuilding our destroyed forest? We can¡¯t kill the emperor who¡¯s dead already, but don¡¯t you think it would be just as fun to destroy the empire he founded?¡±


    At that moment, Juan¡¯s body shot out like an arrow with the sound of the stone pavement he was stepping on cracking.


    ***


    The armor engraved with a white dragon was the symbol of the Order of Lindwurm. From the moment Juan saw the symbol on the armor, his eyes had been zing. Juan neglected Celine and Swan¡¯s conversation in the hope that Swan would get over her trauma. However, Juan could no longer sit still after seeing the Order of Lindwurm rising from the ground.


    As soon as his short sword struck the back of her neck, Celine fell to the ground with her neck almost chopped off halfway through. At the same time, Swan¡¯srades and the Order of Lindwurm surrounded Juan in haste. While dodging the huge swords being swung at him, Juan cut the knights¡¯ hamstrings. The knights fell to their knees and a short sword stabbed them in their necks right after.


    ¡°I know one strike isn¡¯t enough to kill you. Get up.¡±


    Upon hearing Juan¡¯s words, Celine slowly raised herself up. Before anyone knew it, the back of her neck that had been cut wide open was being joined back by the tentacles.


    Instead of attacking Juan again, the knights from the Order of Lindwurm surrounded Celine as if they were protecting her.


    ¡°Right, I forgot the boy was still here. You said you were chasing Gerad Gain, so you might have had a history with the Order of Lindwurm. Why didn¡¯t I think of that?¡±


    Gerard¡¯s Order of Lindwurm was a group of brave knights who had devoted themselves to protecting the eastern territory from dragons and sea monsters. However, their current base was in this humid and dark underground where not a single ray of sunlight shone. The object that they were currently loyal to seemed to be a gruesome tentacle monster rather than the g of the empire proudly flying on the battlefield.


    ¡°Let me be honest with you. The priests of the Thornbush Priest Organization have been watching you ever since you first showed up in Tantil. We were nning for a very borate revival of Talter over there. Due to what you did there, we considered you our enemy.¡±


    Juan frowned upon hearing that there was a hand behind the scenes nning Talter¡¯s revival just as he had expected. However, the gods were not on good terms with the Crack, even though the empire and the Crack were hostile to each other.


    Juan had a feeling that the priests of the Thornbush Priest Organization pushing ahead with such a n could only mean one thing.


    ¡°Were you trying to shake up the empire?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s that. But I don¡¯t feel the need to go into details with you. After that, you antagonized and destroyed the Order of the Blue Rose as well as the Order of the White Crow. Thanks to that, we fell into confusion. I even thought that you might be on our side at one point, since what you had done had more ripple effects than the revival of Talter ever would have.¡±


    Juan clutched his short sword. He felt that there was no reason to keep listening to such a trivial story.


    ¡°We wanted to know more about you, and you finally came all the way here. However, seeing you now makes me think of another possibility,¡± Celine said.


    Juan¡¯s body disappeared for a second, then reappeared from a blind spot on the right side of Celine.


    Looking at the empty space where Juan was no longer standing, Celine quietly muttered to herself.


    ¡°The possibility that you¡¯re just some random idiot who appeared out of nowhere.¡±


    Even though the spot where Juan was attacking from was clearly Celine¡¯s blind spot, the Order of Lindwurm simultaneously struck their weapons toward Juan as if they were sharing their senses with her. Juan narrowly dodged the attack. Despite the fact that they were being controlled by the tentacles, the knights of the Order of Lindwurm could still be considered to be the best knights of the entire empire. One could say that their proficiency in Baltic Sword exceeded that of most Temrs.


    ¡°You¡¯re much too dangerous as an idiot who can¡¯t be controlled. Maybe it¡¯s for the best that you just die here.¡±


    Celine beckoned to the knights of the Order of Lindwurm without sparing Juan another nce. When Celine ¡®saw¡¯ Juan through the agents in the wastnd, she could immediately tell that he was a powerful opponent. However, he wasn¡¯t strong enough to deal with the entirety of the Order of Lindwurm. Besides, the Order of Linwurm¡¯s skills wasn¡¯t rusty at allpared to when they were active.


    Celine¡¯s interest was directed toward Swan rather than Juan¡ªuntil one of the knights from the Order of Lindwurm was mutted and scattered in an instant.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Celine was connected to all of them by the nerves made out of tentacles. It was even possible for her to feel their emotions and see their judgments to control them in detail. But a feeling that she had never felt from them in the past years was delivered to her just now: fear. They shuddered.


    Celine couldn¡¯t understand. Every one of the knights of the Order of Lindwurm had a massive advantage over Juan in terms of their weapons, size, environment, location, and anything else. Almost as if such things had no effect on him at all, Juan fought against the Order of Lindwurm with a single short sword.


    mes red up in Juan¡¯s eyes. The fourth stage of Baltic Swords: Fog Solution.


    Juan slipped into the gaps between the knights of the Order of Lindwurm like a fog. Being perplexed by the sudden unexpected movement, the knights from the Order of Lindwurm failed to swing their weapons properly and ran into each other.


    In that short moment, Juan¡¯s fog instantly turned into a de. Another knight was cut down in the blink of an eye again. Their armor failed to protect them from Juan¡¯s short sword and they were cut like a piece of paper. Juan kicked the knight¡¯s head that had been cut off and sent it flying away as if he refused to give the knight a chance to recover.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Celine couldn¡¯t help but grow frustrated upon seeing the Order of Lindwurm being destroyed. The knights¡¯ necks were burnt ck, making it difficult for the tentacles to grow on them. Celine was already aware of the fact that Juan used the power of mes from when she observed him over the wastnd, but didn¡¯t think the heat would be strong enough to prevent the tentacles from regenerating.


    Then, an arrow narrowly passed by her cheek. The arrow struck the back of the neck of one of the knights from the Order of Lindwurm who tried to back off from Juan¡¯s short sword. The moment the knight¡¯s neck was bent back, Juan was able to sh his throat.


    ¡°Swan!¡± Celine shouted as she red at Swan who was fiddling with her bow once again.


    Without a change in her expression, Swan was preparing to shoot another arrow. It seemed obvious that she had no intention of cooperating with Celine again.


    Juan was stronger than Celine thought, and Swan kept her in check with her sneak attacks. Both of these things were causing her concentration to break. Celine hastily ordered the knights to pull back, but four of them had been killed.


    Juan didn¡¯t give Celine a break. Juan¡¯s body turned into a blurry afterimage and chased the knights from the Order of Lindwurm as if he was weaving through them, and then cut their bodies one by one.


    Celine was beside herself with anger when she saw the Order of Lindwurm helplessly getting annihted.


    ¡°Howe all of you so-called emperor¡¯s knights are this pathetic¡­!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not how you run the knight order,¡± Juan said as if he thought Celine was pathetic, while stabbing a short sword into the neck of another knight.


    Celine red at Juan.


    ¡°It¡¯s all meaningless no matter how skilled the knights are; after all theirmander is a newbie. The Order of Lindwurm had the best teamwork and cooperation among its memberspared to any other knight orders. You¡¯re the textbook example of an ipetentmander since you¡¯re making them charge recklessly without taking advantage of their merits.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I bet their teamwork was so good that they were destroyed by internal conflict, right?¡± Celine shot back without flinching.


    Juan was a stronger opponent than she had expected. Celine couldn¡¯t help but be perplexed. The Order of Lindwurm wasn¡¯t pushed back to this extent even in the past when a Temr called Jules paid a visit.


    Not only did hallucinations fail to work on the Temrs, but their power called the ¡®Grace¡¯ was also very annoying. But that was all. Even though the Temrs were difficult and annoying opponents, not a single knight from the Order of Lindwurm had been killed.


    That could only mean that Juan¡¯s skills far exceeded those of the Temrs.

 Chapter 94 – Flame Crown (3)

    <h4>Chapter 94 ¨C me Crown (3)</h4>


    Juan spun the short sword in his hand, then shed with the knights of the Order of Lindwurm again as if he refused to give Celine the time toe up with an alternative n.


    Another knight was shed in an instant in the wake of Juan¡¯s short sword. No hesitation could be seen from Juan when he moved his hand to swing his short sword.


    Inadvertently, Celine realized the fact that Juan was closely looking at the faces of the knights of the Order of Lindwurm while attacking them. For a moment, it urred to Celine that Juan might have a personal history with the knights. Celine wondered how such a young man even knew the knights of the Order of Lindwurm that had been active many years ago, but soon considered that he might not be human¡ªit was indeed a possibility.


    ¡®<i>Then I know exactly what to do.¡¯</i>


    Celine touched the ground with her hand.


    Meanwhile, Juan was stabbing the throat of the knight in front of him and twisting his short sword. The burning heat from the red-hot short sword scorched the wound to paralyze the knight. Being unable to move his limbs, the knight¡¯s body squeaked and toppled to the ground. It was a much easier way to kill the knights rather than simply cutting them.


    Juan breathed out a long sigh. He was fortunate that Celine didn¡¯t know how to properly move andmand the Order of Lindwurm. If Gerard Gain was the one leading them, it would have been difficult for Juan to deal with them in his current condition. Furthermore, looking closely at his opponents¡¯ faces before cutting them was making the movement of his short sword slow down.


    Juan remembered the face of every single knight from the Order of Lindwurm. The knight he had just cut was called Conrad. Even though Juan knew that it couldn¡¯t be, he was constantly searching for someone.


    ¡®<i>What if Gerard is in here.¡¯</i>


    As the Order of Lindwurm was Gerard Gain¡¯s knight order, it wouldn¡¯t be so strange if he was in the dungeon along with the other knights of the Order of Lindwurm. Juan didn¡¯t want to look for Gerard Gain among the beheaded heads of the knights¡ªhe wanted to at least look Gerard in his eyes and listen to his excuses before he decided what to do with Gerard.


    Juan could feel someone approaching him from behind. When he was just about to swing his short sword to cut a wound on the back of the opponent¡¯s neck, Juan froze in his tracks.


    The knight who approached Juan from behind opened his mouth and whispered.


    ¡°Father.¡±


    The one behind Juan was Gerard Gain. Gerard still had his bright and radiant blond hair along with a face that looked quite simr to Juan.


    All of Juan¡¯s children were adopted, since Juan didn¡¯t want to have a biological child. Although they weren¡¯t blood-rted, all of Juan¡¯s adopted children had tight bonds and were as close as blood rtives.


    However, Gerard Gain had been different¡ªeveryone had been suspicious that he might actually be the biological child of Juan and there had been constant rumors surrounding him. Gerard Gain was publicly known to be an adopted child as well, but he looked unnaturally simr to Juan¡ªthe only difference was that he had blonde hair instead of ck. It was hard for people to believe that he wasn¡¯t Juan¡¯s biological child. Everyone was convinced that he was Juan¡¯s biological child, but no one had the guts to ask Juan about it upfront.


    Unlike ¡®that night,¡¯ Gerard Gain didn¡¯t appear to be frightened or in pain. He looked just like he used to look during his brightest and bravest of times that Juan remembered.


    ¡°Father,¡± Gerard whispered once again.


    Juan stared at him in silence.


    <i>¡°Why did you abandon them, father? Weren¡¯t they also your people?¡±</i>


    This was the first time Gerard Gain had questioned him about his actions. Until today, Gerard had never questioned anything about Juan. When Gerad questioned him, Juan felt a tiny crack in the bond between him and Gerard¡ªthe bond he had believed to be unbreakable.


    Gerard Gain drew out his sword and slowly approached Juan. As he got closer, Juan could see his eyes filled with sorrow and his face which was full of resentment toward Juan.


    Juan reached his hand out toward Gerad¡¯s face. Even in the moments just before Gerard¡¯s sword pierced Juan¡¯s stomach back then, Juan was stroking Gerard¡¯s cheek.


    ¡°I just can¡¯t forgive you,¡± Juan said.


    Juan shoved his hand into Gerard¡¯s mouth and grabbed Gerard¡¯s lower jaw before twisting his arm. With a grotesque sound, Gerard¡¯s head was smashed against the ground and scattered into pieces. Gerard¡¯s face disappeared along with a horrible sound¡ªthe only thing left of him was some blood-soaked blonde hair.


    Juan turned his head away without even sparing a nce at the body.


    Celine looked at Juan with perplexed eyes while holding a mushroom that glowed in the dark.


    ¡°What¡­ but how¡­?¡±


    Celine had just tried to use some spores from the Crack on Juan. Small invisible spores from the Crack entered one¡¯s head through their ears and nose, and then directly took root in their brain and nted hallucinations of the most painful moments of their lives. No matter how strong one¡¯s mental strength was, they couldn¡¯t withstand the hallucination which directly manipted their nerves¡ªthat was the limit of a living being after all.


    Juan approached Celine step by step in a calm manner.


    Celine felt a burning heat as well as a sudden chill as if she had been trapped in the middle of the cier. All the tentacles at the ces that Juan stepped on were burned by the heat.


    ¡°You showed me something that you should never have,¡± Juan said.


    Just one thought crossed Celine¡¯s mind.


    ¡®<i>I screwed with the wrong person!¡¯</i>


    Celine didn¡¯t know what Juan saw or felt, but she could clearly see that she had touched a nerve of some sort¡ªa nerve that had been buried deep in his mind.


    ¡°E-everyone, s-stop him! Now!¡±


    Celinemanded the Order of Lindwurm, scattering her power through the tentacles at the same time. Although it was true that Juan was powerful, Celine still believed that he wouldn¡¯t be strong enough to withstand the entire Order of Lindwurm.


    The Order of Lindwurm was the strongest in the eastern territory, and they were the knights who fought alongside someone who killed Gods. Celine despised the Order of Lindwurm, but being able to control them after she became a priest of the Thornbush Priest Organization was the best gift she ever got.


    However, her belief and faith were being shaken now.


    Paradoxically, the moment Celine gave up on controlling the Order of Lindwurm for a short second, the knights of the Order of Lindwurm¡¯s simultaneous attack on Juan shook the entire dungeon. The borate joint attack executed by the knights of the Order of Lindwurm was a powerful blow which Celine had never seen before. Celine had a premonition of victory.


    The joint attack of the Order of Lindwurm was so powerful that even Swan, who had been watching the whole scene, turned pale.


    At that moment, a grotesque sound of something being broken was heard by everyone. Upon hearing the sound, Celine¡¯s face stiffened.


    The knights of the Order of Lindwurm slowly began to be pushed back little by little.


    <i>Crack! Crack!</i>


    The sound of the stone pavement breaking echoed throughout the dungeon. The knights from the Order of Lindwurm moved as if they were being dragged by someone¡¯s hand. WIth a sharp sound, the knights¡¯ weapons broke into pieces.


    A man in ink-colored armor walked out amidst the rain of broken weapon pieces. A me was burning from underneath the visor, but the ink colored armor didn¡¯t reflect any light whatsoever and looked extremely bizarre. On top of that, the armor shook and dropped the pieces of the broken weapons embedded on its body to the ground, almost as if it was alive.


    The texture of the armor looked extremely familiar to Celine¡ªit was the cloak that Juan had been wearing and was transformed into the shape of an armor. Celine felt overwhelmed with fear just by looking at Juan silently approaching her with the dark armor on.


    ¡®<i>I¡¯m feeling fear? Me, who serves the Crack and controls the emperor¡¯s knights?¡¯</i>


    The things she had witnessed inside the Crack was much more bizarre and overwhelming. Celine recalled feeling a frantic fear in a feast of incongruity and asymmetry. However, Juan¡¯s appearance instilled a different kind of fear than the one she felt from the Crack¡ªit was none other than awe.


    ¡°G-go away!¡±


    Celine desperately mobilized the entire Order of Lindwurm and all the tentacles to cling to Juan. The weight of the armor worn by the knights of the Order of Lindwurm alone must be a few tons. Along with that, tentacles even thicker than Juan¡¯s arms surrounded his body like the tree vines.


    However, Juan¡¯s speed didn¡¯t slow down at all. The tentacles were torn off with a rustling sound, while the knights¡¯ hands that grabbed at Juan¡¯s armor were burnt red. The spikes on Juan¡¯s boots stuck into the ground and slowly pushed his body forward.


    Celine had a feeling that she needed to escape immediately. However, her feet refused to move¡ªit was absolutely meaningless to find a ce to escape when the sky was copsing.


    Juan slowly reached out his hand to grab Celine¡¯s head. He heard Swan shouting something at him, but Juan didn¡¯t hesitate even for a second.


    In a blink of an eye, Juan smashed Celine¡¯s head like an egg.


    ***


    Juan stared at Celine¡¯s smashed head as well as the brain fluid flowing down his hand for a long time. Soon after, cursed out loud even without realizing it.


    ¡°Fuck!¡±


    Juan thought that Celine¡¯s death was too fast and easy.


    ¡®<i>I shouldn''t have given the bitch who showed such a sight to me such an easy way out.¡¯</i>


    Juan¡¯s breath underneath the visor was getting hotter and hotter as his head was burning up. The moment he saw Gerard Gain¡¯s face, Juan felt something snap within himself; however, it was unknown whether it was because he saw Gerard¡¯s face, or because Celine dared to use Gerard¡¯s face to try and deceive Juan.


    Whatever the reason was, Juan couldn¡¯t hold himself back from killing Celine as soon as he saw Gerard¡¯s face.


    Juan looked down at Celine¡¯s body for a while, then turned around. Insulting a corpse was not Juan¡¯s cup of tea¡ªhe preferred insulting one as much as possible while they were still alive.


    The ink-colored armor surrounding his body slowly melted away and returned to its original form as a cloak.


    .


    Before anyone knew it, Swan approached him. She was looking at Juan with a surprised face.


    ¡°That was amazing, Mr. Ten thousand gold pieces¡­ What the heck is that armor? I¡¯ve never seen such a thing before.¡±


    Juan hadn¡¯t been hiding the existence of the armor in particr. He had attempted to mold his mana into the form of an armor in the past as a test, but he had to quit due to the heavy consumption of mana.


    However, the situation he was in just now was one that he couldn¡¯t withstand without using his mana. If he fully used his mana without sparing it, Juan was confident enough to say that no one was a match for him unless it was either a god or Barth Baltic. Of course, Juan had not met an enemy strong enough for him to use his mana without constraints ever since fighting against Nigrato.


    After finishing his first experiment, Juan had wanted to give a name to the armor. He didn¡¯t think that simply calling it ¡®the essence of Nigrato¡¯ was right, especially after Ras had created it at the cost of his life. There was one adequate name which Juan had thought of¡ªUmbra. Juan decided to call his ink-colored armor Umbra.


    After naming the armor in his head, Juan looked toward Celine in a disgusted manner. Swan followed Juan¡¯s gaze, and her expression soon turnedplicated.


    ¡°Is she finally dead for good?¡± Swan asked.


    ¡°I wish she coulde back to life.¡±


    Swan looked at Juan as if his words were unexpected. But Juan didn¡¯t have any good intentions with his words. In fact, it was the other way around.


    ¡°There¡¯s still so much I wanted to ask her about¡­¡± Swan muttered.


    ¡°I agree,¡± Juan nodded at Swan¡¯s words.


    Juan vowed that no matter how angry he got in the future, he would never give his enemies an easy andfortable death. Juan also had a lot of questions left for Celine: how Celine came to control the Order of Lindwurm, if she knew anything about Gerard Gain¡¯s whereabouts, and what this space was made for.


    But now, all these questions would remain a mystery.


    Furthermore, there was one thing that bothered Juan the most. Juan looked around at the knights from the Order of Lindwurm standing nkly as well as the bodies that were scattered on the ground.


    ¡°What are you looking for?¡± Swan asked.


    ¡°The knights of the Order of Lindwurm. The numbers don¡¯t add up. If they were wiped out by internal conflict and their dead bodies were used by the Crack as a force, just like Lord Mark had said, then all of them should be here. But it looks like not even half of them are here.¡±


    Juan had an unpleasant feeling.


    At that moment, the knights from the Order of Lindwurm as well as the elves connected to the tentacles rattled and made a movement.


    Swan stared at the elves with a pale expression.


    Everyone connected to the tentacles convulsed as if they were having a seizure, and they simultaneously looked toward Juan at one point.


    All of them spoke in unison as if they had one mouth.


    ¡°The emperor.¡±

 Chapter 95 – Flame Crown (4)

    <h4>Chapter 95 ¨C me Crown (4)</h4>


    Celine¡¯s head had beenpletely destroyed, but she didn¡¯t mind it too much¡ªher physical body was meaningless from the moment she had decided to devote it to the Crack anyway. Celine had connected herself to dozens of bodies using the nerves, which any of the priests from the Thornbush Priest Organization could do.


    However, the fear that took hold of her body for a short moment couldn¡¯t be easily shaken off.


    Fear and shock kept Celine frozen while she hid under the surface for a while to prevent her from doing anything to attract Juan¡¯s attention. Celine recalled Juan¡¯s burning eyes and the hand which reached out for her while covered in an ink-colored armor. She had thought that Juan was nothingpared to those from the Crack.


    However, Juan was about to break Celine¡¯s world into tiny pieces.


    ¡®<i>Who the heck is he?¡¯</i>


    Juan was not some random fool who simply wandered into the wastnd. Celine could now see why the Thornbush Priest Organization had told her to keep a close eye on him. Then, Celine inadvertently remembered how the Order of Lindwurm also instinctively felt fear toward Juan. She figured that they might know something about that bastard¡¯s identity.


    Celine searched through the minds and memories of the knights of the Order of Lindwurm to get any and all information they had on Juan. Surprisingly, there was a memory in their minds which caused the emotions felt by the knights from the Order of Lindwurm and Celine to ovep. It was a memory about something that Celine had never even thought was possible¡ªit was the memory of the emperor.


    ¡°The emperor.¡±


    Celine blurted out before she even realized. To be precise, everyone that was connected to her blurted it out. Celine was extremely shocked by the information she had found from the memories of the knights.


    Celine looked at Juan while trying her best to deny it.


    ¡°Did you just find out now? Youck imagination,¡± Juan said with a rxed face.


    ¡®<i>It¡¯s impossible. The emperor is dead already.¡¯</i>


    ¡°But, Gerard Gain¡ªI¡¯m certain that he stabbed the emperor with Elkiehl.¡±


    ¡°Elkiehl?¡±


    Juan frowned upon hearing the unfamiliar name. But he soon noticed that what Celine had just mentioned was the ck de that was split like a branch¡ªthe de which Gerard Gain had used to stab him. Juan figured that the ck de¡¯s name must be Elkiehl.


    ¡°But there¡¯s no way the emperor can still be alive after getting stabbed by Elkiehl¡­ no, then what the heck is that presence¡­ wait, so Gerard Gain didn¡¯t take the crown with him? Then why did he run away? Where is the crown¡­¡±


    Juan looked at Celine who was spouting gibberish, and then let out a long sigh as he approached her. Juan was relieved; it seemed like Gerard Gain was still alive. This meant that it no longer mattered whether Juan killed the woman in front of him or not.


    Juan decided that he will kill every single one of those bodies connected to Celine while leaving only one alive to save his energy.


    Juan¡¯s hand grabbed Celine by the neck.


    She nkly stared at Juan and asked.


    ¡°Where is Gerard Gain?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly the question I want to ask of you.¡±


    Juan bent the elf¡¯s neck backward. There was no way that she would die by simply cracking her neck bone as her wounds were constantly regenerated with the help of the tentacles. However, Juan wanted to try some things he had in his mind.


    Celine didn¡¯t budge at all and just continued to speak using dozens of mouths all at once.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure Gerard Gain killed him. I heard that the emperor was sitting on the throne as a corpse, so how¡­?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not wrong. However, it¡¯s also true that I¡¯m unfortunately still alive. On top of that, what you showed me earlier was also simr to what actually happened. If you knew what that was, you would regret not being able to die when I smashed your head earlier. You should just kill yourself if you don¡¯t want to suffer,¡± Juan said.


    Then, Celine raised her face as if she had realized something.


    ¡°The crown!¡± Celine shouted.


    Juan felt unpleasant upon seeing Celine continuously talking about strange things that he couldn¡¯t understand. And when Juan felt unpleasant, he usually didn¡¯t just stop at frowning¡ªespecially if his opponent was worthy of being killed. Juan thrust his fist into the face of the elf standing in front of his eyes.


    ¡°If you¡¯re going to speak, make it logical and polite.¡±


    ¡°Where is the crown!? The fact that you¡¯re still alive means that Gerard Gain failed to get the crown! Then it means you still have the crown with you!¡± Celine desperately shouted despite her squashed face.


    ¡°Do you not feel pain? What do I need to do to make youe to your senses, huh? Even if I wanted to torture you, I need to be able tomunicate with you first,¡± Juan clicked his tongue.


    ¡°Lies! There¡¯s no point in trying to hide it! The fact that you¡¯re still alive is clear evidence itself!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never once lied ever since I came here, you monster. What would I need to hide from a monster like you? I¡¯d rather ask you a question. What the hell is that crown that you¡¯re so obsessed about?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m talking about the crown you stole, you fake emperor!¡±


    Suddenly, pir-like tentacles rose from the ground and charged toward Juan. Juan managed to dodge the attack by a narrow margin, but one of the nearest knights from the Order of Lindwurm standing next to Juan couldn¡¯t. The knight was directly crushed by the weight of the tentacles.


    ¡°Gerard Gain promised to bring back the usurped crown to us from you! But he broke his promise!¡±


    ¡®<i>The usurped crown?¡¯</i>


    Juan couldn¡¯t figure out what Celine was talking about. There was no emperor that existed before himself, and no existence who dared to call himself the ruler of humankind had existed either¡ªJuan was the only emperor in history.


    ¡°Until now, we had believed that Gerard was running away from us because of his greed for the crown. But it seems like that¡¯s not the case! Where is Gerard? Did you kill him?¡± Celine asked.


    Juan¡¯s lips twitched.


    A huge tentacle rushed toward Juan as if it was trying to crush Juan for good this time. However, Juan didn¡¯t move an inch to dodge the attack¡ªhe only watched the tentacleing at him without an expression. The moment the tentacle was about to hit him, Juan swung his arm. The tentacle split in half along the trajectory of Juan¡¯s movement. A tar-like fluid sshed on Juan¡¯s head, but the fluid evaporated in the face of the rising heat before it could even stain Juan.


    Although there was no fire, Juan was suddenly covered in a haze.


    On the other hand, Celine ironically felt an intense heat from Juan¡¯s cold expression. Faced with the heat that felt unapproachable, Celine recalled the power of the emperor.


    ¡°It seems that you are quite curious about Gerard, you monster. But what can I do?¡± Juan grabbed his short sword inversely. ¡°I don¡¯t hold a conversation with monsters, gods, ghosts, or demons by nature. If I must speak with them, I only torture or interrogate them. I will kill you in the most painful way I can, even if you intend to willingly answer all my questions.¡±


    Celine shouted an unintelligible roar and swung her tentacles. A few of the knights from the Order of Lindwurm were swept away and crushed by the sudden movement of the tentacles.


    At that moment, the door leading to the deeper area of the dungeon began to gradually open with a cracking sound. The cracking sound spread in all directions with a loud roar that shook the entire dungeon.


    As Juan sensed a strong energy belonging to the Crack from beyond the door leading to the deeper area, he realized that something from beyond the door was about to squeeze itself out. It didn¡¯t take too long for Juan to notice that the door was a pathway leading to the Crack. The pathways leading to the Crack were usually only opened for very short amounts of time, and the northern territory of the empire was the only ce where the pathway to the Crack was permanently open.


    It seemed that the dungeon in Durgal had been built in order to permanently connect to the Crack. Juan thought that such a goal would be quite difficult to fulfill¡ªalthough the door to the deeper area was huge, it was still too small for the beings of the Crack to appear through it.


    Even now, ck bloody fluid was running down the tentacles stuck in the door as they tried to charge through but were torn apart.


    Meanwhile, Celine crawled toward the door as if she didn¡¯t care even if her entire body got dismembered.


    As the door of the deeper area began to open, the remaining mercenaries and Swan turned their gazes toward it all at once. Although many of them had a lot of experience in dealing with the dungeon in Durgal and had heard quite a few rumors about the deeper area, no one had seen its true nature¡ªexcept for the lunatics and the dead.


    Something purple in color flowed through the gap in the door. The moment everyone¡¯s eyes turned to it, something suddenly escaped from the door and pulled the nearest mercenary. People couldn''t properly see what it was that pulled the mercenary and only looked up when a scream broke out.


    The thing holding the mercenary above everyone¡¯s head was a tentacle as thick as a giant tree. The purple tentacle had a bizarre texture and crushed the mercenary¡¯s body almost instantly, and then greedily absorbed his bloody remains with its acetabulum.


    The mercenaries all burst into screams upon seeing the tentacle crush the mercenary and then try to suck out all his body fluids out of him without leaving a single drop.


    Almost as if that had just been the beginning, more tentacles began to squeeze themselves out of the door. The tentacles crawled out of the huge door like water bursting out of the dam, and they were different from anything that the mercenaries had ever dealt with. The Shy¡¯gus defeated by Juan felt like a cute puppy whenpared to the gruesome tentacles in front of their eyes.


    ¡°W-we need to r-run¡­¡±


    The mercenaries muttered in devastation, but no one could move a muscle Those who were capable of escaping were already long gone, and the only ones left were those who were either injured or had gone mad.


    The mercenaries were looking at the dark eye through the gap in the tentacles. Those who looked into the eye went mad, while those who didn¡¯t dare to look at the eye lowered their heads. Swan also avoided looking at the eye.


    The purple tentacles tickled the mercenaries¡¯ cheeks, taunting them, and the mercenaries eitherughed or cried, muttering unintelligible words.


    Juan was the only one among the mercenaries looking directly at the eye.


    ¡°We prepared for hundreds of years to get the crown back! But you still dared to deceive us!¡± Celine shouted an inscrutable scream.


    Upon hearing Celine mention ¡®hundreds of years,¡¯ Juan figured out that it was not her who was shouting. Juan believed that something behind Celine was shouting through her mouth.


    With a loud roar that made the entire dungeon tremble, all the tentacles stretched out simultaneously and wriggled toward Juan at a close distance. The skin-like texture tickled Juan¡¯s cheeks with murderous intention.


    After Celine persistently hit the door despite wounding herself, a huge body finally came out of the door with a loud roar.


    Celine¡¯s gigantic figure ran wildly toward Juan. Her body was extremelyrge and groups of tentacles were still connected to her from beyond the door of the deeper area.


    Juan intuitively realized that he would not be able to win against this tentacle monster in a direct confrontation. This tentacle monster was the beast living deep in the <i>real?</i>Crack. Things might have been different if Juan had his power as the emperor, but defeating such a monster with his current body was impossible.


    Juan hastily sttered some of his blood in order to start a fire around him. The tentacles flinched in the face of the burning heat, but Celine disregarded the burning of her body to continue pressuring Juan.


    Before anyone knew it, the knights from the Order of Lindwurm who had almost beenpletely absorbed by the tentacles surrounded Juan. The sight of the knights¡¯ entire bodies being connected to the tentacles by the nerves to support them in holding their swords upright looked ridiculous, almost as if the tentacles were a puppeteer ying with puppets. Despite their armor glowing red due to the mes released by Juan, the knights narrowed the distance between them and Juan while firmly holding their weapons.


    ¡°How arrogant of a bastard whose birth was even a lie!¡± the knights all roared in Celine¡¯s voice. ¡°I don¡¯t care whether you are lying or not, fake emperor! But if you still have the crown with you, it will be me, not Gerard Gain, who will get it back!¡±


    The knights from the Order of Lindwurm surrounding Juan all began to whisper something in unison¡ªit was a queer song that sounded like a prayer and a spell at the same time.


    Feeling ominous upon hearing the song, Juan tried to wrap himself up with Umbra once again.


    At that moment, an unexpected force seized him.


    ¡°I, the vagrant elf who used to be an abandoned child, will inherit the crown!¡±


    A cry mixed with joy, remorse, fear, and desperation broke out of Celine.


    Then, a burning heat Juan had never experienced before in his life rose from the middle of his forehead. Juan had never felt such heat before, even in a boiling volcano or inside a burning me. However, for the first time in his life, he was screaming in pain from the heat that seemed intent on burning his entire brain.


    Along with Juan¡¯s scream, a crown that burned with brilliant mes appeared.

 Chapter 96 – Flame Crown (5)

    <h4>Chapter 96 ¨C me Crown (5)</h4>


    ¡°<i>Keuk¡­!</i>¡±


    The light that burst out from the me Crown enlightened the entirety of the dungeon. The light was so strong that it prated everyone¡¯s eyelids even if they closed them tight.


    Juan broke out into a scream due to the pain of his head boiling due to the burning heat. Regardless, the me Crown continued to burn with tremendous energy and came out of the middle of Juan¡¯s forehead. Juan couldn¡¯t maintain a stable mental state due to the pain, but he could still feel that a huge and powerful force was being released from his forehead. The force was so powerful that it almost distorted the surrounding space.


    Juan couldn¡¯t help but be confused. This power was definitely much greater than what he was capable of in his current body. In fact, it felt on par with the power Juan used to have during his time as the emperor. Juan had no idea that he had such power within him.


    Meanwhile, Celine added a few more strange words to the song as those connected to Celine were shouting. The mes which had colored everything white began to settle down soon after, despite the zing power of the me still remaining. As the light faded, the appearance of the crown became clearer in Celine¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°The crown!¡± Celine shouted in joy.


    The crown that had appeared seemed more like a tall burning me rather than an ordinary crown. Although Juan couldn¡¯t see the crown properly as it was still in the process ofing out of his forehead, it was an unfamiliar item to him. Juan had cut down numerous gods with legendary equipment. He was the one who had created legends and myths with his own hands, but this item was still unfamiliar to him. Juan couldn¡¯t believe something like this hade out of his own body.


    ¡®<i>Revival.¡¯</i>


    Juan intuitively realized that his revival was rted to the strange power of this crown. Juan further theorized that perhaps even the birth of an ¡®emperor¡¯ was rted to this crown as well.


    ¡°My king, I shall use my own hands to retrieve your crown on behalf of the Thornbush Priest Organization!¡± Celine shouted as she reached out to grab the me crown.


    Juan tried to stop her, but it was hard for him to even move his fingers due to the intense pain. Juan was used to many different kinds of pain because of his experiences, but the pain caused by this heat was something utterly unfamiliar to him. Not only was he suffering from pain, but the mana inside his body didn¡¯t move at all, almost as if it was all suppressed.


    ¡°I will ce the mighty crown back where it belongs!¡± Celine shouted once again.


    Upon seeing Celine¡¯s hand tremble as she tried to grab the crown but was unable to do so, a question came into Juan¡¯s mind for a short moment.


    ¡®<i>What¡¯s stopping her?¡¯</i>


    Celine could grab the crown with her hands at any moment now. But for some reason, she was hesitating and didn¡¯t easily touch the crown, as if she was afraid. And that wasn¡¯t just an assumption¡ªshe actually was afraid of the crown.


    Celine¡¯s agitation also affected the tentacles and the Order of Lindwurm and Juan could sense the agitation in the air.


    ¡°My king!¡±


    Celine¡¯s fingertips that had been trembling barely managed to touch a corner of the me Crown.


    At that moment, a tremendous heat erupted from the crown and vaporized Celine¡¯s entire upper body in just the blink of an eye. The heat was so powerful that it burned Celine without even leaving behind a single bone fragment.


    The consequence of touching the me Crown didn¡¯t just end with losing her upper body. The top part of the tentacle monster waspletely pierced, scattering minced meat to the ground.


    ¡°Why?! My king, why?! I have served you with all my will!¡±


    Celine was still alive due to her connection to the knights of the Order of Lindwurm and the fact that every single tentacle was an extension of herself.


    The knights of the Order of Lindwurm then kneeled down and reached for the crown with a thirsty look on their faces, but none of them dared to touch it directly.


    It was only then that Juan realized¡ªwhile he didn¡¯t know the reason behind it¡ªthat Celine couldn¡¯t touch this power called the crown. She was only able to draw it out from within Juan despite her desperate longing for it.


    ¡°<i>Ugh, keuk¡­</i>¡±


    Juan gritted his teeth, but not due to the pain this time. As the crown continued toe out of his body, his consciousness became more and more distant. The power of the crown was stirring up Juan¡¯s body and numbing his brain. Juan couldn¡¯t even imagine what would happen if he lost consciousness in his current state.


    ¡°Give up the crown, you usurper!¡± Celine howled with frustration as she desperately tried to grab onto the crown, but couldn¡¯t do anything about it other than circle around it.


    Juan was slowly losing consciousness. The more the crown was pulled out of his body, the more Juan felt like a tremendous power was taking over his body. It was hard for Juan to even gauge the end of this force.


    At the same time, Juan felt his vision growing more distant whilst mes erupted out from his eyes and mouth. Even now, barely half the crown had exited the middle of his forehead. As Juan moved his body, the force of the crown scattered unstably and flowed out of his entire body.


    Celine grew even angrier upon seeing the white mes burst out of Juan¡¯s skin.


    ¡°That crown is not something that should be in your possession! There is certainly an owner who deserves it more¡­¡±


    Celine couldn¡¯t finish her sentence when she saw Juan slowly raising himself up. Upon seeing his body covered in white mes, Celine¡¯s body trembled as if she had realized something.


    ¡°Is that you, my king? Have you returned?¡± Celine carefully asked.


    Juan¡¯s burning body remained motionless with his hands and feet drooping down. The me Crown which was obliquely sticking out of his head was certainly iplete, but somehow added a sense of fear. Celine was unable to do anything and only suffered from the opposing feelings of fear and desperation.


    At that moment, Juan¡¯s neck creaked and his head turned toward Celine. Celine felt as if her heart had stopped beating, even though she didn¡¯t have a heart, while at the same time the knights of the Order of Lindwurm raised their weapons due to the fear that Celine instinctively felt.


    Juan¡¯s body moved even before the knights from the Order of Lindwurm could fully raise their weapons. With his bare hands, Juan easily burned them down in an instant. The knights were immediately turned into ashes as soon as Juan¡¯s hand brushed past them.


    Juan didn¡¯t hesitate and ran wildly toward Celine.


    Upon seeing him charging furiously at her, all Celine could do was cover her entire body with as many tentacles as possible and hide deep within them.


    However, such weak attempts at defense were futile in front of Juan¡ªJuan burned the tentacles and ripped them apart. Celine¡¯s tentacles were helplessly dismembered and burnt.


    There was nowhere Celine could escape to in the vanishing flesh of the tentacles. It was as if her entire body was being shredded. Celine screamed, and the scream of such a giant tentacle monster reverberated through the dungeon and made the entire dungeon tremble.


    ¡°But why?! Why?! My king, all I was trying to do was put the star and your position back to where it belongs!¡±


    Celine¡¯s cry certainly wasn¡¯t directed at Juan, and it was unclear as to who the words were meant for¡ªhowever, none of that mattered now. Celine no longer had anywhere else to escape. Juan, who was engulfed with madness, finally reached her, and Celine¡¯s eyes shed with bright light.


    ¡°My king¡­¡±


    Celine muttered without even realizing.


    ¡°The king of kings, the mighty Qzatquizail¡­ but why¡­¡±


    Those were the final words left by Celine.


    No more words were heard within the dungeon.


    ***


    Juan was watching his own body¡¯s actions as if he was dreaming. His body waspletely out of control, and its speed and power were difficult for him to understand. Although what the body did was what Juan had also been desperately trying to do, it was useless since it couldn¡¯t be controlled.


    Innread dot".


    ¡®Juan¡¯ was in a reckless frenzy¡ªthere was no other way to describe his current state. Even after killing Celine, Juan found the knights from the Order of Lindwurm one by one to trample them, smash them, and even went after and tore apart the prominent mercenaries with his teeth to chew and swallow them.


    By all ounts, those were the actions of animals rather than humans.


    However, Juan somehow felt relieved. Juan thought that maybe he had always wanted to act wildly in such a primitive manner.


    Therger the me crown over his head got and the clearer its appearance became, the more distant Juan felt from his own body. There were a few questions that popped up in Juan¡¯s head before hepletely lost his consciousness: the reason why Celine called him by the name of Qzatquizail, and what this unknown power was.


    But it didn''t matter now. Juan knew that he would continue to run around wildly like a beast. Juan was certain that no one in the empire, not even Barth Baltic, could stop him in his current state. Juan would continue killing, burning, and eating everything to turn the empire into hell as a beast of cmity.


    Juan knew that he would soon recreate the myths that the empire had once eliminated. Juan thought that such a cycle might even be the natural path that had been prepared for Juan all along, and maybe even the purpose of his revivaly there as well.


    ¡®<i>No, but was the existence of the emperor even necessary in the first ce? If the empire were to be destroyed and copse like this, then wouldn¡¯t that mean my existence was worthless from the beginning?¡¯</i>


    The more suspicious Juan became of his existence, the closer he came to losing his consciousness.


    Then, Juan saw Swan at the end of his sight. Swan had an arrow nocked on her bow, but she couldn¡¯t even aim at Juan and was looking at him with an expression as if she didn¡¯t know what to do. Juan didn¡¯t hesitate to rush toward her.


    At that moment, something that came from the door leading to the deeper area appeared between Juan and Swan. That something suddenly jumped in between the two swung its sword exactly at Juan.


    It was a man wearing a ck robe with bandages all over his body¡ªit was the stranger Juan had encountered back in Hiveden.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    The sword swung by the stranger urately struck the me crown that wasing out of Juan¡¯s forehead. The me crown wasn¡¯t substantial physically, but Juan¡¯s neck bent backward at the moment when the crown was struck by the sword. Juan¡¯s body spun in the air and miserably rolled onto the stone pavement.


    Juan wasn¡¯t the only one who suffered due to this attack. The stranger¡¯s arm was bent at a bizarre angle as he partially absorbed the shock from the sword striking the me crown. The bandages that were wrapped around the sword instantly burned as if it had exploded.


    The stranger wrapped his broken arm with his hand and approached Juan who was groaning and attempting to move his body.


    With the sounds of the approaching footsteps, a ck de came before Juan¡¯s eyes¡ªthe same de which killed him during his time as the emperor. Upon seeing the de that had killed him in his past life, Juan somehow felt relieved¡ªhe thought he might be morefortable if he died.


    But the de didn¡¯t move as Juan had expected. The ck de gently tapped the me crown that came out of the middle of Juan¡¯s forehead and slowly pushed it back inside Juan.


    Juan¡¯s head began to fill up with warm light and me.


    ***


    Swan nkly stared at the ck-robed stranger who suddenly appeared out of nowhere. She had been helplessly watching Juan''s mass ughter before the stranger appeared, and would certainly have been killed if he hadn¡¯t shown up.


    However, Swan couldn¡¯t be relieved by the stranger¡¯s appearance, despite the fact that he had unintentionally saved her life. The stranger had appeared from the door leading to the deeper area, which meant he was a being that belonged to the Crack.


    Swan was wary and kept her eye on the stranger for a long time, but the stranger didn¡¯t really seem to care about her. Swan figured that it was only a simple coincidence that he had saved her from being killed by Juan.


    The stranger touched Juan¡¯s body as if he was examining his condition. Swan felt anxious upon seeing the stranger¡¯s actions, but he didn¡¯t seem to be doing any harm to Juan. Rather, she even felt that he was pitying Juan while examining his condition.


    The stranger quickly raised himself up from the ground after checking Juan, and Swan was startled upon seeing the stranger turning around to look at her. The stranger didn¡¯t say a single word to Swan and only hid the ck de back into his robe. Then, he pulled down the bandages that were covering his body all the way up to his chin using his intact left arm and spoke. ¡°Please look after him.¡±


    Swan flinched the moment she heard the stranger¡¯s voice.


    Regardless of Swan¡¯s reaction, the stranger turned around and headed to the door leading to the deeper area as if he had no intention of conversing with her more.


    Not long after the stranger entered the door, the door leading to the deeper area moved on its own and waspletely closed. This area of the dungeon which had been a chaotic mess until just a moment ago was soon enveloped in silence.


    ¡°Hah¡­¡± Swan sighed.


    Despite being extremely confused about everything that had happened, Swan approached Juan.


    ¡®<i>He¡¯s the emperor?¡¯</i>

 Chapter 97 – Arrest (1)

    <h4>Chapter 97 ¨C Arrest (1)</h4>


    Swan was surprised to hear the conversation between Juan and Celine. Although Swan had intuitively felt that Juan was an extraordinary young man, all the stories she heard from Juan and Celine¡¯s conversation felt far too absurd.


    Swan had quite a fewplicated feelings as a member of a race that lost their god¡¯s blessing due to Juan killing the god. However, Swan was part of the generation that was born after her race lost their god¡¯s blessing. Swan¡¯s bond with the god wasn¡¯t strong enough for her to be devastated over the fact that Juan was the one who killed her god.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to have to exin a lot of things to me once you wake up, Mr. Ten thousand gold pieces.¡±


    Swan leaned toward Juan to help him up from the ground.


    It was then.


    ¡°Stop.¡±


    Swan raised her head upon hearing a sudden voice.


    ¡°Who are you? What have you done to him?¡±


    A blonde-haired female knight was walking down the stairs, approaching Swan. The female knight red at Swan and questioned her with wary eyes.


    Swan quickly looked around to check if anyone else hade with the female knight. Although it seemed like the female knight had no otherpanions, she didn¡¯t appear to be an easy opponent.


    First of all, the sword in her hand was a holy sword. She didn¡¯t disy an official symbol on her body, but there was a high probability that she was a Temr.


    ¡°My name is Swan and I¡¯m Mr. Ten thousand gold pieces¡¯rade.¡±


    Swan decided toply with the female knight for now. Swan was suspicious of the female knight, but she wasn¡¯t confident enough to fight against a Temr in her current state as she was exhausted.


    The female knight also looked very suspicious of Swan, but soon responded.


    ¡°I¡¯m Sina Solvane, a knight of the Order of the Blue Rose. I will be the one to arrest that young man.¡±


    ***


    A day earlier.


    Horhell and his dragon settled down in a forest near the territory of Durgal and hid themselves.


    Meanwhile, Sina easily heard the rumors about the ck-haired young man and that he and his expedition party had already entered the dungeon. Upon hearing those rumors, Horhell asked Sina to do him a favor.


    ¡°All by myself?¡± Sina Solvane was perplexed as she asked Horhell for confirmation.


    Despite her confusion, Horhell only nodded silently.


    ¡°I can¡¯t go in there. I¡¯ll be waiting outside,¡± Horhell said.


    ¡°Sorry? But¡­¡±


    Sina stopped speaking¡ªHorhell¡¯s tightly closed lips caught her eyes. Sina knew based on her experience over the past few days that Horhell never gave an answer once he decided to shut his mouth.


    Sina pondered. Horhell had given Sina a few pieces of advice upon seeing her training alone. The limitations Sina had faced while training in the Baltic Sword were clearly resolved with just a few pieces of Horhell¡¯s advice and a few sparring sessions with him. In just a few days, Sina¡¯s skills had grown rapidly.


    And now, Sina realized that Horhell hadn¡¯t helped her improve for no reason.


    ¡°Was your intention behind helping me train over the past few days just to make me enter the dungeon?¡± Sina asked.


    ¡°...No, that¡¯s not true. I am not talented enough to teach someone. You¡¯re the one who is extraordinary to be able to learn everything so quickly. If you don¡¯t want to go in there, we can just wait for him out here until hees out on his own. If you really consider yourself to be indebted to me due to the few pieces of advice I gave, then why don¡¯t we just say it¡¯s settled by you doing me a favor right now since I don¡¯t intend to go in there.¡±


    At the same time, Sina couldn¡¯t just wait until Juan came out on his own¡ªshe had to see what he was up to inside the dungeon, and she had to check what had happened to him inside. Sina couldn¡¯t help it and decided to go into the dungeon.


    Fortunately, there was barely any danger within the dungeon. The previous expedition party had thoroughly killed all the monsters, and the traces left by them in preparation of an escape route helped guide Sina to Juan¡¯s location.


    Thanks to them clearing out the way, Sina was able to reach the deeper area much faster than Juan¡¯s expedition party that had entered earlier.


    What she encountered in the deeper area of the dungeon was Juan who copsed on the ground and Swan who had pulled out her dagger.


    Sina could guess what had happened inside the dungeon just by seeing the dead bodies as well as the tentacles which were burning with a terrible smell. After all, Sina had already passed through such scenes countless times.


    ¡°What does the Order of the Blue Rose have to do with him? Not only are the Order of the Evil Snake and the Assassination Organization are after him, but another knight order is after him as well? Why does Mr. Ten thousand gold pieces have so much burden holding him back?¡± Swanined.


    Sina felt that Swan would be no easy opponent based on her rxed attitude. It was only natural for Sina to think so, considering the fact that Swan managed to stay alive in this chaotic mess.


    Inadvertently, something that Swan said caught Sina¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Ten thousand gold pieces¡­ are you talking about the reward offered by the Church? Are you after the bounty on his head?¡± Sina asked.


    ¡°Hmm, no. Well, I¡¯d be lying if I said that I didn¡¯t care about the money, but¡­ as the good mercenary I am, I have to admit that Mr. Ten thousand gold pieces has already paid the full price he promised me. Then what am I supposed to call him now? I got too used to calling him Mr. Ten thousand gold pieces.¡±


    .


    Sina felt that it was weird for Swan to be calling herrade by the amount of bounty on their head, but didn¡¯t take it too seriously. Juan attracted way more abnormal people than normal people anyways. At the same time, considering that she herself was also involved with him, Sina felt that she was no longer normal either.


    Swan reached out to Juan.


    ¡°I told you to stop!¡± Sina shouted in haste.


    ¡°¡­take him.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s take him outside. It looks like both you and I have a business with this guy. It seems obvious that I¡¯ll have a hard time being next to him, but I still have too many questions that I need to ask him and so I can¡¯t just leave him here like this. It seems that you have had a hard time too,¡± Swan said as she looked at Sina¡¯s shabby clothes.


    Sina suddenly felt mixed feelings¡ªit was true that Sina had been sleeping out in the open for quite a long time, all in order to track down Juan. She didn¡¯t expect to be able to sympathize with Swan¡¯s words when she had only just met her.


    ¡°So, what are you gonna do, female knight? Are you gonna keep standing there while holding your sword?¡± Swan asked.


    Sina eventually approached Swan and helped Juan up. Although he was still breathing, it was weak. At the same time, his body was burning up. Being unable to hold him due to the heat, Sina wrapped Juan with a cloak in order to carry him on her back. Fortunately, he wasn¡¯t too heavy.


    As Sina and Swan were heading out of the dungeon, they inadvertently found someone blocking their way¡ªit was a female knight who had bandages wrapped around her sides. Sina was perplexed as she couldn¡¯t even sense the slightest sign of the female knight''s presence.


    The female knight red at Sina and Juan, then soon opened her mouth to speak.


    ¡°I¡¯m Nora from the Order of the Evil Snake. I will arrest him.¡±


    Then another person appeared¡ªMeh. He had bandages wrapped around his head at the moment. His dogs were nowhere to be found, and he was ring at Juan with an ax in his hand.


    ¡°Hand him over to me right now. Then I¡¯ll spare everyone else¡¯s lives.¡±


    Meh and Nora weren''t the only ones trying to stop them. Another person, the illegal mage Rem, dawdled and appeared through a gap in the wall.


    [Stupid fools. I can¡¯t believe you are blinded by money and are trying to hand over this precious being to the Church. Hand him over to me instead, and I¡¯ll show you results that will help advance humankind.]


    ¡°What the hell¡­ You were all hiding when we were fighting earlier, and now you crawl out like rats¡­¡± Swan sighed as if she was dumbfounded.


    Sina didn¡¯t expect to see other people who were involved with Juan even before they got out of the dungeon. Thinking that Swan might have been wise, Sina drew her sword.


    ***


    The smell of wood burning in a stove filled the room.


    Juan slowly opened his eyes. His vision was still blurry and he had no strength within him. Juan¡¯s whole body was screaming with pain, and it was his first time feeling such pain ever since he just began to train himself in Tantil.


    Someone brought a cup of water to his mouth as he opened his dry lips. Juan began to regain consciousness little by little. Although his vision was still blurred, he noticed that the ceiling above him was an unfamiliar one. He was no longer in a dungeon and was inside a warm cottage. Someone seemed to have rescued him.


    ¡®<i>Who could it be?¡¯</i>


    The person who brought the cup to Juan took it back as if they thought Juan had drunk enough. Then they stood up and picked something up that was ced on the table¡ªit was a long sword with a sharp de. The long sword wasn¡¯t in its sheath, and was covered in blood.


    The person looked at Juan while holding the sword.


    Upon seeing all this through his blurred vision, Juan felt a sense of curiosity. If the opponent wanted to kill Juan, they could have easily done so before he gained consciousness.


    ¡®<i>But why now?¡¯</i>


    The person fiddled with the handle of the sword, and then soon approached Juan as if they had made up their mind. Juan nkly looked up at the opponent. Not long after, a familiar voice was heard.


    ¡°It seems like our positions have reversed this time.¡±


    Sina Solvane was looking down at him coldly. Juan slightly moved his lips. Sina had a sword with her, and Juan couldn¡¯t resist as he couldn''t move. Now was the perfect opportunity for Sina to avenge the Order of the Blue Rose.


    The fact that Juan was heavily injured and unarmed didn¡¯t matter to Sina. The cries and screams of her fellow knights still lingered in her ears.


    ¡®<i>Kill him.¡¯</i>


    Even the burning sound of firewood inside the stove sounded like it was urging her to kill Juan.


    Sina raised her sword. The moment she swung her sword horizontally, a de suddenly appeared out of thin air. Crashing into Sina¡¯s sword, the de flew back with the sharp sound of metal shing. Temr Nora appeared with one of her knees on the floor.


    Sina red at Nora with cruel eyes.


    ¡°You again? I thought I warned you not to interfere,¡± Sina said.


    ¡°But how did you know¡­?!¡±


    ¡°I must pay enough attention when someone who knows how to conceal their appearance is after me.¡±


    The power of the ¡®snake¡¯ that Nora had was not something that helped her to simply hide her appearance¡ªit allowed her to hide in apletely different dimension. There was very little chance of being caught, but she had to show herself in order to attack her targets. There was only the slightest time difference between the moment of attack and the moment she showed herself from her hiding spot. However, Sina responded so quickly that she grasped that little time difference to catch Nora.


    ¡°...That man is wanted by His Holiness! You shouldn¡¯t be trying to protect him!¡± Nora shouted.


    ¡°It was I and myrade who found him, so we¡¯ll be the one to make the decisions. I don¡¯t intend to let him go easily, so please tell His Holiness not to worry.¡±


    Nora rolled over and kicked the ground again to charge at Sina. Nora¡¯s figure disappeared as if she had be one with the air.


    Sina flinched for a short moment, but soon pushed her mana into the sword and struck it as hard as she could into the air.


    With a loud banging sound, Nora was pushed into the air and fell to the ground.


    ¡°I can easily guess your moves by looking at the position of your feet before you disappear. If you want to properly hide yourself, do it before you run.¡±


    Nora was perplexed upon seeing that her arm was still intact, but soon realized that Sina had struck her with the back of the sword rather than the front. Sina was looking at Nora with a gaze filled with slight irritation, but hardly any concern. That was the look of someone superior looking down from above. Nora bit her lips.


    ¡®<i>Even considering my injuries, she is too powerful for me. I¡¯m no match for her.¡¯</i>


    Although Nora often relied on the power of the ¡®snake¡¯ as a Temr from the Order of the Evil Snake, she was still quite knowledgeable and skilled as a Temr. However, Sina was several times as powerful as Nora. Even earlier, Sina managed to cut down Meh without a single injury and dealt with the illegal mage in a three versus two battle. The only reason why Sina spared Nora¡¯s life was because she was a Temr.


    ¡®<i>She could be the deputy of a knight order with her skills. Howe such a talented knight is wandering around without revealing her affiliation?¡¯</i>


    Furthermore, the sword that Sina was armed with was a holy sword of a Temr, which was on par with Nora¡¯s. Even if Nora hid in a different dimension using the power of the ¡®snake,¡¯ she could still attack Sina with a holy sword that had been blessed with His Majesty¡¯s Grace. Nora had no excuses.


    ¡°Tell the Temrs outside the cottage to stay still. His Majesty¡¯s knights shouldn¡¯t be raising their swords against each other, don¡¯t you think?¡± Sina said.


    There was no way to resist Sina. While Nora was upset, she had no choice but to ept Sina¡¯s words. If Nora decided to fight Sina in her current state, the Temrs were bound to suffer. Things might have been different if another Temr capable of using the power of the ¡®snake¡¯ coulde to help, but Nora couldn¡¯t make such an unreasonable move when she wasn¡¯tpletely sure about Sina¡¯s identity.


    ¡°Are you protecting him?¡± Nora asked.


    Sina shook her head in denial at Nora¡¯s question.


    ¡°No. But I don¡¯t want to leave the task of killing him in someone else¡¯s hands.¡±

 Chapter 98 – Arrest (2)

    <h4>Chapter 98 ¨C Arrest (2)</h4>


    Sina loosely held her sword while standing in a calm manner. Although Sina looked like she was full of openings, Nora couldn¡¯t charge at her for some reason.


    ¡°Why is a Temr going against another Temr? Is there anything more important than His Holiness¡¯ words?¡± Nora asked.


    Nora thought that Sina was a Temr since Sina¡¯s sword was a holy sword. However, Sina was only given Kamil¡¯s holy sword. Sina would get in a lot of trouble and be ced under arrest if anyone found out that an ordinary knight had a Temr¡¯s equipment.


    But Nora didn¡¯t seem to have any doubts after seeing Sina¡¯s skills.


    ¡°There are some things that are even more important than His Holiness¡¯ words. I¡¯d rather prioritize them over His Holiness¡¯ words,¡± Sina answered.


    ¡°Hah, you dare to treat His Holiness¡¯ words lightly like that. You are¡­¡±


    Nora tried to attack Sina as she felt that she could pick apart what Sina had just said, but soon closed her mouth. If there was anything more important than the words of His Holiness, then it would be the words of His Majesty.


    Nora couldn¡¯t help but hesitate. It wasmon for Temrs to be assigned solo missions due to their power, and Nora felt that Sina might also be performing a mission.


    ¡°Have you also been given a mission to chase that boy?¡± Nora asked.


    ¡°...I guess you could say that.¡±


    Sina looked back at Juan with aplicated expression. Sina¡¯s pursuit of Juan has now be more of a personal mission rather than a vocation or revenge for her deadrades. Sina <i>had?</i>to keep an eye on Juan to see where he was headed and what values he pursued.


    Nora stood up with a sigh.


    ¡°You said you can¡¯t reveal your affiliation, so it¡¯s only natural for me to have my doubts about you. But I will believe in your strong conviction,¡± Nora said.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°I believe you will understand that we have to continue keeping our eye on him since we also have our own mission. I will keep following you until the day you cut off that boy¡¯s neck.¡±


    At that moment, a low-pitched voice of a man came from behind Nora.


    ¡°No, you can¡¯t do that.¡±


    It was a bearded soldier from the Imperial Army who opened the door and walked into the room.


    ¡°This man will be arrested by the fourth division. I¡¯m going to take him to Beldeve, where the divisionalmand is located,¡± the bearded soldier said.


    Nora frowned upon hearing the soldier¡¯s words and protested.


    ¡°The fourth division? Aren¡¯t you just an ordinary soldier? How dare you try to intervene in the duties of the Temrs¡­¡±


    Nora then noticed the Temrs lying on the ground outside the door. A ck dragon as big as the cottage pressed down on the Temrs to prevent them from moving. On top of that, Swan was standing beside the dragon and had her horn bow aimed at the Temrs; however, a female mercenary didn¡¯t seem to be much of a threat due to the dragon¡¯s majesty.


    <i>¡®Is that a dragon?¡¯</i>


    Dragons were one of the representatives of the evil beasts that went against the empire and fought against His Majesty. Most of them had been exterminated and only some extremely young hatchlings had been tamed by the Order of Lindwurm. However, even those hatchlings werebeled as evil after Gerard Gain was used of treason.


    It was only considered natural to exterminate them on-site; their existence itself was not tolerated within the empire. Then Nora recalled that there was one exception¡ªa traitor who used to be a member of the Order of Lindwurm but was granted forgiveness in exchange for killing all hisrades, and who then volunteered to be the empire¡¯s ve in exchange for the heads of hisrades.


    ¡°I¡¯m Horhell, the centurion of the sixteenth regiment of the fourth division. It has been notified that this man will be dealt with by the Imperial military discipline. The said notice is the order of Duke H Henna of the eastern fourth division, who is authorized by the Regent Barth Baltic.¡±


    ***


    The territory of Durgal was burning in massive mes. The fog and red forest which used to have a sweet scent were covered with ash and smoke.


    Countless mercenaries in Durgal had been exterminated by the Order of the Evil Snake, and Durgal was bound to be a ghostly territory from now on.


    It was Velkre¡¯s first time carrying out a ¡®purification,¡¯ and he was shocked; this was the first time he had ever seen such a depraved ce. But Velkre had no regrets about acting beyond what his duties were, since all his actions were necessary to find Juan.


    However, he did regret one thing¡ªscattering the members of his knight order to speed up the search for Juan.


    ¡°So you lost him?¡± Velkre asked.


    ¡°There was nothing we could do about it,¡± Nora made an excuse while supporting her broken arm with her other hand.


    Nora wasn¡¯t lying; she had tried her best to stop Horhell from taking Juan away. Her broken arm was the evidence. But, the moment the dragon struck Nora¡¯s shoulder with its front paw, she could no longer stop Horhell.


    ¡°That unidentified Temr, Horhell, as well as a dragon¡­ There were too many unexpected obstacles,¡± Nora said.


    Velkre wiped the blood off his sword and looked down at Nora. The members of the Order of the Evil Snake were scattered everywhere, trying to find Juan, but he hadn¡¯t expected that there would be someone skilled enough to overpower Nora, while she had the power of the ¡®snake.¡¯


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect him to have another helper,¡± Velkre said.


    ¡°It is unclear whether he¡¯s a helper. It seemed like Horhell was moving under themands of the fourth division, while the female Temr seemed to have a strong grudge against the ck-haired man.¡±


    ¡°Whether he is a helper or not, in the end he protected the ck-haired man. You should have just faithfully performed your duties within the dungeon.¡±


    Nora wanted to tell Velkre that the dungeon had been much worse than facing a dragon, but decided to swallow her words. It was questionable whether or not she would have had an opportunity to kill Juan even if they went back to the dungeon again. Considering the fact that the Lord of Durgal as well as all the other mercenaries ended up dying, it was a miracle that Nora had managed to escape the dungeon alive. If she hadn¡¯t been injured and thus decided to retreat, she might have already died or gone mad like the former Temr, Jules.


    ¡°I have no excuses. All I can say is that I¡¯m ashamed of myself. I will ept any punishments.¡±


    Velkre sighed as he looked at Nora, then grabbed her by the shoulders to raise her.


    ¡°Sister Nora.¡±


    ¡°Yes, brother.¡±


    ¡°While it is true that you failed to carry out your mission, there is no need for you to me yourself too much. We all know that Sister Nora is not the best at frontal confrontation anyway. But, if it wasn¡¯t for you, we would have lost him a long time ago and wouldn¡¯t even be able to find out where he was.¡±


    ¡°...thank you.¡±


    Nora thought that she would be disciplined for failing her mission; after all, disciplinary action against Marco was still pending. But she was relieved upon hearing Velkre¡¯s words.


    ¡°If that soldier of the fourth division took the sinner with him, his whereabouts are obvious. Our enemy must be in Beldeve, toward the east. That ce is like a hometown to me. I will give you one more chance, sister. You¡¯ll have to have to be careful not to fail your mission this time. Otherwise¡­¡± Velkre whispered the rest of his words in Nora¡¯s ear. ¡°¡­one of us might have to be the ¡®evil snake.¡¯¡±


    Nora flinched.


    The green g held by Velkre waved in the air. It was a g made of dragon¡¯s skin.


    ***


    ¡°Your Majesty, why did you decide to have children?¡±


    As soon as Juan heard the question, he realized that he was dreaming. There was only one person who would dare to ask him such a random question. As far as Juan knew, that person was already dead.


    Considering that the emperor¡¯s children were some of the most skilled and powerful people within the entire empire, not only was it a cheeky question, but also quite dangerous.


    However, the person who asked the question wasn¡¯t the type who would care about such things at all.


    ¡°That¡¯s a pretty cheeky question, Harmon,¡± Juan said.


    ¡°By no means is Your Majesty a good parent. First of all, Your Majesty is a murderer, a killer. Other than that, you are also neglectful about childcare. Even if you go and meet them asionally, you only talk about things that make it difficult to call you a good educator,¡± Harmon said.


    ¡°That¡¯s a pretty harsh evaluation of me, Harmon. The bad parent standing in front of you is the emperor of the empire and the father of all its people.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about all that, but I¡¯ll admit that you¡¯re a good ruler; you knew your own abilities and left the internal affairs to someone as capable as me.¡±


    Juan was sitting at the desk in his office.


    Harmon was in charge of most of the work in the office as he read the documents that the emperor had to review and then stamped the Imperial seal.


    Harmon continued. ¡°A good ruler is very different from a good parent. Ras is too timid, Dismas is too aggressive, and Nienna is way too indifferent about her surroundings. If Gerard didn¡¯t exist, I would have been seriously concerned about Your Majesty¡¯s parenting policy. All the children except for Gerard are too dangerous to be ced in power. Even Gerard tends to be overly obsessed at times; however, he is better than the other children.¡±


    ¡°You only talk about their ws.¡±


    ¡°Why would I talk about their strengths when everybody already knows about them? Although they are better than your average human being, they shouldn¡¯t bepared to ordinary human beings considering the power that Your Majesty¡¯s children have.¡±


    Harmon¡¯s eyes seemed to be saying that just like the emperor who had the power to fight and defeat gods was expected to have a humanity greater than that of other humans, more should be expected of the children of that emperor.


    Juan sighed and shook his head.


    ¡°I know all of that, Harmon. But they¡¯re not as bad as you think they are, so you shouldn¡¯t be too worried. I think I know my children well enough.¡±


    ¡°All parents say that, but they don¡¯t realize that such beliefs are bound to be broken. I would like to know, Your Majesty. Why did you decide to have children? I would understand if Your Majesty adopted these children for the sake of having future generations, but I¡¯m not sure if that was your purpose. If you were thinking about having a sessor, couldn¡¯t you have gotten a biological child?¡±


    The emperor¡¯s sessor was the most sensitive topic in the empire. However, Harmon nonchntly brought up the topic as if it was no big deal.


    The room fell silent, and this silencested for a long time. Juan could understand that Harmon¡¯s question was quite a difficult one, and that he had contemted it for at least a few years before bringing it up to Juan.


    rifying the matter of his session was an important matter. No one thought about the situation after the emperor¡¯s death and the danger of him getting into an ident¡ªin fact, no one tried to mention it in the first ce.


    But Harmon was different.


    Harmon regarded the empire¡¯s existence and future to be more important than Juan who was the emperor. If Juan was the one to defeat the beasts and tten the mountain, Harmon was the one who sowed thend and built houses. With that in mind, it was only natural for Harmon to wish to know about the emperor¡¯s biological child who might already exist or might be bornter on.


    ¡°I don¡¯t n to have a biological child. I have only four children, which are Ras, Dismas, Nienna, and Gerard. That won¡¯t change,¡± Juan said firmly.


    ¡°Then I won¡¯t ask why you don¡¯t want a biological child, Your Majesty. Instead, I want you to tell me the reason why you adopted these children. They arepared with you too often just due to the fact that they have been adopted by you.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you topliment me.¡±


    ¡°Are you that happy about the fact that you are better than your children?¡±


    ¡°How cold-hearted you are. Well, the answer is simple. It¡¯s to keep the children by my side and keep a watch over them.¡±


    ¡°Please borate.¡±


    ¡°Those children have the potential to be some of the biggest threats to the empire if left unchecked. Ras is closer to Nigrato than anyone else, and Dismas is so powerful that even the strength of the powerful gods that have already died became his own strength. About Nienna¡­ well, I don¡¯t know about her. I can¡¯t even estimate how much potential she has. I¡¯m just d that she¡¯s only interested in the Crack.¡±


    ¡°What about Gerard Gain?¡±


    ¡°Gerard is¡­¡±


    Juan hesitated to answer as if he didn''t know what to say. Gerard was the first son Juan had adopted. Gerard was the child who followed Juan the most, was the most loved by the people, and was the textbook example for the knights. No one would think that child could be a threat to the empire.


    ¡°No one would have questioned that he was your biological child if Your Majesty hadn¡¯t said that he was an adopted son. But Your Majesty has dered Gerard to be an adopted son, and that¡¯s what everyone believes. And yet people still talk about him. Gerard is too simr to Your Majesty to not be considered to be your biological child. This is getting even more evident as he ages. His personality, the way he talks, his abilities, and even¡­¡±


    ¡°Harmon.¡±


    Juan interrupted Harmon¡¯s words. Juan already knew exactly what Harmon wished to say.


    ¡°Your Majesty, Gerard is the eldest son and the son who resembles Your Majesty the most. Was the reason you kept him by your side because you felt that he too might be a threat to the empire?¡±


    Harmon¡¯s question was no different than asking Juan if the emperor himself could also be a threat to the empire. If the emperor became a threat to the empire that relied too much on the emperor, it would only be a matter of time before the empirepletely copsed. An empire without an emperor couldn¡¯t stay stable in the first ce.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Juan answered.


    ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡±


    ¡°Gerard is no different from the other children in that he could also be a threat to the empire. But Gerard is special.¡±


    ¡°How is he special?¡± Harmon questioned.


    ¡°That child is¡­¡±

 Chapter 99 – Arrest (3)

    <h4>Chapter 99 ¨C Arrest (3)</h4>


    The ck dragon flew with everyone on its back for a long time and only stopped in the middle of an unknown mountain around sunset.


    Juan was dragged down from the dragon''s back while being restrained by handcuffs. It was unknown as to what the handcuffs were made of, but it had an extraordinary function of binding mana and interfering with its flow. While Juan didn¡¯t need such handcuffs to restrain him as he still had not recovered his strength, Sina didn¡¯t seem to have the slightest intention of letting her guard down.


    Upon seeing the wariness in Sina¡¯s eyes, Swan felt that the rtionship between Juan and Sina was not a simple one.


    ¡°We will be camping out here today,¡± Horhell said.


    Horhell got his dragon to break a tree into small pieces to make some firewood, and then a campsite was built in an instant so that they could sleep out in the open.


    Meanwhile, Juan quietly stared at the dragon as it obediently followed Horhell¡¯smands. Most of the dragons had been driven to the brink of extinction under Gerard Gain¡¯s leadership, and only a small number of Hatchlings were kept alive and tamed by the Order of Lindwurm under strict supervision. Juan had seen tamed dragons flying with the knights from the Order of Lindwurm and helping them achieve victory in the past. The dragons often yed an active part in the Order of Lindwurm¡¯s battles despite the strict regtions.


    ¡°Why are we camping this early?¡± Juan asked.


    Horhell¡¯s gaze turned to Juan, his gazepletely emotionless


    ¡°Is there any reason for us to camp out here just because the sun is about to go down when we have a dragon with us? We can just continue flying.¡±


    ¡°Dame Sina. Please help this sinner shut his mouth,¡± Horhell ordered.


    However, Juan quickly opened his mouth again before Sina could put a gag on his mouth.


    ¡°The dragon must be unable to fly all night.¡±


    Horhell paused upon hearing Juan¡¯s observation. The dragon yawned while stretching its long neck and curling its body. The ornaments hanging on the dragon¡¯s body sparkled, reflecting the light of the bonfire.


    ¡°That¡¯s no ordinary ornament¡ªit¡¯s a restraining tool meant for suppressing the dragons. Judging from the shape of its horns, this dragon appears to be over seventy years old. You must have starved it quite badly, considering that it is still so small when it should be much bigger at its age. On top of that, you have even shed the muscles around its wings so that its wings won¡¯t growrger. That¡¯s why it can¡¯t fly for a long time, and¡­¡±


    Before Juan could finish what he was saying, Horhell stood up and kicked Juan in the stomach with all his might. Juan stopped talking, feeling the breathtaking sensation of pain.


    Horhell looked down at Juan with a stiff face, then turned to look back at Sina. Sina nodded her head as if she already knew what Horhell was about to say.


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep my eye on the sinner,¡± Sina said.


    Horhell nodded and approached the dragon, while Swan remained by Juan¡¯s side.


    ¡°Why are you provoking that soldier?¡± Swan asked while sighing.


    ¡°I wanted to find out if he really was the Horhell I knew,¡± Juan answered with a weak smile.


    ¡°Horhell? Are you talking about that Horhell of the Order of Lindwurm? I thought all of the knights from the Order of Lindwurm were dead.¡±


    ¡°Well, there are many ways to survive.¡±


    It was said that the Order of Lindwurm was ruined because of internal conflict. That meant there had been those who started the conflict by raising their sword first, and a few knights from the Order of Lindwurm must have survived. Above all, the number of knights from the Order of Lindwurm which he had seen under the control of the Crack during his visit to the dungeon beneath Durgal were far from enough to ount for all the members of the Order of Lindwurm.


    However, Juan couldn¡¯t sense any signs of the encroachment of the Crack from Horhell at all.


    ¡°Can you tell if he really is Horhell now that you¡¯ve been beaten by him?¡± Swan asked.


    ¡°I''m one hundred percent sure¡­ but, I have no idea how he managed to be so young.¡±


    Swan stared at Juan, then turned her gaze to Horhell again. It was hard for anyone to believe that this nonmissioned officer of the Imperial Army, who appeared to be only in his mid-thirties, was the same knight who once stood and fought beside the emperor in the past.


    There were many ways to prevent aging, but most of them were methods that would draw the ire of the Church. Among the famous people who didn¡¯t age were Nienna Nelben, Dismas Dilver, and the Grand Magician Dane Dormund¡ªdue to the essence of the emperor that they had been granted.


    Juan had no idea what method Horhell was using to prevent aging when even the Regent Barth Baltic couldn¡¯t stop himself from getting older.


    ¡°So what are you going to do, Mr. Ten thousand gold pieces? Are you going to coerce that man into swearing his loyalty to you?¡± Swan asked.


    ¡°Well, I still haven¡¯t thought that far at all. Actually, I¡¯d rather ask Sina that question since Horhell trained her with the sword.¡±


    Sina, who had been quietly listening to Juan and Swan¡¯s conversation, flinched and red at Juan upon hearing him mention her name.


    ¡°...He only pointed out a few things for me,¡± Sina said.


    ¡°You¡¯ve made quite some progresspared to thest time I saw you. You¡¯ve improved a lot over the short time I didn¡¯t see you. That Temr in the dungeon seemed to be pretty skilled, so I hadn¡¯t expected you to be able to subdue her that easily. Well, I guess it¡¯s only natural; After all, Horhell gave you some guidance, and you have to consider that he used to be an Elite Knight of the Order of Lindwurm. I guarantee you that Horhell is probably the most skilled man you have ever met in your life.¡±


    Sina red at Juan with an unpleasant expression as heplimented her, but everything he said was true. Horhell had only given Sina a few pointers over thest few days while apanying her, but her skills had improved to the extent that even she herself was surprised. Sina felt as if Horhell hadpletely mastered the essence of Baltic Sword.


    ¡°No matter how bright a candle burns, it can¡¯tpare to the sun. No matter how good I be, I am only fit to be His Majesty¡¯s subordinate,¡± Sina said.


    ¡°I guess so, huh?¡±


    Sina threw a quizzical nce at Juan as he had unexpectedly agreed with her, then soon realized that she was onlyplimenting him.


    Juanughed as he watched Sina blushed, and Swan clicked her tongue upon seeing the two.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make fun of the poor knight, Mr. Ten thousand gold pieces. If you really are the emperor, show her your authority instead of messing with her.¡±


    Sina looked at Swan with perplexed eyes.


    ¡°Have you heard anything about his identity?¡± Sina asked.


    ¡°Like what? That Mr. Ten thousand gold pieces is the emperor?¡±


    .


    Sina closed her mouth upon seeing Swan speak about such a matter so naturally. Sina had been under the impression that Swan didn¡¯t know anything about Juan¡¯s identity because she didn¡¯t show any respect to Juan, let alone honor him.


    ¡°How did you find out? No, let me ask you a different question. How did you convince yourself to believe that so easily? Shouldn¡¯t you be a little more cautious? Above all, if you know everything already, shouldn¡¯t you respect his authority a little more?¡± Sina asked Swan with a confused look on her face.


    ¡°Why should I? It doesn¡¯t matter since I¡¯m an elf¡ªI¡¯m just a second-ss imperial citizen, and I have no reason to be loyal to the emperor. Of course, there are a lot of demi-humans that are fond of the emperor, but I am not one of them. It is kind of cool that Mr. Ten thousand gold pieces is the emperor, but I don¡¯t think I need to change my attitude toward him.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°You are more of a strange person than Mr. Ten thousand gold pieces to me. You are a human, a knight, are loyal to the emperor, and know that Mr. Ten thousand gold pieces is the same emperor. But you are not showing him much respect either. Why is that?¡±


    Sina tried to find something to say with a look of distress. Sina knew that she had ced herself in a contradictory position. Her decision to chase after Juan was no different from giving up on logicpletely.


    The path that Juan had taken so far was filled with strange incidents: long-lost beings appeared, old beings stood up and shook people¡¯s minds, and made them start behaving strangely. Sina was affected even more than other people by these things.


    Now that Sina had chased Juan all the way to the eastern territory, she felt like she was apletely different personpared to when she was in Tantil. If there was something within Sina that was the same, it was only her obsession toward Juan.


    Juan cut off the conversation between Sina and Swan.


    ¡°Stop it, Swan. My rtionship with her isn¡¯t that simple. I don¡¯t really want to be treated as the emperor anyway, especially with the current state of the empire.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Then can I continue to treat Mr. Ten thousand gold pieces like I do now?¡±


    ¡°Have I ever expressed any dissatisfaction with your attitude?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Ten thousand gold pieces is just Mr. Ten thousand gold pieces. Right?¡±


    Juan felt that Swan¡¯s question was a little strange and had some hidden implications. He just silently looked at Swan, then soon answered.


    ¡°I¡¯d rather have you call me Juan instead. I do not intend to be arrested as a wanted criminal and I do not have the ability to pay you ten thousand gold pieces¡ªat least not for now.¡±


    ¡°Nah, I¡¯ll just call you Mr. Ten thousand gold pieces,¡± Swan grinned.


    Juan nodded as he didn¡¯t care.


    Swan slowly bent her head to the side to stare at Juan, and Juan couldn¡¯t help but open his mouth first as if he was bothered by her gaze.


    ¡°If you have something to say, just say it.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh. I don¡¯t.¡±


    Juan looked at the strange smile on Swan¡¯s face with an irritated look in his eyes.


    ¡°To be honest, I had a lot of questions to ask when I found out that Mr. Ten thousand gold pieces was the emperor. Questions like why did you kill the god of the elves, why did demi-humans have to be treated so poorly within the empire, and why did Celine get so frustrated upon finding out Mr. Ten thousand gold pieces¡¯ identity¡­ But now that I have the opportunity to ask, I feel like none of those questions really hold any meaning.¡±


    ¡°They have no meaning?¡±


    ¡°Well, Mr. Ten thousand gold pieces is just Mr. Ten thousand gold pieces. You feel very different from the emperor that I know of.¡±


    Both Juan and Sina¡¯s eyes shook upon hearing Swan¡¯s words. While Swan acknowledged Juan as the emperor just like other people did, the way she perceived him waspletely differentpared to others¡ªSwan epted Juan as Juan himself, nothing more.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s all I wanted to say to Mr. Ten thousand gold pieces. Thanks to Mr. Ten thousand gold pieces, I was able to end my unfinished business in the dungeon of Durgal. While everything that happened there was unexpected, in the end, Celine ended up dying. So, I guess I won¡¯t be suffering from hallucinations ever again,¡± Swan said as she looked back at Juan. ¡°Oh, by the way. Mr. Ten thousand gold pieces also had some business with the dungeon of Durgal, right? Did you deal with it?¡±


    Sina leaned toward Juan and Swan. Sina had no idea what business Juan had to deal with in the dungeon and what he did in there, since she wasn¡¯t able to properly observe the situation inside the dungeon. Furthermore, Juan¡¯s condition was weaker than ever when he came out of the dungeon.


    Juan quietly looked at the bonfire, its mes being reflected in his eyes.


    ¡°I was looking for someone,¡± Juan answered.


    ¡°Like who?¡± Swan asked.


    ¡°My son.¡±


    ¡®<i>His son?¡¯</i>


    Sina almost questioned Juan, but managed to swallow her words.


    The emperor had four children, and all of them were so famous that they were indispensable in the empire. Two of them were the captains of their own knight orders and their whereabouts were known, while one of them was killed by Juan himself after he became the incarnation of death. The only one left was known to be missing.


    Sina couldn¡¯t help but say the name that came to her mind right away.


    ¡°...Gerard Gain? Was he in the dungeon?¡±


    Juan looked back at Sina, and Sina closed her mouth thinking that she might have rashly brought up a sensitive name.


    However, Sina didn¡¯t need to worry¡ªthere was no change in Juan¡¯s expression.


    ¡°At least I thought he must be there.¡±


    Juan answered lightly; however, it was not a light topic in the slightest. Gerard Gain was a man who disappeared after the assassination of the emperor. He was then med as the perpetrator of countless conspiracies without ever showing up once, and was often praised as the hero and the leader by those who rebelled against the empire. In other words, Gerard Gain was an official enemy of the empire itself.


    ¡°Why are you looking for him? He is¡­¡±


    Sina hesitated and shut her mouth. No matter how much she hated Juan, she couldn¡¯t ask him about the story of his own child stabbing him in the back.


    ¡°Yes. He stabbed me in the back,¡± Juan pointed at his back in a calm manner. ¡°His sword pierced me from here to here. He stabbed me well enough so that I wouldn¡¯t ever be able to survive, even by some miracle. I taught him well.¡±


    The child whom Juan had taught swordsmanship to with his own hands and spent the most time with had stabbed him in the back. Juan still couldn¡¯t figure out where everything went wrong, and wished to meet Gerard and have a proper conversation about it.


    Then, Swan opened her mouth.


    ¡°Mr. Ten thousand gold pieces, I don¡¯t know much about Gerard Gain, but¡­ the voices of the father and son usually sound¡­ pretty simr, right?¡±


    Juan and Sina¡¯s gaze turned toward Swan at the same time upon hearing her unexpected question.


    Sina answered Swan with a perplexed expression. ¡°Swan, Gerard Gain isn¡¯t His Majesty¡¯s biological son, but an adopted son. So there¡¯s no reason for his voice or appearance to resemble His Majesty¡­¡±


    ¡°No. Swan is right.¡±

 Chapter 100 – Arrest (4)

    <h4>Chapter 100 ¨C Arrest (4)</h4>


    Sina stared at Juan with her eyes wide open.


    However, Juan continued speaking without the slightest change in his expression.


    ¡°Did someone with the same voice as mine appear in the dungeon? Was he wearing a ck robe, with bandages all over his body?¡±


    ¡°Um, yes. You already knew that? Have you seen him before?¡± Swan answered.


    ¡°I have. It seems like he was the one who overpowered me and brought me back from my rampage. That¡¯s good to know, since I had no idea what happened after I lost consciousness. What did he say to you?¡±


    ¡°...He asked me to look after you. He didn¡¯t seem to have any hostility towards you,¡± Swan said as she studied Juan¡¯s face.


    Everyone here that knew Gerard Gain had stabbed the emperor in the back. Swan couldn''t help but be careful when talking about such a sensitive topic to the person directly involved.


    However, Juan didn¡¯t seem to care much and appeared uninterested.


    ¡°I see.¡± Juan simply answered Swan as if he already knew.


    ¡°Wait. Gerard Gain has the same voice as you, Juan? Why is that?¡± Sina asked impatiently upon hearing what Juan had said.


    ¡°Gerard Gain has the same face and voice as me. The only difference is that he is younger than me and has blonde hair instead of ck hair. The public often used to get confused; they thought we were the same person.¡±


    Sina opened her mouth wide in astonishment upon hearing such a fact¡ªshe had no idea that this was the case.


    ¡®<i>Gerard Gain, an apostate who is an official enemy of the empire, has a face that¡¯s almost the same as His Majesty?¡¯</i>


    Juan was rather surprised by Sina''s shocked reaction.


    ¡°It¡¯s more surprising to me that you had no idea. Isn¡¯t Gerard Gain treated as an official enemy of the empire? How are you supposed to catch him when you don¡¯t even know what he looks like?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°...the Church describes Gerard Gain as a devil, but they don¡¯t inform people about his appearance. He is only described as a being full of jealousy and hatred for His Majesty. But things make more sense now that you¡¯ve told me about what he looks like. I guess it¡¯s understandable for the Church to want to hide the fact that the one who assassinated His Majesty looks almost the same as his Majesty¡­ but wait, does that mean Gerard Gain was the biological son of His Majesty?¡±


    Juan smiled, and Sina¡¯s face stiffened when she saw his smile.


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s nothing. I just thought of someone who asked me a simr question back then. Unfortunately, your guess is wrong. Gerard Gain is an adopted son, and that¡¯s the truth. I didn¡¯t have even a single biological child. But¡­ Gerard Gain is a little specialpared to my other adopted children.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡±


    ¡°Gerad Gain was created by cloning my own soul.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°It was done without my consent by my teacher, Dane Dormund. He said that it was something that he had to do for humankind, just in case anything happened to me. But I couldn¡¯t forgive him. And so, I decided to expel Dane Dormund from the empire and at the same time adopted Gerard Gain as my first son. There was no telling what could have happened if a child made by cloning my soul fell into the hands of the wrong people.¡±


    Sina looked dazed upon hearing Juan¡¯s sudden exnation of an extremely secretive and private affair of the empire. The fact that Gerard Gain was the emperor¡¯s replica was already shocking enough to shake the entire empire, but to top it all off, Juan was saying that the Grand Magician Dane Dormund, the one who assisted the emperor ever since the emperor¡¯s childhood was the one who hadmitted such an act.


    Although there were a lot of rumors about the sudden disappearance of the Grand Magician aftermitting a big crime during the early days of the empire¡¯s establishment, Sina didn¡¯t think that there would be such a story behind it.


    ¡°Come to think of it, you guys don¡¯t even know that the emperor had ck hair, do you?¡± Juan asked.


    Sina silently nodded her head. In general, the emperor was described to have brilliant blonde hair. It was unclear whether it was because of the bright golden halo or because the emperor actually had blonde hair, but Sina had a feeling that the Church chose to describe the emperor as having blonde hair as that had a more "holy¡± appearance. Or it could be that even the Church didn¡¯t truly praise the emperor.


    Once Sina¡¯s thought reached this point, she felt the chills running down her spine¡ªthe existence known as the ¡®emperor¡¯ who had been praised and served for almost half a century had be unclear. A lot of bloodshed and atrocities had been justified and even celebrated in the name of the ¡°emperor¡±.


    But now, Juan¡¯s existence was shaking those beliefs and that foundation.


    ¡®<i>Then who is the unknown existence that the Church has been serving all along? What was the reason for so much bloodshed and for so many lives to be sacrificed?¡¯</i>


    Sina bit her lips. She had long been feeling that the system she believed in had something wrong with it, but she never thought that its entire foundation would be denied like this. At this point, Sina found it hard to believe anything about the empire and the Church.


    ¡°Why are you telling me all these things so easily? All these things must be the confidential secrets of the empire right? Is it okay for you to tell me about all of this when I am nothing more than an outsider?¡± Sina asked with difficulty.


    Upon seeing that Juan was telling her all these secrets like it were nothing, Sina began to doubt whether Juan was trying to use her for his n.


    However, Juan only grinned.


    ¡°Someone has to know the whole truth and record it, don¡¯t you think?¡± Juan said.


    ¡°My writing skills are terrible. Besides, you killed all myrades and almost maimed me. Do you really think that I¡¯ll record everything without distorting it all against you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care if you do,¡± Juan answered calmly. ¡°Go ahead and either portray me as a mental patient who thinks of himself as the emperor or portray the emperor as a madman who¡¯s crazy about ughtering in your story. I don¡¯t care what you choose, but go ahead and throw a stone at the emperor you saw with your own eyes. I won¡¯t deny anything you write about me, because that is the emperor in <i>your?</i>mind.¡±


    ***


    By sunrise, Swan quietly woke up while the others were still asleep. Then she slowly packed up her belongings, and soon left behind the others to head down the mountain.


    Then someone called for her from behind her.


    ¡°Are you not going to apany us to Beldeve? While it wouldn¡¯t be as much as ten thousand gold pieces, you might still get some rewards.¡±


    It was Sina standing with her back against a tree.


    Swan smiled bitterly the moment she saw Sina. Sina¡¯s face showed how tired she was from being unable to sleep due to their conversation with Juanst night.


    ¡°I was trying to take my leave without letting anyone find out, but I guess I failed. I thought you were the only person I had to trick since the dragon seemed to wake up easily and Juan didn¡¯t seem to be sleeping in the first ce,¡± Swan said.


    ¡°You said your name was Swan, right? I heard that you are quite skilled and have a pretty good reputation as a mercenary. I can guarantee you that there will be sufficient rewards if youe with us.¡±


    ¡°You think that a mercenary will be paid a reward when there¡¯s a man who used to be an Elite Knight of the Order of Lindwurm and a dragon? Hah, you¡¯re hrious. Whatever, I¡¯ve already suffered enough just by getting involved with Mr. Ten thousand gold pieces. I¡¯d rather suck a dick.¡±


    ¡°You would rather suck a¡­ okay, moving on.¡±


    ¡°I feel like I¡¯m going to be reunited with Mr. Ten thousand gold pieces soon enough anyway. I can feel that we are entangled by a strange and nasty fate. I hope there won¡¯t be any annoying incidents like this one the next time I see him, but the lives of people involved with swords are never easy, you know? Well, I think Mr. Ten thousand gold pieces will be fine. You should be careful as well¡ªas long as you''re entangled with Mr. Ten thousand gold pieces, who knows what might happen to you?¡±


    It was hard for Sina to deny Swan¡¯s words, and so she smiled bitterly, and brought up one of the things she had been pondering all night.


    ¡°Swan, I thought about the question you asked me yesterday; about the reason why I don¡¯t respect Juan as the emperor even when I already know his identity.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Did you?¡±


    ¡°The reason why I respect His Majesty is that he was someone who treated humankind with kindness and love. But if Juan, as the emperor moves only with revenge and hatred as his motives, I can¡¯t respect or acknowledge him. That¡¯s the reason why I can¡¯t treat Juan with the same respect as His Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? But to us elves, the emperor has always been an object of revenge and hatred, right from the beginning.¡±


    Sina remained silent upon hearing Swan¡¯s words.


    ¡°I never saw the emperor during the era when he established the empire. But from the point of view of a demi-human, I¡¯ve heard of many terrible things he has done.¡±


    ¡°...I see.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°But?¡± Sina asked.


    ¡°But I do think that Mr. Ten thousand gold pieces is definitely a scary guy. He¡¯s also a bit cruel. Still, I don¡¯t think Mr. Ten thousand gold pieces is worse than the emperor from the era when he established the empire. I think Mr. Ten thousand gold pieces is much more¡­ human-likepared to the emperor you are looking for.¡±


    ¡°Human-like? But His Majesty is¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. His Majesty cannot bepared to ordinary humans, I get it. That¡¯s easy for you to say as a human. But think about it one more time, female knight. Think of Mr. Ten thousand gold pieces as Juan Calberg Kennosis rather than the emperor. Stop trying to fit him into the mold of the perfect emperor that you have inside your head.¡±


    Swan giggled and walked away. Then, she shouted at Sina before disappearing into the darkness.


    ¡±Think of Juan as <i>Juan?</i>only!¡±


    ***


    Byte afternoon, Horhell¡¯s dragon arrived at the fortified city of Beldeve in the eastern territory. It was blindingly fastpared to the days it took to cross the wastnd.


    The majestic walls and fortresses that were built on the edge of the coastal cliff were dangerous, but built thick in preparation for the invasion of the dragons. Although there were no longer any dragons left, the w marks and marks left behind by the mes used by the dragons still remained.


    Horhell dropped Sina and Juan atop therge open space above the walls. Under the vignt gaze of the soldiers, Sina noticed the sharp towers built around the fortress. The towers were damaged here and there, but they were still dangerous. Sina had never seen something like that within the empire before.


    ¡°Those towers are built to shoot or capture dragons,¡± Juan said as he noticed Sina gazing at the towers. ¡°The most dangerous threat in the eastern territory used to be the dragons until the Order of Lindwurm exterminated them. You can attack the dragons that enter the area between the towers or crawl from below. You can throw a to catch them as well.¡±


    ¡°Catching a dragon?¡±


    Sina looked at Juan with a suspicious look. Sina felt that even Horhell¡¯s dragon could easily break the tower¡ªand Horhell had prevented his dragon from growing stronger or bigger, unlike the dragons that used to exist in the past. It was only natural for Sina to have difficulty believing Juan¡¯s words.


    ¡°There is equipment at the top of each tower to do so,¡± Juan exined.


    ¡°It looks like it will break if a dragon even hits it while passing by.¡±


    ¡°It may look weak, but there is a steel seam inside. It¡¯s powerful enough to cut up the small dragons when they run into the tower. There was a time when the eight towers simultaneously fired harpoons to overpower the Ancient Dragon. Can you imagine a dragon as big as the tower being captured and struggling inside a?¡±


    Sina shook her head. Juan¡¯s words were hard to believe, but it was the only way to exin the construction of such towers in this fortress.


    ¡°It used to be possible, but not anymore. Its frame has gotten rusty due to the sea breeze, and the stone has been eroded quite a bit. I guess it¡¯s only natural for weapons to be rusty when there are no enemies to use it on,¡± an unfamiliar voice said.


    When Juan and Sina turned around toward the voice, they saw an old woman with a small figure walking toward them in an unwavering manner despite the strong sea breeze. The old woman¡¯s empty right sleeve pped and shook in the wind. She rolled her only remaining eye and moved her gaze from Sina to Juan.


    ¡°You must be the current hot topic of the empire. My name is H Henna,¡± the old woman said with a smile on her face.


    H Henna gave off a strange impression. She hummed with a smile on her face while looking closely at Juan¡¯s face. Juan made an unpleasant face upon being observed this explicitly, and He quickly raised her only hand to apologize upon noticing the change in Juan¡¯s expression.


    ¡°Oops, excuse me. My bad. People get shameless as they grow older, especially toward young people, you know?¡±


    Although H was smiling, behind her smile was a sharp gaze observing Juan.


    While Juan couldn¡¯t sense any mana or power from H, he could see that she was not an ordinary old woman.


    ¡°You¡¯re H Henna?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°Call her Duke Henna,¡± Horhell warned Juan from the back.


    Juan ignored Horhell¡¯s words and raised his handcuffed hands. ¡°H. Do the people of the eastern territory always treat their guests like this? Eastern people¡¯s hearts must have dried up alongside thend,¡± Juan said,


    ¡®<i>A guest?¡¯</i>


    Sina wondered what Juan was talking about.


    ¡°Only dogs and sinners are bound by chains and handcuffed in the eastern territory. You should know your ce.¡±


    It was Horhell who answered instead of H.


    Juan once again ignored his words and stretched his hands tightly.


    ¡°Enough, H,¡± Juan said.


    H seemed to be perplexed for a moment, but soon grinned and beckoned to Horhell.


    ¡°Uncuff him.¡±


    As soon as she gave the order, Horhell approached Juan without asking any questions.


    Sina thought that Horhell would stop the Duke from uncuffing Juan due to being concerned for her safety and for the safety of the surroundings, but he carried out her order as if he was a machine.


    In the end, it was Sina who stepped up.


    ¡°Please wait, Duke.¡±


    ¡°Who is she?¡±


    Instead of directly asking Sina, H turned her gaze to Horhell.


    ¡°This is Dame Sina Solvane. She said that she was tracking down this sinner by the order of the Church. I brought her with me because I felt that she would be helpful during the interrogation,¡± Horhell answered.


    ¡°I¡¯m Sina Solvane, a knight from the Order of the Blue Rose. I¡¯ve been tracking this sinner all the way from the southern province of Tantil. I lost countlessrades and saw a lot of blood being shed due to him. This man is extremely dangerous. It will be difficult to guarantee your safety if you uncuff him,¡± Sina said.


    Despite Sina¡¯s respectful tone, H looked at her coldly.


    ¡°I can guarantee my own safety, kid. You might have seen this young man for a longer time than me, but I¡¯m sure that I have better eyes than you. Now, if you try to interfere in my decisions one more time, I¡¯ll make you understand why the people of the eastern territory call me a bitch more often than the duke.¡±


    Sina was taken aback upon hearing H¡¯s cold words.


    Meanwhile, Horhell uncuffed Juan¡¯s hands ording to H¡¯s order.


    When Juan was finally uncuffed, he stroked his stiff wrists with free hands. Although the chains connecting the handcuffs had been released, the handcuff still remained on Juan¡¯s wrists like a bracelet.


    This was the most the Duke could do for Juan.


    Juan couldn¡¯t use his mana freely, but his equipment wasn¡¯t taken away, his surroundings were open, and above all, H was close to him. Taking H¡¯s life would be quite easy if Juan wanted to kill her at this moment. But Juan did not do so.


    ¡°I would like to request some bread and salt, Duke Henna.¡±


    H burst outughing at Juan¡¯s request.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anyone who knows such an old-fashioned tradition other than Horhell. Good. You seem to be quick-witted. I have a feeling that our conversation will go well.¡±


    H took the lead and beckoned him to take a seat.


    Sina couldn¡¯t figure out what was going on at all.

 Chapter 101 – Bread and Salt (1)

    <h4>Chapter 101 ¨C Bread and Salt (1)</h4>


    Due to being a fortress built to defend against the dragons, Beldeve had thick and hard walls.


    Sina looked at the steep cliff below the wall and the bubbles from the surging waves underneath the cliff. The cliff was so high that Sina had a feeling that even a dragon wouldn¡¯t be able to survive if it fell off.


    ¡°Sorry to have kept you waiting for a long time.¡±


    H brought out some bread and salt on a te and approached Juan and Sina. She handed over the te to Juan first, and Juan dipped the bread in salt before taking a bite. Then, H offered the bread and salt to Sina as well.


    Sina hesitated; she couldn¡¯t understand the purpose of such an action, but soon imitated Juan and ate the bread as well.


    ¡°Now that you have both consumed bread and salt, you are officially my guests. I will be a good host, so I hope that the two of you will also behave as good guests should. Especially you, ck-haired fellow,¡± H said.


    ¡°If I wasn¡¯t going to behave, I wouldn¡¯t have asked for bread and salt in the first ce,¡± Juan answered.


    ¡°Fair enough. I had to mention it just in case; after all, the only things you get more of as you get older are gray hair and suspicions.¡±


    H then ced the empty te on the floor and sat down.


    ¡°Ms. Knight can feel free to go downstairs now,¡± H said as she took a nce at Sina.


    ¡°But, Your Grace¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Centurion Horhell will be in charge of security. Or are you confident that you¡¯ll do a better job than Horhell and his dragon?¡±


    Sina hesitated for a moment, but soon bit her lips and bowed her head before leaving the room.


    H shook her head as she watched Sina walk out of the room.


    ¡°Jeez. Young people these days know nothing about traditions or taboos,¡± H said.


    ¡°Sina Solvane is from the southern territory of the empire,¡± Juan exined.


    ¡°Well, you don¡¯t look like you¡¯re from the east either. I haven¡¯t seen such dark ck hair in quite a long time. Ah¡­ as you get older, each and every tradition feels more and more lovely and important.¡± H giggled. ¡°Anyway. Did you say that your name is Juan? Let¡¯s stop the small talk and get straight to the point. The reason why I asked Horhell to capture you is that I intend on selling you out.¡±


    ¡°You sent quite the hunter, huh?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. There are no other hunters like Horhell. Hey, I was told that you¡¯ve made quite the fuss in the southern territory! I also heard another story about you being seen in Hiveden. Other than that, all the equipment you have on you¡­ none of it is ordinary. But whatever, none of that matters¡ªit¡¯s only fair that such an extraordinary person appears once or twice in a century. ¡°


    ¡°I¡¯m ttered,¡± Juan said.


    ¡°It¡¯s not apliment¡ªespecially considering the fact that the empire is currently full of lunatics like the ones from the Church. You should have moved more discreetly if you valued your own life.¡±


    ¡°Why? Because of the Church?¡±


    ¡°No. Because of Barth Baltic.¡± H looked at Juan with serious eyes. ¡°Pavan, that cheeky bastard dared to try and deceive me, but he will be in the palm of my hand no matter how hard he tries. So tell me something. The Church can freak out and send out the Temrs at any time whenever someone does anything that stands out; after all, it¡¯s full of crazy people in the first ce. But the Regent is different. While I hate that son of a bitch, I have to respect his eye as amander and a swordsman. At the same time, I also know that he¡¯s been like a hibernating bear ever since His Majesty¡¯s death, doing absolutely nothing. Then what¡¯s so special about you that he¡¯s taken an interest in you?¡±


    <i>¡®Barth Baltic has taken an interest in me?</i>¡¯


    H¡¯s question was one that Juan wanted to ask her instead. Although Juan had no idea about this, he felt that it would only be natural for Barth Baltic to take an interest in him, since he had been making a fuss everywhere he went.


    ¡°He has only taken an interest in me? I heard that he chased the traitors who were involved with the assassination of the emperor. Apparently, there was a huge purge throughout the empire during that time,¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°Nope. That was all done by the Church. It was the Church that gave birth to the Order of the White Crow in order to capture the Order of Huginn, and it is also the Church that sends the Temrs to trample on anyone if they are found to be involved with the apostates in any manner. Barth Baltic even gave the Temrs the rights to draft so that they could move the Imperial Army if they wanted. This is why the imperialmand system is such a huge mess,¡± H exined.


    Juan had also felt that the Imperial Army¡¯smand system was aplete mess. Nevertheless, no big issues had happened so far because of two reasons. First, during his time as the emperor, Juan had not only swept away all the enemies of the empire, but he had also developed the power of the Imperial Army. Secondly, the Church had been freely using the emperor¡¯s ''Grace¡¯ as much as they needed.


    ¡°Barth Baltic even allowed Ras to go back without doing anything when Ras tried to assassinate him. If he had even the slightest urge to avenge His Majesty or if he had a selfish desire for a high position within the empire, he would have immediately turned the Laus Mountains into nds. He certainly has the ability to do so, you know. More than anything, the reason why I don¡¯t think he is interested in His Majesty¡¯s assassin is that¡­¡± H pointed to the rednd toward the northeast with her upper arm¡ªher right forearm had been cut off at the elbow. ¡°Because he is neglecting the treason of the bastards in the northeast! Those assholes are the real problems!¡±


    ¡°Northeast? What¡¯s wrong with the northeast?¡±


    ¡°The Thornbush Priest Organization, who are the followers of the Crack, is behind the rebels in the northeast, and the Thornbush Priest Organization is under themand of Gerard Gain!¡±


    ¡°Gerard Gain is behind the Thornbush Priest Organization?¡± Juan asked with a stern look.


    ¡°Of course¡­ While I¡¯ve never seen it in person and I don¡¯t have evidence, I have heard quite a few stories when I was interrogating some bastards. The ck weapon that is known to have been used by Gerard Gain to stab His Majesty is a product of the Crack. I didn¡¯t try to look too closely into it, since the power of the Crack was starting to encroach on my mind the more I tried to look into it. But the Thornbush Priest Organization is the only group within the empire that follows the Crack, and the rebels in the northeast are the survivors from Arbalde, which has been contaminated by the Crack. Then it¡¯s only obvious, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    <i>¡®Arbalde.¡¯</i>


    Juan¡¯s face stiffened slightly as soon as this name came out of H¡¯s mouth. H noticed the change in Juan¡¯s expression, but she continued shouting as if she was angry while pretending not to notice.


    ¡°Barth Baltic is not interested in avenging His Majesty at all! Damn it! Okay, let¡¯s just say that part is fine. Because of that reason, I wouldn¡¯t have said anything if he had decided to take the throne for himself. Although I hate that son of a bitch, I acknowledge that there¡¯s currently no one in the empire who¡¯s more suited to be the emperor other than him. If Barth became the emperor, he woulde to cut off the heads of the rebels himself,¡± H said as she banged the desk with her hand. ¡°But he¡¯s not doing that either! That asshole has power, but he is doing absolutely nothing! That¡¯s why trifles like the Pope and the captain of the Order of the Capital are bossing everyone around!¡±


    H¡¯s words were true¡ªBarth Baltic did absolutely nothing. He left the control of all the forces and making of the rules to the Church and only asionally gave orders to the captain of the Order of the Capital.


    .


    Even Juan could see that the empire was being run precariously while taking dangerous risks.


    ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯re important, Juan,¡± H said as she red at Juan. ¡°I need to find out what about you is so special to Barth¡­ I need to know your value before I sell you out. I¡¯ve already been promised a specific price, but seeing you in person makes me want to change my mind. No matter how much I think about it, I feel like Pavan was trying to pull the wool over my eyes.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have much time. I¡¯ve been hiding the fact that I have captured you as much as I can, but the Order of the Capital will find out about it soon enough. No¡ªmaybe they have already found out, since the Order of the Evil Snake witnessed you being captured. They¡¯ll find out even faster because Horhell mentioned Barth Baltic¡¯s name to them,¡± H continued as she looked back at Horhell. ¡°I¡¯m not ming you, Horhell. If you hadn¡¯t mentioned that asshole¡¯s name, those lunatics would have been even more persistent. The problem could have be much moreplicated if any blood was shed.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Your Grace,¡± Horhell said.


    ¡°So Juan,¡± H leaned toward Juan. ¡°I don¡¯t think your value is only worth ten thousand soldiers or ten thousand gold pieces. That would be your worth if Barth Baltic took you away from me, but I want you to set your own price yourself. Maybe¡­¡±


    H continued with a serious look on her face. ¡°Maybe the price tag might even say that you are worth the entire empire.¡±


    ***


    Juan was offered to stay in one of the rooms located within the walls. There was a guard standing outside Juan¡¯s room to keep an eye on him, but the guard was no match for Juan considering Juan¡¯s skills.


    Juan didn¡¯t intend on running away when he had been served bread and salt. Those who received bread and salt in the east were treated as guests, and the guests had to abide by the rules of the host. One of the rules prevented the guest from crossing the window frame, which was a figurative expression saying that guests shouldn¡¯t leave without saying goodbye.


    It was an old tradition that had almost gone extinct now, but Juan didn¡¯t intend to go against the tradition when he had voluntarily asked to be H¡¯s guest.


    <i>¡®I was worried that she had be a granny, but she still has a bold temper.¡¯</i>


    As H said, the only thing that remained were traditions. Juan had a bitter expression.


    <i>¡®I didn¡¯t expect to meet Ha¡¯s daughter here.¡¯</i>


    Juan ovepped the face of the current H who was in her seventies with the face of the young H in her twenties, the daughter of a noble that he had seen in the past. H now had an aged face, gray hair, hazy eyes and had lost an arm. Her personality had be more like a mature war veteran rather than a sophisticated noble.


    H had once been secretly chosen as Gerard Gain¡¯s fiancee, but the current H looked nothing like the bright noble of the past.


    1. Weing guests with bread and salt is a tradition in Northern and Eastern Europe, as well as in the Middle East.

 Chapter 102 – Bread and Salt (2)

    <h4>Chapter 102 ¨C Bread and Salt (2)</h4>


    ¡®<i>She must have lived quite a difficult life.¡¯</i>


    Juan remembered how close Gerard and H used to be back in the past. The Hennas were a wealthy family in a small kingdom in the eastern territory at the time, and they were almost as powerful as the king.


    Juan had sent Gerard as a special envoy to the small kingdom to get them incorporated into the empire, and then Gerard unexpectedly became very intimate with the Henna family¡ªespecially with the youngest daughter of the Henna family.


    It was unclear as to whether or not H Henna was aware of Gerard Gain¡¯s intention tomit treason, but the assassination of the emperor happened before Gerard¡¯s rtionship with H became public. Although the Henna family didn¡¯t seem to have been involved with the treason, Juan could tell that the Henna family had suffered from quite a bacsh, considering that H was the one who became the duke, even when she was thest in line for the Henna family¡¯s session.


    <i>¡®I didn¡¯t think H was strong enough to survive in a harsh world like this.¡¯</i>


    Juan figured that the storm brought about by Gerard Gain¡¯s betrayal had made H into the woman she was now. Not only had the storm created a wastnd in the eastern territory, but it had also turned a cute innocent girl into a tough and hardened war veteran. Juan wondered whether Ha, H¡¯s mother, would have been proud or worried if she were to see H now. No¡ªperhaps it was better that she didn¡¯t see what her sweet and innocent daughter had be.


    <i>¡®It looks like she¡¯s in a difficult situation anyway. But that¡¯s only natural for the lord of a territory like this.¡¯</i>


    The eastern territory was being devastated day by day, and all of its resources were being poured into a never-ending war. Public sentiment among the people of the eastern territory was also pretty bad as the territory was neither stable nor well governed. On top of that, the Thornbush Priest Organization took advantage of this harsh environment to repeat the vicious cycle which was hard to break at this point. It was only natural for H to be obsessed with Juan; he would be used as a reversal card to save the eastern territory.


    Juan shook off hisplicated thoughts. H wasn¡¯t the only person living in apletely changed world in apletely changed form¡ªso was Juan. He was not in any position to say who was better than whom.


    <i>¡®I should focus on my situation first.</i>¡¯


    He had not expected to be caught and brought all the way to Beldeve, but in a way, it was an extension of the event in the dungeon. H was currently fighting against the rebels who had the Thornbush Priest Organization behind them, and she believed that Gerard Gain was their leader. In that case, H¡¯s purpose was not too much different from Juan¡¯s.


    <i>¡®I¡¯d rather help H in this situation.¡¯</i>


    To be exact, Juan nned to observe H. Juan didn¡¯t fully believe H¡¯s words; after all, she was no longer the cute little girl he once knew. She had be a wily old fox, unlike the innocent noble girl she used to be. Juan couldn¡¯t let his guard down easily when considering the things she might have done in order to survive after the assassination of the emperor. However, Juan had a feeling that the connection between her and Gerard Gain would be revealed if he continued to observe H from right by her side.


    <i>¡®That¡¯s not the only thing I have to find out.¡¯</i>


    Juan also had to find out the goal of the Thornbush Priest Organization. The existence of the ¡®crown¡¯ furtherplicated his thoughts, even though he thought they were alreadyplicated enough. On top of that, he had heard Celine mention the name of Qzatquizail, which the stranger had also mentioned in the past.


    This name waspletely foreign to Juan. He didn¡¯t know what kind of rtionship Celine and the Order of Lindwurm had with the Thornbush Priest Organization, but it was likely that they were involved with the ¡®crown¡¯ if the assassination of the emperor was entangled with the existence of the ¡®crown.¡¯


    Juan ced his hand on top of his forehead while recalling the me crown which hade out of his head back in the dungeon in Durgal. This was a power unknown to Juan, and he had never experienced anything like it before. Besides, the power was so great that Celine, who was able to use the power of the Crack with ease just by waving her hand, had been simply annihted.


    Juan had to find out the reason why such a power was within him and how he had never felt it before.


    <i>¡®I think I should try to find the power inside me first.¡¯</i>


    Juany on his bed and slowly sank into his subconscious.


    ***


    It had been a while since thest time Juan had dived into his subconscious. The space which used to be like an empty field was now filled with mana, reaching up to Juan¡¯s ankle and it sshed around like water.


    ¡®<i>It¡¯s the first time since I swallowed Talter.¡¯</i>


    Although much of this space was still empty, it seemed enough for Juan¡¯s current needs. In fact, he felt that it might already be enough, considering that he wouldn¡¯t even need that much power anymore; after all, the gods had been everywhere in the past, but not anymore.


    Juan looked around the empty space.


    <i>¡®Would there be a ¡®crown¡¯ somewhere in this empty space?¡¯</i>


    Juan was suspicious. Juan was ¡®looking around¡¯ the empty space, but the world he was in was his own mind. Juan¡¯s ability to control his mana was excellent, so he could easily search and feel every corner of his own inner world. However, he couldn¡¯t feel any power as great as the one that was disyed by the crown in the dungeon.


    <i>¡®What I saw back in the dungeon was way too realistic.¡¯</i>


    The crown hade out of Juan himself and was then put back inside him by someone who he assumed was Gerard Gain, who was wielding the mysterious weapon called Elkiehl.


    Juan paid more attention when searching his inner world this time, but he still couldn¡¯t feel the power of the crown.


    He could see traces of madness which seemed to be the remnants of Talter fluctuating in red waves, as well as the fog of Grunbalde that gathered faintly and disappeared. At the same time, Nigrato¡¯s essence stayed under the surface and only rose up asionally.


    All the types of mana that Juan had absorbed remained within him in various forms, but eventually, they all became one in the huge sea that was Juan¡¯s mana.


    <i>¡®There is no way I can find it just by looking at the surface.¡¯</i>


    Juan had to look for something more fundamental. The crown had influenced his revival, and it was even possible that it was rted to the birth of the ¡®emperor¡¯ if it really was also associated with Gerard Gain.


    Juan contemted on what he should do.


    The inner world of one''s mind was not limited to what was visible on the surface. The part of the inner world that embodied the mana one had was only about thirty percent, while the abyss was an unconscious space that upied the majority of the inner world at close to seventy percent.


    Just by looking into the abyss, ordinary people would either lose their egos and descend into madness or get trapped inside. Searching the abyss wouldn¡¯t be easy for Juan either, and looking into his own mind was quite different from transferring his spirit.


    <i>¡®If the crown really is inside me, it must be in the abyss.¡¯</i>


    Juan was confident. There was still so much more that he didn¡¯t know about himself.


    Juan hesitated for a while, then slowly headed into the depths of the abyss. There was no way he should have been able to feel anything when his consciousness was descending into the abyss, but somehow, Juan felt like his body was gradually getting heavier.


    Every incident he had been involved in, as well as everything else he had gone through slowly passed by Juan: the dragon, Horhell, Swan, Celine, the Order of the Evil Snake, the Thornbush Priest Organization¡­


    Juan¡¯s ego was slowly getting blurrier with each passing second, and the way out of the abyss of his consciousness was slowly being closed. It was as if Juan¡¯s consciousness was slowly being fossilized by the old memories, but Juan did not stop.


    <i>¡®Deeper¡­ deeper¡­¡¯</i>


    At that moment, everything paused. Juan¡¯s consciousness began to rise all of a sudden. Juan¡¯s consciousness quickly soared up out of the abyss, and then Juan opened his eyes wide open on his bed. His body was wet with cold sweat and there was a slight fever on his forehead.


    <i>¡®The crown.¡¯</i>


    Juan realized that after his revival, he had seen the crown even before his arrival in Durgal. There was also someone else who had seen it together with him.


    ¡°Dilmond,¡± Juan muttered.


    At that time when Juan was fighting against Nigrato in Hiveden, the Order of Huginn was on the verge of annihtion. Juan had lost consciousness in a fierce battle, and he was on Dilmond¡¯s back when he woke up. Dilmond had told Juan that mes had soared from Juan to burn all the undead under Nigrato.


    Juan saw his memories of that time while he was in the abyss. In his memory, the crown made of mes had soared above his head and set the surroundings on fire, giving birth to a sea of mes.


    ¡°But it stopped by itself¡­ why?¡±


    It was understandable that Juan¡¯s body felt hot back in the dungeon, since his body felt heated whenever the power of the me crown was activated¡ªJuan had already been using the power of the me crown for a long time. Juan started to question all the situations in which he had lost consciousness so far.


    Juan wiped the cold sweat off of his forehead. Juan had been thinking that his mes were his own, and they were the greatest power he had from the time of his birth as the emperor to his death leading up to his revival. But not anymore. Those mes had never felt as cold and distant to him as they did now.


    ¡°No¡­¡±


    Juan bit his lips.


    Whatever the crown was, Juan was now devouring the gods, devils and the demons to make their power into his own anyway. The source of the crown didn¡¯t matter too much to him. Rather, the crown was an opportunity¡ªit was a power with endless potential that he had not even known about. If Juan could make the crown¡¯s power his own and learn to handle it, it would be the strongest weapon he could ever ask for.


    Juan¡¯s lips twisted into a smile. Whatever the crown was, Juan didn¡¯t intend to lose to a weapon.


    He would be the only one to control it.


    ***


    The wavesing toward the ckened eastern coast ferociously rushed in and hit against the fortress of Beldeve with all their might.


    H stood at the edge of the wall and looked down at the bubbles formed by the waves. If the strong gust of wind changed its direction just for a moment, she was bound to disappear under the raging waves.


    The fortress of Beldeve had never been this close to a cliff in her old memories. It was the long-term erosion from waves and winds which constantly ground down the cliff. No one knew when, but the fortress of Beldeve would eventually disappear under these waves. The one to topple this ce would be neither a dragon nor a traitor, but time.


    H thought of the young man she had met today.


    <i>¡®A young man with ck hair and ck eyes¡­¡¯</i>


    H¡¯s heart had almost stopped when she had first seen him; he looked too much like someone she knew. Of course, she might have simply felt that he looked simr to someone she knew because she didn¡¯t often see people from beyond the boundary.


    However, Juan looked too much like them¡ªGerard Gain, and His Majesty.


    Because of the fact that Gerard Gain looked so simr to His Majesty that he seemed to be His Majesty¡¯s biological child, one could easily guess what His Majesty had looked like during his youth just by looking at Gerard Gain. If Gerard Gain had the same hair color as His Majesty, everyone would have been sure that he was His Majesty¡¯s actual son.


    The young man named Juan looked very simr to Gerard Gain, whom she had met in her youth, except for his ck hair color.


    <i>¡®They look too simr to consider it to be a simple coincidence.¡¯</i>


    Even if it was a simple coincidence, anyone would have been suspicious and interested upon seeing a young man with such an appearance have the power and ability to shake up the empire.


    H clutched the wall.


    <i>¡®I shouldn¡¯t jump to conclusions.</i>¡¯


    If the young man named Juan was a hidden direct descendant of His Majesty, then the empire would bepletely overturned. It was no exaggeration to say that countless powerful and ambitious people in the empire would reach out and everything established by the Church in His Majesty¡¯s name would be passed down to Juan if he was powerful enough.


    Of course, this was only wishful thinking. There were other possibilities to consider¡ªsuch as the fact that he was either Gerard Gain¡¯s son or even Gerard Gain himself.


    <i>¡®...If so, it would just be a disaster.¡¯</i>


    Either way, Juan was not an easy opponent to deal with. She could not be careless, lest she ended up losing him. First of all, H had to find out as much about Juan as she could. She had to hurry; after all, she had limited time.


    ¡°Horhell.¡±


    Horhell, who had been standing guard behind H, stomped his feet and took a respectful pose upon hearing her call.


    ¡°Yes, Your Grace.¡±


    ¡°You are the one who found that young man. What are your thoughts? I feel like your thoughts might be simr to mine.¡±


    ¡°I do not think, Your Grace,¡± Horhell said firmly.


    H had already expected such an answer from him, but still felt bitter.


    Horhell was a great knight, but he had be nothing more than H¡¯s sword after he had sold out all hisrades and beheaded them. Although that was what H had wanted and she was the one who had induced it, she couldn¡¯t help but feel lonely at this moment. She wanted someone she could share an old story about the past with, at least for now.


    ¡°You are a great soldier,¡± H said.


    ¡°Thank you, Your Grace.¡±


    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you, I couldn¡¯t havested this long in this nasty eastern territory. It was fate that you betrayed the Order of Lindwurm and swore your allegiance to me. It¡¯s something I should be grateful for every time I wake up in the morning.¡±


    Horhell remained silent.


    ¡°No, swearing allegiance is a lie in all honesty. You and I both used each other as tools to fulfill our own purposes,¡± H muttered.


    H thought that perhaps this was the reason why her rtionship with Horhell couldst this long. Now, Horhell had spent more time working for H than he had for His Majesty and Gerard Gain.


    ¡°I was wondering what the young man named Juan means to you.¡±


    ¡°There is no meaning, Your Grace.¡±


    Horhell had a heavy expression, as if he were made out of stone.


    ¡°Even if he is the emperor himself, it doesn¡¯t mean a grain of sand to me.¡±

 Chapter 103 – The Arrested (1)

    <h4>Chapter 103 ¨C The Arrested (1)</h4>


    It was early in the morning. Juan came out of his room at the sounding from the military training ground. Upon seeing Juane out of his room, the soldier who had been guarding the door looked at Juan with perplexed eyes.


    ¡°Are the soldiers in the middle of their morning training?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°Uh, um¡­Yes¡­Yes Sir.¡±


    The soldier stuttered as if he was confused about how he should treat Juan, since Juan was both a sinner and a guest of the duke at the same time. However, the soldier soon showed a respectful attitude to Juan, almost as if he was overwhelmed by Juan¡¯s aura.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to take a look,¡± Juan said.


    ¡°Ah, yes. I will guide you to the military training ground.¡±


    The soldier willingly guided Juan, but Juan figured that there seemed to be an order from the duke stating that it was okay to let Juan move freely within the area as long as he was under surveince.


    The military training ground wasrger in size than Juan had expected, but it felt narrow due to the thick and high walls surrounding the entire training ground. The atmosphere created by the soldiers who were swinging their swords with simultaneous shouts of concentration was quite fierce.


    Juan noticed that the soldiers training in the middle of the military training ground were swinging their swords in an unusual way, and he soon realized that the soldiers were practicing the basic positions of the Baltic Sword; however, they weren¡¯t very skilled at it.


    ¡°They use swords when they¡¯re only soldiers?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°Ah, they are the soldiers personally managed by Her Grace herself. She said that she was nning to select a few of them and train them to be either centurions or knights.¡±


    Juan nodded; the trainees certainly seemed to be built strong and had firm eyes. However, Juan soon lost interest in them. None of them seemed to even have half of the talent Sina had. Juan felt that H¡¯s attempts at training knights would end with only moderate sess.


    What attracted Juan¡¯s attention was the strange group of people standing in a corner of the military training ground. The group consisted of a diverse range of people regardless of their age or race¡ªanyone from young soldiers to bearded middle-aged men, and even demi-humans were mixed in the group. They seemed much more messy and exhaustedpared to the other trainees, almost as if they had been training since dawn.


    <i>¡®Are they conscripts?¡¯</i>


    The Imperial Army did not employ conscripts. Although the citizens were considered to be soldiers during the early days of the founding of the empire as well, the conscription system was eventually ended when most of the enemies who were capable of attacking the empire disappeared.


    Juan initially thought that they must be the conscripts, but soon corrected his thoughts. Their hands and ankles were chained with rustling chains.


    ¡°I thought only dogs and sinners were chained in the eastern territory?¡± Juan remarked.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, Sir. They¡¯re a punishment unit. They are the rebels from the northeast who decided to convert,¡± the soldier nodded his head and answered.


    ¡°A punishment unit?¡±


    Juan frowned upon hearing the soldier¡¯s exnation. A punishment unit was a unitposed of prisoners that weren¡¯t punished legally, but rather sent to a dangerous front line to operate in a war.


    Juan recalled how much Harmon Helwin hated punishment units. He was extremely disgusted with the concept of punishment units; not only did it lower the morale of the other soldiers at the front line, but there were even many cases of prisoners escaping and looting at the frontline, and thus causing trouble. Due to these reasons, Juan hadn¡¯t expected to see a punishment unit within the empire.


    ¡°What are they being punished for?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°Sorry? I thought I already told you. They are rebel converts.¡±


    Juan was about to ask the soldier the reason why the rebels who converted were being used as a punishment unit when they should be treated properly after rooting out the spies, but closed his mouth instead.


    <i>¡®The rebels of northeast¡­ the survivors of Arbalde and the city encroached by the Crack.¡¯</i>


    Juan thought that the rebel converts must have been contaminated by the Crack as well. In Juan¡¯s memory, the northeast was the first ce in the empire to be encroached by the Crack. The northern territory, which was famous for being the hub of the Crack, was originally a territory built around the boundary between the empire and the Crack in the first ce.


    Gerard Gain had tried to stop the Crack from encroaching the eastern territory, but had failed¡ªhis first failure. His failure was what gave rise to the tragedy of Arbalde.


    ¡°But they are victims of the civil war in a way, aren¡¯t they?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°Yeah, well. I guess you could say that since they came here instead of joining the rebels of Arbalde in the end. Fortunately, there is no one singing weird songs or muttering random names, since the encroachment of the Crack isn¡¯t too severe. They won¡¯t be further encroached upon by the Crack as long as they live in asceticism for the rest of their lives.¡±


    Of course, the ¡®rest of their lives¡¯ meant nothing to the people in the punishment unit. As long as they were in the punishment unit, they would be sent to the most dangerous parts of war¡ªthe front line, and most of them would die within half a year.


    ¡°Hold your swords straight! Are your fingers broken or something!?¡±


    The one standing in front of the punishment unit and screaming at them was a centurion just like Horhell. The centurion walked in front of one of the prisoners and pped his trembling hand. The prisoner instantly dropped the sword in his hand.


    ¡°Did you bastards rip apart your mother¡¯s womb and join the Crack even before you were fully developed and delivered? Is that why your fingers are so dysfunctional, huh?¡±


    The prisoners red at the centurion with eyes filled with murderous intent, but no one dared to confront him.


    Juan was quite impressed with the prisoner¡¯s eyes. All of their ages, gender, and even race were diverse, but Juan could feel a persistent vitality and intense emotion from them¡ªIt was a strong will to survive no matter what might happen.


    <i>¡®That¡¯s probably why they became rebel converts at the risk of being used as a punishment unit.¡¯</i>


    It was only natural, since they would end up just like the knights from the Order of Lindwurm that Juan saw in the dungeon of Durgal if they were fully encroached upon by the Crack. Juan raised the corners of his mouth and grinned.


    Then, the centurion who had been yelling at the trainees noticed Juan and turned his gaze toward him.


    ¡°What are you? How dare a fresh trainee fool around like this when you should be busy training?¡± the centurion said.


    The eyes of all the prisoners turned toward Juan. Juan certainly seemed like a fresh young man, so it was only natural for the centurion to mistake him for a trainee.


    ¡°Are you expressing that you don¡¯t need my teaching? What a cheeky trainee you are. You¡¯re acting so tough, but you even seem like you¡¯ve never even slept with a woman before,¡± the centurion said as he fiddled with the wooden sword.


    Juan had no intention of falling for the centurion¡¯s provocation, but the centurion didn¡¯t let Juan go.


    ¡°Bring me a wooden sword! I must see how good he is,¡± the centurion ordered.


    The prisoners showed no particr curiosity toward Juan. Such a situation didn¡¯t seem to be new for them, as there had always been recruits who were either rebellious or overly confident in their skills.


    However, Juan wasn¡¯t dressed as a trainee and had a soldier guiding him.


    Juan looked back at the soldier who guided him to the military training ground, but the soldier didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of stopping the centurion or exining Juan¡¯s identity.


    <i>¡®Either the discipline of the eastern territory¡¯s army is a mess, or¡­¡¯</i>


    ¡°I heard that the barbarians from beyond the border are nasty as hell. Let me see how nasty you are,¡± the centurion said.


    Juan looked at the wooden sword in his hand.


    <i>¡®A wooden sword, huh¡­¡¯</i>


    Juan had rarely held a wooden sword for practice. This was because a wooden sword became a lump of charcoal as soon as even the slightest of his mana was injected into it. No ordinary material could handle his mana unless it was made out of a special material.


    <i>¡®I guess it will not matter, since I¡¯m wearing handcuffs that restrict my use of mana.¡¯</i>


    This time, Juan had to fight the centurion using only his physical skills without the use of magic. Juan stared at the centurion without raising his sword.


    Meanwhile, the centurion had been maintaining a rxed attitude as he said he wanted to test Juan¡¯s skills, but he showed a sharp change of attitude as soon as they began sparring.


    Then, the centurion suddenly charged at Juan and brought down his sword at Juan with all his power. It was a powerful attack that was tricky to dodge. One might even end up getting hit by their own sword if they attempted to block such an attack.


    Innread dot".


    The centurion¡¯s attack was incredibly clean and precise, almost as if this was not a spar; Juan could feel his murderous intent which had been honed and polished through practice.


    Juan saw the centurion¡¯s spirit and clicked his tongue as if he had expected the centurion¡¯s movements.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    A short cracking sound suddenly echoed throughout the training ground, and the centurion felt a sharp pain in his hand. The wooden sword the centurion held in his hand was split in half. Upon turning his head, the centurion saw Juan looking at him with an unpleasant look while holding his wooden sword with only one hand. That wooden sword was stabbed in between the split parts of the wooden sword held by the centurion.


    The centurion couldn¡¯t believe everything that just happened. The wooden swords that had been soaked in seawater and then dried were extremely hard and firm.


    <i>¡®And he split such a wooden sword vertically¡­?¡¯</i>


    The centurion had never seen anyone who had the skill to do so, nor had he thought that anyone was capable of doing so. The centurion couldn¡¯t close his mouth for quite some time and didn¡¯t even notice the blood that was flowing out from a cut he received from a wooden sword.


    ¡°This is a bit unpleasant, H,¡± Juan said in a low voice as he scattered his murderous intent.


    In the next moment, the centurion was thrown back and Juan¡¯s wooden sword was tightly held in Horhell¡¯s hand as if it was about to break. Juan took his hand off the hilt of the wooden sword.


    ¡°Stop fooling around.¡±


    The centurion looked like he had no idea what just happened. He was in a daze upon seeing the split wooden sword until just a moment ago, but his vision suddenly changed and he was rolling around on the military training ground. On top of that, Juan¡¯s wooden sword was now held by Horhell. And at that moment, the centurion could see Duke H approaching them from a distance.


    ¡°Well, what a heated morning. It¡¯s time for breakfast. Everyone, go inside and eat,¡± H said.


    The prisoners stared at Juan for a long time; he had easily knocked down the centurion. Then all of them soon started moving toward the canteen.


    At the same time, H beckoned the centurion who was still lying down on the ground to head to the infirmary.


    Soon, only three people were left in the military training ground.


    ¡°So, were you trying to kill that poor centurion just now?¡± H asked in a jolly manner.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that one should always train with a mindset as if they are in an actual battle?¡± Juan red at H.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. There might be times when one dies during training. But the incident of a trainee beating and killing an instructor should never happen.¡±


    ¡°Well the centurion seemed to have attacked me with all his might, thinking that he couldn¡¯t care less if I died.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s because I ordered him to do so. I told him that he shouldn¡¯t be worried and spar with all his might, since he wouldn¡¯t be able to win against you anyway.¡±


    <i>¡®As expected¡­¡¯</i>


    Juan didn¡¯t feel any annoyance when he found out that H was trying to test him, as Juan was also curious about the level of the army led by H Henna. Juan and H were quite simr in the regard that they both tried to check the other¡¯s skills.


    What Juan was displeased with was the centurion. It was not that the centurion¡¯s skills were bad¡ªthey were rather good. Juan even felt that he was much better than the knights from the Order of Blue Rose.


    <i>¡®But.¡¯</i>


    ¡°Why did you teach the centurion how to use the Baltic Sword? Besides, it seems like you gave up teaching him in the middle of it,¡± Juan said.


    Juan did think that the centurion was skilled, but this only meant that he was better than the ¡®average¡¯ centurions. Juan felt that the centurion would be much stronger if he just used simple hands-on swordsmanship rather than unskillfully trying to use the Baltic Sword.


    ¡°As expected. You recognized it at just a nce. Horhell is terrible at teaching since he is a genius with poor empathy. There were a few who understood Horhell¡¯s teaching well in the past, but all of them are gone now,¡± H exined.


    <i>¡®So he was taught by Horhell.¡¯</i>


    Juan tilted his head in wonder as he recalled how Sina¡¯s skill had dramatically improved in just a few days with just a few pointers from Horhell.


    ¡®No¡ªperhaps it¡¯s simply that Sina¡¯s talent is just that outstanding. Rather than Horhell being a good teacher, it''s just that both Sina and Horhell were geniuses who became Elite Knights of their knight orders at extremely young ages.¡¯


    ¡°So? What did you think about my skills? Was it disappointing?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°Of course it was. I am very disappointed,¡± H answered.


    H received Juan¡¯s wooden sword which was being held by Horhell. The part which had been held by Horhell waspressed and distorted.


    ¡°I¡¯m so disappointed that I¡¯m starting to think that maybe I should keep you by my side. In case you didn¡¯t know, I¡¯m very fond of talented individuals,¡± H said as she fiddled with the wooden sword.


    ¡°Talented individuals?¡±


    ¡°That handcuff,¡± H said as she pointed to the mana-suppressing handcuffs around Juan¡¯s hands. ¡°I have never seen anyone who could fight properly even with those handcuffs on. And that¡¯s especially true for those who think extremely highly of themselves. That centurion you just sparred with is one of the strongest centurions we have. He is good enough that even Horhell would have difficulty fighting against him with those handcuffs on. It takes a long time for a person to adapt to the sudden changes in one''s body¡ªbut you¡¯re different.¡±


    A smile spread over H¡¯s wrinkled face.


    ¡°You have been acting like a weak guy right from the beginning, and you have already figured out the most efficient muscle movements that best match your physical abilities. I¡¯m sure that you¡¯ll always be able to fight with the best of your abilities even if you grow much weaker than you are now. That is no longer the realm of a genius, but rather the realm of a monster. And I¡¯m crazy about monsters.¡±


    Juan looked at H with a puzzled look on his face, as if he couldn¡¯t understand what she was trying to say. H¡¯s eyes were full of greed.


    ¡°Lead the fourth division for me, Juan. Then I¡¯ll give you the eastern territory.¡±

 Chapter 104 – The Arrested (2)

    <h4>Chapter 104 ¨C The Arrested (2)</h4>


    The only ones left in the military training ground were Juan, H, and Horhell. Horhell didn¡¯t even flinch upon hearing H¡¯s words, as if he already knew of H¡¯s n to give a wanted criminal a military position and the eastern territory when an entire knight order was chasing Juan at the risk of their lives.


    ¡°Are you aware of the fact that I¡¯m being chased by the Church?¡± Juan responded apathetically.


    ¡°I have a lot of connections, Juan. It¡¯s hard to find anyone in the key posts of the capital¡¯s army who haven¡¯t been trained by me. I¡¯m sure they can help me protect one wanted criminal; after all, everyone owes me something,¡± H answered.


    Juan raised his eyebrow as he realized that H was promising him protection from the empire.


    ¡°Horhell was also someone from the Order of Lindwurm, but I managed to protect him as well. Although I did have to pay quite the price, I was even able to prevent anyone from taking away the dragon which had beenbeled as an evil beast within the empire. We have not only demi-humans but also guys from beyond the border just like you in our army,¡± H further exined.


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I won¡¯t be able to put you in an official position on the surface, since the empire revolves only around humans within the border. But I guarantee you that you will be able to do whatever you want behind the scenes. If that¡¯s not what you want, you have two options: either wear a mask or make a huge scar on your face. Then you might be able to show yourself on the surface. I promise to give you everything, including power and the right to govern as long as you decide to join the fourth division. What do you say?¡±


    <i>¡®What do you mean by that?¡¯</i>


    Juan couldn¡¯t even snort at H¡¯s ridiculous words.


    ¡°What are you going to do if I lead the fourth division tomit treason?¡± Juan derided.


    H¡¯s eyes shone sharply as soon as she heard Juan¡¯s words. Then she smiled brightly as if she had been waiting for just those words.


    ¡°Are you dumb enough to fight a battle that you have absolutely no possibility of winning?¡±


    ¡°I have never thought about possibilities. Not even once,¡± Juan said firmly.


    Juan¡¯s war with gods had never been easy. If he had thought about the chance of winning or losing before fighting them, Juan wouldn¡¯t have been able to destroy all the gods in the empire.


    ¡°But I bet you¡¯ve never lost either. It seems that you¡¯re not the type to fight while looking back, so I can imagine you fighting like losing even once will get you killed. So if a guy who fights like youmits treason, wouldn¡¯t that be because it¡¯s time for the empire to fall?¡± H said as she giggled.


    The moment Juan was about to answer, H raised her hand to stop him.


    ¡°For your information, I would have no choice but to hand you over to the Order of the Capital if you refuse to cooperate with me. I didn¡¯t tell you this before, but I was promised ten thousand imperial soldiers for capturing you. If there is any way I can prevent shedding the blood of ten thousand people of the eastern territory, I would choose that path without hesitation.¡±


    ¡°Then having me on your side would mean that the blood of ten thousand people of the eastern territory would be shed.¡±


    ¡°No, That¡¯s the way to save not only the people of the eastern territory, but also the 1.2 billion people of the empire.¡±


    Although the reason was unknown, H seemed to have high expectations for Juan. Juan was familiar with such expectations, since a lot of people prayed and asked for his help during his time as the emperor. If it was the emperor, he would have dly epted H¡¯s offer. However, Juan was different.


    ¡°I refuse,¡± Juan said firmly.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a shame.¡±


    H was readily convinced by Juan¡¯s instant refusal, almost as if she had already expected his answer. Even Juan was puzzled by her quick eptance of his decision.


    ¡°So what are you going to do now? Arrest me and put me in a dungeon?¡±


    ¡°The sea prison of Beldeve is impossible to escape. How could I treat a guest who came into my house and ate bread and salt like that? I have no choice but to think of another way.¡±


    This was an inevitable decision for H. After all, everything would be useless if Juan refused to cooperate with her n. She had to keep Juan close to her and convince him as much as she could.


    However, Juan thought otherwise.


    ¡°I think we might have a suitable alternative,¡± Juan said.


    H¡¯s eyebrows furrowed upon hearing Juan¡¯s words.


    ¡°Alternative? How interesting of a sinner to suggest an alternative. Go on, tell me about it.¡±


    Juan raised the corner of his lips and smiled.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you put me in the punishment unit?¡±


    ***


    Juan sat on the wall and enjoyed the sea breeze.


    Horhell and his dragon left Beldeve shortly after breakfast; he and his dragon had to go out on regr patrol to check on the front line.


    Juan had been waiting for him toe back for the whole day. The sun was setting, but the wind was still blowing fiercely. The sea breeze was harsh everywhere, but the breeze of the east coast was particrly fierce¡ªespecially on a high wall. However, Juan barely felt cold, just like how he could barely feel any heat.


    Then Juan heard a pping sound from the sky. As Juan had expected, Horhell seemed to havee back before the sunpletely set.


    A heavynding sound could be heard on the wall, and a silhouette jumped off the dragon. Horhell tied the dragon to arge space on the wall and soon noticed Juan.


    ¡°You.¡±


    Horhell had his usual stiff expression as if he had a face made of stone.


    Juan slowly raised himself up.


    ¡°Did you have a pleasant flight?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like having useless and unnecessary conversations,¡± Horhell answered.


    On the other hand, unlike Horhell, Juan liked to have useless conversations. As long as there was no urgent business that had to be dealt with, Juan liked to joke around and pour out his unnecessary emotions. Horhell seemed to be the exact opposite type, but he was currently making a displeased expression, which was a rare sight to see.


    ¡°You want to join the punishment unit? What¡¯s your intention?¡±


    Horhell had wanted to ask this question all along, but couldn¡¯t interrupt Juan and H¡¯s conversation earlier. To H, the punishment unit was a group whose life and death didn¡¯t matter. At the same time, Horhell had no intention of arguing against Juan¡¯s decision to join the punishment unit as long as H agreed, but he still felt unpleasant that he couldn¡¯t figure out what Juan was up to.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with a prisoner wanting to join the punishment unit?¡± Juan asked as he raised his handcuffed hands.


    Horhell red at Juan without giving the handcuffs on Juan¡¯s hands a single nce.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to behave in the first ce. But then I thought that you might be more well-behaved than I expected when you asked for bread and salt; however, I still didn¡¯t think that you would cooperate. But now you¡¯re going to teach instructors and even the punishment unit? There¡¯s no reason for you to stay in Beldeve, is there?¡±


    ¡°What makes you say that Horhell?¡± Juan sat with his back toward Horhell. ¡°Don¡¯t you have a story to tell about your dragon?¡±


    Horhell¡¯s face became even more stiff than usual, almost as if it might break at the slightest touch.


    ¡°What about the dragon?¡± Horhell asked.


    ¡°What¡¯s the name of the dragon?¡±


    ¡°...there is no name. What¡¯s the point of giving a name to a beast? It¡¯s not like there are any dragons other than it.¡±


    Juanughed out loud, and Horhell seemed to be quite annoyed at the sound of Juan¡¯sughter.


    ¡°I remember the dragons raised by the Order of Lindwurm. The Order of Lindwurm wiped out all of the ancient dragons, but Gerad wanted to domesticate and raise the Hetzlings. However, they had to be very careful; after all, dragons could be dangerous if anything went wrong,¡± Juan said.


    Horhell red at Juan without answering.


    ¡°Among them, I remember one specific dragon quite well¡ªit was thest dragon to be born, because it had no mother to brood it. No other dragon was born after it, so it¡¯s easier for me to remember.¡±


    ¡°What are you trying to say?¡±


    ¡°As far as I know, that dragon¡¯s name is¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop.¡±


    Horhell¡¯s voice suddenly became rough, and Juan noticed the pain in his eyes.


    ¡°That is a cursed name. It shouldn¡¯t be spoken aloud by anyone anymore.¡±


    Juan could feel that the initiative of the conversation waspletely in his hands. As Juan had expected, Horhell cherished the dragon more than anything. Juan felt that it was natural for Horhell to have a unique bond with the dragon since it was thest dragon left in the whole world.


    Juan turned his gaze toward the dragon. The dragon was biting the decorations and metal pieces that were pierced into its skin with teeth as if it tickled.


    ¡°Is that why you just call it ¡®the dragon¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It''s the only dragon left in the world anyway, so there is no need to call it by its name.¡±


    Horhell¡¯s words contained a deep-seated pain. Juan could easily guess that the dragon was not simply just a useful animal to Horhell. There were many among the Order of Lindwurm who were overly attached to the dragons that they raised.


    ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t even call it a dragon,¡± Juan said.


    Horhell remained silent.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen a young dragon, one who is just old enough to be called an adult. It could climb up the walls of Beldeve. I¡¯ve also seen a newborn Hetzling. But that dragon is only twice as big as a newborn Hetzling. It is too small and weak.¡±


    Juan figured that Horhell must have starved the dragon to curb its growth. Not only that, but he must have also cut out the dragon¡¯s growth te and abused it.


    ¡°I can see that you cut off the tips of its wings so that it can¡¯t fly too high, you cut its nails and toenails so that it wouldn¡¯t pose a big threat to humans, and pulled out all its teeth except for a few fangs needed for chewing meat. That¡¯s not all.¡± Juan pointed out the thing that made him more upset than anything else. ¡°The dragons I¡¯ve met were the most intelligent and clever of all beasts, even if they chose the wrong side to stand on. But I haven¡¯t seen your dragon say a single word. Did you cut out his tongue? Or¡­ have you turned it into an idiot?¡±


    Horhell didn¡¯t answer, but his silence was enough to answer Juan¡¯s question. The dragons not only had powerful bodies and breath, but they were also skilled at magic. In order to turn the world¡¯s bravest and wisest animal into this ordinary livestock, Horhell had to have left only the minimal functionalities of the dragon and excluded the rest of its abilities.


    ¡°...that was the only way to save him,¡± Horhell said in a trembling voice. ¡°It was only after I did all of this that Duke H Henna epted me. None of the other lords would ept me, but she was the only one who actively protected me by praising the work that I had done. I was deprived of my knighthood and I fell to the position of an ordinary soldier, but she helped me keep the dragon alive.¡±


    Juan remained silent for a while upon hearing Horhell¡¯s words, then opened his mouth.


    ¡°Then what about Gerard Gain?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I can see how much you care about your dragon. But you¡¯re hiding too many things. The Order of Lindwurm was wiped out by internal conflict in Durgal. You¡¯re the only one who can be said to be a ¡®survivor¡¯ of the Order of Lindwurm. But your story ispletely missing any information about what happened to the Order of Lindwurm. What happened to them? What happened to Gerard Gain who was supposed to be leading the Order of Lindwurm?¡±


    Juan hoped Horhell would tell him the story of the past without resisting, but there were no traces of Gerard Gain or the reason why Gerard Gain had done what he did in his story.


    Horhell showed a perplexed expression for the first time when Juan brought up Gerard Gain¡¯s name.


    ¡°...Captain Gerard Gain never returned.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Nobody has seen Captain Gerard Gain ever since the emperor¡¯s assassination. That¡¯s one thing I am sure of,¡± Horhell said.


    Then Horhell changed the subject as if he had no intention of talking about Gerard Gain any further.


    ¡°...I¡¯ve spoken too much. I won¡¯t ask you how you know so much about me, the dragon, and the Order of Lindwurm. It doesn¡¯t matter to me what your identity is. What moves me now is neither the honor of the knight order nor the authority of the emperor. I am Horhell, the centurion of the fourth division. I hope you can acknowledge that. And¡­,¡± Horhell red at Juan and continued. ¡°...I have no idea what you¡¯re up to, but you¡¯d better quit now if what you¡¯re trying to do could be harmful to Her Grace. Duke Henna is not an easy opponent.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind, Centurion Horhell.¡±


    After looking at Juan for a long time, Horhell turned his back and headed toward the dragon.


    Juan silently looked at Horhell¡¯s back as he got further away. The man who was once the Elite Knight of the Order of Lindwurm had fallen to the position of an ordinary centurion with a weak dragon that could have been something so much greater.


    Horhell said that what he had done was to protect the dragon, but in Juan¡¯s eyes, there was little difference between Horhell and the dragon. The two seemed to be in the same shoes.


    They were both distorted and repressed prisoners of the empire.

 Chapter 105 – For Freedom (1)

    <h4>Chapter 105 ¨C For Freedom (1)</h4>


    ¡°I¡¯m still unsure about your decision, Duke Henna.¡±


    Like all the other rooms in Beldeve, the Duke¡¯s office was made without a single window to prevent a dragon¡¯s breath from affecting the insides. Sina didn¡¯t like such rooms in Beldeve; therge stones felt as heavy as the history of the eastern territory.


    ¡°You suddenly requested a meeting, and you¡¯re telling me that you¡¯re unsure? Tell me, what are you so unsure about, knight?¡±


    While H had certainly been informed of Sina¡¯s name by Horhell, she didn¡¯t bother calling Sina by her name. H¡¯s attitude toward Sina was cold in contrast to her attitude toward Juan. However, Sina wasn¡¯t discouraged.


    ¡°Juan is not a trustworthy man. Every ce he passed by turned into ruins¡ªTantil, the Ash Tower, Hiveden, Durgal¡­ all of them. He is strong, and he doesn¡¯t hesitate to wield hatred in order to fulfill his purpose,¡± Sina said.


    ¡°So?¡± H raised her eyebrows.


    ¡°Juan might even use Beldeve as a stepping stone to achieve his purpose. I do not think that he joined the punishment unit without any goals, considering that it¡¯s a groupposed of those who have been encroached upon by the Crack.¡±


    ¡°You sure don¡¯t know a lot of things. As expected of a novice knight.¡±


    ¡°...Your Grace, I might be too young andcking in experience, sure, but I think I can confidently say that I know more about Juan than you do. I have been chasing him from Tantil all the way here. His identity is also¡­¡±


    Sina was about to talk about Juan¡¯s identity in detail, but shut her mouth; she had a feeling that it might have huge repercussions. It was no joking matter to bring up a story about how the respected emperor of the empire hade back for revenge with a sword in his hand.


    ¡°Then what do you think is the right thing for me to do, knight? Would it be best for me to restrain Juan entirely, bind him with chains and lock him in the underwater prison right now?¡± H asked.


    ¡°Your Grace, I¡¯m just¡­¡±


    ¡°Knight, you think too little of me and the eastern territory. Do you really think that I have no idea about what Juan is up to? The reason why he suggested joining the punishment unit is to remain in Beldeve.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡± Sina asked back in confusion.


    ¡°I have detained Juan as a prisoner. If I lock him up in the underwater prison, that would be no different than directly handing him over to the capital. Yet if I release him, you never know what the Imperial Army and the Church might do. Putting him in the punishment unit is the most appropriate alternative. It¡¯s an excuse to keep Juan within the fourth division and not hand him over to anyone else.¡±


    Sina closed her mouth as she thought H¡¯s words were usible.


    <i>¡®But why?¡¯</i>


    ¡°Then doesn¡¯t that just further prove that Juan is pursuing something in the eastern territory?¡± Sina asked.


    ¡°Maybe he is. But about it? There¡¯s nothing in the eastern territory that I can give him. I have no idea what Juan wants from the east, but he has no choice but to follow my orders as long as he is in the punishment unit. I¡¯m gonna make sure to make the most out of him until I get enough value out of him for my risk.¡±


    ¡°...Your Grace.¡±


    Juan was too powerful and dangerous for one to use as a sword held in their hand, but H was also a formidablemander. Sina thought that it might be an insult to H if she further worried about her, but H was dealing with the emperor.


    <i>¡®Who in the world could use the emperor as a sword?¡¯</i>


    When Sina opened her mouth to persuade H once more, H stood up. Perhaps because of her hunched back, H was much shorter than Sina. On top of that, she didn¡¯t have as much freedom in selecting her weapons, as she only had a single arm. Nevertheless, H looked like a huge mountain to Sina. Sina realized yet again that H was a veteran who had trained numerous people who held key posts in the Capital Army.


    Then, H tapped Sina¡¯s left eyelid with her hand. Sina flinched in surprise; she hadn¡¯t even felt the presence of H¡¯s hand reaching out to her until that moment. Sina felt chills running down her back when H¡¯s dry hand lightly rubbed her eyelid which had burn marks and a tattoo, but she didn¡¯t show any agitation.


    ¡°It seems that your wound has no chance of recovery. Is it your arrogance or your fanaticism that allowed you to engrave such letters on your eye?¡± H asked.


    ¡°...this too is one of the ruins left by Juan. If I hadn¡¯t met Bishop Rietto, who treated me, I would have had to cut off my right hand as well.¡±


    ¡°Juan did that? As expected, he¡¯s such an interesting young fe.¡±


    Hughed out loud as if she found the fact that Juan wounded Sina to be funny.


    For a second, Sina felt an intense rage upon hearing H¡¯sugh, but soon closed her mouth when she saw H¡¯s empty right sleeve fluttering.


    H grabbed Sina¡¯s right arm and fiddled with it. Sina¡¯s right arm was covered with scars, almost as if it was a cloth that had been torn and patched up shabbily; however, the wounds hadpletely healed up and holding a sword didn¡¯t seem to be a problem.


    ¡°It would have been like I was looking into a mirror if you really had lost your right hand, knight. That would have been kind of awkward,¡± H said.


    ¡°I sincerely apologize, Your Grace. I¡¯ve been disrespectful, but I never meant to insult you.¡±


    ¡°I see, knight. You called your eye one of the ruins left by Juan, but you don¡¯t seem to be ashamed of it. You even engraved those letters on top of it as if you were proud.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just¡­¡± Sina was speechless.


    If Sina truly hadn¡¯t wanted to get a tattoo engraved on her eye, she could have just resisted and refused despite whatever the Order of the White Crow said. However, it was also true that there was confusion somewhere deep in her mind. Sina wondered whether or not she should consider the title of ¡®the emperor¡¯s watchdog¡¯ engraved by Juan himself to be an honor if Juan really was the emperor.


    <i>¡®What¡¯s the point if the existence of the emperor itself is a disgrace?¡¯</i>


    The tattoo engraved on Sina¡¯s eyelid symbolized her confusion itself.


    ¡°I don¡¯t consider my unbnced figure to be a ruin, knight,¡± H said as she lifted her empty sleeve. ¡°War took a lot of things away from me: my eye, my arm, my family, and my dreams. Yes, I once thought that all I had left was ruins, just like you. But the ruins also give you something important.¡±


    Sina shrugged her shoulders upon hearing H¡¯s whisper. Then, Sina momentarily felt something simr and familiar from H.


    ¡°Whenever I trip on my foot by ident because my single eye can¡¯t properly measure the distance, I think of my dead son who died with an arrow pierced through his eye. When I suffer from phantom limb pain of my arm getting cut off in my sleep, I think of my dead husband who died with his body hung on the pir. My disabilities gave me a lifelong gift¡­¡±


    This familiarity was because she could feel madness and hatred. H harbored the same feelings that Sina felt from Juan.


    ¡°¡­a lifelong gift that helps me to never forget my pain and resentment. Thanks to that gift, I was able to continue this war for fifty years, starting from the age of twenty. I could keep going even when most of my disciples betrayed me, the empire turned a blind eye to me, and the people of the eastern territoryined. Humans are bound to give up when they be exhausted, but these scars help me never forget what I am fighting for.¡±


    H too was also the type to ruin everything around her, just like Juan.


    ¡°...Your Grace, that¡­¡±


    ¡°No. You¡¯d better keep that in mind too. Whatever Juan did to your eye, it seems to have had a significant impact on your life.¡±


    Sina remained silent.


    ¡°So don¡¯t worry about me, knight. You think that H Henna would just be used as a stepping stone and get thrown away? No, instead it¡¯s the other way around. I¡¯ll be the one using him and he will be my stepping stone instead. At the same time, he can use me as much as he wants as well. Don¡¯t you want to know how far we can go by stepping on each other?¡±


    Sina got goosebumps on her entire body. She began to question whether it had been a good decision to help Horhell bring Juan to Beldeve. H would never quietly hand Juan over to the Order of the Capital. Instead, she will use him as much as she could to achieve her goal¡ªand H¡¯s goal wasn¡¯t a trivial one.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t have anything else to say to me, feel free to leave and¡­¡±


    At that moment, the door burst open. The only time anyone could burst into the Duke¡¯s office without knocking was in emergency situations. A soldier with a pale look ran into the office.


    ¡°Your Grace, Centurion Horhell¡¯s dragon has crashed on the northern front!¡±


    H¡¯s expression stiffened.


    ***


    ¡°ording to the guard¡¯s report, Horhell is currently somewhere here in the Gelmar Mountain.¡±


    The northern front itself wasn¡¯t too far away from Beldeve. In fact, Beldeve was the front line itself.


    Juan looked at the bright dots moving around in the dark blue horizon outside the barracks. Fortunately, the search was still underway.


    ¡°The viges of the local rebels around this area are here, here, and here. There are about two thousand people among them who can fight.¡±


    H held a candle inside the barracks and pointed out specific locations on the map. The ces which H pointed out were in a triangr shape as if they were surrounding the Gelmar Mountain, which was reported to be the location where Horhell had crashed.


    ¡°It¡¯s right in the middle of the viges,¡° Juan said.


    ¡°The situation is not very good. I want to rescue Horhell before sunrise if possible, but a night operation is impossible, since we have neither a map of Gelmar mountain nor a local soldier to guide the way. We¡¯re going to lose a lot of troops to get through those guys to find Horhell, not to mention that we don¡¯t even have a lot of troops that can move right away,¡± H said as she looked at Juan. ¡°I¡¯m hoping that the punishment unit wille forward.¡±


    Only a few people were able toe out as soon as they heard the news of Horhell¡¯s crash; except for the minimum number of troops to protect the fortress of Beldeve, only Juan and the punishment unit were present in the barracks.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you excited that the time for you to perform in an active manner came earlier than expected?¡± H said jokingly.


    However, there were less than fifty members in the punishment unit in total. In other words, H was giving an order for fifty troops to find Horhell before sunrise while dealing with nearly two thousand enemies. This was literally a suicide mission for the punishment unit.


    But unless they acted, Horhell would be captured or killed by the enemies, as there weren¡¯t that many ces for the dragon to hide its huge body. Although it was unknown as to why the dragon couldn¡¯t fly, whether it be because it was in the middle of the night or because it was wounded, it was clear that it was in a situation where it couldn¡¯t move.


    ¡°It¡¯s not the worst situation,¡± Juan replied in a calm manner.


    ¡°Well, you sound confident.¡±


    ¡°You see all kinds of things when you live for a long time. In this case, the fact that we¡¯re in the middle of the night is not such a bad thing.¡±


    The guards had a strange look on their faces upon seeing a young man who looked to be only about eighteen years old mentioning ¡®a long time¡¯ to an old woman who had lived over seventy years. However, H didn¡¯t seem to mind and simplyughed it off.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hope it¡¯s not the worst situation for Horhell either. I think he should be well hidden somewhere, as long as he didn¡¯t die from the crash. He¡¯s the type to get stronger when faced with bad luck, so I believe he¡¯s still alive,¡± H shrugged.


    ¡°Were you not prepared for a situation like this?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°To be honest, this kind of situation is the first for me as well. Actually, I didn¡¯t even know the enemies had the ability to crash a flying dragon. It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that the reason why we were able to maintain this front line despite our numerical inferiority is all because of Horhell¡¯s dragon.¡±


    Juan¡¯s lips twisted as he realized that H¡¯s stiff expression was not only because she was concerned about Horhell being dead or captured.


    ¡°Is someone helping the rebels?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°That seems very likely, unless the dragon has an upset stomach. The rebels had been very intimidated until now because I had massive damage to them during the early fall battle. I can¡¯t think of any other reason for them to pick a fight all of a sudden like this.¡±


    ¡®<i>The backers of the empire¡¯s rebels, huh¡­</i>¡¯


    There were many candidates, but there were not many opponents who could afford to do so.


    ¡°I hope we could find a trace if it was done by the Thornbush Priest Organization. It would be a good opportunity to make a fuss about this in front of the capital. Or, maybe it was the Imperial Army¡­ but even if it was them, there aren¡¯t many weapons they have that could deal with the dragon¡­ perhaps, um¡­ no, nevermind,¡± H said as she shook her head.


    ¡°Do you have any other ideas?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°...maybe it was the Temrs. Not even a dragon would be able to withstand Spears of Wrath. But there is no reason for the Temrs to cooperate with the Thornbush Priest Organization, the enemies of the empire. Don¡¯t you think so?¡±


    Juan nodded; he also thought that the Temrs should be considered as one of the options. It was obvious that the Order of the Evil Snake were still after Juan, hence it wouldn¡¯t be a big surprise that the Temrs ran into Horhell by a so-called-coincidence and shot down his dragon, since Horhell was the one who took Juan away thest time.


    ¡°I think we should consider it a possibility and keep that in mind,¡± Juan said.


    .


    ¡°What? The Temrs? I don¡¯t even want to think about the situation where I have to deal with two thousand rebels and the Temrs at the same time,¡± H looked at Juan with a startled look on her face.


    ¡°I agree, but just because you don''t want to think about it doesn¡¯t mean that it won¡¯t happen.¡±


    Juan went out of the barracks, while H followed him outside the barracks.


    ¡°Do you think you¡¯ll be able to bring him back?¡±


    ¡°That would be up to Horhell¡¯s luck.¡±

 Chapter 106 – For Freedom (2)

    <h4>Chapter 106 ¨C For Freedom (2)</h4>


    ¡°...You mean a night operation? You even want us to go on a search?¡± one of the members of the punishment unit asked suspiciously.


    The night operation was dangerous in itself, but a raid was worth giving a try. However, the location the punishment unit would need to go to was an area where the enemies were fiercely searching. Considering that their target was a dragon which the rebels from the northeast were particrly resentful of, any and all personnel the enemy had avable must be actively searching even in this moment.


    The members of the punishment unit remained silent upon hearing Juan¡¯s suggestion to head right into such a dangerous area.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Juan replied in a calm manner.


    One of the prisoners gritted his teeth. The prisoners were already aware that the punishment unit was treated as nothing more than a dog. The punishment unit was designated and deployed to only the harshest and most difficult areas to protect even at the front line¡ªbut they were constantly monitored, deemed untrustworthy by the allies, and their achievements weren¡¯t acknowledged.


    And now they had been told to break through two thousand enemies with less than fifty troops. Such an order was no different than being told tomit suicide.


    ¡°Are youing with us as well, Sir?¡± one of the members who asked a question earlier opened his mouth again.


    Juan took a closer look at the man¡¯s face. He had a shaggy beard, dark eyebrows, and appeared to be the unofficial leader of the punishment unit.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°My name is Hury Hate, Sir.¡±


    ¡°Hury, I¡¯m not a knight. I¡¯m just amander who will be leading the punishment unit, as I¡¯m a prisoner as well,¡± Juan said as he showed Hury the handcuffs on his wrists. ¡°I don¡¯t have much time to exin. You¡¯re not nning to go in there and pick up a dead body, are you?¡±


    Juan turned his back and beckoned without exining further ns. There were no operational exnations. The only exnation the punishment unit was given was to enter the enemy camp to retrieve Horhell before sunrise¡ªthat was all.


    ¡°Crazy bastard,¡± one of the members of the punishment unit said out loud.


    However, Juan didn¡¯t even bother to look back. Hury followed Juan as he had no choice. The members of the punishment unit looked agitated, but they had no other choice but to follow the orders. No oneined despite their frustrations¡ªthey all knew that they would be executed immediately if they disobeyed the order.


    ¡°Mr. Hury,¡± one of the members of the punishment unit whispered in Hury¡¯s ear. ¡°Are we actually going to follow that guy?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the only thing we can do in this situation. It¡¯s basically a suicide mission, but we were put in the punishment unit for such purposes anyway,¡± Hury answered.


    ¡°Most of us here owe our lives to you, Mr. Hury. If you decide to follow him, it would only be right for the rest of us to follow him as well. But if anything happens to you, Mr. Hury¡­¡±


    Hury looked back at the other members of the punishment unit, who were exchanging anxious nces with each other, with a brooding look on his face.


    The member continued, ¡°...then we will have to think about other options. At least I don¡¯t want to die following a kid who is blinded by his ambition for honor.¡±


    It was only natural for the punishment unit to be nervous about following Juan, since Juan was only a young man who was slightly extraordinary in the eyes of the members of the punishment unit.


    ¡°I respect your opinion Asha¡ªafter all, you¡¯re the one who¡¯s responsible for everyone in the punishment unit if anything happens to me. But let¡¯s not worry too much. There¡¯s no way Duke Henna will abandon Horhell and his dragon. She must be pushing us to save them for a reason.¡±


    Asha remained silent and nodded her head.


    Hury continued to walk behind Juan in silence and spoke. ¡°We have no choice but to trust this guy right now.¡±


    ***


    The soil crumbled down helplessly on every spot that had been stepped on. The devastatednd that was contaminated by salt and mana was filled with only red thornbush; however, it was unknown where the thornbush came from.


    Upon walking along the dark mountain path, Hury contemted whether or not he should revise his thoughts about following Juan. A humming song sang by the traitors was heard in the pitch-ck darkness. When fighting the war, songs of the simr melodies as right now filled the battlefield. These were the songs hummed by anyone that had been encroached upon by the Crack. The members of the punishment unit covered their ears with painful expressions; they had been trying to forget about the songs for a long time.


    ¡°What is this song?¡± Juan asked while straightening his back, as if he had no intention of hiding even when they were performing an infiltration operation.


    ¡°It¡¯s a song that worships and idolizes the master of the Crack. Everyone sings the song with their names in the lyrics,¡± Hury answered.


    ¡°Names?¡±


    ¡°Everyone who serves the Crack is given new names, and no one gets the same name.¡±


    Juan nodded his head.


    ¡°I remember hearing it in Durgal too,¡± Juan muttered to himself and continued walking.


    Meanwhile, Hury was overwhelmed with concern upon seeing the members of the punishment unit moving all at once. To Hury, the sound of fifty people moving at the same time in the middle of the night felt as loud as the mounted troops.


    Hury had suggested the strategy of dividing the punishment unit into groups and dispersing them for an efficient search, but Juan had turned his suggestion down¡ªinstead, Juan made sure that everyone was moving together at once.


    Although they were in a dark forest, there was a high probability of getting caught by the enemies when fifty people were moving as one big group.


    <i>¡®It will only be a matter of time before we get caught.¡¯</i>


    Hury looked at Juan with concern in his eyes. Moving in one group would be advantageous in a battle against a small number of troops, but there were over two thousand enemies. Hury closed his eyes; he had a feeling that the punishment unit would be wiped out as soon as the battle began. In that situation, scattering the troops in different groups would give the members of the punishment group a higher chance of surviving rather than keeping everyone in one big group.


    At that moment, Juan stopped moving. Hury wondered why Juan had stopped walking all of a sudden, but soon covered his mouth with his hands upon noticing what Juan was looking at.


    A group of seven rebels was rummaging through the area around them. Fortunately, it seemed like they would pass by as long as the punishment unit stayed still, since they were walking on a path located on a lower level than the punishment unit.


    However, Juan had no intention of letting them go.


    ¡°Let¡¯s fight,¡± Juan said.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a good opportunity.¡±


    Upon listening to Juan and Hury¡¯s conversation from behind, Asha gritted her teeth and tried to charge at Juan, but Hury hastily stopped Asha and looked at Juan with serious eyes. Juan was smiling, but he didn¡¯t appear to be joking. Hury patiently waited, but Juan didn¡¯t bother to exin to them why they must fight against the enemies who hadn¡¯t even noticed them.


    ¡°I won¡¯t wait long since we don¡¯t have time,¡± Juan said.


    Then, Juan picked up a stone from the ground and threw it toward the rebels without hesitation. Before Hury could even stop Juan, the neck of one of the rebels snapped and he copsed to the ground with a thud.


    Along with that, the strange song stopped as well.


    Hury no longer had the time needed to make the best judgment. Hury charged toward the rebels as fast as he could, and pierced the necks of one of the rebels with his spear. Before the rebels could even grasp the situation they were in, Hury quickly twisted and broke the neck of the enemy standing next to him.


    When Hury turned his head, he could see Asha cutting off the head of another enemy with a dagger and Ranhal, a wolf Beastman, biting the neck of one of the rebels while crushing the head of another rebel by stepping on it.


    Six of the rebels were dead in a blink of an eye, including one that Juan killed. Thest of seven rebels was standing a little farther away from the punishment unit with his eyes widened and mouth dropped open.


    Ranhal dropped the rebel in his mouth and ran toward thest rebel, but it was clear that he would only be able to reach after the rebel screamed and alerted the rest of the rebels.


    Hury bit his lips.


    In the next moment, Hury was smashing the head of thest rebel into a tree. A loud cracking sound rang throughout the mountain, and the sound of the strange songs that had been echoing throughout the entire mountain until just a moment ago stopped in an instant.


    Juan grinned at the sight.


    <i>¡®As expected.¡¯</i>


    Then, Asha ran wildly toward Juan. Grabbing Juan by his cor, Asha scolded him in a low and sharp voice.


    ¡°You son of a bitch. Do you want to get all of us killed? Or are you that desperate for honor and fame?¡±


    ¡°Get your hands off me,¡± Juan looked down at her and whispered.


    But Asha didn¡¯t listen.


    ¡°Do you even know what it means to infiltrate and search? I grew up in the northeast so I know nothing about the empire. But even I know what that is. But you just¡­¡±


    Juan didn¡¯t speak twice as he knew that there would be no point in doing so.


    For a moment, everyone felt a sharp chill run down their spines. All the members of the punishment unit around Juan instinctively straightened their backs, and those who were weak fell on their butts before they knew it. No one in the punishment unit could move their body, and felt a strange feeling of their bones being tickled.


    Asha showed the strongest reaction among everyone in the punishment unit. Asha, who was making eye contact with Juan, couldn¡¯t take her eyes off of Juan and copsed while clutching her chest while foaming at her mouth. No one in the punishment unit knew what had just happened in front of their eyes.


    Then Hury quickly approached Asha and checked her pulse after lying her body straight. After checking Asha¡¯s breath and pulse, Hury urgently tried to resuscitate her. It was only after a while that Asha gasped and began to breathe again. Cold sweat dripped from Hury¡¯s forehead.


    ¡°I hope you have learned your lesson,¡± Juan whispered coldly.


    Juan¡¯s lesson was clearlymunicated to everyone. The punishment unit realized that Juan could simply kill them all with ease, even if he couldn¡¯t use mana or use a weapon.


    ¡°...I think it would be best for us to retreat from here as soon as possible, since there was a loud noise during the fight earlier. The rebels will be here soon to check where the sound came from,¡± Hury replied calmly with his head lowered in front of Juan.


    Juan looked at Hury who had given his advice without a single word ofint¡ªno emotions could be seen on Hury¡¯s face. Juan just walked past Hury instead of answering.


    Asha was still lying on the ground as she tried to catch her breath, and Hury quickly helped her up. Ranhal, a wolf Beastman, hid his tail between his legs and approached Hury.


    ¡°Mr-Mr.Hury. D-do you know what that was just now?¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Hury wiped the sweat off of his forehead while murmuring. ¡°It was an extremely strong murderous intent.¡±


    ¡°M-murderous intent? There is no way that was simply something as simple as murderous intent, right? It felt as if he could kill everything in the world. It¡¯s surprising that Asha is still alive even after directly facing that murderous intent.¡±


    Being a beastman, Ranhal was much more sensitive to such thingspared to the others. In particr, beasts were sensitive to murderous intent more than anything. It was only natural for Ranhal to be fearful.


    ¡°Human beings are somewhat insensitive to it¡­ but the murderous intent that he released in that moment was enough to frighten all living creatures. I bet even the demonic beasts would tuck their tails and run away.¡±


    Hury continued to walk silently instead of answering Ranhal. He could easily tell that Juan was much more powerful than what he had thought. However, it was not clear what purpose Juan had in bringing the punishment unit here and putting them at risk.


    For the time being, Juan was quietly listening to the murmurs behind him. Everyone in the punishment unit was full of resentment and hatred toward Juan, but no one dared to speak against him due to the ¡®something¡¯ that Juan had just shown them.


    Forcing others with fear was rather easy, but this only intensified the distrust that the punishment unit felt toward Juan.


    Nevertheless, Juan remained calm¡ªin fact, Juan wanted them to feel even more doubtful and resentful. The deeper their distrust, the greater the effect was when it was all overturned.


    ***


    Horhell wiped off the blood on his cheek. Horhell figured that he must have broken his ribs, considering the wheezing sounds that constantly came out of his mouth regardless of his will. Horhell¡¯s left arm was broken as well, but that didn¡¯t matter to him as long as he could still breath and hold a sword. Besides, he had managed to kill the little boy in front of him anyway.


    Horhell dragged the body of the boy who no longer struggled into the gap between the rocks. The boy, who was even younger than Juan, witnessed the moment in which Horhell¡¯s dragon fell to the ground.


    It didn¡¯t matter to Horhell whether the little boy was digging for wild vegetable roots or looking for firewood in the mountain. Horhell slit the little boy¡¯s throat even before the little boy could properly understand what was happening. If Horhell had hesitated, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to stop the little boy from screaming.


    Horhell felt no guilt. Horhell already had numerous experiences of killing children even younger than this little boy and burning houses filled with the cries of infants.


    Amidst the silence, Horhell decided to forget about the little boy he had just killed.

 Chapter 107 – For Freedom (3)

    <h4>Chapter 107 ¨C For Freedom (3)</h4>


    Horhell turned his head. ¡°Hey.¡±


    As if responding to Horhell¡¯s words, the dragon curled up inside the valley exhaled a long and deep breath through its nose. The dragon seemed to be in a pretty bad condition due to its injury, but desperately rubbed its face against Horhell¡¯s torso as Horhell approached it.


    Because the dragon was muchrger and heavier, the impact from the fall was much greater for the dragon than it was for Horhell. One of its wings was broken here and there, and thus left limping. It was rather fortunate that the injury was only limited to this, thanks to falling between the valleys and rolling at an angle.


    Horhell could instinctively feel that the dragon was in a pretty bad condition, to the extent that it couldn¡¯t fly. That alone was already fatal for the dragon.


    ¡°Haha,¡± Horhellughed helplessly.


    Horhell had never thought that his journey would end in this way. He had abandoned his morality as well as his honor, all to save this dragon. But he was about to face such a ridiculous end. There were less than two hours left before sunrise. Horhell had already given up all hope, as surrendering was nothing but a long and terrible death.


    From the side of the valley came low humming sounds, almost like a chorus¡ªit was the song sung by the rebels.


    Horhell clutched his sword, but he knew that it would be difficult to fight, given the current condition of his body. He looked back at the dragon for a moment. The weakened dragon was staring at Horhell with its transparent eyes. Leaving behind his dragon, Horhell started to run to the other side of the valley.


    ¡°The bastard¡­!¡±


    ¡®<i>The bastard is on that side!</i>¡¯


    That was the sentence Horhell intended to shout. His n was to lure the enemies as far away as possible, buying some time for the dragon. Horhell hoped that the dragon would then be lucky enough to be found and rescued by someone.


    But even before his words coulde out of his mouth, someone ran into Horhell. Horhell groaned at the sensation of his broken ribs stabbing into his lung as he crashed into a stranger.


    Horhell saw white fangs and rough skin covered with fur in the dark. Horhell opened his eyes wide.


    ¡®<i>A wolf?</i>¡¯


    ¡°Centurion Horhell, please keep quiet for a moment,¡± the wolf suddenly opened its mouth and spoke.


    Horhell didn¡¯t know much about the wolf beastman, but he had seen him once.


    ¡®<i>There was one member of the punishment unit who was a wolf beastman.</i>¡¯


    Horhell tried to say something, but his voice failed toe out properly; only a wheezing sound could leave his mouth.


    ¡°Did the search party¡­e to find¡­ me?¡± Horhell managed to spit out a few words.


    Horhell¡¯s mouth foamed with blood as he spoke, but Ranhal seemed to have understood him.


    ¡°People dide to find you, Sir. But¡­¡± Ranhal muttered with unease.


    At that moment, something approached Horhell and Ranhal along the slope of the valley. It came with a rustling sound, and made a loud thud as it hit the rock, causing Horhell to tense up. The moment Horhell tensed up, he could smell the scent of blood. A dead body fell from above.


    ¡°What the hell were you trying to do?¡±


    Juan appeared from the other side of the dark valley. Although no blood could be seen on Juan¡¯s body due to the dark clothes he was wearing, Horhell could smell a strong scent of blood from him. However, none of the blood seemed to be Juan¡¯s own.


    ¡°...I was trying to distract the rebels away because I thought the dragon might be caught.¡±


    Juan smirked at Horhell¡¯s words.


    ¡°Are you in love with your dragon or something? You¡¯re quite lucky to be alive.¡±


    Then, Horhell saw troopsing down the slope of the valley. Horhell could tell at a nce that they were the members of the punishment unit. Every one of them was covered in blood and lookedpletely exhausted. Quite a few of them seemed to be injured, and they were all ring at Juan with murderous intent in their eyes.


    Horhell couldn¡¯t understand why they were drenched in blood and looked the way they did. He thought that they must have infiltrated as he didn¡¯t hear a fight anywhere.


    ¡®<i>Did they kill all the rebels they met on their way here? Every single one of them?</i>¡¯


    Horhell thought it couldn¡¯t be, but nothing else that came to his mind made sense.


    On Ranhal¡¯s back, Horhell guided Juan to the ce where the dragon was.


    Juan made a displeased expression upon seeing the dragon¡¯s wounds.


    ¡°There is no way it can move in this state. I thought it might at least be able to walk. It won''t be able to recover with rest alone. It will die unless it gets treated.¡±


    Horhell bit his lips when Juan brought up the scenario of the dragon¡¯s death.


    ¡°Put me down. I¡¯ll stay with the dragon,¡± Horhell said.


    ¡°Centurion Horhell.¡±


    ¡°Put me down.¡±


    Ranhal looked at Juan with timid eyes.


    Horhell was confused upon seeing Ranhal¡¯s attitude. Although Horhell was only a centurion, it would be no exaggeration to say that he had the highest authority in the fourth division after Duke Henna. However, the members of the punishment unit were waiting for Juan¡¯s orders rather than listening to Horhell.


    It was only after Juan nodded and gave permission that Ranhal put Horhell down on the ground.


    ¡°Ranhal, you go and tell H our location. Tell her that she muste before sunrise,¡± Juan ordered.


    ¡°Pardon me? Isn¡¯ting before sunrise almost impossible? The mounted troops won¡¯t be able toe up the mountain,¡± Ranhal answered with his eyes widened.


    ¡°Then make them run on all fours. Tell H that Horhell, the dragon, and I will all die if she doesn¡¯te by then. If that happens, then H would soon die of anger too, right? Do you think you all will be able to live any longer if H dies?¡±


    Ranhal seemed fully convinced by Juan¡¯s persuasion. Horhell watched Ranhal disappear into the darkness, then opened his mouth.


    ¡°Well, that was a lie. You have no intention of dying here.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well¡­ He¡¯s too stupid and needs proper motivation,¡± Juan shrugged.


    Juan first took the armor off of Horhell and examined his body. As Juan had seen many wounded soldiers before, he could easily recognize Horhell¡¯s condition at just a nce. Horhell had minor scratches here and there, and the injury on his left arm seemed like it would be able to fully recover after recuperation. However, his broken ribs seemed to have punctured his lungs. Juan measured the fracture area and figured that there was a risk of his heart getting stabbed if he was moved without caution.


    ¡°How did you even fall?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°I have no idea. I have very little memory of before and after the crash.¡±


    Blood spewed out of Horhell¡¯s mouth as he spoke. Yet he only looked at the dragon without paying any attention to his own injuries.


    ¡°What about the dragon? Are there any ways it can be treated?¡± Horhell asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be honest with you. This kind of injury wouldn¡¯t kill a dragon. What is killing him right now are the restraints you put on him,¡± Juan answered Horhell¡¯s question in a firm voice.


    Horhell remained silent. He had had also thought that the dragon was suffering due to the restraints. A crash like this wouldn¡¯t be a problem to ordinary dragons in the first ce. However, Horhell¡¯s dragon was different. His dragon was particrly weak due to the long term starvation as well as the remodeling of its body done to weaken it.


    ¡°The restraints you put inside its bones and joints are worsening its wounds and eating his life away. I mean, I understand that you did what you had to do, since the dragon would have died a long time ago otherwise. But it seems like it can¡¯t afford to escape in its current state.¡±


    ¡°...I see.¡±


    Horhell leaned against the cliff, almost as if he had given up. Horhell closed his eyes as he realized that his guess was correct.


    Then, Juan beckoned the members of the punishment unit. Upon seeing Juan¡¯s beckon, the members of the punishment unit hid among the rocks in the valley withoutining.


    Juan began to collect the stones and branches around him after ensuring that the members of the punishment unit had properly hidden themselves, and Horhell wondered if Juan was nning to build a temporary camp here.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do anything useless and just go. Tell Duke Henna that she doesn¡¯t have toe either,¡± Horhell said.


    ¡°Why? Do you want to choose this ce to be your grave?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve always known that I would never die in a peaceful way anyway.¡±


    Juan snorted at Horhell¡¯s answer and continued to move. But everything seemed meaningless in Horhell¡¯s eyes. In fact, the thought of dying here seemed to be some kind of relief. Horhell had imagined his own death countless deaths before, but the situation he was in now wasn¡¯t the worst that he had imagined.


    ¡°Juan, there¡¯s something I didn¡¯t tell you.¡±


    ¡°What is that?¡±


    ¡°I was the one who killed the knights of the Order of Lindwurm.¡±


    ***


    Juan didn¡¯t show a change of expression. Instead, he simply stopped moving and looked back at Horhell in silence.


    ¡°I was expecting it already. What else can I think when you¡¯re the only one who survived the internal conflict of the Order of Lindwurm? It¡¯s obvious. Besides, there¡¯s no way that a knight of the Order of Lindwurm and his dragon were forgiven without paying some sort of price,¡± Juan said as he tilted his head at an angle. ¡°Did you destroy the Order of Lindwurm in order to save the dragon?¡±


    ¡°...Yes, but it was inevitable. The Order of Lindwurm had already been encroached upon by the Crack.¡±


    Juan had already expected such a thing; after all, he had felt the strong energy of the Crack from the traces of the Order of Lindwurm back in Durgal. What mattered was to what extent the knights of the Order of Lindwurm had been encroached upon by the Crack. Juan could barely feel any energy of the Crack in Horhell.


    ¡°You don¡¯t look like you¡¯ve been encroached upon by the Crack,¡± Juan said.


    ¡°It only looks like I haven¡¯t. The people of the eastern territory, especially the troops, have all been encroached upon by the Crack to some extent. It¡¯s the songs sung by the rebels that affect everyone,¡± Horhell answered.


    Juan turned his head and focused his attention on the low humming sounding from beyond the valley. Juan recalled how the members of the punishment unit looked distressed and delirious whenever they heard it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t pay too much attention to it. The Crack will immediately start to encroach upon you the moment you casually start to sing along.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about a wailing like that. Just tell me about Gerard Gain. Had Gerard also been encroached upon by the Crack? Since when?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Captain Gerard Gain had also been encroached upon by the Crack. Everyone simply assumed and spected that he was encroached upon by the Crack, but being an Elite Knight of the Order of Lindwurm, I saw everything from the moment Captain Gerard decided tomit himself to the Crack to receive a new name. Because I¡¯m¡­¡± Horhell hesitated, but soon continued. ¡°...I¡¯m the one who caused Captain Gerard Gain to be encroached upon by the Crack.¡±


    Horhell inhaled a short breath as soon as he finished speaking. Horhell suddenly felt as if Juan¡¯s ck eyes were burning in the dark.


    ¡°Exin everything in detail so that I don¡¯t misunderstand you even a little,¡± Juan said after a moment.


    Horhell gulped and opened his mouth.


    ¡°Juan, since when do you think Captain Gerard Gain started to n the assassination of the emperor?¡±


    Juan shook his head; he had no idea. He was neither able to anticipate it nor notice any signs. The only person who had felt that something was off about Gerard Gain had been Harmon Helwin. If Harmon hadn¡¯t figured out the details, no one other than those closest to Gerard Gain would¡¯ve known anything about his n.


    ¡°Do you know when the people of eastern territory began to be encroached upon by the Crack?¡± Horhell asked.


    Juan slightly tilted his head upon Horhell¡¯s gaze. ¡°Forty-five years after the founding of the empire¡ªtwo years before the assassination of the emperor. What about it?¡±


    ¡°At that time, the Order of Lindwurm had already started seeing the signs of the encroachment of the Crack and we had been doing everything we could to prevent it. Captain Nienna Nelben had actively instructed us on how to defend against it. The way to defend against the encroachment of the Crack was much simpler than I had thought.¡±


    ¡°I know about that as well.¡±


    The best way to defend against the encroachment of the Crack was to kill all those who had already been encroached upon. The Crack had the ability to constantly encroach upon and encourage one to cause destruction by entering one¡¯s mind when one starts to find more about the Crack. It would only be a matter of time before a single person who had been encroached upon by the Crack caused dozens or hundreds of people to also be encroached upon. The only way to stop this was to unconditionally kill any who had already been encroached upon by the Crack.


    ¡°Preventing further encroachment through a painful process of asceticism after a period of quarantine is possible in the early stages of the encroachment. However,plete recovery is impossible¡ªjust like those from the punishment unit over there. There¡¯s no way to deal with those who have been encroached upon to a certain extent. So what¡¯s the next step?¡± Horhell looked back at Juan and continued. ¡°The ways to deal with the encroachment weren''t known in detail at that time, since Captain Nienna Nelben was thoroughly isting the Crack in the northern territory, to the extent that everyone was relieved. But when the first incident of the encroachment of the Crack happened, we¡­ no¡ªI took things too lightly.¡±


    Horhell continued with a bitter smile. ¡°There was one family¡ªa family who fled from the Crack who had already started to be encroached upon when they were reaching here from the north. Captain Gerard Gain and I found them and interrogated them. The parents seemed fine, but their daughter who was still an infant showed signs of the encroachment of the Crack. The family was devastated and clung to Captain Gerard¡¯s legs, begging him in tears. But Captain Gerard firmly shook his head. That¡¯s when I said something to the captain. I still remember exactly what I said at that moment, even to this day.¡±


    Horhell paused for a moment, then continued with trembling lips.


    ¡°...Captain, I think the baby is just babbling, not singing.¡±

 Chapter 108 – For Freedom (4)

    <h4>Chapter 108 ¨C For Freedom (4)</h4>


    ¡°What do you think Captain Gerard did? The captain I know wouldn¡¯t have made an exception, since a mission must be carried out even if it means having to kill a child. However, Captain Gerard let them go after hesitating,¡± Horhell said.


    ¡°And that happened in the forty-fifth year after the founding of the empire?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°Yes. And three weekster, the door to the Crack opened in the northeastern metropolitan city of Arbalde.¡±


    This was the beginning of the tragedy of Arbalde. The more the people praised and sought knowledge, the stronger the power of the Crack became. Then, once the ways to prevent and suppress the encroachment of the Crack became widespread, no one was interested enough to try to find out more about the Crack, other than corrupted magicians. However, at that time people had been helplessly exposed to the power of the Crack, without knowledge, which was now considered to bemon sense. The fact that the door to the Crack had opened meant that the area could no longer be controlled by anyone.


    ¡°Captain Gerard and the Order of Lindwurm were desperate to try and prevent the spread of the Crack. But nothing we did was enough. And eventually¡­ Captain Nienna led the Order of Penlil to the eastern territory.¡±


    As someone who had been fighting against the Crack ever since she was old enough to hold a sword, Nienna knew exactly what to do in such a situation. Juan clearly remembered hearing about the widespread massacre conducted by Nienna in the eastern territory through a report that she wrote herself¡ªher report had been so horrific and shocking that even Juan had wondered if it had been necessary to suppress the people of Arbalde to that extent.


    However, Juan trusted Nienna. Nienna was the one who had been personally fighting against the Crack all along and she knew better than anyone what would happen if she didn¡¯t stop the power of the Crack in Arbalde. So, she stopped it¡ªby all means necessary.


    ¡°I know that Gerard and Nienna almost had a falling out because of what happened in Arbalde,¡± Juan said.


    ¡°No, they actually did fight to the point where they were both drenched in the other¡¯s blood. It was rather surprising that they didn¡¯t fight using swords. It almost caused an all-out war between the Order of Lindwurm and the Order of Penlil, but all of it stopped when the emperor¡¯s royal letter arrived,¡± Horhell exined.


    Juan nodded heavily. The royal letter was written by his own hands, and its content stated how Juan understood, trusted and epted Nienna Nelben¡¯s methods to stop the spread of the power of the Crack in Arbalde.


    ¡°At that time, Captain Gerard had no choice but to back down. I had never seen anyone look up to the emperor as much as Captain Gerard Gain. So, he had to understand and convince himself; after all the royal letter was from the emperor, whom Captain Gerard believed to be the most just and righteous person in the world. The Order of Lindwurm then retreated from Arbalde; we couldn''t bear to attack our own people. The same was also true for me. But¡­ Captain Gerard Gain was different. He ughtered the people of Arbalde with his own hands, right beside the members of the Order of Penlil.¡±


    Juan remained silent.


    ¡°Two million people were ughtered. Doesn¡¯t that number feel unreal? Had so many people ever been killed since the gods were exiled from the empire? We were shocked and infuriated by the fact that human hands could kill so many humans. What do you think we were all thinking in that situation? There was only one thought in all our minds.¡±


    Horhell expressed himself loud and clear.


    ¡°Was that massacre really necessary? We, the knights, originally decided to grab our swords in order to protect our people. But we had to kill so many people. Was all that truly necessary? What is the Crack? No, is the Crack really what we are against at that point? If we had to kill that many people with our own hands, what even is the point of protecting them from the Crack? Do we, or does the emperor, even deserve to be called the guardian of humanity?¡±


    Horhell paused for a moment, then soon continued.


    ¡°...the northeastern rebels are the descendants of those who survived the massacre of Arbalde. The fact that Captain Nienna failed topletely wipe out the traces of the Crack even after the massacre might be proof that the massacre had been unnecessary. Or maybe we were only able to lock those encroached upon by the Crack in the eastern territory, thanks to the massacre. Anyway, the northeastern rebels despise the empire for what happened. I don¡¯t even want to criticize their ignorance which caused them to fall under the influence of the Crack,¡± Horhell sighed. ¡°Because, the first ones to be encroached upon by the Crack after the massacre were the members of the Order of Lindwurm.¡±


    Juan continued to collect the stones around him again while listening to Horhell¡¯s words.


    ¡°The members of the Order of Lindwurmforted Captain Gerard Gain, who was distressed, trying to drag him to the Crack and forget about everything. But I couldn¡¯t get myself to stop them, since I might be responsible for two million deaths. I thought that it would be impudent of me to flee to the Crack to forget about what I¡¯d done. I slowly became distant from the Order of Lindwurm, and became closer to the dragon. From that day on, I don¡¯t even hesitate to kill even a child,¡± Horhell murmured painfully. ¡°However¡­¡±


    Horhell looked at the sky with empty eyes.


    ¡°...then the members of the Order of Lindwurm tried to prove that Captain Gerard Gain and themselves hadn¡¯t been wrong. So, they tried to spread the Crack in the empire¡ªin particr, Deputy Vekelt was at the center of the n.¡±


    ¡°They tried to spread the Crack?¡± Juan frowned and asked.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t hear the details. All I knew was that Captain Gerard Gain was nning to assassinate the emperor, then return to the eastern territory and lead the Order of Lindwurm to attack the capital. But everything was in vain when Captain Gerard didn¡¯t return. The Order of Lindwurm didn¡¯t know what to do. Then they went to Durgal in order to try and repeat exactly what had happened in Arbalde.¡±


    ¡°...Is that what happened in that dungeon?¡±


    ¡°Yes. So, I killed them all. There were a few others who joined me in stopping them, but I was the only one who survived. In return, I entrusted myself to Duke Henna. But¡­ I¡¯m not sure if I made the right decision.¡±


    Juan stopped what he was doing and looked back at Horhell.


    ¡°I survived in order to save the dragon, but shouldn¡¯t I have died with myrades back then? Was the infant really just babbling? Am I the one who caused the deaths of two million people? Am I the one who caused Captain Gerard to have no choice but to stab the emperor? Did I drive the empire to this point?¡±


    Juan approached Horhell and noticed that Horhell¡¯s eyes were quite hazy. Horhell had be mentally weak, not only because he had lost too much blood, but also because of the fact that he thought that both him and the dragon were going to die soon.


    Juan quietly stared at Horhell¡¯s eyes.


    ¡®<i>What should I do with him?</i>¡¯


    Horhell believed that he was the one who caused the tragedy of Arbalde and the assassination of the emperor. If Horhell¡¯s actions had been what influenced Gerard Gain to assassinate the emperor, it might be best for Juan to take his life right here to make himfortable.


    However, Juan felt that was not enough.


    Juan raised his hand and pped Horhell¡¯s cheek. The members of the punishment unit looked at Juan in unison upon hearing the echoing sound.


    Horhell trembled and spat blood. At the same time, for some reason, Juan¡¯s gaze made Horhell feel ashamed of himself.


    ¡°How arrogant of you,¡± Juan said.


    ¡°What do you¡­¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t up to you to decide whether to kill that infant or not¡ªthat had been Gerard¡¯s job. It was Gerard¡¯s own will to be convinced by your words, and it was also his will to obey the emperor¡¯s royal letter. It was also his own will to stab me out of defiance. Do you really think that you have that much influence over everything? You overestimate yourself.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°That was what the emperor chose.¡±


    Horhell shut his mouth, and Juan moved the pieces of stone that he had been rummaging around for a while. The sky was starting to brighten. The sun tended to riseter in the middle of the mountains, but the valley was already starting to be bright. At the same time, the song sung by the rebels could be heard closer than ever.


    ¡°The emperor gave all of that authority to Gerard Gain, not you. Therefore it is Gerard Gain who is responsible for all that happened. Tell me. Did Gerard reappear in front of you to resent you? Did he me you even a little bit? The reason why he was in pain was entirely because of his own decisions,¡± Juan snorted. ¡°He was just waiting to be persuaded if he was given even the slightest motivation. The regrets from his own decision are entirely his responsibility.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you going to tell me that none of that would have happened if you hadn¡¯t said anything about the infant? Then Gerard would have just made another excuse, because that¡¯s the kind of guy he is. He probably would have believed that he could take the responsibility for anything he did, and that¡¯s why he probably regretted his choices even more. I have no idea how he got so weak, but what can anyone do?¡± Juan clenched the stone in his hand. ¡°I, the emperor, raised him like that. I appointed him as the captain of the knights, and believed that he would do his job properly. After all, the mistakes Gerard made are also considered to be my mistakes. Maybe it was only natural for the emperor to pay the price with his own blood. The responsibility should be directed upward, not downward.¡±


    Horhell opened his eyes wide at Juan¡¯s unexpected remarks.


    ¡°Juan, you¡­¡± Horhell¡¯s lips trembled.


    ¡°Yes. Maybe the emperor was meant to die.¡±


    Juan was clutching the stone so hard that his hand turned pale white and then began to bleed. Being unable to use mana, Juan¡¯s skin was weak and fragile. The fragments of stone scattered everywhere as Juan threw them on the floor.


    The sound of the pieces of stone rolling down the valley could be heard, and the members of the punishment unit could even see someone shouting toward the valley. It was clear that this ¡®someone¡¯ wasn''t the backup that the punishment unit had been waiting for. The sunlight began to seep into the valley, but their reinforcements were nowhere to be seen.


    Hury grabbed his weapon. Their location wasn¡¯t the most ideal, as the bottom of the valley was easy to attack. The members of the punishment unit red at Juan with resentment and hatred in their eyes. It was only natural for them to be angry, since they were all about to die while waiting for the arrival of the reinforcements.


    The valley was filled with humming sounds.


    ¡°You paid for the price of your sins by killing the rebels, Horhell. I¡¯ll be the one to forgive your sins myself. And I¡¯ll help you live your life a little longer,¡± Juan said.


    ¡°What are you talking about¡­¡±


    ¡°However, keep in mind that your life will then belong to me, not to Duke Henna.¡±


    At that moment, one of the rebels shouted in a strange singing voice and swung his spear. The armor the rebels were wearing looked shabby, and no one was dressed in any type of uniform. Juan dodged the rebel¡¯s simple attack with ease and kicked him in the stomach while grabbing the spear.


    The spear then pierced straight down the rebel¡¯s neck in a blink of an eye. While the man was struggling in pain, he puffed his mouth to mutter something. The enemy faltered for a moment upon seeing Juan¡¯s quick and clean response.


    Fighting broke out throughout the valley. The punishment unit formed a circle and fought desperately, but there were too many enemies. The number of enemies was increasing to the point that they were covering the entire valley.


    Then, Horhell noticed the handcuffs still hanging on Juan¡¯s wrist. Juan couldn¡¯t use any mana or magic with those handcuffs on his wrists. Horhell fumbled through the pockets of his trousers to search for the key, but the key was nowhere to be found. Horhell bit his lips as he thought he must have dropped it somewhere when he crashed.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°The handcuffs¡­ I can¡¯t find their key. There¡¯s no way to get them off your wrists,¡± Horhell said with a frown.


    Juan looked at Horhell with a dumbfounded expression and spoke. ¡°That¡¯s unnecessary. I wasn¡¯t going to ask you to release me in the first ce.¡±


    ¡°What? Then how are we going to fight against all these rebels when¡­¡±


    ¡°I never said that I won¡¯t use magic.¡±


    Then, Horhell realized that the stones and branches scattered on the ground by Juan followed a series of strange patterns. Even before Horhell could figure out the meaning of those patterns, the rebels charged toward them.


    ¡°Although I can¡¯t use magic that kills thousands at once.¡±


    Juan broke the de off of the spear with his bloody hand and tightly clutched the metal. Juan¡¯s blood dripped to the ground, and the de soon began to glow red. At that moment, the stones that Juan had strangely arranged heated up simultaneously and started emitting burning heat. The members of the punishment unit quickly dropped their weapons; they too were starting to heat up.


    ¡°Stay away from the dragon,¡± Juan warned.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°To be exact, stay away from the restraints on the dragon¡¯s body.¡±


    Horhell looked back toward the dragon upon hearing Juan¡¯s warning. The steel restraints that the dragon had all over its body were glowing red and heating up. The dragon seemed surprised, but did not seem to be feeling any pain. Horhell recalled that dragons were born with strong me energy, and remembered a story that said that drinking a dragon¡¯s blood enabled one to be impervious to mes. This could be seen from the fact that Gerard Gain had been able to casually wander around in mes after drinking the blood of a dragon.


    ¡°What the hell is this¡­¡± Horhell murmured.


    Instead of answering Horhell, Juan raised his hand which was holding the de high up into the air. The heat in the valley rose higher and higher as Juan raised his hand higher. The rebels backed away in a hurry, and those who held weapons made of metal all dropped their weapons, unable to hold onto them due to the burning sensation.


    The terrible heat emitted by the metal weapons filled up the entire valley.

 Chapter 109 – For Freedom (5)

    <h4>Chapter 109 ¨C For Freedom (5)</h4>


    Juan raised his hand all the way. At the same time, the de which had been barely maintaining its shapepletely melted and flowed down Juan¡¯s arm.


    Everyone including the rebels and Horhell looked at the sight with a shocked look on their faces. Juan¡¯s arm, which was covered in melted iron, glowed bright red. The de in Juan¡¯s hand wasn¡¯t the only thing melting. All the metal objects in the valley were glowing red with heat and melting down. Some of the men in armor screamed and rolled around in pain, then bit their own tongues. There were also those who turned their backs without hesitation to run away from the valley.


    The heat was hard to bear, even for Horhell. Horhell noticed that his armor, which Juan took off a moment ago to examine his wounds, was also melting down. It was an old armor, but now it was nothing more than melted iron.


    <i>Roar!</i>


    At that moment, the dragon roared. All the people crouched with their ears covered and widened their eyes as they tried to figure out what was going on.


    Hundreds of metallic restraints that had been covering the dragon¡¯s body were melting slowly while glowing red and flowing down its body. The dragon pped its wings as if it wanted to move, but couldn¡¯t fly as its wing was still broken from the crash. However, just the disappearance of the restraints already seemed to have made the dragon¡¯s body much lighter.


    ¡°What¡­ how¡­ what kind of magic did he¡­¡± Horhell murmured to himself.


    Horhell had never seen this kind of magic before, because the Church only allowed very limited magic to be used outside of the Church.


    <i>¡®Besides, Juan is wearing handcuffs on his wrists that suppress his mana. So how is this possible?</i>¡¯


    Then, Horhell noticed that only some of the many stones arranged on the ground to form the magic circle were emitting heat and glowing red.


    ¡®<i>That looks like¡­ a bloodstain?</i>¡¯


    Only then did Horhell realize that Juan had only picked out the stones that had the dragon¡¯s blood on them to form a magic circle.


    When the de in Juan¡¯s hand had meltedpletely, he swung his arm around to scatter the liquid metal into the surroundings. The enemies who got sttered by the liquid metal broke out in painful screams. Along with the scream, the enemies began to retreat one by one.


    Then, the dragon roared once again¡ªthe enemies could no longer hold out. Juanughed as he looked at the back of the rebels running away in a rush.


    ¡°So you used the blood of the dragon instead of your own mana¡­¡± Horhell said.


    ¡°A Dragon¡¯s blood contains an enormous amount of mana. The mana in your dragon¡¯s blood was especially rich, since it''s never used magic before.¡±


    Horhell saw that Juan no longer had handcuffs on his wrists; they too were melted by the heat. Horhell realized that this had been Juan¡¯s n all along. Horhell felt weird upon seeing the rebels running away from the valley. The number of enemies in the viges around this area was almost two thousand. And Juan had driven them all away by simply using one magic that melted iron. On the other hand, Horhell also felt regret; he thought Juan and the punishment unit could easily overpower the enemies at this moment, as the enemies werepletely unarmed and had lost their will to fight.


    ¡°If you were able to stop the enemies this easily from the very beginning¡­ why did you scare Ranhal like that? You told him that everyone will die if he doesn¡¯te back by the time the sun rises,¡± Horhell asked.


    Juan pointed to the bottom of the mountain upon hearing Horhell¡¯s question.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s because we need to catch those guys that are running away.¡±


    Horhell looked in the direction that Juan pointed, and he saw the troops of the fourth division approaching the bottom of the mountain. The troops seemed perplexed by the sudden influx of enemies, but soon noticed that the opponents were in a panic andpletely unarmed. Duke Henna, whomanded the troops, was not a person to miss such an opportunity.


    ¡°Do not let a single enemy escape!¡±


    The troops were outnumbered, but the guerri unit spread widely and crushed the enemies one by one.


    Hury was left speechless upon seeing the enemies being crushed by the troops in an instant. The sight of two thousand men running away in fright and screaming as they were crushed was quite a disturbing view.


    Then, Juan looked back at Hury.


    ¡°Why are you just standing there?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you see that Duke Henna ising to congratte us on our victory? Get prepared to return,¡± Juan ordered.


    Hury hesitated for a while, but soon gestured to the members of the punishment unit to follow Juan. It was Hury¡¯s first time walking onto a battlefield in a calm manner without carrying a weapon in his hand while a battle took ce right before his eyes.


    Juan took the lead, while the dragon and Horhell limped behind him. The atmosphere became strange. Horhell looked at the dragon which waspletely free of any restraints with unfamiliar eyes. Horhell couldn¡¯t even recall thest time he had seen his dragon without restraints on its body. Only then did Horhell realize how cruel he had been toward the dragon. He could probably never repeat his mistakes ever again.


    ¡°Juan,¡± Horhell quietly called out to Juan.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°My dragon has been released from the curse¡ªyou set him free. Now its name is no longer cursed,¡± Horhell muttered nkly.


    Juan smiled.


    ¡°I¡¯m not too fond of dragons. I bet your dragon won¡¯t like the fact that I was the one to set him free.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡±


    <i>Flop.</i>


    Then Juan heard a sound. He turned around to see Horhell kneeling with his forehead touching the ground.


    As the members of the punishment unit watched in shock, Horhell spoke clearly while lying face down, almost as if he was worshiping Juan.


    ¡°Dragon Orca and I, Horhell Helmer, will serve you for the rest of our lives.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Well done, everyone. Now go and get some rest.¡±


    Those were the only words Juan left for the punishment unit after returning to Beldeve after an all-night battle. Juan directly entered the castle without even bothering to check the number of the members from the punishment unit who managed to return.


    Being extremely exhausted, the members of the punishment unit scattered. Meanwhile, the soldiers of the fourth division rushed to lock up the enemies who were captured in the battle at the valley; however, no one said anything to the members of the punishment unit who weren¡¯t helping.


    Everyone knew how hard the punishment unit had fought, and suppressing two thousand enemies with only a fifty men unit was an unprecedented achievement.


    ¡®<i>How many of our people were sacrificed for the sake of this achievement?</i>¡¯


    Hury wondered as he looked around at the members of the punishment unit.


    All the members of the punishment unit looked utterly tired. At that moment, Asha, who almost died in the face of Juan¡¯s murderous intent, stood up and approached Hury with a paleplexion.


    ¡°Are you hurt anywhere, Mr. Hury?¡± Asha asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. It looks like you broke your ribs. Hurry up and head to the medical corps,¡± Hury answered while feeling concerned.


    ¡°My broken ribs aren¡¯t that important right now. How many of our people were killed because of that little¡­¡±


    Asha grumbled and looked over the members of the punishment unit. Hury also looked around and counted, trying to figure out how many from the punishment unit had died with a bitter look on his face.


    Then, Hury¡¯s expression stiffened. After counting the number of members from the punishment unit over and over again, Hury¡¯s mouth dropped wide open.


    ¡°Mr. Hury?¡± Asha examined Hury¡¯s expression with a puzzled look on her face.


    ¡°...No one died.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t able to properly count the numbers earlier, as it had been too dark, but not a single one of us died during the battle. Even the ones who were injured won¡¯t suffer from any longsting disabilities. It makes sense that no one died, because at thest moment of the battle that guy used magic, but we had such fierce battles even before that¡­¡±


    Hury¡¯s body trembled at the sudden realization. It wasn¡¯t that Juan left without even trying to figure out the number of people left in the punishment unit¡ªhe left because he wasn¡¯t interested and felt indifferent toward them; he already knew that none of them had died.


    ¡®<i>I thought he was just pushing us to our deaths¡­¡¯</i>


    Asha also looked surprised that everyone was safe after counting a few more times. She bit her lips and shook her head.


    ¡°It must be a coincidence¡­ after all, we participated in a raid.¡±


    ¡°How many times have we participated in a raid, Asha? Has there ever been a case where everyone managed to survive ande back from such a mission?¡± Hury asked.


    The answer was no. The punishment unit was always ced in the most difficult and dangerous ces on the battlefield, and they would be the quickest to die. Often, only half of the troops returned alive, or they barely escaped annihtion in many cases. Moreover, the mission to save Horhell and his dragon had been a mission more dangerous than ever. Nevertheless, everyone managed toe back alive. Asha had no choice but to admit this truth.


    ¡°But how¡­ just who is that guy?¡± Asha murmured.


    ¡°I have no idea. But I have a hunch that the eastern territory will go through a significant change very soon.¡±


    ***


    The fact that the operation to rescue Horhell was sessful quickly spread to both the northeastern rebels and the fourth division in just a few days.


    ¡°Hey, Mr. celebrity.¡±


    Juan gnashed his teeth at the sound of H calling him a celebrity.


    ¡°What, has the rumor already spread? It hasn¡¯t even been a few days,¡± Juanined.


    ¡°Well, it''s important that we spread a warm story to share around the firece, since winter ising. Rumors often get more exaggerated during the winter, you know? I¡¯m not popr with the people of the eastern territory, so I have to at least spread a story like this,¡± H said as she sat beside Juan, who was sitting on top of the wall.


    There was a remote cliff underneath Juan¡¯s feet where the waves hit against the rocks, and the view of the open sea was in front of Juan¡¯s eyes. The top of the wall was Juan¡¯s favorite spot in Beldeve.


    Elsewhere, a small banquet was underway to pray for the swift recovery of the dragon and Horhell before they prepared for another war. Even the punishment unit, who were usually treated like prisoners, was mingling with the other troops to drink. A strong stench of alcohol could be smelled from H, almost as if she drank a bit too much at the banquet. In fact, she was already quite drunk.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you cold? I always feel like I will end up getting hemorrhoids if I sit here for even ten minutes,¡± H said.


    ¡°I have a lot of body heat, so I¡¯m fine,¡± Juan answered.


    ¡°Oh, by the way. Don¡¯t worry about the rumors. I¡¯ve ordered everyone to remainpletely silent about your existence. Most of the rumors are about Horhell and the dragon. They¡¯re both popr on the front line, as they¡¯ve saved the troops who were in a crisis many times before. There are many soldiers who are happy about the news of their safe return.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t a Centurion supposed to be in charge of tacticalmand?¡±


    ¡°Well, soldiers would prefer a superior who flies in the sky and controls a fire-breathing dragon over a superior who shouts at them to charge at the enemies. Anyway, thanks to Horhell returning safely, the image of your¡­ handcuffed warriors who led the rescue operation has improved a lot.¡±


    H looked at Juan with a profound expression. But Juan didn¡¯t bother to make eye contact with H.


    ¡°What magic did you use to bring the punishment unit to their knees like that? They have some talent, but they are quite difficult to tame. In particr, Hury was a man who pretended to be obedient, but no one really knew what he was really up to. But now, he looks like a well-trained hound in front of you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just good at training others in a harsh environment,¡± Juan shrugged.


    ¡°I wish I was good at that.¡±


    ¡°It was you and your soldiers who actually dealt with the most difficult part of the battle.¡±


    Juan was right. H defeated and captured nearly a thousand enemies with just one hundred fifty soldiers who specialized in guerri warfare¡ªit was an unprecedentedly big victory. However, H gave Juan more credit for his sessful rescue operation.


    ¡°What is there to be proud of when I won against those who were unarmed, had burn injuries all over and had lost their minds? It¡¯s better to show off the obvious achievements than to brag about an achievement that could create a lot of false rumors. You and the punishment unit rescued a hero who was isted in the middle of the enemy camp. That alone is enough to be a pretty good story,¡± H said


    ¡°I see,¡± Juan nodded his head.


    ¡°That¡¯s even more so because you can¡¯t reveal your existence. The soldiers would fall in love with you in an instant if we could praise you as a young hero.¡±


    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t reveal myself anyway. Plus, I¡¯ve already told you that I don¡¯t care about being praised.¡±


    Juan¡¯s existence could never be publicly announced¡ªat least for the time being. The Order of the Evil Snake was still chasing him, and H had been asked by the capital to capture Juan. It was obvious that people would immediately be suspicious of Juan in such a situation if they heard a story praising the achievements of a young man with ck hair.


    ¡°Come to think of it, why would you call me a celebrity when no one even knows of my identity?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°Oh, of course, no one can stop the rumors from spreading little by little. There are plenty of people who have big mouths. It can¡¯t be helped even if I sew their lips together. You¡¯re not famous enough to be called a celebrity, but I heard rumors about you are already spreading elsewhere.¡±


    ¡°Elsewhere?¡±


    ¡°Where I can¡¯t control anyone¡¯s mouth. I¡¯m talking about the northeastern rebels.¡±

 Chapter 110 – The Warriors of Arbalde (1)

    <h4>Chapter 110 ¨C The Warriors of Arbalde (1)</h4>


    Juan clicked his tongue.


    ¡°Then the rumors will spread even more quickly; after all, those bastards never shut their mouths.¡±


    ¡°I agree. ording to the intelligence report I received, rumors about ¡®the ck-haired beast who spews out mes and can melt all the weapons¡¯ spread almost instantly. Do you happen to know fire-breathing techniques?¡± H asked.


    ¡°Something like that. What¡¯s the possibility that these rumors will be a problem in the future?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d say it¡¯s very low. The rumors are only spreading among the rebels anyway. The rebels who have been encroached upon by the Crack are the enemies of the Church, and they are also the enemies of the Imperial Army. There¡¯s no way the Church and the Imperial Army will trust those rumors,¡± H exined.


    Juan nodded his head.


    The story of the ck-haired beast would remain unknown to the rest of the empire unless the Church and the Imperial Army were colluding with the rebels.


    ***


    The candlelight flickered ominously inside a room in an abandoned building that didn¡¯t even have a ceiling.


    ¡°¡®A ck-haired beast,¡¯ huh? It looks like that bastard got another new nickname associated with him,¡± Suvole, a member of the Order of the Capital spoke in a joyful voice while looking at the map that was ced on the desk in front of him.


    In front of Suvole were two people who looked at him with ufortable expressions. One of them, a man with a ck beard and scarred face, red at Suvole while holding a two-handed axe which was asrge as his body against the floor.


    ¡°You think this is funny? You seem to want to be split in half like the other Imperial soldiers.¡±


    ¡°Of course not. By the way, how long has it been since you polished that ax of yours? It looks so gross that I don¡¯t even want to go near it. What do you think, Velkre? Do you want my blood on your gpole as well?¡± Suvole smiled.


    Velkre, the captain of the Order of the Evil Snake, had an exhausted expression on his face.


    ¡°The only thing I want to do right now is to get out of this disgusting ce as soon as possible. To achieve that I would have to cut off either your neck or that apostate¡¯s neck; however, if I had to choose, I¡¯d rather cut off that apostate¡¯s neck than yours.¡±


    Suvole grinned upon hearing Velkre¡¯s words.


    ¡°I mean, is there anything wrong with Arbalde? It¡¯s not as bad as people make it out to be. The rumors about it are terrible, but it is a ce where people still reside. Don¡¯t you think so too, Sir Urkel? Or should I call you Lord of Arbalde?¡±


    Urkel, the Lord of Arbalde stroked his beard. Soon, his pupils shed with a purple glint and he slightly lifted his ax and mmed it on the floor. In an instant, the smooth stone pavement cracked and shattered into the shape of a spider web.


    However, Suvole didn¡¯t even budge.


    ¡°My apologies, ¡®Revenge King¡¯ Urkel,¡± Suvole added as he shook his hand.


    ¡°Mind your manners, arrogant knight,¡± Urkel warned.


    ¡°Of course. A king is still considered king even if he is just the head of a tribe that barely survived and is a mess,¡± Survole derided.


    Urkel gritted his teeth in anger, but didn¡¯t do anything in the end. While Suvole was a knight of the empire, he was also the only person who provided Urkel with weapons and funds. No one knew why a knight of the empire was supporting the rebels, but the rebels would have long been destroyed if it wasn¡¯t for Suvole¡¯s help. Furthermore, this time around Suvole had brought them an opportunity that could turn the tables in their long war against Duke Henna.


    ¡°Anyway, thanks to the help from the Order of the Evil Snake, we were able to drop Horhell¡¯s dragon from the sky,¡± Suvole said.


    ¡°...But still failed to kill him,¡± Urkel muttered.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that entirely your fault? You couldn¡¯t even find a wounded dragon which only gave rise to the story of the so-called ck-haired beast. Oh, and we can¡¯t forget about Duke Henna¡¯s heroic triumph over your people. Well, whatever¡ªthat¡¯s fine. We were able to find out the whereabouts of the so-called ¡®ck-haired beast,¡¯ so that¡¯s enough of an aplishment. You also gained a benefit, since the dragon won¡¯t be able to move for a while, and at the same time, the Order of the Evil Snake and I gained benefits as well, since we found out about that ck-haired man¡¯s whereabouts. Even Duke Henna won a great victory and a new hero, so everyone gained some benefits.¡±


    ¡°Are you deriding me?!¡±


    At that moment, Suvole mmed the desk with his fist as hard as he could and yelled, ¡°How could I not deride you in this situation! Wouldn¡¯t you do the same if you were put in my shoes? Captain Velkre and I risked both our positions to help you out! But you and your tribe are nothing but a useless bunch of trifles!¡±


    ¡°Fine. If you have that manyints, let¡¯s end our alliance here.¡±


    Urkel lifted his ax and struck down at Survole as soon as he finished speaking.


    At that moment, Velkre¡¯s green gpole suddenly appeared in the way of the ax and twisted the direction it was going. Pieces of shattered stone sprang up everywhere, and with a roar the building was shaken by the strong shock released by the sh between the gpole and the ax.


    Suvole remained motionless while ring at Urkel. Suvole knew that Urkel had no intention of killing him; if he did, even Velkre wouldn¡¯t have been able to withstand an attack from Urkel which he released with all his might.


    ¡°Are you serious, Your Highness, the Revenge King?¡±


    ¡°Do you think that my tribe and I are just dragging our lives simply to live longer? No¡ªwe are doing all this to kill at least one more of you bastards from the empire. We don¡¯t care if we have to submit to the Crack or the devil in order to achieve that goal. Heck, I wouldn¡¯t be at a loss if I cut off your neck right now, especially when I don¡¯t even know what you¡¯re up to.¡±


    Suvole sighed upon hearing Urkel¡¯s words.


    ¡°I think really highly of the desire you and the warriors of Arbalde have¡ªthe desire for revenge. The same goes for your resolve and magnanimity to be able to hold hands with the object of your revenge. But I need you to show me what you are capable of.¡±


    Urkel remained silent this time.


    ¡°You can¡¯t even unify all the warriors of Arbalde under your banner. The Thornbush Priest Organization has been constantly interfering, and your tribe wants to put their survival before revenge. The only reason you were able to somewhat unify them this time around was because Durgal has been destroyed. Am I wrong?¡± Suvole asked.


    Urkel had been leading the rebels for a long time, but his power and authority had reached the limit. The rebels were tired of the entrenched war, and now wanted peace rather than revenge. Furthermore, the Thornbush Priest Organization wanted to draw them all deeper into the Crack. It was only natural for Urkel to be exhausted when he had to walk on a tightrope in between the two.


    The voices of the people calling for a ceasefire were bound to grow louder along with the arrival of the harsh winter. In the midst of all this, the destruction of the territory of Durgal, one of the pirs of the Thornbush Priest Organization, acted as an opportunity for Urkel. The destruction of Dugal raised awareness, and Urkel was finally able to somewhat unify the warriors of Arbalde.


    ¡°Now that we have all settled down, let¡¯s organize our goals once again. Let¡¯s start with Lord Urkel. You want to unite the warriors of Arbalde first, and kill even one more person from the empire. To do so, you epted my support instead of killing me, even when you don¡¯t know what I¡¯m up to.¡±


    ¡°Correct. I can kill you bastards at any time if I really wanted to. Duke Henna would be no match for us if the warriors of Arbalde were united. In fact, I¡¯ve already had many chances to kill her,¡± Urkel said.


    ¡°Captain Velkre of the Order of the Evil Snake. You are chasing after a ck-haired young man named Juan, am I right? Correct me if I¡¯m wrong, but you are looking for a chance to kill him, but are facing difficulty because he is now in the hands of Duke Henna.¡±


    ¡°There would be no reason for me to face apostates like the both of you if it wasn¡¯t for that reason. After all, this was the order given by His Holiness, the Pope,¡± Velkre answered with a firm expression.


    ¡°I admire your faith, Captain Velkre. I agree that one should be willing to make apromise at times. Andstly, me¡­ I want to help you all gain benefits. Lord Urkel will be able to get Duke Henna¡¯s head, and Captain Velkre will be able to pull out Juan¡¯s heart.¡±


    Urkel red at Suvole.


    ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry? What about me?¡±


    ¡°I need to hear what you¡¯re up to. It¡¯s been a long time since you started supporting Arbalde, but this is the first time you¡¯ve shown your face. Not to mention that you¡¯ve even involved a Temr in this meeting. So, I might as well ask while we are facing each other,¡± Urkel said.


    ¡°My reasons aren¡¯t that big, and will not interest you. But let me just say that I want to see Duke Henna going down.¡±


    ¡°...why is that?¡±


    ¡°Because the capital hates her quite a lot. The more the eastern territory is ruined, the better. The eastern territory is already in such ruins, yet it¡¯s still producing talented people and even has an outstandingmander¡ªDuke Henna. The perception of the eastern territory within the capital is that it is ¡®thend of betrayal.¡¯ No one wants such a territory to flourish again,¡± Suvole shrugged.


    Urkel red at Suvole. Suvole¡¯s words meant just one thing¡ªhe was using Urkel as a tool to prevent the eastern territory from prospering. And since Urkel¡¯s interesty in not letting the eastern territory prosper, it was true.


    ¡°I¡¯m very d you¡¯re more interested in revenge than in prosperity, Urkel.¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯ll make sure to cut your throat once I end Duke Henna¡¯s life.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting. But I don¡¯t think Duke Henna is such an easy opponent. Anyway, we¡¯d better move on to the next n, since we won¡¯t be seeing Horhell¡¯s dragon for a while. Everyone seems to be impatient, so let¡¯s hurry.¡±


    Suvole checked something on the map and got ready to go outside. Then, Urkel spoke to him again.


    ¡°Suvole. Come to think of it, you¡¯ve already had several opportunities to kill Duke Henna. She¡¯s even involved with the one who assassinated the emperor. Couldn¡¯t you just kill her if you hate her that much? Why are you still keeping her alive?¡±


    Suvole tilted his head as if he was wondering how to answer Urkel¡¯s question.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it pretty obvious? The reason for keeping Gerard Gain¡¯s bitch alive is to make her suffer. I want her to be in so much pain that she¡¯d rather prefer to die than stay alive. Otherwise, there would be no reason to keep her alive. And who knows? Maybe Gerard Gain will show himself when Duke Henna is on the verge of death. Then the Order of the Capital and the Church will finally be satisfied.¡±


    ***


    The warriormander, Yurban, slightly raised his chin and hummed a song in a low voice. The mountain waspletely quiet, except for the song sung by Yurban and the warriors. The wind blew against the dry branches on a tree that had no leaves; they had been dead for a long time.


    By singing together, Yurban and his warriors felt connected with each other. In fact, things were not as simple as that. Singing that song together had the effect of connecting the warriors to each other via the encroachment of the Crack in their heads. This song, which seemed to have no lyrics, embodied the name of the master of the Crack. The more his name was called, the greater the encroachment of the Crack inside them became. Once the encroachment of the crack was strong enough, the master of the Crack granted them even stronger powers.


    ¡°Yurban.¡±


    Yurban turned his head when he heard someone calling his name. Ergil, the vicemander of the warriors, was here.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better to stop singing for a while? There might be an ambush,¡± Ergil said.


    ¡°Ambush?¡± Yurban asked back in curiosity while looking around at the surroundings.


    It made sense that there might be an ambush, since the warriors were passing through a canyon. However, this was an unfamiliar concept to the warriors of Arbalde.


    ¡°Then shouldn¡¯t we just sing louder? We are not just some vigers, but we are the warriors of Arbalde. Let¡¯s sing and praise his name louder instead,¡± Yurban suggested.


    ¡°No, I mean¡­ isn¡¯t our goal to loot some goods tost us through the winter, and not to fight? So let¡¯s just¡­¡±


    ¡°So what? It¡¯d be nice to hunt and bring back the heads of those bastards from the Imperial Army while we are looting. Or are you suggesting that the Imperial bastards are stronger than the power that master has granted us?¡±


    Ergil red at Yurban. Ergil was a warrior who trained himself to be strong enough so that he didn¡¯t have to sing as loudly as the other warriors. Of course, being a warriormander, Yurban was much stronger than Ergil. But, Yurban was only better than Ergil despite his younger age andck of training due to just one simple reason¡ªYurban sang the song of the Crack non-stop, praising the name of the master of the Crack so much that he would even sing in his sleep.


    ¡°What I¡¯m trying to say is¡­ we should watch out and move more cautiously, considering the rumor about the ck-haired beast. Three of our warrior divisions are down already. We should at least send the guards ahead of time to¡­¡±


    ¡°The reason those divisions were defeated was because, just like you, they only thought about hiding and sneaking around. They wouldn¡¯t have lost if they called out master¡¯s name with a louder voice,¡± Yurban clicked his tongue.


    ¡°If we could win just by simply calling out master¡¯s name, then why have we not yet captured Beldeve?¡± Ergil shot back.


    At that moment, Yurban grabbed Ergil by the cor and lifted him up in the air. The march of the warriors stopped when two of their leaders suddenly shed. Yurban¡¯s physique was much smallerpared to Ergil, but Yurban easily lifted Egil¡¯s body to knee level with just one hand. At the same time, Yurban¡¯s eyes shed purple in anger.


    ¡°It¡¯s all because of punks like you. We would be wiping out not only the eastern territory, but the entire empire if the bastards in the south were just as good as us warriors of Arbalde. Let the enemies try to ambush us as much as they want. How would it be fun if they couldn¡¯t find us just because we were walking around quietly? I¡¯d rather fight them.¡±


    Yurban roughly threw Ergil to the ground. The march resumed while Ergil was still copsed on the ground, and Yurban sang the song even louder than before.


    Ergil looked at Yurban with dejected eyes. Then, someone approached Ergil to help him up¡ªit was one of the young warriors.


    ¡°Warrior Ergil, are you all right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m all right¡­ but may I ask you to do me a favor? Go and do some reconnaissance in the canyon with yourrades. Passing through this path without reconnaissance just doesn¡¯t sit right with me,¡± Ergil ordered.


    The young warrior nodded and climbed the hillside with hisrades.


    When the young warrior was halfway up the hillside, something suddenly appeared on the canyon.


    Then, the young warrior¡¯s head was crushed by arge stone in an instant.

 Chapter 111 – The Warriors of Arbalde (2)

    <h4>Chapter 111 ¨C The Warriors of Arbalde (2)</h4>


    ¡°There¡¯s an ambush!¡± Ergil shouted in a loud voice as soon as he witnessed the young warrior¡¯s sudden death.


    The warriors of Arbalde were busy dodging and protecting themselves from the pile of falling stones, but Yurban drew his dual swords and bounced off the rocks falling in front of him. A loud roar echoed throughout the mountain. This was a roar that only those whose minds had been encroached upon by the Crack could understand. Upon hearing the roar, the warriors immediately regained theirposure and prepared for battle.


    ¡°Come out, you Imperial bastards! Your fattened skins will be useful to us, allowing us tost through the winter!¡± Yurban shouted.


    ¡°You might be a little disappointed if what you want is our skin.¡±


    A mocking voice replied to Yurban¡¯s shout from the top of the mountain. At the same time, arrows poured down on the warrior division. The warriors barely managed to avoid the rocks that were slowly rolling toward them, but it was impossible for them to dodge all the arrows fiercely pouring down on them.


    The warriors crawling up the hillside were soon stabbed by the arrows and rolled down the hill. Only a few were able to hide behind the rocks and the bodies of theirrades.


    ¡°How long are you going to continue with this cowardly move?!¡± Yurban shouted as he blocked another arrow.


    ¡°Can someone please pierce that noisy bastard¡¯s neck and shut him up?¡±


    Arrows were shot toward the spot where Yurban was standing one after another. No matter how strong Yurban was with the power granted by the Crack, he had no way to deal with this kind of barrage. Being unable to hold out, Yurban lifted a heavy rock and threw it toward the people who were ambushing them. But, the people ambushing them dodged the rock with ease.


    Yurban continued to throw more rocks one after another, but no one was hit; after all, Yurban couldn¡¯t even see the enemies properly. Even so, Yurban didn¡¯t stop and continued to throw the rocks, even the one which the warriors were hiding behind.


    ¡°Yurban! If you throw all the rocks¡­¡±


    As soon as Ergil shouted, an arrow pierced through Yurban¡¯s cheek.


    <i>Swoosh!</i>


    <i>Swoosh!</i>


    <i>Swoosh!</i>


    More and more arrows pierced through Yurban¡¯s body one after another. Despite his injuries, Yurban stood firm as he either broke or pulled out the arrows which had pierced through his body.


    ¡°Come on out, you sons of bitches! It seems to me that you all can only fight fair and justly against unarmed people! Nothing has changed from the time when you all attacked Arbalde!¡±


    The arrows stopped at once. Ergil wondered if the enemies had been persuaded by Yurban¡¯s words, but he soon realized that wasn¡¯t the case as soon as he saw someone sliding down the cliff to approach the warriors.


    ¡°It seems that among all my men there are none who can shut your mouth. Or maybe they just don¡¯t mind your annoying shouts, since they are all wearing earplugs.¡±


    It was a ck-haired young man who appeared in front of the warriors.


    Yurban¡¯s heart began to pound faster than ever upon seeing the young man¡¯s hair color. The rumors about the ck-haired beast had already spread among the warriors of Arbalde. Yurban couldn¡¯t hide his excitement; he thought that he would be treated as a real warrior rather than just a child who got stronger by shouting his master¡¯s name if he brought back the neck of the ck-haired beast.


    ¡°ck-haired beast! Let¡¯s have a duel! A fight to death!¡±


    ¡°A duel?¡±


    ¡°Yes! It must be your first time fighting against a real warrior of Arbalde, huh? Be prepared, for I¡¯m on a whole new levelpared to the vigers you killed at the valleyst time! Is that short sword your only weapon? I¡¯ll lend you one of my dual swords if you want. I don¡¯t want anyone saying that I won unjustly.¡±


    Juan simply stared back at Yurban with his arms crossed¡ªJuan¡¯s careless attitude bothered Yurban.


    ¡°No, I think you¡¯re misunderstanding something¡­¡±


    Even before Juan could finish his sentence, Yurban once again opened his mouth.


    ¡°You and I met here because of fate, and one of us will die here! There is no misunderstanding!¡±


    Yurban began to sing in a loud voice. He could feel the power of the Crack filling his body.


    ¡®<i>I be a true warrior with this power. I will avenge those brothers of mine who were murdered helplessly!¡¯</i>


    Yurban broke out a long roar.


    At that moment, Juan ran wildly toward Yurban and stuck his finger in Yurban¡¯s mouth. Then, Juan pushed his finger all the way to the side without hesitation.


    Yurban couldn¡¯t figure out what had just happened. But for some reason, he was looking in the opposite direction. Then he saw Juan still standing there.


    ¡°Did you think I came down here to fight <i>you</i>?¡± Juan snorted.


    Yurban stumbled with his neckpletely turned the other way, then soon copsed to the ground helplessly. Juan didn¡¯t even need to draw his short sword to kill Yurban.


    The remaining warriors silently looked at Yurban¡¯s body and then a hostile expression covered their faces as they turned to Juan.


    Juan wasn¡¯t surprised at their reactions since all the people he had met so far had been hostile to him. Ordinary people usually lost their will to fight and surrendered when Juan showed them his overwhelming power, but the warriors of Arbalde were different¡ªthey never stopped until they died.


    Then someone from the back raised his hand and stood up.


    ¡°I¡¯m Ergil, the vicemander of the warriors. I wish to surrender.¡±


    ***


    Beldeve was once again excited at the news of capturing the warriors of Arbalde.


    In just a few days, the fourth division had destroyed a total of three divisions of the warriors of Arbalde. The punishment unit led by Juan capturing the vicemander of the warriors was the peak of their victory.


    However, there was no celebration for the victory this time around; not only was wintering, it had also not been that long after the celebration for Horhell¡¯s rescue. Instead, H gave the punishment unit plenty of alcohol and meat as a reward.


    This time, only Juan and the members of the punishment unit were invited for security purposes.


    ¡°This guy captured the warriors of Arbalde! He even got the vicemander!¡±


    H raised her ss high andughed out loud with her arm around the back of Juan¡¯s neck. Juan was rather surprised to see how excited H was¡ªsuch a reaction was unexpected, since H normally made only cynical and violent remarks.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that impressive. They were just a bunch of crazy guys who were singing. It¡¯d be weird if I couldn¡¯t capture them,¡± Juan shrugged.


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s impressive. Only a few of the warriors of Arbalde have ever been captured alive until now. It might not have been an issue for you, but it¡¯s difficult to capture them since most of them are crazy about the Crack. Did you remember to gag them?¡± H asked.


    ¡°Yes. Hury told me that we must gag them no matter what.¡±


    ¡°Good job. Things getplicated if we let them keep singing or calling out that name,¡± H giggled and drank from her ss.


    There wasn¡¯t enough meat and the alcohol was too strong, since the fourth division also had limited supplies just like the rebels. Everyone was simply enjoying the atmosphere. However, H seemed to be getting drunk a little too fastpared to the others.


    ¡°A name¡­e to think of it, I heard a story that people get stronger the more they call out that name. What¡¯s that all about? One of the guys I killed earlier today was much stronger than normal warriors. Was he able to get that strong just by calling out that name as well?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°Stop trying to find out about the details. I¡¯ve seen many people who found out the details about the Crack one by one like that and had their minds encroached upon by it before they even knew it. I heard that something appears in your dream and tells you a ¡®name¡¯ once your mind has been encroached upon by the Crack to a certain extent. But there¡¯s no point trying to find out about that name since each person hears a different name. There was a fool among the soldiers who tried to get stronger by muttering a random name he got off of the rumor,¡± H exined.


    ¡°It looks to me like you know too many details.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m at quite a high risk of having my mind encroached upon by the Crack,¡± H said as she waved the stump of right arm. ¡°However, it¡¯s hard to find anyone who hates the Crack as much as I do. I¡¯m walking a tightrope, just counting on that. For your information, I have ordered Horhell to cut off my neck if he ever sees me muttering a strange name.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re such a difficult superior,¡± Juan clicked his tongue.


    ¡°It¡¯s certain that Horhell has bad luck when ites to his superiors. And my soldiers¡­ well, maybe they¡¯ll be able to catch their breath now. We¡¯ve all been very happy these days. It¡¯s all thanks to you, cutie.¡±


    H stuck out her lips and jumped on Juan as if she was about to give him a kiss, but her attempt failed as Juan backed away in disgust.


    Innread dot".


    ¡°Which do you think is worse, the insult of a superior or disobedience of orders?¡± H jokingly shouted with an angry look.


    ¡°How about¡­ sexual assault?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ important. Ok. I¡¯ll restrain myself. Anyway, your men in the punishment unit did quite a good job this time as well. What do you think? Are you satisfied with them?¡± H asked.


    ¡°They¡¯re slightly better than the ordinary soldiers for now. But the fact that there¡¯s no one being disobedient is quite satisfying. I think they¡¯ll get much better as long as they don¡¯t neglect their training.¡±


    ¡°They can¡¯t settle for being decent,¡± H murmured with a serious face despite being drunk. ¡°If you really are going to train them, try to make them the best. Pavan, that asshole was so good at the Baltic Sword that he could even hold out against Horhell in a spar¡­ I wish I could have another genius like that. If only I had just one guy like him next to me¡­¡±


    ¡®<i>Pavan, huh.</i>¡¯


    Juan remembered his name quite clearly. As far as Juan knew, Pavan was the captain of the Order of the Capital. Hearing H¡¯s words, it seemed that H had once trained Pavan. Juan was once again convinced of her intentions which he had already been suspecting.


    ¡°You want me to stay here to help you out,¡± Juan muttered.


    ¡°Yeah, so what?¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to a knight order in the eastern territory?¡±


    ¡°...you¡¯re quick-witted. Yes, I am trying to do just that. I¡¯m assuming you already know that there is no knight order in the eastern territory. It¡¯s been my cherished dream for a long time¡ªto build a decent army in the East. The reason why we don¡¯t have one in the eastern territory is partly because of the Order of Lindwurm, but also because of the fact that Pavan Peltere, that son of a bitch, took all of my knight apprentices away.¡±


    Juan nodded his head; he figured that Pavan taking away all the knight apprentices had to have been a fatal blow for H, who had invested all of her resources in training the knights.


    ¡°I taught Pavan ever since he had been nothing, but he took all hisrades when he left for the capital. Yes, it¡¯s only natural for people to want to get ahead and seed. I also understand that he wanted to escape from the dangerous battlefield and live afortable life in the capital. And I can also understand wanting to get the honor of being the captain of the Order of the Capital¡­ but I couldn¡¯t forgive him for one thing¡ªleaving me behind just to kiss Barth Baltic¡¯s ass.¡±


    H gritted her teeth as if she was angry just by thinking about it.


    ¡°I lost a lot of talented individuals whom I had trained at that time. If it wasn¡¯t for Pavan stealing them away, the civil war would have been over a long time ago. The eastern territory would have had a knight order and it would have had the opportunity to wash away thebel of being nd of betrayal.¡¯ But now¡­ I don¡¯t know. Would I be able to see that scene in this lifetime?¡±


    Juan didn¡¯t answer, but H already knew his answer. At this point, H was too old to nurture a knight order, and she could tell that Juan had no intention of staying at Beldeve for a long time.


    H smiled bitterly and leaned her head on Juan¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Well, it seems like there''s a guy who¡¯s fallen for the wrong man again this time.¡±


    H¡¯s words clearly hinted at something. Juan could immediately tell who H was talking about.


    ¡®<i>She¡¯s talking about Horhell.</i>¡¯


    Horhell did not openly show his favor for Juan, but he was not very good at hiding it either. Most people seemed to interpret it as him simply being grateful to the one who saved his life, but H seemed to think otherwise.


    H was a quick-witted woman.


    ¡°You seduced the punishment unit and one of my centurions in less than a week since you came to Beldeve. What a fatal man you are, huh? So who¡¯s next? I bet the entire fourth division will fall for you just in half a year. But it''s only fair. A young hero is better than an old, scrawny grandmother, both on the battlefield and in leading the eastern territory.¡±


    ¡°H.¡±


    H drank the alcohol in her ss.


    ¡°Whatever. But Juan, please don¡¯t betray me. I¡¯ve had enough betrayals in my life¡­ Gerard¡¯s betrayal alone was too much for me to handle.¡±


    Thest words muttered by H were close to a quiet whisper, but Juan could hear her clearly. It was hard for Juan to even swallow a gulp, but he could answer H¡¯s request with confidence.


    ¡°I won¡¯t. Both you and I have already suffered too much betrayal,¡± Juan said as he nodded.


    H stared at Juan for a while, then stood up. Standing on the railing of an old wall in a fierce wind, H looked like she might fall at any second. The prosperity and stability of the entire eastern territory depended on her narrow and scrawny shoulders. And those were things that the eastern territory has not had in nearly half a century.


    H took a deep breath. Juan wondered if she was going to shout something out loud, but she stayed still for a long time and exhaled.


    Then H got down from the railing again.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna go.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t drink too much.¡±


    Instead of answering Juan, H threw her ss down the railing. Then her steps suddenly stopped as she was going down the stairs.


    ¡°Come to think of it, Horhell said something strange about you.¡±


    ¡°About me?¡±


    Horhell had sworn allegiance to Juan when he found out about his identity. Juan recalled that he had never asked Horhell to keep his identity a secret or asked him to keep his mouth shut. It wouldn¡¯t be so strange if Horhell mentioned Juan¡¯s identity to H as a show of his remaining allegiance to H.


    ¡°ording to Horhell, you¡­ no, nevermind. Forget about it.¡±


    H went down the wall without looking back.


    Juan¡¯s hair blew in the wind.

 Chapter 112 – The Warriors of Arbalde (3)

    <h4>Chapter 112 ¨C The Warriors of Arbalde (3)</h4>


    The underwater prison of Beldeve was different from the prisons in other territories. The underwater prison which was known to have been built for non-human races such as beasts was not only huge in size, but it was difficult to enter as well. Even the warriors of Arbalde who weren¡¯t afraid of fighting the Imperial Army feared the underwater prison.


    Ergil and his warriors were currently locked up in the famous underwater prison. They were all only restrained with a gag and simple handcuffs, and there were no guards monitoring them. However, none of the warriors considered escaping.


    This underwater prison didn¡¯t require guards to monitor the prisoners; the way down was a sheer cliff with thick walls capable of withstanding even the attacks of a dragon, and there were rough waves all around. The underwater prison was located even further below in an underwater cave and was made up of air bubbles maintained by magic. Every prisoner trapped in the underwater prison trembled with fear as they breathed in the salty air and imagined the enormous amount of seawater ready to engulf them at any time.


    The warriors took a nce at Ergil. Ergil was now themander of the warriors; after all, it was certain that Yurban was dead. The warriors couldn¡¯t understand why Ergil decided to surrender without even attempting to fight back¡ªit was obvious that the Imperial Army would kill them anyway, since the warriors had been encroached upon by the Crack already. The warriors thought that even if the Imperial Army locked them up for now to dig out some information about the Crack, the Imperial Army would definitely kill them all once they were no longer useful.


    The warriors had decided to follow theirmander¡¯s judgment for the time being, but they were beginning to grow impatient upon seeing Ergil not take any action.


    Then the warriors heard the sound of bubbles. Soon after, water poured down from the ceiling and the magic bubble of the underwater prison slowly opened. An iron box then descended from the gap. The warriors anxiously watched the seawater soaking the floor of the prison, but the water stopped pouring as soon as the iron box passed through the gap.


    ¡°You bastards must be hungry, right? Her Grace said that she will interrogate you all herself in a little while, so you¡¯d better fill your stomachs and prepare yourselves.¡±


    Three Imperial soldiers walked out of the iron box. That iron box which was fastened with iron chains was the only thing that connected the underwater prison and Beldeve. The soldiers put down bowls of porridge boiled with who knows what in front of all the warriors.


    ¡°Wait. Come to think of it, these guys are gagged. How are they supposed to eat then?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay to take it off of them for a while. I bet they won¡¯t even have the time to utter anything while they¡¯re eating. Did you hear that, bastards? I¡¯ll make sure you eat with your nose if you utter even the slightest nonsense.¡±


    The soldiers took off the gags from the warriors¡¯ mouths one by one and began to feed them the porridge. They usually let the prisoners feed themselves, but Duke Henna had ordered them to make sure that they fed these warriors with their own hands.


    The warriors were able to fill their stomachs one by one. The porridge didn¡¯t taste great, but even this was a rarity in the northeast where the supplies were low.


    It wasn¡¯t long before it was Ergil¡¯s turn. As the soldier was taking off the gag from Ergil¡¯s mouth, he suddenly saw something strange in Ergil¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Huh? Wait a minute. What are you hiding in your mouth?¡±


    The soldier tried to pry open Ergil¡¯s mouth with force, but Ergil refused to open his mouth. The soldier called out to hisrades in a hurry.


    ¡°Hey, everyonee here for a second. I think he¡¯s hiding something in his mouth.¡±


    ¡°What? Is he hiding a razor under his tongue to cut the gag or something?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not a razor¡­ hold him still for a second.¡±


    The soldiers held both of Ergil¡¯s arms and forced his mouth open.


    The moment Ergil¡¯s mouth opened, a purple tentacle suddenly stretched out and grabbed the head of the soldier in front of him. Then the soldier¡¯s body drooped with a grotesque sound even before he could let out a scream.


    ¡°W-what the hell is going on!¡±


    The soldiers who were restraining Ergil¡¯s arms panicked and tried to draw their swords in a hurry. At that moment, the tentacle spun around with a swooshing sound. The soldiers were instantly thrown at the wall and then fell down, motionless.


    Ergil stood up with the thick tentacle wriggling out of his mouth, which was opened so wide that it almost looked as if it was about to tear. The warriors watched the sight in disbelief. Although Ergil hadn¡¯t been granted a lot of powers from the Crack, he was a sincere warrior. No one had imagined that Ergil would have such a side¡ªErgil himself was a creature of the Crack.


    Then Ergil simply broke the handcuffs with ease using his tentacles and walked toward the iron box. Ergil carefully examined the iron box, but soon paused; he didn¡¯t know how to use the iron box to rise back up to the surface.


    In order for the iron box to be pulled back up, its iron chain had to be shaken in a certain way; it was a precaution against a situation where the prisoners managed to rebel¡ªand there was no way Ergil could know such a fact.


    Ergil jumped onto the roof of the iron box and began to climb up the chain connected to the box. The warriors recognized Ergil¡¯s intentions and immediately tried to stop him by screaming and shouting, but they still had a gag in their mouths.


    Escaping the underwater prison wasn¡¯t easy. Even if the prisoners sessfully escaped the bubble made with magic, they would be crushed under the tremendous water pressure or be swept away by the fierce ocean currents and be drowned to death.


    Despite the concerns of the warriors, Ergil tried to climb up and rip the bubble magic open by force. He swung his tentacles when something transparent and stic blocked him¡ªthe purple tentacle easily pierced the bubble.


    The warriors screamed in panic upon seeing the seawater starting to pour over them. Nevertheless, Ergil silently grabbed the iron chain and climbed up without looking back at his warriors.


    It took less than a minute for the bubble to bepletely filled with seawater after the bubble was torn by Ergil. In the blink of an eye, the warriors were drowned to death in the dark and salty sea.


    At the same time, a purple tentacle crept up from the depths of the sea toward Beldeve with malice and murderous intent.


    ***


    The waves grew rough as the winter wind fiercely blew toward Beldeve.


    H was walking along the wall and noticed the unusual sound of the rushing waves. However, H believed that the reason why she felt it to be unusual was due to the anxiety that still lingered somewhere in her mind¡ªalthough H was happy due to the continuous string of good news that had been brought back to her by Juan, it was hard for her to bepletely relieved.


    Good news had always been followed by the bad news throughout H''s life. Not only did the assassination of the emperor take ce shortly after Gerard Gain had proposed to her, but arge number of her disciples including Pavan left for the capital when she was about to wrap up their training and create a knight order.


    H shook her head.


    ¡®<i>Don¡¯t think too much, H. You don¡¯t have much time left anyway. You don¡¯t need to do everything all over again if things go wrong¡ªyou can just die now.</i>¡¯


    Whether she ended up falling or crashing, it was time for her to run and never look back.


    Interrogation of the warriors captured by Juan was her top priority right now. H hoped to find out the information about the ns of the Revenge King Urkel through the interrogation, which would allow her to attack him throughout the winter.


    ¡®It¡¯s better to think about even one more question to ask the warriors rather than paying attention to the sound of the waves.¡¯


    Then came the urgent sound of footsteps¡ªit was Sina Solvane. She approached H with a short breath.


    ¡°There you are, Your Grace. I¡¯ve been looking for you.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°I heard you caught some of the rebels. If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d like to join you during the interrogation. Would that be all right?¡±


    H frowned upon hearing Sina¡¯s request. While H¡¯s evaluation of Sina wasn¡¯t bad, the warriors were valuable prisoners. H felt that it wouldn¡¯t be right for her to draw an outsider too deeply into the affairs of the eastern territory.


    The moment H was just about to open her mouth to decline Sina¡¯s request, H¡¯s head turned toward the waves. The sound of the waves was definitely stranger and more abnormal than usual. The sound of the waves wasing from too close, to the extent that it was hard to believe H and Sina were standing on the wall.


    <i>Ssh!</i>


    At that moment, a purple tentacle suddenly soared up from the sea. The seawater sshed against the wall, and a manpletely soaked in seawater climbed up the railing of the wall.


    H stared nkly at the man who reeked with a fishy stench. She couldn¡¯t tell if what she was seeing was a dream or a reality.


    The man who crawled up from the sea looked at H while the purple tentacle which reced his tongue hung out of his mouth. The man puffed his mouth for a short second, gasping for air. Then he called out


    ¡°H Henna.¡±


    ¡°Your Grace!¡±


    <i>Whip!</i>


    In a blink of an eye, a tentacle swept away the two guards who had been standing beside H to the side. One of the guards screamed as he fell over the wall and disappeared into the raging waves.


    The tentacle then wrapped itself around H¡¯s body as soon as the guards were out of the way. With a cracking sound, H¡¯s only arm broke.


    At that moment, Sina had immediately drawn her sword and attacked the tentacles. A ck fluid sttered from the tentacles, but it was toote.


    Upon realizing that Sina was not an easy opponent, Ergil threw H into the sea.


    Seeing that, Sina screamed. ¡°No!¡±


    From such a height, the surface of the sea would be no different from a stone pavement. She would immediately lose consciousness and drown in an instant even if she managed to survive the fall.


    Sina struggled to reach out and grab H, but her hand couldn¡¯t reach H.


    Meanwhile, H looked at the outer walls of the fortress of Beldeve from her position in the air. H had never seen the fortress of Beldeve from this angle before. Thest thing H remembered before falling into the raging waves was the regret of never asking Horhell to take her for a ride on his dragon.


    ***


    At the moment H encountered Ergil, Juan was far away from the walls, on the other side of the castle. Nevertheless, Juan immediately used Blink to get to H as soon as he sensed an unusual sign¡ªbut he wasn¡¯t fast enough to stop H from falling into the sea.


    ¡°H!¡±


    Juan shouted and clung to the railing of the wall. Dark blue waves raged on the surface of the sea, but H was nowhere to be seen. Juan slowly turned his head with a cold look in his eyes. A man whose body was fused with wriggling purple tentacles was caught in Juan¡¯s eyes. Although the man had a strange figure, Juan could immediately recognize him at a nce¡ªit was a warrior named Ergil whom Juan had captured with his own hands.


    Juan¡¯s eyes sparkled with anger upon realizing that Ergil had purposely allowed himself to be caught in order to infiltrate Beldeve. Juan gritted his teeth.


    ¡°You wanted more blood even after the deaths of so many of your people?¡± Juan said as he drew his short sword.


    The tentacles continued wriggling, and then Ergil released arger tentacle from his body. A tentacle that was evenrger than Ergil¡¯s entire body soared into the sky. A loud murmur and disturbance could be heard from below the walls due to everyone noticing Ergil.


    Juan¡¯s cold eyes stared directly at Ergil without flinching even once.


    ¡°I see. Nienna must have been too gentle. I¡¯ll make sure that I don¡¯t leave a single one of you alive this time around,¡± Juan said as he bounced forward.


    Ergil immediately dodged and swung his huge tentacle to sweep away everything on the wall.


    Sina quickly rolled back and barely managed to dodge the tentacle. It was obvious that Juan and Sina would be thrown into the sea if they were hit by the tentacle¡¯s attack.


    ¡°Juan!¡±


    Sina looked for Juan in a hurry, but she couldn¡¯t find him anywhere. The moment Sina thought he might have been swept away by the tentacle, Juan appeared behind Ergil¡¯s back.


    At the same time, a few of Ergil¡¯s fingers were cut off by Juan¡¯s short sword.


    Ergil hastily swung his tentacles toward the direction where Juan was. However, Ergil somehow ended up dropping down on one knee instead of catching Juan with his tentacles. Ergil¡¯s eyes widened upon realizing that his lower left knee was gone.


    The same thing happened again and again very quickly. In Sina¡¯s eyes, it seemed as if Ergil¡¯s body was slowly but surely being ground down. Starting from his fingers, toes, hands and then torso, Ergil was getting ¡®shorter.¡¯ Ergil¡¯s tentacles weren¡¯t able to touch Juan even once. Being unable to hold out, Ergil finally uttered a painful cry. But Juan continued to mutte Ergil¡¯s body with his short sword in a calm and collected manner.


    Sina bit her lips upon figuring out Juan¡¯s intention¡ªhe was torturing Ergil. Based on Juan¡¯s skills and abilities, he could have easily ended Ergil¡¯s life almost instantly a long time ago¡ªbut he did not.


    Ergil lost all his limbs and fell onto the wall. Nevertheless, he stretched out his tentacles toward Sina as if he thought that taking her hostage was thest resort. But Sina was not as weak as he thought and was not subdued by such a simple attack.


    Sina widened the distance between herself and Ergil as she split the tentacles approaching her in half.


    Only then did Juan grab Ergil¡¯s chin and tear out the protruding tentacles. Juan shoved his hand deep into Ergil¡¯s throat with a cold smile.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be begging me to send you to hell rather than keeping you alive very soon.¡±

 Chapter 113 – The Warriors of Arbalde (4)

    <h4>Chapter 113 ¨C The Warriors of Arbalde (4)</h4>


    Ergil¡¯s throat began to glow red due to heat and started emitting smoke. Then, with a sizzling sound, Juan slowly pulled out his hand. A thick tentacle was dragged out of Ergil¡¯s mouth along with the smell of burning flesh.


    ¡°Juan!¡±


    At that moment, Sina grabbed Juan by his arm in a hurry, causing Juan to stare at her with freezing-cold eyes. Sina couldn¡¯t even gulp due to fear, but she didn¡¯t let go of Juan¡¯s arm.


    ¡°You can¡¯t kill him now. We still have a lot of information to find out from him.¡±


    An ordinary person would have already died a time ago when Juan violently mutted their body with a short sword. But Ergil was still alive and trembling.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you have told me that when he was still a little more intact?¡± Juan replied coldly.


    Sina remained silent. While Sina also sympathized with Juan¡¯s feelings to some extent when he was mutting Ergil, Ergil was a valuable prisoner that H had been trying to capture for so long.


    ¡°He can be the proof needed to prove that the rebels are directly rted to the Crack,¡± Sina said.


    Juan closed his mouth. To be honest, Juan wondered what such proof had to do with anything.


    ¡®<i>What if the rebels are rted to the Crack? Is the Imperial Army going toe and subjugate them?</i>¡¯


    Regardless of the Imperial Army¡¯s actions, Juan had decided to kill all the rebels. But Juan let go of Ergil¡¯s tentacles for the time being. The tentacles helplessly drooped down.


    Juan looked at thepletely burnt tentacles which were no longer able to move and muttered. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    However, the reason why Juan spared Ergil¡¯s life wasn¡¯t because of Sina¡¯s words.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to kill him so quickly.¡±


    ***


    Beldeve was turned upside down at the news of H Henna falling over the wall. Even Horhell who had been recuperating, jumped at the shocking news. Meanwhile, Sina Solvane and one of the two guards who witnessed the incident and survived called for the soldiers to search for traces of H in the sea.


    Despite all their efforts to find H, no one expected her to be alive. So, some people chose to pay a visit to Ergil instead of looking for H¡ªHorhell was one of them.


    ¡°I heard that the culprit who murdered Duke Henna was here.¡±


    Horhell¡¯s eyes were bloodshot. Horhell rarely showed any emotions, but even he couldn¡¯t help but lose control of his emotions at the tragic news of his master¡¯s death, who he had been relying on for a long time.


    Juan stared at Horhell and the few other soldiers for a while, and then opened the door for them.


    ¡°I was just about to start. You can do whatever you want to him.¡±


    Horhell and the soldiers entered the room with a murderous look. Inside the small room Ergil was tightly tied to a chair.


    <i>Gasp.</i>


    The soldiers¡¯ faces turned pale upon seeing Ergil¡¯s current condition. Some of them stared at Ergil for a while, then ran out to vomit against the wall. The soldiers were usually confident enough to say that they were immune to seeing violent sights, since they had a lot of experience on the battlefield. However, they had never seen someone in such a terrible state before. The worst part was that Ergil still seemed to be breathing.


    ¡°Are you sure he¡¯s still alive?¡± Horhell asked.


    ¡°What would be the point of torturing a corpse? Of course he¡¯s alive,¡± Juan answered.


    ¡°How did you even¡­ no, nevermind. I¡¯d rather not ask.¡±


    ¡°Okay. So what are you going to do? Are you going to help me deal with this bastard or help Sina to try and find H?¡±


    Few of the soldiers seemed to be trying their best to endure and watch. However, they eventually ran out of the room, unable to handle the stench of rotting wounds. The only person left was Horhell.


    ¡°Your subordinates seem to have quite weak stomachs,¡± Juan clicked his tongue.


    ¡°They¡¯ve gotten used to seeing terrible sights like demons and monsters, but I guess this was too much for even them to handle. What¡¯s going on with him right now? Can he even talk?¡± Horhell asked.


    ¡°I used some magic on him, so we don¡¯t need to worry about him moving. I have reconstructed the structure of his mouth, and he still has a clear consciousness. An ordinary human being would¡¯ve already died, but this guy seems to have extraordinary vitality and is familiar with magic as well.¡±


    ¡°That is very much possible if he is a creature of the Crack.¡±


    Juan stood behind Ergil who sat motionlessly. Then he pulled out Talter¡¯s short sword and looked at Horhell.


    ¡°What you¡¯re about to see won¡¯t be too pretty. Are you going to keep watching?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll watch but leave everything else to the expert.¡±


    Juan shrugged and shoved his short sword into the back of Ergil¡¯s head without any hesitation. Ergil¡¯s shoulders trembled, and at the same time a sloppy sound came from the back of his head. He seemed like he wanted to scream, but the only thing that came out of his gagged mouth was a grotesque moan.


    Juan used his bloody hands to pull some unidentified pieces of flesh out of Ergil¡¯s head and dropped them on the floor. Then he cut his own finger with the short sword.


    Horhell frowned, wondering what he was doing. He figured that it would be better to watch for now rather than asking for exnations.


    Juan shoved his hand into the back of Ergil¡¯s head once again, and the sound of Juan¡¯s hand digging into Ergil¡¯s brain terrified even Horhell.


    ¡°There. All done.¡±


    ¡°...May I ask what you just did?¡± Horhell asked.


    ¡°I had tried to make him open his mouth while dragging him to this room. But it seemed like he wouldn¡¯t open his mouth even if I tortured him physically. You know that brainwashing magic doesn¡¯t work on the beings from the Crack, right? So I changed the method a little bit,¡± Juan answered as he condensed mana into his hands.


    Absorbing all the mana, Juan¡¯s fingers became entangled with Ergil¡¯s nerves and began to connect with them quickly. Ergil¡¯s eyes rolled over and his entire body trembled. There was no one inside the room who knew what was going on¡ªand the same was true even for Juan.


    ¡°There was a time when my arm got cut off inside the mouth of a demonic beast at Tantil¡¯s ve colosseum. I eventually killed the demonic beast and absorbed its energy to regenerate my arm. But I¡¯ve always wondered what would happen¡­ if I did the same to someone who is still alive. I am regenerating his nerves using my mana and connecting them to my hand.¡±


    Then, Ergil¡¯s shaking and twitching body stopped moving at once. Juan grinned and whispered in Ergil¡¯s ear.


    ¡°Your name.¡±


    ¡°E¡­Ergil. Ergil Egabail.¡±


    Horhell could no longer hold back his questions. However, as soon as Horhell was about to ask how any of this even made sense, Juan brought his fingers to Ergil¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Rx. I¡¯ve seen someone do something simr to this in Durgal. Sit back and quietly watch.¡±


    Horhell closed his mouth upon hearing Juan¡¯s words.


    ¡°All right, Ergil. What did youe to Beldeve for?¡±


    ¡°Assassinate¡­ H Henna¡­¡±


    ¡°Who ordered you to do it?¡±


    ¡°The Revenge King¡­ Urkel Arbalde¡­¡±


    Juan looked at Horhell. Horhell, who had been quietly listening, added an exnation upon Juan¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°He is the one who leads the warriors of Arbalde. He¡¯s a survivor of the massacre in Arbalde, and he¡¯s the leader of the northeastern rebels.¡±


    ¡°The Revenge King, huh? What a bombastic title. Alright then, what was supposed to happen after you killed H Henna?¡± Juan continued to interrogate Ergil.


    ¡°Escape through the sea¡­¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m talking about Urkel¡¯s purpose. What is his next move? H Henna might be gone, but the Fortress of Beldeve is not a ce you can easily take over.¡±


    Ergil did not open his mouth¡ªit seemed that he genuinely didn¡¯t know of Urkel¡¯s purpose and was not hiding it. Juan figured that it was very likely that Urkel had not informed Ergil in case an unexpected situation arose.


    Juan was disappointed, but he hadn¡¯t expected much in the first ce. It was certain that the rebels sent Ergil to Beldeve, and the purpose was clear; it wasmon for the enemies to assassinate their opponent.


    ¡°Do you have any questions to ask him, Horhell?¡± Juan asked.


    Horhell asked Ergil about the deployment of the enemies and their strategies in a quiet voice. Ergil simply answered what he knew, and didn¡¯t answer what he didn¡¯t know. The whole process was so smooth that Horhell didn¡¯t even feel like he was interrogating Ergil.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say it¡¯spletely useless, but the information he is giving us is nothingpared to the value of Duke Henna,¡± Horhell said.


    ¡°And how to use this information is entirely up to you,¡± Juan shrugged.


    ¡°Let me ask you onest question. Do other warriors have the ability to turn themselves into tentacle monsters like you? Even Urkel?¡± Horhell asked Ergil.


    If that was true, the rebels that the fourth division had been dealing with so far were nothingpared to the real force of the rebels. It was questionable whether the fourth division would even be able to handle one hundred warriors like Ergil.


    Fortunately, Ergil shook his head.


    ¡°No. This is a power given only to the name that was granted to me¡­ A star burning brightly in the Crack gave me this name¡­ The name that is only granted to the Priests of the Thornbush Priest Organization¡­¡±


    Horhell gritted his teeth upon hearing the name of the Thornbush Priest Organization. It was an open secret that the Thornbush Priest Organization was involved with the rebels, but the capital refused to admit it. Now, Ergil would be the only evidence that could prove this fact.


    ¡°Is that so? Then what¡¯s the name given to you?¡± Juan asked mockingly.


    Ergil drooled with nk eyes and opened his mouth.


    ¡°The name given to me is ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡­¡±


    A strange tone that resembled the sound of scratching metal stirred Juan and Horhell¡¯s ears the moment Ergil said the name given to him out loud. It was a sound that could note out of a normal human¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°However, that is nothing more than a fake name. Those who are not chosen receive only fake names¡­¡± Ergil added.


    Juan inadvertently remembered the story H had told him about ¡®the name.¡¯ It was said that the lyrics of the song that the rebels constantly kept singing contained a certain name, and their power became stronger the more they called out the name¡ªand that everyone was given a different name.


    Ergil seemed to be suggesting that all those names were fake.


    ¡°Only the chosen ones like me among those who serve the king can hear the real name¡­ The king of kings who will split the world in half and lead us on a path to destruction,¡± Ergil continued to speak slowly even when Juan didn¡¯t ask him a question.


    And the name muttered by Ergil shortly after was familiar to Juan.


    ¡°...Qzatquizail.¡±


    Juan¡¯s expression stiffened. It was a name he had already heard a few times from the stranger he met in Hiveden, as well as from Celine in Durgal. They were both those who were rted to the Crack.


    ¡°What is Qzatquizail?¡± Juan asked in a calm manner.


    ¡°A dragon so giant, it sprawls dimensions over¡­ Nine heads it has, but only one wears one crown¡­¡±


    Ergil¡¯s words sounded like the stanza of a poem rather than proper answers.


    Juan frowned and realized that he asked the wrong question; it was natural for him to only get an ambiguous answer back when he asked an ambiguous question in a situation where he couldn¡¯t even guess Qzatquizail¡¯s identity. Juan decided to ask a more detailed question.


    ¡°What does Gerard Gain have to do with Qzatquizail?¡±


    Ergil opened his mouth. But what came out of his mouth was not an answer¡ªErgil¡¯s jaw suddenly opened so wide that it almost ripped. It was almost like he was a snake trying to eat an animal bigger than its own size, and thus began to widen his mouth even further. Then his jaw began to turn over as if he was devouring himself.


    Horhell freaked out and stepped back at the gruesome sight he had never seen before, and Juan also pulled his hand out in a hurry. Juan looked at his hands covered in Ergil¡¯s red flesh and nerve bundles.


    Meanwhile, Ergil¡¯s body became smaller and smaller in size as he devoured his own body.


    ¡°No!¡±


    Juan tried to stop Ergil in haste, but he couldn¡¯t stop Ergil¡¯s self-devouring. Ergil¡¯s body was sucked into the empty space that had absolutely nothing inside. Within seconds, his bodypletely disappeared without a trace.


    ***


    Three days after the attack on Duke Henna.


    Sina and the soldiers were soaked in seawater, returning from an overnight search. Their eyes were gloomy due to the exhausting search, and they were trembling due to the fierce winter wind.


    Despite their efforts to search the sea all night, the only thing they were able to find was the corpse of the guard who fell from the wall. Some of the soldiers went to search for Duke Henna by boat; however, only a few still had any hopes left.


    Nevertheless, they constantly searched for Duke Henna and didn¡¯t give up.


    ¡°You look depressed.¡±


    Sina noticed Juan waiting for her in front of her room. Instead of answering, Sina held out something to Juan.


    ¡°This is the eye patch I found today¡ªit might be Duke Henna¡¯s.¡±

 Chapter 114 – The Warriors of Arbalde (5)

    <h4>Chapter 114 ¨C The Warriors of Arbalde (5)</h4>


    Juan looked closely at the eye patch that Sina had handed over to him. The old and shabby eye patch made out of leather hardly looked like it could be an item belonging to a noble. Juan had a feeling that it could be the eye patch of the unfortunate captain of the fishing boat who died in the fierce waves.


    ¡°To be honest, I didn¡¯t think you would be that depressed over the duke''s death. I remember Duke Henna not being very fond of you,¡± Juan said.


    ¡°I would be lying if I told you that I wasn¡¯t upset when she showed hostility toward me. But Duke Henna is a famous person, and I felt a sense of kinship with her since we are both from the Imperial Army. She was a greatmander.¡±


    Although Duke Henna often spoke harshly and acted violently at times, everyone acknowledged her as apetent militarymander. Sina could understand Duke Henna asionally acting out of madness; after all, even Sina herself had a dream about Ossrey and the Order of the Blue Rose just recently.


    ¡°Did you admire her?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°I guess I did. I can¡¯t believe that someone I respected disappeared in just an instant. We couldn¡¯t even find her body¡­ ording to the fisherman who lent us the boat, the current flows toward the archipgo in the winter. So there¡¯s a high possibility that her body is either in the ocean or has sunk to the bottom already.¡±


    ¡°Then we won¡¯t be able to find her.¡±


    ¡°But we did find her eye patch today. So maybe tomorrow¡­ I don¡¯t know. I feel we should at least try our best to find her body and give her a proper funeral.¡±


    ¡°Sina,¡± Juan opened his mouth with a displeased look on his face. ¡°Where do you believe one¡¯s soul is?¡±


    Sina wanted to ask Juan what he was talking about all of a sudden, but Juan¡¯s face was more serious than ever. Sina hesitated, but soon pointed to the left side of her chest.


    ¡°In the heart?¡±


    ¡°Some people say that. Some say that it¡¯s in the head, or somewhere around the navel area, the ce where the mana heart is. Heck, some people from beyond the border think that one¡¯s soul resides in their pillow, while some others believe that it flows in the nasal discharge. Some even say that it¡¯s in the wind. But the truth is that no one really knows. It is certain that everyone has a soul, but no one knows where it is,¡± Juan said as he stretched out his empty hands. ¡°Sina, I¡¯m not talking about a stranger. My corpse is located in the capital.¡±


    Sina closed her mouth.


    ¡°It is said that my glided body is sitting on the eternal throne. But I don¡¯t consider that to be my body at all¡ªthat¡¯s nothing more than a rotting corpse. Some give it authority and even worship it. But I, the owner of the body, think that to bepletely meaningless,¡± Juan said with a firm look on his face.


    ¡°But we still need her body for the funeral and¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you believe that her soul is in her body, somewhere deep in the ocean being eaten by a fish, or do you believe it¡¯s in her beloved eye patch that she wore her whole life? Wouldn¡¯t it make more sense to bury her eye patch politely and solemnly?¡±


    Sina looked at the eye patch withplicated eyes.


    As the search for Duke Henna continued for a long time, the morale of the fourth division had hit rock bottom; the situation on the front line was falling into disarray. Horhell had been taking on the duties of the duke despite his injuries, but his authority as a centurion limited his power.


    Sina realized that Juan was suggesting that the whole vicious cycle muste to an end.


    ¡°Take this to Horhell. Hold Duke Henna¡¯s funeral, and tell him to stop the search. You¡¯ll end up with a few more corpses if you continue to wander around the winter sea.¡±


    ***


    Urkel, who led the northeastern rebels, looked up at the snowy sky through the open ceiling of the abandoned building. Urkel let out a long sigh after hearing the news of Duke Henna¡¯s death. The beginning of a snowfall in the northeastern territory was signaling the beginning of a harsh winter.


    H¡¯s death in the winter was good news for the rebels, since the rebels were running out of food supplies. If the rebels looted Beldeve and the neighborhood surrounding it, they would be able to get more than enough food tost through the winter.


    Of course, that wouldn¡¯t be Urkel¡¯s main purpose behind raiding Beldeve. Urkel¡¯s heart pounded fast at the hope that he could finally achieve revenge for Arbalde. Urkel thought that he would only be satisfied once Beldeve, a fortress city located on the eastern front line, fell into a horrible situation, just like Arbalde.


    ¡°Congrattions, Urkel.¡±


    Suvole stood up first and congratted Urkel upon seeing Urkel remaining silent despite the good news.


    ¡°Finally, that persistent bitch is dead,¡± Urkel muttered briefly instead of answering Suvole.


    Urkel¡¯s voice was neither jolly nor light¡ªit was unknown whether it was due to the death of an old enemy, or due to the regret of being unable to kill her in a dignified way.


    ¡°The empire helped you by not only providing military logistics, but also by neglecting your n to kill Duke Henna at the expense of losing the great talent of the empire. You haven¡¯t forgotten about our deal, have you?¡± Suvole asked with a smile.


    ¡°...of course not.¡±


    Urkel had finally killed his old enemy, but the aftertaste of achieving one of his long-time goals was quite bitter rather than sweet. Suvole, an Imperial soldier, neglected Duke Henna¡¯s life and death when he had been aware of Urkel¡¯s n to assassinate her. Such a situation made Urkel feel unpleasant; it reminded him of the empire¡¯s neglect toward Arbalde''s tragedy.


    Both H and Urkel had been fighting since even before they had wrinkles and gray hair, and they took away each other¡¯s precious people many times.


    Hate sometimes bes affection if it continues for a long time.


    Urkel didn¡¯t understand theplexity and subtlety of such feelings until he heard the news of H¡¯s death. He had been trying to kill H for so long, but couldn¡¯t ept that he was only able to seed with the help of the Imperial Army.


    <i>¡®Perhaps the old days areing to an end.¡¯</i>


    Urkel thought as he looked at Suvole who was still apetent young man. Urkel was well aware of the future that awaited him as well as the warriors of Arbalde¡ªthe rebels who fulfilled their duty and captured Beldeve will be treated as nothing more than a small insurrection. Besides, the Imperial Army wille to prevent the rebel¡¯s forces from growing bigger, considering that the rebels no longer needed to exist to keep Duke Henna in check.


    It was obvious what would happen next. The eastern territory will continue to be in ruins, and it will take at least one hundred years for them to rise again.


    <i>¡®Whatever. That¡¯s none of my business.¡¯</i>


    Urkel had already decided to devote his whole life to getting revenge when the tragedy of Arbalde urred. Urkel thought that dying in the fortress where H had died would be his apology to H for killing her in such an unfair way. He no longer had a reason to live.


    Urkel stood up.


    ¡°Warriors of Arbalde, we will advance to Beldeve. Destroy and sweep everything into the sea.¡±


    ***


    Upon hearing the news of the dragon¡¯s crash as well as the death of Duke Henna, the warriors of Arbalde united under the opinion that now was their best opportunity to attack Beldeve. The snow that had just begun to fall poured heavily, almost as if it was foretelling just how severe the rest of the winter was going to be.


    The vigers joined the expedition to Beldeve as usual, because theycked supplies tost through the harsh winter¡ªit was a perfect opportunity for them to loot supplies.


    All the vigers and warriors of Arbalde stood up all at once and began to march through the snow. Only those who weren''t capable of fighting, such as the elders and the children, as well as a few people who were meant to look after them remained in the vige. A gloomy song started to ring out in a singr note within the huge moving procession.


    ¡°My ears are going to rot,¡± Velkre, the captain of the Order of the Evil Snake,ined as he watched the march from the hill.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be fine as long as you don¡¯t hum along. That¡¯s when the encroachment begins,¡± Suvole answered lightly as if it wasn¡¯t a big deal. ¡°My subordinates¡¯ nerves are also on edge. They might have just started to run wild to kill Urkel if he hadn¡¯t made a move. I¡¯m d that Revenge King finally moved his heavy ass.¡±


    Suvole and Velkre were not very close in terms of their affiliated groups, but they were willing to cooperate with each other at any time for each other¡¯s purposes, while also keeping an eye out for the knife that the other might be hiding behind their back.


    ¡°Be honest with me. Are you the one who instigated this rebellion?¡± Velkre asked, feeling suspicious.


    ¡°I just follow the orders from the capital,¡± Survole shook his head with a smile.


    ¡°You induced internal strife within the eastern territory to make them weaker, endured that the rebels were short on supplies and food before the arrival of winter, got my knight order to drop the dragon, told Urkel that now was his only chance to attack Beldeve and encouraged him to kill H. Are you saying this was all done on orders from the capital?¡± Velkre questioned with cold eyes.


    Suvole looked a little taken aback upon hearing Velkre¡¯s words. Suvole had thought that Velkre was an ordinary Temr, but he was much sharper than expected. Suvole blinked as he realized that Velkre had seen through his n.


    ¡°You¡¯re not the only one setting up things behind the scenes. I have no idea what your role within the Order of the Capital is, but I also have lots of duties to carry out under the surface,¡± Velkre snorted with a grin.


    Suvole took a nce at Velkre¡¯s green gpole. The g had a green background with a ck snake in the middle. Those who aremonly referred to as ¡®Evil Snakes¡¯ were often given missions to deal with the secret orders given by the Pope under the surface. Getting the cooperation of other groups was easy for them due to their purpose-oriented nature, which often involved assassination.


    ¡°Thank you for your understanding. Once those rebels take care of the fourth division, you will be able to find the ck-haired young man you¡¯ve been wanting to find so badly,¡± Suvole said.


    ¡°I thought you were also looking for that ck-haired bastard.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± Survole shrugged and pretended like he had no idea what Velkre was talking about. ¡°Is the reason why you think that because we are trying to clean up the eastern territory now? It¡¯s just a coincidence. We were able to do so because we got lucky and the situations lined up.¡±


    ¡°Do I look like a fool to you?¡±


    ¡°All right, Captain Velkre. If you¡¯re not a fool, I don¡¯t understand why you¡¯re trying to pick a fight with me. I told you that I would allow you to handle the ck haired young man, and I¡¯m giving you that opportunity right now. That ck-haired young man might escape, but that¡¯s your business, not mine.¡±


    Velkre lifted the gpole and mmed the ground with a thud. With a rumbling sound, a vibration shook thend surrounding Velkre and Suvole. The northeastern rebels freaked out and looked at the ground and the sky in rm, but they couldn¡¯t find anything wrong.


    Urkel red at Suvole and Velkre from a distance.


    ¡°What I¡¯m trying to say is, you shouldn¡¯t think of everyone as your chess pieces. The power that His Holiness has granted me might be heretical, but it is sharp. I hope you won¡¯t do anything that goes against His Holiness¡¯s will,¡± Velkre said to Suvole with a sharp look.


    ¡°How could I dare to do anything against the will of His Holiness?¡± Suvole bowed and apologized in an exaggerated gesture.


    Velkre hesitated for a second¡ªhe no longer had any more business with Suvole, and Suvole was no longer useful to him. Besides, there were no troops guarding him at the moment. The only thing that was stopping Velkre from killing Suvole was the fact that he still couldn¡¯t figure out what Suvole was up to.


    <i>¡®It might be better to get rid of him now than to neglect him and let him cause trouble in the future.¡¯</i>


    ¡°All right. It seems like Captain Velkre is still worried about me because I¡¯m alone and I have very mediocre swordsmanship skills. Then how about this?¡± Suvole raised his hand. ¡°I¡¯ll depart from the eastern territory right now. I¡¯ll leave the rest of the matters here to you and Urkel. Will that be enough to relieve you?¡±


    Velkre was still suspicious and ufortable, but didn¡¯t want to continue pressing Suvole; after all, he was already backing down to this extent. Furthermore, Suvole was a part of the Order of the Capital. Considering that Barth Baltic was behind Suvole, picking on him was not a wise idea.


    ¡°Sounds good. Where are you headed to? If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯ll have one of our Temrs guard you on your way,¡± Velkre offered.


    ¡°Thank you for the generous offer, but there¡¯s no need. I have to go far in apletely different direction from where you are going anyway.¡±


    ¡°Apletely different direction¡­ are you, perhaps going toward the north?¡± Velkre tilted his head.


    ¡°Yes. I have an appointment there,¡± Suvole smiled.


    Suvole had not forgotten the promise he had made to Duke Henna.

 Chapter 115 – The Evil Snake (1)

    <h4>Chapter 115 ¨C The Evil Snake (1)</h4>


    Red blood sprayed upon the white snow that was beginning to cover the eastern territory. The Fourth Division¡¯s forces were far from sufficient to block therge-scale looting and invasion that had simultaneously begun at the eastern front line. Countless refugees were flooding into Beldeve, but the Fourth Division had yet to fully recover and there was no one who was able to fill H¡¯s vacant seat.


    Juan fiddled with Talter¡¯s short sword. In the meantime, Horhell brought a tactical map and noticed Juan staring at his short sword.


    ¡°Is there a problem?¡± Horhell asked.


    ¡°It seems like I didn¡¯t take good enough care of this short sword.¡±


    Horhell approached Juan and closely examined the condition of the short sword. To Horhell, the short sword still looked fine and bnced, with a sharp de.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. It still looks good to me,¡± Horhell said.


    Juan smiled. It was only natural that Horhell couldn¡¯t notice the difference; the strength of Talter¡¯s short sword depended on how much blood it consumed. The short sword had been useful until now since it had consumed enormous amounts of blood at the colosseum in Tantil, but it hadn¡¯t been able to consume enough blood to maintain itself after Juan took possession of it¡ªthis was especially true in recent times. Juan had been feeling that the condition of the short sword was getting worse and worse each day.


    Juan decided to ce these thoughts to the back of his mind and turned his attention to the tactical map brought by Horhell.


    ¡°How many enemies do we have?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°ording to the report we got from the scouts, the number of enemies is estimated to be around fifty thousand. And there are around four thousand warriors of Arbalde among them.¡±


    ¡°There are around twelve thousand troops in the Fourth Division, right? I¡¯d say we are ahead of the game, just based on the level of training and equipment, but the problem is the warriors of Arbalde. Ordinary soldiers won¡¯t be a match for them at all. We need toe up with a good deployment strategy to¡­¡±


    Juan closed his mouth before finishing the sentence. The problem they were facing was neither the training level of the troops nor their numbers¡ªthe real problem was that the position of themander of the Fourth Division was still vacant after H¡¯s death.


    ¡°H didn¡¯t even pick a sessor in case of her sudden death?¡± Juan asked Horhell with an annoyed expression.


    It would be normal for the deputy to take over in local knight orders, but there was no knight order in the eastern territory.


    The same was true of blood rtives¡ªH Henna was thest of the Henna family¡¯s blood. H¡¯s son, who would have been her only heir, had died on the battlefield, and H was no longer able to get pregnant and continue the Henna family¡¯s bloodline after her son¡¯s death.


    ¡°She used to have one. His name is Pavan Peltere,¡± Horhell said.


    <i>¡®Isn¡¯t that the guy who betrayed H and went to work for the Order of the Capital?¡¯</i> Juan grew even more irritated at the thought.


    At the same time, Horhell continued speaking, ¡°Then people have been secretly gossiping that I would be the next sessor. But I have no practical experience inmanding on the battlefield, not to mention myck of knowledge about the Order of the Capital. Duke H knew that, and that was the reason why she never officially dered me as her sessor.¡±


    ¡°Well fuck you and the capital. H¡¯s already dead, so there¡¯s no other way. How can you always be flying so high in the sky, but not even develop some tactical skills?¡± Juanined.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have tactical skills, but you do, Juan,¡± Horhell said as he stared at Juan with a firm expression.


    Horhell was aware of Juan¡¯s identity. Of course, the only evidence that Juan had were his words. But just about anyone would believe Juan¡¯s words if they were to listen to the stories he brought up in a calm manner. His appearance also further supported his im.


    Whatever the story behind it was, Juan was indeed the emperor himself. Standing in front of Horhell was the best tactician, warrior, and a magician in human history. No word other than ¡®best¡¯ could be used to describe a man who led the weakest race, which had been on the verge of extinction, against the almighty gods and achieved victory.


    Juan¡¯s lips twitched and he red at Horhell.


    ¡°I can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°And may I ask you why you can¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯m nning to kill everyone from Arbalde. The Fourth Division shouldn¡¯t be moving with such a purpose. It should only be moving with a purpose of protecting the people and defending the territory. If I were to takemand of the Fourth Division, I will make sure to kill all those rebelling assholes. But I can¡¯t guarantee that the Fourth Division will remain intact. If you don¡¯t mind that, I will lead the Fourth Division.¡±


    Juan was firm. He fought with a mindset simr to when he had confronted the gods as an emperor. He had no choice back then; humanity would have beenpletely wiped out if Juan couldn¡¯t kill the gods.


    ¡°The only reason I remained in Beldeve was to find out what H had been hiding. But now that she is gone, I am ready to leave at any time. I¡¯ve already stayed here for too long anyway,¡± Juan said.


    But Horhell did not back down.


    ¡°One thing I am sure of is that the Fourth Division and Beldeve will bepletely wiped out and annihted if you don¡¯t lead us.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s none of my business. Let it happen.¡±


    ¡°Sorry?¡± Horhell had a dumbfounded look on his face.


    ¡°Well, the annihtion part can be avoided. The enemies are still quite a distance away, so have the Fourth Division retreat and hand over Beldeve to the enemies. I bet that those in the capital won¡¯t be able to resist the urge and will send more troops to Beldeve. That¡¯s when you strike back. You don¡¯t have to worry about the farnd being taken away, given that the harvest season is already over. Those bastards won¡¯t have any other ways once we retreat along with all our food reserves. That¡¯s what H would havemanded if she was still here.¡±


    ¡°But if we are going to fight them anyway, wouldn¡¯t it be better to face them from within the fortress¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you to <i>avoid the fight</i>. Currently there is no propermand system and no dragon; the morale is low, and the opponents are crazy lunatics who get stronger just by singing. Do you seriously think that the eastern territory was able to hold out until now because of these fortress walls? This fortress was built to fight dragons, not humans.¡±


    Horhell nodded his head, convinced.


    ¡°Then what should we do about the refugees? There¡¯s no ce for them to go in this cold winter, and neither do we have enough food to feed them all.¡±


    ¡°Do you think H would have been worried about the refugees?¡±


    Horhell remained silent.


    ¡°What is it? I thought you only cared about your dragon; however, now it seems like you¡¯re feeling responsible all of a sudden after bing the head of the Fourth Division.¡±


    ¡°They might also end up being encroached upon by the Crack instead of simply dying. What happened in Arbalde might also happen in the eastern territory if it starts to spread¡­¡±


    ¡°When that happens, the Imperial Army will¡­ Ugh¡­ fine, fine. I get it. You¡¯re not nning to step back, are you? You are being so annoying. This is why I prefer moving alone. Then let¡¯s go back to the beginning, since leaving behind the fortress is no longer an option,¡± Juan sighed.


    ¡°Can¡¯t amander who is experienced inmanding on the battlefield, has been trained as a knight to be an officer, who is well-respected among ordinary soldiers and has a noble personality which won¡¯t be looked down by the capital magically pop up in front of us?¡± Juan grumbled.


    Horhell smiled bitterly upon hearing Juan¡¯s ridiculous standards.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way such a person would suddenly appear¡­¡±


    At that moment, the door burst open and someone walked into the room.


    ¡°Horhell, the inspection of the sit-in castle weapons you requested is finished. And I thought we would have to make a change in the course of the search party, since the rebels moved toward the south. So I came up with new routes. There are two options: should we prioritize protecting the refugees, or should we prioritize searching for the enemy?¡±


    Horhell and Juan stared at the person who appeared through the open door. Feeling perplexed at two gazes staring at her in silence, Sina groped her face with her hands.


    ¡°Is there something on my face?¡± Sina asked.


    ¡°What do you think, Horhell?¡±


    ¡°Not bad. Her appearance might remind the soldiers of Duke Henna as well.¡±


    The nextmander of the Fourth Division was decided on the spot.


    ***


    <i>Clop! Clop! Clop! Clop! Clop!</i>


    The soldiers backed away in a panic when they saw the war horses galloping at high speed on the wastnd covered with snow. For soldiers, backing away from the front line was uneptable under any circumstances, but they had no other way to block the horses approaching them at high speed¡ªit would be hard to find anyone who was capable of blocking Temrs who were wearing silver armor that had been granted with His Majesty¡¯s Grace.


    The green gpole carried on Velkre¡¯s back pped fiercely as he rode his horse. Velkre passed the warriors of Arbalde who were moving on their feet, and rode his horse at full speed to avoid Suvole just in case.


    Just like that, the Order of the Evil Snake traveled from Arbalde to the fortress of Beldeve in just two days. The fortress of Beldeve looked busy, with people cing weapons and wooden fences, almost as if they were preparing for a sit-in.


    Velkre grew curious upon seeing such a sight. Velkre had been thinking that there was a high chance that the Fourth Division would abandon the fortress. If that really happened, he had been nning on attacking Juan who would most likely have been in the retreat line¡ªhowever, Beldeve preparing for a sit-in waspletely unexpected.


    <i>¡®Perhaps it¡¯s because there¡¯s nomander toe up with a proper n.¡¯</i>


    Velkre rode his horse to approach the closed gate and struck the ground with his gpole.


    ¡°I¡¯m Velkre, the captain of the Order of the Evil Snake! Person in charge,e out and show yourself!¡±


    The ground rumbled due to the shock of the gpole striking the surface, but the thick walls of the fortress of Beldeve remained stable without shaking in the slightest. However, the shock was enough to surprise the soldiers who were working on the top of the walls. Soon the soldiers working atop the wall disappeared, and someone stuck their head out the gate.


    ¡°Did you say the Order of the Evil Snake?¡±


    Velkre frowned upon seeing the person who stuck their head out the gate. It was a one-eyed, blonde female knight with a strange tattoo engraved on her other eye. Velkre knew that being one-eyed couldn¡¯t be inherited, but for just a moment he thought that she might be H¡¯s hidden daughter.


    ¡°I did! There was a report saying that an evil apostate was hiding here. As far as I know, I understand that you¡¯re not in the best situation. If you promise to cooperate with us, the Church will reward you with enough¡­¡±


    ¡°Brother Velkre.¡±


    At that moment, Nora hurried up to Velkre and whispered.


    ¡°That¡¯s the knight who took the ck-haired man. It¡¯s Temr Sina Solvane who was with Horhell in the cabin.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Velkre looked up at Sina in haste. Sina didn¡¯t answer Velkre and only stared down at him in silence.


    ¡°She¡¯s a Temr? Are you sure about that?¡± Velkre asked Nora.


    ¡°She had a holy sword. If she¡¯s not a Temr, it means she either stole it from someone or picked it up somewhere. But I¡¯m sure she¡¯s a Temr, considering her skills¡­¡±


    Velkre was no longer listening to Nora. The information about the lost equipment of a Temr as well as a talented blonde-haired female knight immediately connected in his head.


    <i>¡®The chaos that took ce in Hiveden and the Elite Knight of the Order of the Blue Rose who was rescued by the Order of the White Crow.¡¯</i>


    ¡°Sina Solvane! Are you Sina Solvane?¡±


    ¡°I am, Captain Velkre. It seems to me that the reason you¡¯re here isn¡¯t to help His Majesty¡¯s people who are in danger from the evil apostates,¡± Sina said.


    ¡°I havee here under the orders of His Holiness, something which is more important than protecting the people from the apostates! There was a report saying that H Henna had been hiding an apostate who may be able to pose a threat to the empire¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡±


    Sina replied even before Velkre could finish speaking. Velkre nodded his head; he had already expected her to deny it. He swallowed the next words he was about to say and continued speaking.


    ¡°Then let me search the inside of the¡­¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Velkre¡¯s words were cut off once again. Velkre frowned and raised his eyebrows.


    ¡°Why won¡¯t you let me search the inside of the fortress if you¡¯re not hiding anything?¡±


    ¡°This fortress is at war right now¡ªI can¡¯t just open the gate for someone who is armed, especially for personal reasons. This is based on the Regent Barth Baltic¡¯s Imperialmand,¡± Sina answered in a cold voice.


    <i>¡®Using Barth Baltic as an excuse again, huh?¡¯</i>


    It was true that the Regent Barth Baltic had announced the basic rules that must be followed by the Imperial Army. However, there were only a few Imperial Armies that adhered to the rules in the current era where the Church held such strong power. Even Barth Baltic didn¡¯t really care that no one followed such rules.


    ¡°Are you telling me that Imperialmand is more important than the orders of His Holiness who represents His Majesty¡¯s words? How dare you call His Holiness¡¯ order a ¡®personal reason?¡¯¡±


    ¡°The Imperial Army only obeys orders from their immediate superiors, and His Holiness¡¯ private armed groups aren¡¯t included in the Imperialmand system. If you are going to mention the conscription rights, I would like to let you know that it only applies to soldiers who are off duty. We are preparing for a very important battle right now.¡±


    ¡°Did you just call our knight order a private armed group!?¡±


    Velkre burst into a roar and struck the ground once again with the gpole. Sina quickly held the railing of the wall in a hurry when the ground rumbled again due to the shock. But she continued to speak in a calm manner.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what else to call an armed group that is neither included in the Imperial military system nor stipted in thew book created by His Majesty. If you don¡¯t mind, I have to get going. I advise you to adjust your cor, since the winter wind is cold in the eastern territory.¡±


    After saying he part, Sina disappeared over the wall even before listening to Velkre¡¯s response. Velkre stared nkly at the wall; he had never been treated like this before in his life. The other Temrs approached Velkre with a perplexed look on their faces.


    ¡°What should we do, brother Velkre? We can break through the gate if we use the Grace we have been granted or the power of the snake. There might be lots of enemies, but if we take advantage of the chaos to assassinate the ck-haired man and quickly leave¡­¡±


    Velkre turned his head and red at the Temr who spoke.


    ¡°That¡¯s your suggestion about what to do with a fortress under the possession of the Imperial Army? Does this mission look the same as burning a rural vige or charging toward small remote cities?¡±


    ¡°But we can¡¯t just step down in the face of this insult¡­¡±


    ¡°No, I was too generous to them. I was nning to help them if they decided to cooperate, since I felt bad that His Majesty¡¯s people were going to be ughtered by the apostates. But they are no different from apostates themselves if this is how they want to be.¡±


    Velkre red at the fortress of Beldeve with cold eyes.


    ¡°They denied that the ck-haired man was here. As long as we are here, they won¡¯t be able to use that ck-haired man in the battle anyway. If the ck-haired beast doesn¡¯t show up, it will be hard for them to hold out¡ªespecially when they are in a state of low morale.¡±

 Chapter 116 – The Evil Snake (2)

    <h4>Chapter 116 ¨C The Evil Snake (2)</h4>


    Sina walked atop the wall with an unpleasant expression. It felt like it was just yesterday when she had been full of respect for the Temrs, but all she felt from the conversation she just had with Velkre was irritation and mild disgust¡ªbut it was unknown whether it was because she saw their true colors or simply due to the situation she was in.


    Sina looked up and found Juan and Horhell approaching her from the opposite side while Juan gave her a round of apuse.


    ¡°I have no idea why someone like me, who ispletely unsuitable to be themander, has suddenly been granted this position, but I¡¯m only epting your offer for the time being because of Centurion Horhell¡¯s desperate request and the fact that we are in an emergency. After all, we must prevent the Imperial Army from being trampled on by the rebels by any means. I will step down from this position as soon as the situation is over,¡± Sina said while alternating between ring at Juan and Horhell.


    ¡°You seemed to be quite good at this job when I saw you talking to Velkre. Just take the position for good.¡±


    Sina red at Juan upon hearing his joke. Sina was still young andcked enough experience. She was an excellent knight who was full of potential, but the position ofmander of the Fourth Division as well as suddenly being put in charge of the fortress of Beldeve was daunting for her. However, Sina knew the ropes tomanding on the battlefield, since all knights were trained to carry out their duties as officers.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. Duke Henna was only five years older than you when she became the head of the eastern territory,¡± Horhell said.


    However, the fact that Sina was taking up the same position that H had taken when Sina was five years younger was not veryforting for Sina, even if it was temporary.


    ¡°Were there rebels at that time too?¡± Sina asked.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ there were barely any. It was right after General Nienna stomped on them to clean everything out, and the scant few descendants who survived gained power to be the rebels they are today.¡±


    ¡°And there were dragons too. Horhell, what¡¯s the status of your dragon? Has it recovered yet?¡± Sina asked.


    ¡°It has recovered to the extent of being able to run around. But I don¡¯t think it can fly just yet, since it is still treating its wings,¡± Horhell answered.


    ¡°Please have it be on standby at the training ground in case the enemies break through the gate. I am aware that you value your dragon quite a lot, so feel free to retreat whenever you feel is necessary. And Juan.¡±


    Sina turned her gaze toward Juan. Sina contemted for a short moment between making personal or professional decisions. As themander of the Fourth Division, Sina could immediately make an order to restrain Juan and arrest him. Such a decision could result in terrible consequences for the entire fortress, but Beldeve wasn¡¯t a ce that Sina had to feel responsible for anyway.


    Sina opened her mouth after staring at Juan for a while.


    ¡°I don¡¯t expect a sacrifice or heroic effort from you, since I¡¯ve seen your true nature all the way from Tantil to this ce. Perhaps Duke Henna had been expecting exactly something like that from you: cruelty. But¡­ I¡¯m not Duke Henna. And it is uneptable to have you in the Imperial Army since you deny the entire system. It¡¯s not like I can make use of you and your strength as a part of the force either.¡±


    Juan narrowed his eyes. It wasn¡¯t a wise idea to exclude Juan from the force at this moment.


    ¡°But,¡± Sina let out a long sigh. ¡°I denied that you were here. As far as I know, you are not in this fortress. This is no ce for you.¡±


    Sina looked down under the wall where the snow was lightly blowing in the wind. Her gaze lingered on the Temrs who began to set up a camp.


    ¡°I will think of you as the ck-haired beast, not Juan. So go out on the battlefield and be a raving sword. Show those who killed Duke Henna what hell looks like.¡±


    Juan smiled.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m best at.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Brother Velkre, ording to the report the warriors of Arbalde and the Revenge King will arrive tomorrow.¡±


    Velkre nodded his head at the report. A portion of the northeastern rebel vigers, who were closer to anti-imperial forces, had already arrived near the fortress of Beldeve. The Temrs were setting up a camp and staying on standby due to theck of equipment needed for a siege, but things would change when the warriors of Arbalde arrived. In particr, the Revenge King Urkel was a man who could function as a battering ram to break through the gate.


    ¡°I thought they would try to split up and attack the fortress from all directions before the main group arrived, but they aren¡¯t doing anything. That¡¯s unexpected. Are they scared of something?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s possible. Or it could be that they are trying to keep us in check.¡±


    Velkre had secretly sent Nora into the fortress of Beldeve several times to search the inside and to make sure that Juan wasn¡¯t there. However, Juan was nowhere to be found. There were two possibilities based on this: either Juan had escaped or he was still hiding. But if it was the former, there would be no reason for Sina Solvane to be on edge against the Temrs. Therefore Vekre was leaning toward thetter and suspected Juan to be still hiding within the fortress.


    ¡°The siege won¡¯tst long, so everything will be settled in just a few days. Brothers and sisters, make sure you are all well-armed and ready to break through at any time,¡± Velkre ordered.


    ¡°Yes, brother Velkre. Oh, and there was something else. One of the vigers asked me to tell you a story.¡±


    ¡°A viger?¡±


    Velkre frowned. The vigers might be residing in the empire, but they were no different from traitors. Because they were no different from the barbarians from beyond the border, their stories were irrelevant to a Temr like Velkre.


    ¡°It was something worth paying attention to,¡± the Temr quickly added an exnation as if he noticed that Velkre¡¯s displeasure.


    ¡°He said that they were attacked by some soldiers who seemed to belong to the Fourth Division on their way here. He said that there was a ck-haired beast among those soldiers.¡±


    ¡°What? Why are you only telling me about this now?¡±


    Velkre jumped up from his seat. If that information was true, there was no reason for the Temrs to sit outside the fortress and wait.


    The Temr hastily waved his hand upon seeing Velkre¡¯s reaction.


    ¡°When I asked about the detailed appearance, it was clear that it wasn¡¯t this wasn¡¯t the same ck-haired beast; however they did have the same hair color. We all saw his face, didn¡¯t we? The description of his appearance waspletely different from what we know.¡±


    Faking appearance was easy by simply dying one¡¯s hair. There would be no reason to purposely dye it ck, since ck-haired people weren¡¯t wee in the empire, but such a n was worth a try, considering that the rebels feared the ck-haired beast.


    ¡°There are a lot of reports of a ck-haired beast being sighted, but all the descriptions of his appearance were different. Perhaps the Fourth Division is operating guerris outside the fortress with deception tactics.¡±


    ¡°How trifling of them to think they are being so smart. Their n is to agitate the rebels and at the same time shake us as well, since things would getplicated if the real ck-haired beast was one of them¡­¡± Velkre muttered irritably.


    The information reported by the viger was an ambiguous one that could be neglected, but hard topletely ignore.


    ¡®<i>We</i><i>?were able to monitor all the soldiers leaving the fortress until now, but what if Juan had already left the fortress a long time ago? Or what if we missed him leaving?</i>¡¯


    It could simply be that Sina¡¯s attitude was nothing but deception, and Juan might be participating in the war in his own way. But Velkre couldn¡¯t just leave this ce.


    ¡°...we have no choice. Form four teams of four Temrs with the Temrs who have been granted with the power of the snake as the leader. Marco, Nora, Odessa, and Evone will be the team leaders. All the teams should go to the ces where the ck-haired beast had been sighted and double-check. The warriors of Arbalde are just around the corner, so he will be somewhere in the middle anyway. Kill everyone with ck hair,¡± Velkre said.


    ¡°I understand and will obey your order, brother. But would it be okay to send out all the knights with the power of the snake when there might be a battle tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t just sit and do nothing after reports like those. But if we send out brothers who don¡¯t have the power of the snake, they might all end up dying. If the timees when we really need the power of the snake¡­ I will transform into the Evil Snake.¡±


    The Temr who had raised the question bowed his head in bewilderment at Velkre¡¯s firm words.


    ¡°Then we will go on and follow your instructions.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Brother Velkre, will you be alright?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve prepared everything in case anything happens. Our previous Captains have all done it too, so don¡¯t worry and go forth.¡±


    Nora looked at Velkre with worried eyes, but soon kicked her horse to get going.


    The area around the camp soon became quiet as the search parties formed by the Temrs left. Velkre fiddled with the gpole as he recalled his own words. Although he told the Temrs that he would transform into the Evil Snake, he didn¡¯t actually intend to do so¡ªhe only pretended to be a good captain so that other Temrs wouldn¡¯tin about him remaining in the safe ce.


    Velkre had witnessed the endings of those who transformed into the Evil Snake in the past. Among those, there was even a time when Velkre had to use his own hands to end them. Velkre only became a Temr to survive¡ªhe had no intention of dying.


    ¡®<i>There¡¯s no need to choose such a terrible end.</i>¡¯


    The camp was quiet, since more than half of the Temrs were away. The vignce was naturally reduced, but Velkre wasn¡¯t too worried about it. There were very few people in the empire who were powerful enough to hurt him, and most importantly, the enemies hadn¡¯t shown any movement for the past few days. Just as things would beplicated for the Temrs if they were to directly attack the fortress of Beldeve, the fortress of Beldeve¡¯s situation was also one where they were unable to do anything to them.


    Velkre stood by the camp and quietly looked at the fortress. Bright moonlight was shining through the clouds on the fortress of Beldeve. The sight of snow lightly falling over the old fortress built on the coast was beautiful enough to fascinate one¡¯s eyes.


    Being someone from the eastern territory, the fortress of Beldeve was not an unfamiliar sight to him. The same was true about many of the old stories about the fortress. Velkre thought that tonight might be thest night that the fortress of Beldeve remained standing. Velkre stared at the fortress as if he was engraving it in his eyes.


    ¡®<i>I¡¯ll be recorded as a part of the new legend.</i>¡¯


    Velkre smiled; he felt his own thoughts to be ridiculous. After looking at the fortress for a while, Velkre turned around as he felt the chills due to the cold weather.


    Just before entering the camp, Velkre frowned upon seeing themp turned off.


    ¡®<i>The fuel seems to have run out.</i>¡¯


    Velkre groped around his desk to find amp in the dark. Then, he suddenly began to feel that something was strange and ominous for some reason. It was only natural to be dark in the night, but the full moon was shining brightly outside.


    ¡®<i>But this darkness is too¡­</i>¡¯


    Even before Velkre¡¯s hand could reach for the gpole, a sharp de prated his chest. The sharp stabbing sound irritated Velkre¡¯s ears and made his toes curl up.


    One, two, three, four, five¡­


    The de that was so cold that it could almost freeze one¡¯s heart tore through Velkre¡¯s body over and over.


    <i>St!</i>


    Velkre copsed to the ground. His chin trembled as he reached for the gpole which he wasn¡¯t able to grab, the gpole was already in someone else¡¯s hand.


    ¡°A knight order that casts a magic spell using the dragon¡¯s skin, and borrows the power of dragons, huh? Weren¡¯t the dragons designated as evil beasts by the empire? The Church seems to set and follow the rules only at their own convenience.¡±


    There was no way Velkre could forget this voice. Velkre nkly looked up, but all he could see was darkness. At the same time, the sound of footsteps approaching him got closer and closer. A small me rose before Velkre¡¯s eyes, and there Juan was¡ªmaking a me at his fingertip and looking at Velkre without an expression. A g that was wide enough to make a cape was held in Juan¡¯s hand.


    Velkre felt dispirited.


    ¡®<i>We were the ones who were deceived.</i>¡¯


    Velkre thought that he was the one hunting down Juan, but it was the other way around¡ªJuan was the one who was hunting them. Velkre had to admit that he was caught off guard. It didn¡¯t matter whether or not Juan was hiding among the many ck-haired beasts that the search party was after.


    ¡°Is this dragon skin the main strength of your knight order? What happens if it is destroyed?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡®<i>Try it.</i>¡¯


    Velkre tried to speak, but not a single sound came out of his mouth; his lungs had beenpletely destroyed. Velkre puffed his mouth, and Juan smiled.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think Horhell would like the dragon skin very much. I¡¯m sure that H would have liked it, but she probably would have hung it on the wall instead of a tapestry since she wouldn¡¯t know how to use it anyway. But, she¡¯s gone now¡± Juan whispered his final words in Velkre¡¯s ear.


    Juan spread the g wide and pulled it with both his hands. The next moment, Juan raised his eyebrows. Unlike Juan¡¯s expectation of the g being tough to rip apart due to being made with dragon skin, the g was easily torn apart in two pieces.


    ¡®<i>Fake.</i>¡¯


    Only one word popped up in Juan¡¯s head.


    At that moment, Juan saw Velkre puffing his mouth to mumble something. What he was mumbling was neither hisst will nor a curse¡ªit was a prayer.


    Even before realizing the context and meaning of the prayer, Juan quickly ordered the knight of the dead to slit Velkre¡¯s throat as he felt unusual energy from him.


    However, Velkre¡¯s mouth was already mumbling thest syble the moment his head fell on the ground. His lips were curled into a smile.


    ¡®<i>Your Majesty, unseal the sin you have restrained and allow your servant to have a new body.</i>¡¯


    At that moment, the cape draped around Velkre¡¯s body soared up as if it was devouring him.


    At the same time, mes rose like a beacon in the camp.

 Chapter 117 – The Evil Snake (3)

    <h4>Chapter 117 ¨C The Evil Snake (3)</h4>


    The Temrs inside the camp popped out immediately upon hearing the loud boom that rang out. They quickly looked toward the fortress of Beldeve to figure out the situation, but found no change. Only then did they notice a bright me that was burning behind them¡ªthe me wasing from Captain Velkre¡¯s camp.


    Meanwhile, Juan was thrown off by the soaring mes and staggered to his feet. It was unknown as to what Velkre had done, but a huge explosion containing a lot of power had urred.


    ¡®<i>mes bursting out like this just by putting on a cape, huh¡­</i>¡¯


    Juan managed to protect his body using Umbra before the explosion, but the shock from the explosion was still quite severe.


    ¡®<i>This isn¡¯t a force that an ordinary human can deal with.</i>¡¯


    Then, something slowly limped and walked out of the mes burning high in the sky. The soaring mes quickly died down and stuck behind this ¡®something¡¯s¡¯ back as they continued burning.


    Juan clicked his tongue as he assumed the identity of his opponent.


    ¡°It must be one of the magical equipment made by the dragons¡­¡± Juan muttered.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, apostate,¡± Velkre said in a strange voice.


    Only now did Juan realize that the g on the gpole had been a fake to trick him, and that the real g was disguised as a cape. Dragon scales began to cover Velkre¡¯s entire body, including the armor on his back, while the wounds on his chest and back also healed themselves.


    ¡°We call this armor ¡®the Evil Snake.¡¯ It¡¯s a piece of equipment made by the evil beasts who once antagonized His Majesty, but it is also the most appropriate weapon to punish an apostate such as yourself,¡± Velkre said.


    Not only did the armor cover the surface of his body, but it was clear that ¡®the Evil Snake¡¯ was deforming Velkre¡¯s skeletal and body structure. Velkre¡¯s face was distorted due to the pain and anger, as if the whole process of transformation was very ufortable for him.


    ¡®<i>Fuck.</i>¡¯


    Velkre uttered a curse inside. He had no choice but to transform into the Evil Snake in order to survive, and he could feel other emotions beginning to erode his head.


    Judging that nothing good woulde out of waiting until Velkre¡¯s transformation wasplete, Juan quickly charged toward Velkre.


    At that moment, Velkre swung his empty gpole and struck Juan¡¯s short sword at once.


    Juan narrowed his eyes upon realizing that not only was the g extraordinary, but even the gpole was not an ordinary weapon¡ªthe scales that were deforming Velkre¡¯s body were slowly covering the gpole as well, creating a spear. It was a thick, white spear that resembled the bone of a dragon.


    <i>Grrrrrr.</i>


    A guttural sound came out of Velkre¡¯s mouth¡ªone that should note out of a human. At the same time, his vertically pointed pupils shed green. The transformation was almostplete. Velkre¡¯s appearance was still somewhat humanoid, but he had grown taller and had developed reversible jointed legs and had grown bizarrely long fingernails.


    ¡®<i>That¡¯s not just a simple transformation.</i>¡¯


    Juan could feel the power of a dragon itself from Velkre. He had a feeling that the current Velkre would be able to do anything that a dragon was capable of. Juan wondered how such a weapon was still allowed to exist in the empire¡ªif he had been aware of such a weapon, he would have either sealed it or destroyed it for good.


    <i>Bang!</i>


    Juan lifted his short sword as soon as Velkre disappeared from his sight. When the bone spear collided with his short sword, Juan intentionally jumped and bounced off to minimize the shock.


    Juan frowned. While it was true that Juan had failed to read Velkre¡¯s movements due to Velkre¡¯s transformed body structure, it was clear that Velkre used Blink.


    ¡°You fucking lizard¡­!¡±


    Juan red at Velkre who was running wildly toward Juan even before he fell to the ground.


    Velkre continued to pressure Juan without giving him a break. Being a lightweight, Juan didn¡¯t have many ways to block Velkre¡¯s attacks which were heavy and powerful.


    Just like his fight against Ethan Etil, fighting against the captain of a knight order was difficult for Juan. Due to this reason, Juan had wanted to quickly finish Velkre off by assassinating him¡ªbut here he was, fighting Velkre one on one.


    To make matters worse, Velkre was draped with magic equipment made by the dragons. Magic equipment made by the dragons who were extremely familiar with magic was certainly some of the best quality equipment out there.


    ¡®<i>Of course, there is a corresponding price for this power.</i>¡¯


    Using the magic equipment made by dragons is closer to a curse than a blessing¡ªit was like asking a devil to grant your wish. Although it would be possible to get the power you want, no one could guess what would be the price you would have to pay in return. There was even a possibility that a curse was ced on the equipment to kill the person who used the equipment. Due to this, usage of such equipment was avoided, despite the great power they could provide. Juan had already figured that much out.


    Juan jumped into the air once more. While he was slowly falling to the ground, he saw Velkre jumping up in the air to change the direction of his spear in order to prevent him from dodging the attack again.


    ¡°Keuk!¡±


    Juan hastily changed the direction of his falling body and used Blink.


    <i>sh!</i>


    Juan rolled on the snow-covered ground and quickly picked himself up. Blood drops formed on his scratched skin, but Velkre continued to rush at Juan and picked up his spear from the ground, immediately charging him one more time.


    Juan squinted his eyes.


    ¡®<i>He¡¯s rushing.</i>¡¯


    It was certain that Velkre was at an advantage, and Juan had to acknowledge that Velkre was quite skilled. None of the weapons Juan had at the moment could damage Velkre, and such a difference in power couldn¡¯t be filled up with good swordsmanship skills or experience.


    Juan was able to fight Nigrato since he had the emperor¡¯s mes, which were lethal to beings like Nigrato, but Velkre was wearing armor made from the leather of a dragon¡ªa being that had the same type of energy as Juan. me energy. Velkre¡¯s strength far exceeded that of Juan, and he was just as fast as Juan. Juan might stand a chance at victory if he was given enough time to concentrate on casting a magic spell, but magic equipment also had strong magic resistance.


    Juan tried to think, but Velkre didn¡¯t give him time to think.


    ¡®<i>Why is he rushing whilepletely forgoing defense? Or¡­ is there a time limit to how long one can use the equipment?</i>¡¯


    Juan wondered if the time limit was the curse involved with the Evil Snake; there was no way such a strong force could be used without paying a corresponding price for it.


    ¡®<i>Having a time limit sounds like a reasonable restriction.</i>¡¯


    Once he figured that out, Juan¡¯s attack method was decided. He prevented his body from being flung up into the air due to Velkre¡¯s attacks, while dodging Velkre as much as possible. Juan was fully capable of dodging Velkre¡¯s attacks if he focused on avoiding Velkre, and Juan would use Blink whenever Velkre used Blink as well.


    Juan wondered why Velkre, the captain of a knight order, was only making such simple attacks, but soon noticed the reason¡ªit was impossible for Velkre to use the same types of attack patterns he used before his transformation.


    ¡®<i>He¡¯s not used to the skeletal and structural changes from the transformation.</i>¡¯


    This meant that the magic equipment was for one-time use. It was clear that Velkre would either die or be close to being dead once the equipment was taken off of him.


    Meanwhile, Velkre smiled upon seeing that Juan had begun to only dodge his attacks.


    Juan felt more and more strange as time went by. Juan had used Blink at least ten times in order to dodge Velkre¡¯s attacks and was beginning to feel that his body was running out of energy. However, Velkre was still looked like he was full of energy as he kept pushing Juan.


    ¡®<i>Not only is he still full of energy, but he no longer seems like he is rushing.</i>¡¯


    Juan thought that he might be mistaken.


    ¡®<i>Maybe the time limit is not the restriction¡­ perhaps the equipment was simply created without a type of curse.</i>¡¯


    Most magic equipment made by the dragons were created with a curse ced upon them, but there were rare cases where the dragons created some of them without a curse. However, not a single piece of equipment made for humans was without a curse.


    ¡®<i>I might have to consider a retreat.</i>¡¯


    Juan wanted to kill Velkre and see his end, yet there was no way of doing so at the moment.


    In the meantime, Velkre once again charged toward Juan, but disappeared from Juan¡¯s sight as soon as he realized that Juan wasn¡¯t concentrating anymore.


    Juan quickly used Blink and moved in the opposite direction; he thought Velkre had also used Blink to disappear.


    However, there was no shock or noise like the ones that Juan had expected.


    Feeling perplexed, Juan¡¯s face soon distorted. Juan felt a strong sense of deja vu¡ªit was an unusual feeling¡ªa feeling of someone watching him. It was the same feeling which he felt when he was at the wastnd with Swan. Juan inadvertently recalled a Temr named Nora, who was capable of suddenly appearing and disappearing.


    At that moment, Juan turned his body in haste and held out Talter¡¯s short sword.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    However, Juan¡¯s attempt at defending himself was pointless when he wasn¡¯t in a good posture. Talter¡¯s short sword broke in half and scattered along with an unpleasant noise that rang loudly in Juan¡¯s ears. Juan clicked his tongue. Although he knew that Talter¡¯s short sword was growing weaker with each passing day, he hadn¡¯t expected it to break so soon.


    Juan managed to barely dodge Velkre¡¯s bone spear, but Velkre grabbed Juan by the neck and pinned him down on the ground. Juan waspletely stuck and unable to move under Velkre¡¯s huge hand.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been making too many mistakes,¡± Velkre whispered. ¡°If you had noticed that I¡¯ve been using Blink just like Marco did in the wastnd, you should have thought of the possibility of me being able to hide myself just like Nora. You¡¯re too easy to fool.¡±


    Juan only smiled at Velkre¡¯s words and didn¡¯t answer, which Velkre found irritating.


    Juan groaned and opened his mouth. ¡°Where did you even get that armor from? It¡¯s the kind of equipment that I would have destroyed if I knew of its existence.¡±


    ¡°Dragon Lord,¡± Velkre answered Juan.


    Juan frowned; he recalled that he had killed the Dragon Lord with his own hands. However, Juan had no idea that the Dragon Lord owned such a piece of equipment.


    ¡°The Order of Lindwurm confiscated it from the Dragon Lord¡¯sir. It was kept in the knight order¡¯s coffers, and the Church¡¯s holy relic department confiscated it after the knights from the Order of Lindwurm werebeled as apostates.¡±


    ¡°...I see. The Order of Lindwurm¡­¡±


    Juan nodded his head at the convincing exnation. Velkre opened his mouth and continued to speak even though Juan didn¡¯t ask any further questions.


    ¡°Dragon Lord had anxiously watched as His Majesty ughtered gods to establish the empire. She thought that the tip of His Majesty¡¯s sword would one day be pointed toward the dragons, since they were the servants of the gods. The Dragon Lord had tried to remain neutral, but thought that it was humiliating that so many dragons gave in to humankind and ingratiated themselves. Both sides ended up suffering from damage, and eventually the war began.¡±


    Juan listened to Velkre¡¯s words in silence. Hearing a Temr speaking to defend the evil beast of the empire sounded strange, but reasonable at the same time.


    ¡°There was no reason for His Majesty to annihte the dragons. But there was no way His Majesty could have left the dragons alone when they had such overwhelming power whenpared to humans. After all, His Majesty had been killing all the gods regardless of them being good or bad. Upon seeing many of his kind being sacrificed, the Dragon Lord created equipment to protect his race,¡± Velkre continued to speak with his hand ced over his armor. ¡°This armor is one of the pieces of equipment that was created when the dragons lost the war and became endangered. Most of the equipment made by dragons was destroyed, but this one was kept safe. The Dragon Lord hoped for this armor to continue to exist, and ced a curse on it that would engulf any human who wore it to rebel against the empire¡ªhe ced a curse to make sure that the humans would constantly suffer from a never-ending civil war.¡±


    ¡®<i>An equipment that offers great power while also encouraging humans to antagonize each other.</i>¡¯


    Juan had to acknowledge that the Dragon Lord saw right through the human psychology despite being from a different race. The equipment that was made by dragons provided the user with great power was dangerous, but too attractive to refuse. It was only natural for people¡ªeven the Church to pursue a piece of equipment that offered such great power.


    ¡°Is it a curse that makes you babble bullshit?¡± Juan derided.


    ¡°No,¡± Velkre answered briefly. ¡°To be exact, it¡¯s a curse that makes one loathe the emperor and nts a seed of thought needed to aim for the destruction of the empire. The Dragon Lord also ced a curse to make the user deliver her final message to you once any human wearing this armor finally got a chance to kill you. Emperor.¡±


    Velkre¡¯s expression froze the moment his mouth opened against his will. He looked as if he had no idea about what he was saying.


    ¡°I can¡¯t let you stay alive when my kind went extinct because of you. You are neither a savior nor a guardian. You are nothing but a seed that will sprout and bring about utter destruction, who was brought by Dane Dormund. So die. I will be waiting for you, while burning in hell.¡±


    The Dragon Lord¡¯s curse finally reached Juan¡¯s ears after decades. After spitting out the curse, Velkre immediately put strength into his hands, wanting to pierce Juan¡¯s stomach with the bone spear.


    Then Velkre realized that his spear hadn¡¯t moved at all. Velkre frowned and turned his gaze toward the spear held in his hands to find something dark winding around the spear, as well as Juan who was wearing ink ck gloves that covered both his arms.


    Velkre looked at the sight with eyes filled with disbelief. With his arms wrapped in Umbra, Juan broke the tip of Velkre¡¯s spear.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    In an instant, Velkre¡¯s arm that was still holding Juan¡¯s neck broke along with a gruesome sound.


    ¡°Thanks for your exnation about the equipment¡¯s curse and its advantages. My short sword was going to break at any moment anyway, but it broke at perfect timing. Thanks to that, I was able to fool you easily,¡± Juan said with a smile.


    Only then did Velkre realize that Juan had deliberately pretended to be driven into a corner to get exnations about his equipment.


    ¡°Fortunately, it seems like there won¡¯t be any trouble even if I kill you. But¡­¡±


    Juan whispered the rest of his words in Velkre¡¯s ear.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t actually think that you could beat me by wearing the skin of a bastard that I¡¯ve already killed once, did you?¡±

 Chapter 118 – The Evil Snake (4)

    <h4>Chapter 118 ¨C The Evil Snake (4)</h4>


    ¡°<i>Keuk!</i>¡±


    Velkre swung his arm as fast as he could, but Juan dodged Velkre¡¯s attack with ease.


    Velkre clicked his tongue and took a nce at his broken arm. Thick ck blood dripped through the dragon scales along with a cracking sound. Before anyone knew it, Velkre¡¯s broken arm was returning to its original form.


    ¡°Is your arm recovering itself? No, no. There¡¯s no way the Dragon Lord was generous enough to ce such a beneficial effect on an armor made for humans,¡± Juan said with a smile.


    Velkre bit his lips. Juan was right¡ªVelkre¡¯s arm was returning to its form, but only in appearance. It was being forced to return to its original shape by the armor. However, his bones were still broken and his flesh was crushed like porridge. Despite all this, the power of the armor allowed Velkre to move freely, regardless of his injuries.


    ¡°How does it feel to be a disposable tool for the Dragon Lord?¡± Juan derided.


    ¡°I have already dedicated and devoted my body to His Majesty anyway. It¡¯s not a big deal that my body is being used as His Majesty¡¯s broken de with this hideous snake skin on it until my life is consumedpletely.¡±


    ¡°Ah. So it¡¯s the emperor¡¯s will, huh? That¡¯s funny. I thought I just heard the Dragon Lord¡¯s curse. Didn¡¯t you hear it with me?¡± Juan smiled while stroking his chin.


    Velkre''s face quickly hardened. It was true that Velkre had also heard the Dragon Lord¡¯s curse. In fact, the curse was constantly being whispered and echoed in his head even now. Velkre felt as if he was about to lose his mind upon hearing the curse resonating so deeply in his head.


    ¡°Is the curse still being whispered in your head? Is it telling you to kill the emperor who is standing in front of you right now?¡±


    ¡°Shut the fuck up!¡±


    Velkre quickly charged toward Juan. At the same time, the bone spear reformed itself with a cracking sound and struck the ce where Juan was standing.


    Juan dodged the powerful attack with ease, but the tip of Velkre¡¯s spear stubbornly chased after Juan¡¯s body.


    Juan clicked his tongue at Velkre¡¯s skill. He moved violently with big movements and shook his spear strangely, yet still urately aimed for Juan¡¯s heart. Although Velkre was pretending to be too excited to control his body, his movements were still exquisite and brilliant.


    ¡®<i>All the captains of the knight orders are quite skilled. What a waste that I have to kill them all the time.</i>¡¯


    Velkre was relying on the power of the Evil Snake, but Juan had to acknowledge Velkre¡¯s skill. Juan was certain that Velkre would have been appointed to an important position if he lived in different times and was under different circumstances. However, Velkre had already transformed into the Evil Snake.


    Juan could finally understand the curse that Dragon Lord had ced on the armor: once put on, the armor could never be taken off. Then, the armor consumes the life of whoever dares to wear the armor, while preventing them from dying despite their terrible injuries, all for one purpose¡ªto kill the emperor and destroy the empire. It was easy to tell how the Church had been using such cursed magic equipment for their benefit by looking at the Temrs from the Order of the Evil Snake¡ªfrom the time of his transformation into the Evil Snake, Velkre was destined to die at the hands of his fellow Temrs.


    Velkre¡¯s spear grazed Juan''s armpit. However, Juan didn¡¯t doge. Instead of widening the distance, Juan sharply dug into the gap revealed by Velkre. After one look at Velkre¡¯s eyes which were shing green, Juan wore Umbra only up to his shoulders as surrounding his entire body with Umbra would be a waste of mana.


    ¡®I¡¯ll be fine as long as I don¡¯t get struck by his spear.¡¯


    A ck light split over the snow. With the sound of air being torn apart, the snow on the ground was scattered everywhere by the pressure of the wind, revealing bare ground.


    Velkre suddenly felt a sharp pain in his left shoulder. He flinched, noticing that both of Juan¡¯s hands were already digging into his left shoulder.


    ¡°Let¡¯s start with one arm.¡±


    Juan¡¯s hands which were wrapped in Umbra sped tightly onto the skin of the Evil Snake. With a tearing sound, the skin of Evil Snake began to separate from Velkre¡¯s arm. Velkre screamed at the terrible pain from being skinned alive; after all, the skin of the Evil Snake and his own skin had already fused together.


    With the terrible sound of skin being ripped apart, blood scattered all over the snow. Juan let Velkre go, while holding onto Velkre¡¯s tattered skin in his hand¡ªall the while having a content smile on his face.


    Velkre red at Juan with bloodshot eyes and a bloody and ragged left arm.


    ¡°I will kill you. I will fucking kill you, emperor. You fucking son of a bitch¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, so you admit that I¡¯m the emperor?¡±


    ¡°I will kill you!¡±


    Velkre didn¡¯t even seem to know what he was saying due to his pain as well as anger. This meant his current state allowed the Dragon Lord¡¯s will to easily encroach upon his mind. Velkre charged toward Juan with a roar, but his attack was a far crypared to his attacks from before.


    At this point, there was hardly any snow left on the floor. The heat emitted from Velkre¡¯s blood that was scattered everywhere melted the snow, causing the surrounding area to be sweltering hot, just like summer.


    Meanwhile, Juan was almost done.


    <i>Rip!</i>


    The skin on Velkre¡¯s chest was peeled off with an irritating sound. With his arms and legs broken to the point they were all ragged, Velkre could only remain motionless and nkly stare at Juan who was tearing his body apart.


    Juan lowered his body to get close to Velkre¡¯s face.


    ¡°Now only the face is left,¡± Juan said.


    Velkre struggled to open his mouth and then muttered.


    ¡°I¡­ surrender. I surrender¡­¡±


    Juan was slightly surprised. Being a reasonable person, Velkre¡¯s surrender didn¡¯te off as cowardly. But Juan hadn¡¯t expected such a request for surrender toe from a Temr; he believed that all the Temrs were just a bunch of lunatics.


    ¡°That¡¯s quite unexpected. No, maybe it¡¯s because of the Evil Snake. It¡¯s something strange¡­ having both hatred and loyalty to the emperor¡­ this is a new experience for me. It¡¯s only reasonable and natural to request to be spared when you have been incapacitated.¡±


    Juan nodded his head, but that was the extent of his agreement.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard your request, Temr. But I¡¯ll have to skin you anyway.¡±


    Velkre opened his mouth and tried to say something, but Juan stabbed his fingers underneath Velkre¡¯s chin.


    ***


    ¡°Juan!¡±


    Sina jumped upon seeing Juan climbing up the wall, drenched in blood from head to toe, almost as if he had soaked himself in a sea of blood. The blood dripping from his body dyed the wall red. Horhell also hurried and ran toward the wall upon seeing Juan soaked in blood.


    ¡°Rx. It¡¯s not my blood. If it was, I would¡¯ve burned it before climbing up the walls,¡± Juan said in a calm manner.


    ¡°...W-what makes you think that I was worried about you? Just how many did you kill to end up looking like that?¡±


    Juan pondered for a while, and then answered.


    ¡°Half a man.¡±


    ¡®<i>Half a man?</i>¡¯


    Sina couldn¡¯t understand what he was saying, but Juan only spoke vaguely. Then he poured out something that was inside the Umbra¡ªwhat came out of the Umbra with a sshing sound were bloody pieces of skin that seemed to belong to a lizard. Orca, Horhell¡¯s dragon, approached the skin and sniffed it, but quickly stepped back with a roar.


    ¡°What the heck is this?¡±


    Horhell came close to the skin to take a closer look at it.


    ¡°It¡¯s leather made out of the skin of a dragon. Oh, right¡­ Don¡¯t touch it. It¡¯s been cursed,¡± Juan warned.


    Horhell red at the skin of the Evil Snake with a horrified face. Horhell poked the leather with the tip of his sword and then opened his mouth.


    ¡°It¡¯s the g of the Order of the Evil snake.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you noticed what it was at just a nce. You¡¯re right. I had thought that you would grab me by the cor and ask where I killed an innocent dragon,¡± Juan answered.


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s no way that any other dragons are still alive. Even if there were, they couldn¡¯t be this small. This leather is too finely chopped to be of any use, so my only guess is that this is the dragon skin that is in the possesion of the Order of the Evil Snake. It was originally managed by the Order of Lindwurm after all.¡±


    ¡°I see. This was the only way to stop the Order of the Evil Snake from using that g. We won¡¯t have to worry about Velkre for a while either¡ªhis entire body will sting a little whenever he puts on his clothes for a while.¡±


    Sina didn¡¯t seem to understand their conversation, but Horhell had a weird expression on his face.


    ¡°...Is he still alive?¡± Horhell asked.


    ¡°Yes. He surrendered. If I had been in his ce, I would have just asked to be killed, but he didn¡¯t,¡± Juan answered while kicking the skin of the Evil Snake with his feet. ¡°Wrap this up and keep it somewhere safe; we¡¯ll be using it soon. Let everyone know that I¡¯ll rip it off of their body if theyy their hands on it. Sina doesn¡¯t seem to know what¡¯s going on, so you should borate on my behalf, Horhell.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Brother Velkre. Are you awake?¡±


    Velkre opened his eyes with difficulty upon hearing the voice of someone above his head. At that moment, Velkre convulsed at the sharp light that prated into his eyes. All of Velkre¡¯s senses were overwhelmed as soon as he retrieved his vision.


    Soon, Velkre started moving violently and began to scream in terrible pain, causing the Temrs to hastily put an eye patch on his eyes and gag him in order to prevent him from biting his tongue.


    ¡°Calm down, Brother Velkre! Only your fatal wounds have been healed with the help of the healing Grace! Your wounds might open up once again if you continue to move recklessly like that!¡±


    However, Velkre didn¡¯t stop moving. At that point, one of the Temrs quickly poured an unknown liquid into his mouth. The liquid made his mind go nk and then he stopped moving.


    Slowly, Velkre¡¯s mind started to be clear as his whole body lost strength and all his senses became dull. Velkre opened his mouth and stuttered.


    ¡°N-Nora¡­ is that you? Sister Nora?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me. Are you finally able to get a hold of yourself?¡± Nora answered with aplicated expression.


    .


    ¡°When did you return? How much time has passed?¡±


    ¡°I returned as soon as I felt the power of the Snake being retrieved. The only time when the power of the Snake is retrieved is when the power of the Evil Snake is being used. But everything was over by the time I came back. I just found you in the snow, drenchedpletely in blood, brother.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well¡­ what is my current situation?¡±


    Nora remained silent for a moment. Velkre could easily guess what the state of his body was, but anxiously waited for Nora¡¯s answer anyway.


    Finally, Nora opened her mouth with difficulty.


    ¡°Everyone thought you would die, brother Velkre. After all, we¡¯ve never seen anyone staying alive despite being in such a terrible state. You know, you had already lost way too much blood? But you survived, brother Velkre. I believe you will be able to return to your original body and recover as long as you continue being treated by the healing Grace.¡±


    ¡°Sister Nora, I asked you what the current state of my body was.¡±


    ¡°...Brother Velkre, it was only a second ago that your eyes were restored. You know better than anyone what the current state of your body is, don¡¯t you? No one would have guessed that it was you who was buried in the snow, while drenched in blood, if we didn¡¯t know the procedure of retrieving the Evil Snake, brother Velkre.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    Velkre began to giggle. Nora was worried that Velkre might have gone mad upon listening to hisughter. Considering that Velkre was still alive despite such terrible injuries, it was hard to imagine how he managed to endure the pain without going insane.


    ¡°Ha, haha! This is amazing. I didn¡¯t expect him to pay heed to my request,¡± Velkre muttered.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Nora asked.


    ¡°Request to surrender.¡±


    Nora looked toward Velkre suspiciously. However, even before she could ask what he meant, Velkre, who was unable to contain hisughter, opened his mouth and started speaking.


    ¡°You know what, Nora? None of the men from the Order of the Evil Snake who transformed into the Evil Snake have lived to tell the tale. I¡¯m the only one. It has been an immutablew to be skinned and martyred at the hands of fellow Temrs before one turns into an enemy of the empire. But I made it out alive.¡±


    ¡°Yes brother¡­ actually, other people have been talking about this matter as well. Not only is it unusual for the captain to transform into the Evil Snake, but there are no regtions about how you would be treated if you happen to survive. Brother Marco temporarily took the position of the captain, considering that brother Velkre is not even able to move, not to mention the fact that the Evil Snake has been stolen by the enemy,¡± Nora exined.


    ¡°Marco?¡±


    Velkre shook his shoulders andughed out loud again, almost as if he couldn¡¯t hold back hisughter. Velkre¡¯s whole body trembled as heughed and the intense pain messed with his nerves.


    Nora began to worry about his mental state.


    ¡°What¡¯s so funny, brother Velkre? It¡¯s time for you to calm down and take some rest.¡±


    ¡°How can I possibly hold back myughter? Marco, that damn bastard¡­ I would love to see his face when he finds out the identity of his opponent. He had been gritting his teeth, wishing for revenge, but¡­ hahaha!¡±


    ¡°Who is the opponent? Isn¡¯t he just an apostolic young man at best?¡± Nora frowned.


    ¡°An apostolic young man¡­ no. He is the only person worthy of any and all Temrs in the empire to surrender and serve him. I have surrendered, and so, I survived. I will never fight His M¡­ him again. But Marco¡¯s head will roll even before he has a chance to surrender, since he doesn¡¯t even have the Evil Snake. He¡¯s always so impatient and tries to handle everything as fast as he can. I bet the speed of his head being cut off will be just as fast.¡±

 Chapter 119 – Return of the Winter (1)

    <h4>Chapter 119 ¨C Return of the Winter (1)</h4>


    Marco approached Nora as soon as she came out of the camp where Velkre was resting. There was a long scar on his eyebrows¡ªit was the wound he got when he fought Juan in the wastnd. It could have easily been treated with the help of a healing Grace, but Marco decided to purposely leave it untreated, saying that he didn¡¯t wish to forget the price of his own arrogance. Since then, Marco had gotten a lot more calm and rationalpared to before, and his skills were also growing noticeably.


    ¡°I heard brother Velkre¡¯s voice. Has hee to his senses?¡± Marco asked.


    ¡°Yes. But he seems to be slightly out of his mind,¡± Nora answered.


    ¡°Hah, no doubt. Not even the captain of a knight order could be in his right mind after having been skinned alive. Him still being alive after what he went through can already be considered a tremendous blessing from His Majesty,¡± Marco scoffed.


    Nora nodded silently; she hadn¡¯t held any hope for Velkre¡¯s survival either. When they had found him in the snow, his injuries had been so severe that the Temrs were split in their opinion on the matter of using a healing Grace on him. It was only natural for them to be hesitant; there had never been a case of someone who was transformed into the Evil Snake surviving the ordeal.


    Nora changed the subject of the conversation to shake off her thoughts regarding Velkre.


    ¡°What did the Temrs who saw the attacker say?¡±


    ¡°Everyone¡¯s testimony was consistent. Brother Velkre¡¯s camp suddenly started zing with mes, and then the ck-haired young man appeared along with Brother Velkre who had transformed into the Evil Snake. They said that they didn¡¯t intervene to help brother Velkre because it was a principle to be cautious and not get involved whenever the power of Evil Snake is being used,¡± Marco scratched the scar on his eyebrows with an unpleasant expression.


    ¡°That ck-haired bastard¡­ I knew that he was good, but I didn¡¯t think he would be able to beat Captain Velkre even when he used the power of the Evil Snake¡­¡±


    ¡°What should we do, brother? We no longer have the Evil Snake with us anymore, and we confirmed that the opponent¡¯s skill exceeds even that of a captain of a knight order. He even managed to take away the holy equipment, even when he fought by himself. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to let His Holiness know that the opponent is just as dangerous as one of the Six Apostates?¡±


    ¡°You want me to treat him as being on the same level as Ras Raud and Gerard Gain? Hah. I usually hate to think highly of those evil apostates, but the opponent is not as strong as them. There¡¯s a reason why the Six Apostates are treated as the empire¡¯s official enemies, you know? You shouldn¡¯t say such words easily,¡± Marco said as he looked back.


    Heavy sounds that shook the earth wereing from across the horizon. Marco twisted his lips and smiled.


    ¡°Besides, the heretics of Arbalde areing. We can gain all the benefits while simply watching the apostates fight against each other. Then we can go ahead and behead whoever wins. It¡¯s better that way. It has now be clear that the Fourth Division is protecting the wanted criminals of the Church, so we have the excuse to attack them.¡±


    ***


    Urkel decided not to ride a horse. Instead, he walked through the snow on his feet and carried weapons on his back just like the other warriors of Arbalder and the vigers. The snow pouring on them grew harsher and the food they had brought with them began to run out, but there wasn¡¯t a single person who gave up or returned. Everyone was still singing with full strength.


    Most of the food supplies they had received from Suvole was left to the children and the elderly, as well as those who would be taking care of them, since none of the armed warriors of Arbalde intended to return to the vige¡ªthey knew all too well that they would never get an opportunity like this ever again. Even if they had to die, they nned to do so under the walls of Beldeve.


    The same was true of Urkel. He had devoted himself to the Crack, but he had no intention of falling under their rulepletely. There was a pretty good chance that Urkel would be able to grow strong enough to be able to destroy the empire if he fully devoted himself and allowed himself to be fully encroached upon by the Crack; however, to Urkel, whether it was the Crack or the empire, there was hardly any difference.


    Urkel wanted to at least leave a small dent in the system everyone believed to bepletely solid. Urkel would be quite content if such a dent could be made by the Crack and the Crack became the opportunity that allowed him to destroy the empire in the future. Even if he wouldn¡¯t be able to see such a future, he believed that his grandchildren, whom he left behind in the vige, would surely be able to do so.


    Urkel recalled his son who died a long time ago. H and Urkel had been fighting a long and hard battle that killed the other¡¯s families. But H died, leaving nothing behind, and Urkel left behind his grandchildren.


    ¡®<i>I won, H.</i>¡¯


    Urkel would have spat in H¡¯s face if she were to appear in front of him, but she had already disappeared deep into the sea.


    ¡®<i>Your funeral will be held when I burn the fortress of Beldeve.</i>¡¯


    Urkel stopped marching. The sight of the fortress of Beldeve filled his eyes. All the rebels slowed down upon seeing Urkel stop, and then Urkel looked around at them.


    The rebels were the farthest thing from an army¡ªthey were just a small group of vigers whocked weapons and had small figures due to being malnourished. They didn¡¯t even have cavalry. They looked like they were scared, but there was no sign of anyone backing down.


    These vigers were different from the warriors of Arbalde who fully dedicated themselves to revenge. Most of them just wanted to leave the harsh northeast and live a new life in the south, where it was more fertile¡ªall in order to allow their children to lead a better life.


    Urkel felt apologetic toward them; he knew that achieving their goal would be almost impossible. Once Beldeve fell, the Imperial Army belonging to the capital would move. They werepletely different from the Fourth Division in terms of quality as well as numbers. Despite being aware of the fate awaiting them, Urkel had no chance but to deceive them for the sake of his own revenge.


    ¡°Our enemy is standing right there.¡±


    Urkel slowly pulled out his axe from behind his back. The fortress that had been built to fight against the dragons looked so majestic that it was doubtful whether or not human power could allow them to capture it. But there was no reason to hesitate.


    ¡°Go! Go and take whatever you want!¡±


    ¡®Whether it be food, a handful of sunshine, or revenge.¡¯


    Urkel¡¯s loud roar rang throughout the fortress of Beldeve.


    ***


    With Urkel¡¯s roar, a battle began immediately, without any deration of war or summons to surrender.


    Slowly, the vigers helplessly copsed to the ground under the rain of arrows.


    Medina rolled on the ground at the same speed that she had been running as soon as an arrow pierced through her shoulder. But that didn¡¯t stop her. Medina squirmed as she picked herself back up and continued to run. The sensation of her bare feet touching the cold snow and the arrows brushing against her ears felt rather jolly.


    She constantly muttered ¡®¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö.¡¯ It was the name granted to her by the Crack, and it was constantly giving her strength to push on. She used to be hesitant to mutter the name she was granted; she had nightmares about losing her mind¡ªhowever, now was the perfect time to use the strength granted to her by the name. Medina felt as if she could smash the entire world.


    Medina was the first one to arrive in front of the gates of Beldeve. However, she was forced to stop there. The gate that looked like it would be easy to break through from afar turned out to be so huge that it was almostparable to a small hill in terms of size¡ªit was only natural, since it was the gate which was used by the Order of Lindwurm and their dragons.


    Medina felt tiny as soon as she stabbed at the gate using her spear with all her might. She immediately realized that the gate of Beldeve was thick enough to be called a wall rather than a gate. It wasn¡¯t something Medina could break through no matter what she did.


    At that moment, boiling oil poured down upon her head. Medina¡¯s limbs were immediately fried and shrank in the blink of an eye, as she was cooked alive.


    Toel, one of the warriors of Arbalde, took advantage of the time the enemy used to boil the oil once again and leaped forward. When he shoved his short sword into the gate of Beldeve and hung on to it, a small gap was created¡ªa gap that they could use to climb the thick wall.


    Toel stabbed his short sword into the wall and crept up the gate. Constantly humming ¡®¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö,¡¯ the name that was granted to him by the Crack, gave him a terrible headache. But it also gave him the power to just lose his mind and fight fiercely on the battlefield.


    Toel climbed onto the wall in an instant and quickly grabbed onto one of the soldiers of the Fourth Division and threw him under the wall.


    That was the first victim from the Fourth Division.


    The soldiers of the Fourth Division gathered at the sound of a scream. Countless spears flew toward Toel, even when he hadn¡¯t yet made it onto the wall. But those spears looked nothing more than toys to Toel, someone who was a warrior of Arbalde who was granted the power of the Crack.


    Toel threw himself onto the wall even with spears stabbing into his mouth. Killing another soldier of the Fourth Division was a piece of cake for Toel. Then the device to open and close the gates came into his eyes. Toel tried to run straight toward the device, but a ck-haired man with a beard appeared out of nowhere and blocked his way.


    Toel looked confused when he saw the man, who was not dressed as a member of the Imperial Army, but was restrained with handcuffs on his wrists. But his face became distorted even before he got a chance to take a closer look at his opponent¡¯s face. The moment he shouted something in an angry voice and his weapon met with the opponent¡¯s, Toel felt a sharp pain in his sides.


    Only then did Toel realize that a wolf demi-human had struck him on his side to push him off the wall. A resentful cry of a curse could be heard even as he fell off the wall to his death.


    Meanwhile, Urkel was constantly repeating the name of ¡®¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡¯ as he heard the screams of dying vigers; he stillcked strength. Urkel constantly repeated the name granted to him by the Crack while smashing his axe right at the gate of Beldeve. An arrow pierced through his thigh, but he could still walk without a problem. A spear pierced through his throat, but he could still talk. Boiling oil was poured over his head, but his consciousness was clearer than ever.


    Urkel continued to mutter the name he was given. Finally, the strength he had been waiting for filled his body. Urkel lifted the huge two-handed axe over his head and his fingers coiled around the handle as if a giant tree was taking root.


    Urkel¡¯s muscles swelled up to the extent that they looked like they would burst at any moment. Urkel bit his lips as he thought this was enough strength for him to break through the gate. He called out the name granted to him onest time and swung his axe while ming himself for borrowing power from the cursed being residing in the Crack.


    The dent left behind by someone else was a good target for Urkel to aim for. Urkel¡¯s axe struck the gate, and caused the entire fortress of Beldeve to shake. The gates opened about one-third of the way as Urkel¡¯s axe destroyed a part of the gate¡ªit was only a narrow gap, but it was enough for the warriors of Arbalde and the vigers to pass through.


    Urkel¡¯s face was filled with joy. All that was left for Urkel to do now was to ughter.


    ¡°All the warriors, enter the¡­¡±


    Urkel couldn¡¯t finish his sentence. The first thing he encountered after entering through the open gate wasn¡¯t the frightened soldiers of the Fourth Division¡ªit was a ck-haired young man with a smile on his face. Urkel recognized the young man at a nce.


    It was the ck-haired beast.


    ¡°It¡¯s your first time seeing my face. Am I right?¡±


    ¡°You bastard!¡±


    Urkel tried to grab Juan, but Juan simply reached out his hand and grabbed Urkel¡¯s hand in a calm manner. Juan¡¯s hands were fitted with ck gloves that gave off a strange energy, causing Urkel to snort; he thought Juan was trying to show off his strength.


    ¡°Do you even know who I am? I am the Revenge King Urkel, the leader of the warriors of Arbalde!¡±


    ¡°Add ¡®armless¡¯ to your title from now on.¡±


    <i>Crack! Crack!</i>


    Urkel turned his head toward the gruesome sounding from his hand which was held by Juan. Urkel¡¯s hand was in the process of regenerating due to the power of the Crack, but it was once again twisted like a broken twig by Juan using his gloved hands.


    Urkel screamed in pain and tried to step back. However, Juan didn¡¯t even budge. Urkel felt like his arm was being pulled out.


    ¡°¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö!¡±


    Urkel called out the name granted to him by the Crack. In an instant, Urkel¡¯s broken hand began to cling to and wrap around Juan¡¯s hand. Juan had remained motionless until now, but let go of Urkel¡¯s hand and pushed Urkel away, almost as if he felt ufortable holding onto Urkel¡¯s hand.


    Urkel gritted his teeth and tried to charge toward Juan again.


    At that moment, something with a huge figure stuck out its head from behind Juan.


    It was a dragon.


    ¡°Fuck.¡±


    The dragon¡¯s mouth opened wide and zing red mes soon poured out of its throat. Urkel hurriedly tried to cover his face, but he couldn¡¯t avoid being burnt. The dragon¡¯s mes engulfed Urkel and threw him tens of meters away in an instant.

 Chapter 120 – Return of the Winter (2)

    <h4>Chapter 120 ¨C Return of the Winter (2)</h4>


    Urkel¡¯s body was on fire as he rolled around on the ground for a long time. The warriors of Arbalde rushed to try and douse the mes by pouring snow on Urkel, but the mes released by a dragon would not be put out that easily. It was only after a long time Urkel managed to stand up on his feet with red burns all over him.


    ¡°That son of a bitch!¡±


    Urkel muttered a curse and looked toward the fortress of Beldeve. The gate was destroyed, but a dragon was burning all the vigers who were approaching the gate. The front of the gate was no different than hell.


    Meanwhile, the ck-haired beast wandered leisurely through the mes and ruthlessly killed anyone who came near the gate.


    Juan quickly knocked down the warriors of Arbalde¡ªhe didn¡¯t even need to take out his weapon.


    Urkel gritted his teeth. It would be impossible to pass through the gate with Juan and the dragon guarding the front. But they didn¡¯t have any other way either.


    ¡°The dragon won¡¯t be able to breathe out fire endlessly! The ck-haired beast won¡¯t be able to fight forever either! Continue pushing!¡±


    Urkel yelled and tried to push forward again. He had no choice but to step up and try to restrain the ck-haired beast so that the warriors of Arbalde and the vigers could seek an opportunity to enter the fortress.


    ¡®<i>It would be hard for me to do so given my current state, but if I tap into the power of the Crack just a little more¡­</i>¡¯


    Urkel made a hard decision, but he stumbled and dropped down on his knee.


    ¡°Leader, I think it would be best for you to treat your fatal wounds while staying at the back for now. You can¡¯t fight as you are right now.¡±


    Urkel was suffering from immense pain due to the burns, yet he refused to step back; he had decided to die fighting. He knew that other vigers would hesitate if he were to back down now.


    Then Urkel saw one of the warriors of Arbalde approaching him in a hurry.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me! Just go and continue pushing. I¡¯ll take care of myself!¡±


    Urkel burst into a rage and tried to send the warrior away even before the warrior opened his mouth. At the same time, the warrior shook his head with a pale expression as if he was perplexed.


    ¡°That¡¯s not it, Leader! I just got a message from back home!¡±


    ¡°The rear?¡±


    Everyone who hade to the fortress of Beldeve hade prepared to leave everything behind and die on the battlefield. This meant that they no longer had a ce to call ¡®home.¡¯


    ¡®<i>If there is anything like that, it would probably be where a small number of children and the elders are still¡­</i>¡¯


    Urkel¡¯s face hardened. The warrior brought a boy who looked like he could die at any moment. The boy was barefoot and his foot was soaked in blood, almost as if he had been running for a long time in the snow. Urkel¡¯s lips quivered.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Urkel asked the boy.


    ¡°Nienna¡­¡±


    A familiar but terrifying name came out of the boy¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Nienna and the Order of Penlil have barged into the vige!¡±


    The woman who led the carnage from decades ago and turned Arbalde into ruins. The boy was saying that she had returned.


    ***


    Urkel felt as if someone had hit him in the back of his head.


    ¡®<i>Nienna? Why would Nienna be here right now?</i>¡¯


    Nienna was the emperor¡¯s second child, as well as the person who was second inmand within the empire. She was abat freak who had been fighting against the Crack ever since she was barely old enough to hold a sword in her hand, and she was the one who took care of the entire northern territory. Not only was she the General of the Imperial Army in the northern territory, but she was also the captain of the Order of Penlil that was well known for their violence as well as the strongest military discipline in the empire.


    Nienna Nelben was known as the harbinger of winter. In the current state of the empire where the seat of the emperor was vacant, the Thornbush Priest Organization¡¯s strongest enemy was Nienna. The reason why the Thornbush Priest Organization had not explicitly intervened even until now was due to Urkel¡¯s request to keep Nienna in check.


    But here she was¡ªwhen the fall of Beldeve was right around the corner.


    The snowkes fell on Urkel¡¯s head. Come to think of it, the first snow of the season this time around was much earlierpared to the past winters. Urkel bit his lips; he felt that he should have sensed Nienna¡¯s imminent return based on the early onset of snowfall.


    After all, Nienna¡¯s title was ¡®the one who brings the winter.¡¯


    Death and ruins would be all that would remain if Nienna and the Order of Penlil had decided to intervene in the affairs of the northeast. In fact, nothing would be left this time.


    At that moment Urkel came back to his senses. Urkel hastily bent down toward the boy and whispered in a nervous voice.


    ¡°What about the other viges? Did everyone manage to evacuate?¡±


    The boy looked at Urkel in silence and shed tears.


    Urkel¡¯s mind went nk; it was clear that the boy was the only one who was able to escape while everyone else was dying. Nienna allowing the boy to escape clearly had a purpose¡ªit was either her n to make the warriors of Arbalde and the vigers panic, or to make them fight back without retreat.


    The warriors hurriedly held Urkel and helped him stand on his feet just as he stumbled.


    ¡®<i>I promised myself that I would die here.</i>¡¯


    Urkel had thought that he hadpletely let go of everything else in his life for revenge. But this was only a delusion. He decided to die on the battlefield for the sake of his grandchildren and their survival. While he thought that everything he did was for revenge, he only now realized that it had all been to lead all those who devoted their lives for revenge just so that their children could live freely in peace. Urkel knew that his grandchildren would also live bound by hatred for the rest of their lives if he didn¡¯t sacrifice himself while holding all the hatred in his arms.


    But they were all dead now. There was only one thing left for Urkel and the warriors of Arbalde¡ªrevenge.


    ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhhh!¡±


    Urkel¡¯s scream shook the earth as tears of blood flowed down his cheeks. Urkel grit his teeth to the point that they almost broke. Urkel turned his head and looked at his surroundings.


    There was only one thing he was looking for.


    It was the Imperial knight from the capital that had induced and instigated this whole war. Nienna¡¯s sudden intervention could only be thought of as Suvole''s trick to wipe out both the Fourth Division as well as the northeastern rebels in one fell swoop.


    Urkel realized that both H and himself had been used.


    ¡°Suvole!¡±


    Urkel recalled seeing Suvole standing with the Order of the Evil Snake on the hill and whispering something to the captain before he went to war. Urkel¡¯s bloody eyes turned to one side of the battlefield. On the hill above the forest, there were quite a few Temrs who were arrogantly watching the battle, waiting for its end.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tear you to death, you fucking bastards!¡±


    ***


    Marco was watching the siege against the fortress of Beldeve from atop the hill. The fact that the warriors of Arbalde and the vigers managed to destroy the gate was impressive, but the sudden appearance of the dragon and the ck-haired young man was unexpected. The ck-haired young man was even wandering around, almost as if he didn¡¯t care about hiding his identity.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing good about the Fourth Division fighting a war with a heretic like that being on their side. Besides, isn¡¯t a dragon considered to be an evil beast within the empire? H was so determined to protect them both, but now would be the perfect opportunity to take both of them out at once.¡±


    ¡°The ck-haired young man won¡¯t be able to do anything once thedder reaches the wall. Some of the warriors of Arbalde are quite remarkable, so it will only be a matter of time before the fortress of Beldeve falls.¡±


    ¡°Good, good. We will wait for now, then group one, two, and three will break through as soon as the battle enters a state of lull. Group four should make sure that the ck-haired young man doesn¡¯t escape from the outskirts¡­ wait, what is that?¡±


    Marco frowned as he saw some of the rebels running toward them all of a sudden. Marco¡¯s eyes which had been bestowed with a Grace allowed him to see his opponents clearly even from afar.


    Urkel was running straight toward the Temrs. Marco flinched for a moment upon seeing Urkel, who was tapping into more and more of the power of the Crack running crazily toward him with tears of blood in his eyes. At the same time, he felt a murderous intent that sent chills down his spine.


    ¡°Prepare for battle,¡± Marco ordered.


    ¡°Pardon? Isn¡¯t that just the Revenge King?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you see that the lunatic has gonepletely mad!? Get your weapons right now and get ready to defend!¡±


    The Temrs raised their weapons upon hearing Marco¡¯s roar. It was only natural that they weren¡¯t prepared to defend; the Temrs had just been leisurely watching the battle from a distance. The Temrs hurriedly set up a barricade, but the speed of the warriors of Arbalde far exceeded their expectations.


    ¡°Ah, forget about the barricade! Start charging your Spears of Wrath!¡± Marco btedly shouted anothermand.


    Urkel ran toward the Temrs, reaching them in just an instant and split the nearest Temr body in half.


    In response, Marco shouted in anger and threw a Spear of Wrath toward Urkel. A few strands of lightning also struck Urkle, but he did not slow down at all.


    Marco shouted to vent his anger, ¡°You jerks! I should have known that heretics have no loyalty at all!¡±


    ¡°¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö!¡±


    Urkel shouted an unintelligible name that no one could understand and swung his ax toward Marco again. Marco questioned whether Urkel had suddenly gone mad, but Urkel didn¡¯t give Marco an opportunity to have a conversation.


    At the same time, Macro wasn¡¯t the type to solve conflicts through conversation either.


    ¡°Kill them all! The steps that we must take in order to establish His Majesty¡¯s will have changed!¡±


    ***


    The northern army was marching fast despite the heavy snowstorm. Ten thousand elite soldiers mounted on horses and equipped with heavy armor led the way, and three times as many support and evacuation units followed behind them. As they advanced, the troops didn¡¯t leave behind anything that might possiblye back to bite themter. To prevent anyone from hiding or surviving, the troops even burned all the food and didn¡¯t leave behind a single ce that could function as a hiding ce.


    A long silver-haired young woman led the army at the forefront. The woman who rode her horse in silence came to a stop at some point. She reached out her hand and clenched her fist as if she was grasping air. The moment she pulled her fist aside, the snowstorm that filled the entire sky began to fade in an instant.


    As the sky cleared, the sight of the northeastern rebels running around the fortress of Beldeve could be seen from afar. At the same time, one knight carefully approached the woman.


    ¡°General Nienna, there¡¯s the target.¡±


    Nienna didn¡¯t even nce at him, causing Suvole to have an awkward expression.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t that thend you wanted to go back to so badly? You said you regretted not being able to clean it uppletely. I let youe back here. Don¡¯t you have any other impressions?¡±


    Nienna raised her middle finger toward Suvole.


    ¡°Thank you very much,¡± Suvole smiled and took a step back.


    Nienna once again began to ride her horse at a high speed as the snow subsided, and three knights wearing unusually thick armor followed closely behind her. Behind the knights¡¯ backs fluttered the blue-colored skin of a beast instead of a cape with a symbol.


    Snow wolves that are strong enough to chew up the demonic beasts of the Crack acted as their symbol. Even Suvole, a knight from the Order of the Capital, was in awe of the Order of Penlil, who had survived ever since His Majesty¡¯s era. The knights belonging to the Order of the Capital were mostly from the newer generations and had reced the older knights, but the Order of Penlil was full of older knights. Nevertheless, it didn¡¯t look like the Order of Penlil had weakened at all.


    ¡®<i>Instead, they seem to be getting stronger.</i>¡¯


    Suvole turned his head toward the back to look at the mounted soldiers who were following Nienna from behind. The mounted soldiers consisted of northern ethnic groups; they were extremely strong and were so huge that it made others doubt whether or not they were just ordinary people of the empire.


    In fact, ¡®Imperial Army¡¯ wasn¡¯t an appropriate term for them¡ªit was said that these soldiers were more loyal to Nienna than to the Regent or His Majesty. The same could be said about the entire northern territory. Nienna was the living proof of the long-standing native faith worshiped by the North.


    Nienna was said to be the daughter of the being called the ¡®winter duke¡¯, someone who came and left with a long snowstorm. There was no way to confirm whether the story was true or not, but this mysterious myth about Nienna was an object of awe and worship to the people from the North.


    Suvole couldn¡¯t hide his excitement at being able to run and fight alongside a famous legend. Suvole also felt that it was interesting that the Order of the Capital¡¯s long-drawn n was able to be rapidly advanced, thanks to the ck-haired young man.


    ¡°All knights-¡±


    Nienna stretched out her right hand like a wing. She only whispered in a quiet voice, but the cavalry rushed to spread out swiftly to the side as if they were one with Nienna.


    ¡°Go rescue them.¡±


    Nienna gave a short order.


    Just before the cavalry stormed in, the ground which had be muddy due to the blood and the heat began to freeze white. The vigers and the rebels who saw Nienna and the cavalry tried to fight or run away, but thin ice froze them before they could even do anything. The vigers died before knowing the reason for their death¡ªtheir eyes were the first to burst.


    A hammer named Nienna as well as her ten thousand-strong elite cavalries quickly struck the northeastern rebels who were ced on the anvil called Beldeve. The northeastern rebels broke in an instant, just like thin ss.


    Suvole burst intoughter when he saw one of the warriors of Arbalde being trampled under his horse¡¯s hooves.


    ¡°Duke Henna. The ten thousand Imperial Army troops that I promised you have now arrived!¡±


    ***


    Juan had a suspicious look on his face as he saw the warriors of Arbalde retreating like a tide. Then he soon realized that they were rushing at the Temr¡¯s camp¡ªJuan could easily tell from their expressions and the scale of the disturbance that their reason for charging toward the camp wasn¡¯t for anything good.


    At that moment, a familiar sound was heard from the front line. The sound of numerous horse hooves pounding on the ground shook the earth. The sound of the uing battle was vibrating the entire ground.


    Soon after, an unknown cavalry unit struck the rear of the northeastern rebels. It was unknown as to who it was that was leading the cavalry unit, but it was a clean charge at just the right timing. Meanwhile, the northeastern rebels were still busy fighting against the Temrs on one side.


    Juan could only say one sentence.


    ¡°Haha. What a fucking mess.¡±

 Chapter 121 – Return of the Winter (3)

    <h4>Chapter 121 ¨C Return of the Winter (3)</h4>


    ¡®<i>I have no idea who decided tounch an attack at such perfect timing.</i>¡¯


    It was unknown as to why the warriors of Arbalde were attacking the Order of the Evil Snake all of a sudden, but there was no reason for Juan to intervene and stop them from fighting when both the warriors of Arbalde as well as the Temrs were nothing but annoyances.


    ¡°Juan!¡±


    Sina called out for Juan from above the walls.


    ¡°Do you understand what¡¯s going on right now? Why are the warriors of Arbalde attacking the Order of the Evil Snake?¡± Sina asked.


    ¡°I have no clue. But doesn¡¯t it make sense that they don¡¯t like each other? Just let them be. It¡¯s rather fortunate that they are taking each other out. The one thing I like better than killing the people I hate is watching people I hate kill each other,¡± Juan shrugged.


    ¡°Fair enough. Then do you know the identity of the army that just stepped in? They look like another division of the Imperial army based on their formation.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m about to go and find out.¡±


    Juan quickly jumped up to the top of the wall to find the ce with the best view.


    ¡°Now then, let¡¯s find out who this hero that appeared out of nowhere is, shall we?¡±


    Juan squinted his eyes and focused. It was difficult for him to identify distinct features from this distance, but Juan could roughly identify the characteristics.


    ¡°From the looks of it, they all appear to be wearing heavy armor made with beast skin. They have even put armor on their horses. Their armor seems to follow the Imperial style, but I don¡¯t see a g¡­ maybe they are a backup? I also see someone at the forefront who seems to be themander¡­¡±


    Juan closed his mouth without finishing his sentence. Although he couldn¡¯t recognize the details of themander¡¯s face, he was certain.


    Juan¡¯s words suddenly stopped, but the information he had given so far was enough for Sina to identify the army.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Northern Imperial Army,¡± Sina murmured.


    ¡°Northern Imperial Army? Why did the Northern Armye all the way here to Beldeve? They aren¡¯t allowed toe here without Duke Henna¡¯s permission.¡±


    Horhell said after hearing Sina¡¯s conclusion.


    ¡°Duke Henna had always been heavily opposed to the Northern Imperial Army getting involved in the affairs of the eastern territory. It¡¯s only natural for her to be opposed, considering the hostility that the easterners have towards General Nienna. I understand that General Nienna did what she had to do, since that was her job, but it would still be hard for the eastern territory to ept her just because of that.¡±


    ¡°But they are here. Don¡¯t tell me that General Nienna came here herself¡­ did she?¡±


    Juan couldn¡¯t hear any of the conversations between Sina and Horhell. In fact, it was no surprise to Juan that Nienna woulde to the east at such a time. Nienna went to wherever the Crack had spread its reach, all in order to exterminate and destroy them. It was rather strange that she had left the situation in the northeast unattended until now. It was either that she had be politically liberal as she grew older, or that the situation in the north was even more serious than in the east.


    ¡®<i>So it¡¯s not too strange that I encountered her here¡­ but why now out of all the times?</i>¡¯


    Juan¡¯s heart was pounding. It was his second time meeting one of his children. Unlike Ras, who had been stigmatized as a traitor, Nienna was the hero of the empire and the leader of the North. The way Ras and Nienna were treated waspletely different, and Juan was still not sure about what that meant.


    ¡®<i>Was she also involved in treason? If she was, how much does she know? What should I do if it turns out that she knew everything from the beginning? Whatever she did to me, would I be able to tolerate it?</i>¡¯


    Juan stopped thinking. It wouldn¡¯t be toote to worry about all his concerns until after he had met her.


    Neither Nienna nor Juan were the type to postpone the ughter of their enemies when the enemies were right in front of their eyes.


    ***


    ¡°You¡­ damn monster!¡±


    One of the Temrs struggled and stabbed a sword into Urkel¡¯s leg but not a single drop of blood came out of Urkel. Instead, Urkel¡¯s muscles just split and purple tentacles popped out to wrap around the Temr¡¯s hands and arms.


    The Temr squirmed, trying to get the tentacles off of him, but the Temr was helplessly absorbed into Urkel like an insect entangled in a spider web. The Temr soon became a part of Urkel¡¯s calf, just like many other Temrs.


    ¡°¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö!¡±


    Urkel uttered an unintelligible word. It was Suvole¡¯s name, Velkre¡¯s name, and also the name of the master of the Crack¡ªjust words mixed with countless names that did not have any specific meaning.


    A clear trajectory was left on the ground every time Urkel dragged his legs. Urkel no longer had the figure of a human at this point. At least ten Temrs were torn to pieces and tangled in the tentacles attached to Urkel.


    Marco¡¯s distorted face was at the top among the Temrs tangled to Urkel. Marco persistently survived even after having been absorbed into Urkel¡¯s tentacles, but no sound wasing out of his puffed lips.


    The Temrs were strong. They were strong enough that each Temr could easily take on five of the warriors of Arbalde. But that was it. The Order of the Evil Snake, without the power of the snake, was crushed by a crowd burying them instead of their attacks¡ªand half of them were killed by Urkel.


    Urkel was still looking for the Temrs. The knight order was almost wiped out, but Urkel still hadn¡¯t found the Temr named Velkre who had been with Suvole.


    ¡°L-Leader!¡± one of the warriors approached Urkel and shouted.


    Urkel did not respond but simply walked with a two-handed axe dragging against the ground. The warrior¡¯s voice became desperate upon seeing such a sight.


    ¡°Nienna Nelben and the Order of Penlil are headed this way! The vigers have been trampled on and the warriors are on the verge of annihtion! Please let us know what we need to do!¡±


    Urkel¡¯s neck creaked toward the warrior who just made the report. His appearance was closer to a hideous monster than a human, but the warrior smiled brightly.


    ¡°¡­enemy,¡± Urkel said.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡±


    ¡°Where is the enemy?¡±


    It was clear what Urkel was referring to. The warrior¡¯s face became more and more expressionless, then he soon bit his lips. The warrior forced a sad smile with miserable eyes. Then he soon saluted Urkel in a light gesture.


    ¡°Since when did we wait for our enemies toe find us? We are nothing but stones thrown into the world anyway, aren¡¯t we? Among all the stones, I was honored to be a stone thrown by your hand! I¡¯ll get going then. I hope you will be born in a warmernd in your next life!¡± The warrior slowly backed away.


    The warrior left after giving such a greeting and ran toward the back¡ªit was the direction from where Nienna and the Order of Penlil were marching. Urkel didn¡¯t look back but only continued walking in silence.


    Arge camp came into his eyes. Almost all the camps were falling apart with the bodies of the warriors of Arbalde scattered around. Urkel tore open the camp with an expressionless face, and there sat a man wrapped in arge towel. He was a gruesome-looking man whose muscles were exposed.


    Urkel could recognize him at a nce.


    ¡°Velkre.¡±


    ¡°Revenge King. It hasn¡¯t been that long since thest time I saw you, but both of us look quite different from thest time we saw each other, don¡¯t we?¡± Velkre made a self-mocking joke.


    Urkel had parts of the bodies of the Temrs merged into him with the tentacles, while Velkre¡¯s red flesh was revealed without skin. It was a sight that no one would want to encounter at night.


    ¡°Stand back, Urkel. Isn¡¯t it the Fourth Division that you are hostile to? Why are you attacking us all of a sudden?¡± Nora asked.


    Nora had stayed with Velkre to guard the camp and protect him. She was covered in wounds, and Urkel could easily tell that the bodies of the warriors of Arbalde scattered outside the camp seemed to be of her handiwork.


    ¡°Sister Nora, stand down. I would have tried talking to him already if he was someone who would listen,¡± Velkre said.


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    Urkel raised his two-handed axe and struck it toward Nora even before she could say anything. Nora quickly lifted her sword, but shecked the strength to withstand his blow. Urkel took away the sword from Nora and stabbed it in her own shoulder, causing Nora to copse to the ground with a short scream. She groaned as she tried to pull out the sword stuck in her shoulder, but it was clear that she no longer had the ability to fight.


    Velkre looked at Nora withplicated eyes. In his current state, he could neither swing a sword nor stand up on his own. All he could do was watch death approaching him before his eyes.


    ¡°We desperately wanted to kill each other from the first time we saw each other. We should have done this a while back, don¡¯t you agree?¡±


    Velkre recalled having mixed feelings when seeing Urkel with his imposing and threatening expression back in Arbalde¡ªUrkel was a despicable heretic, but he was arrogant and energetic enough to call himself a <i>king</i>.


    However, he was nothing more than a monster now.


    ¡°Go ahead. Neither do I have the strength nor the ability to hold a sword. Feel free to eat me up or split me in half.¡±


    Velkre waited for his death with open arms, but Urkel did not move. Instead, he opened his mouth.


    ¡°Where is Suvole?¡±


    Velkre couldn¡¯t answer Urkel¡¯s question. Just like Urkel, Velkre had no idea where Suvole had gone.


    But Velkre couldn¡¯t open his mouth for a different reason altogether.


    Suvole was standing right behind Urkel¡¯s back.


    Urkel turned his head when he saw Velkre¡¯s gaze turning toward his back. Only then did he notice Suvole. Suvole was riding on a horse and looking down at Urkel with a deriding expression. Myriad of heavy cavalry stood behind him, and Urkel could immediately tell that it was the Order of the Penlil.


    Upon seeing Suvole, Urkel charged toward him with an unintelligible shout. Usually, a bigger size meant lower speed, but Urkel¡¯s speed was overwhelming.


    However, Suvole continued to look at Urkel with a rxed face.


    Urkel, who was running as fast as he could, almost as if he was about to break down and tear everything in his path, was forced toe to a stop with a loud roar. Countless spears from the cavalry had prated Urkel.


    The long, thick spears that seemed to have been made to deal with monstersrger than humans fused with the tentacles from the Crack, effectively retraining Urkel. Despite his limbs gradually being torn apart, Urkel continued to push himself against the spears, causing the cavalry to start getting pushed back with a cracking sound.


    ¡°...Suvole!¡±


    Suvole stepped back with a nervous look on his face when he saw Urkel slowly approaching him.


    At that moment, Urkel¡¯s face began to freeze as he was covered in white. Urkel desperately twisted his body, but it only cracked and broke like ss. Urkel¡¯s movementspletely stopped not long after the cold white air had covered him entirely.


    Suvole wiped the sweat off of his forehead.


    ¡°General Nienna. If you did that on purpose, that¡¯s a bad thing to do.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who said you would stand in front of me.¡±


    Nienna rode her horse around Survole with an interested expression on her face.


    ¡°He is definitely smaller than the demonic beasts belonging to the Crack, but it¡¯s rare to find anyone with his level of energy. Most of them are mindless beasts anyway¡ªthey run away as soon as they get hurt. But not so for this one.¡±


    ¡°...Is that so?¡±


    Nienna showed curiosity rather than disgust or fear upon seeing the bizarre figure of Urkel.


    At that moment, Suvole once again realized that she was the general standing on the front line in the war against the Crack.


    ¡°But that¡¯s about it.¡±


    Nienna left a shortment and turned her back on Urkel.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    At that moment, Urkle¡¯s body broke down into pieces. Suvole fell off of his horse when the broken ice and body fragments poured over him all of a sudden. But Nienna didn¡¯t even bother to look back at Suvole, who had fallen to the ground.


    ¡°Knight. If you¡¯re not used to horseback riding, just walk.¡±


    Nienna also spoke to the knights of the Order of Penlil who followed her.


    ¡°Was this thest of the warriors of Arbalde?¡±


    ¡°I think so, General.¡±


    ¡°Are all the Temrs dead as well?¡± Nienna asked while looking at the camp where Velkre had just been.


    There was no one left inside the camps, and the same was true of Nora, who seemed to have been fatally wounded.


    Nienna was curious for a moment, but soon shrugged; she didn¡¯t care. The knight order was none of her concern anyway.


    ¡°We are heading to the fortress of Beldeve.¡±

 Chapter 122 – Return of the Winter (4)

    <h4>Chapter 122 ¨C Return of the Winter (4)</h4>


    The soldiers of the Fourth Division witnessed the moment when the northeastern rebels were crushed between ten thousand strong heavy cavalries and the fortress of Beldeve. They also watched Urkel, the Revenge King, leading the warriors of Arbalde to leave the battlefield and attack the Order of the Evil Snake. There were many who also witnessed the end of the warriors of Arbalde.


    Nienna Nelben¡¯s northern army didn¡¯t hesitate to trample on the vigers, not leaving even a single one alive. Throughout the entire mission, none of the cavalrymen said even a single word¡ªthey onlymunicated using signnguage.


    It was only after all the vigers and warriors had been killed that the soldiers of the Fourth Division understood the reason behind this.


    The battlefield, which had been filled with the songs of the Crack, was nowpletely silent. The northern army was able to ensure that they didn¡¯t miss a single warrior or viger who was still hiding somewhere by using just signnguage.


    The northern army was approaching the fortress of Beldeve, and the soldiers of the Fourth Division looked at them nervously even though they knew the northern army was here to aid them. Standing at the forefront, right beside General Nienna was a knight holding a sword that was stabbed into a head.


    ¡°Urkel¡­ that¡¯s Urkel¡¯s head, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    The mutterings of one of the soldiers spread throughout the fortress of Beldeve. This meant only one thing¡ªit was the end of the civil war that had gued the northeast for decades. The soldiers of the Fourth Division had a hard time adapting to the unexpected reality of their long-fought war ending in such a short time.


    The civil war led by Urkel, the lord of Arbalde, that continued for thirty-three years ended in just one day with the intervention of General Nienna and the Northern Army. It was such a futile ending that the soldiers wondered why Duke Henna had put so much effort and suffered so much over the years. It felt as if they were being shown that the civil war in the east is not even a big deal to the Imperial Army¡ªand this was the truth.


    Rather than feeling the joy of victory, the soldiers felt rage and anger as they questioned why the Imperial Army had left the eastern territory unattended until now. But the Northern Army¡¯s momentum was overwhelming, causing the soldiers of the Fourth Division to not dare to show their anger and rage. But, the Northern Army was clearly not given a warm wee.


    ¡°We don¡¯t seem to be weed here,¡± Suvole said as if he was teasing Nienna.


    Nienna could feel that as well, but she was used to such a situation; her army was often not very wee anywhere they went.


    Nienna felt the urge to freeze and pull out Suvole¡¯s deriding tongue. In fact, she wasn¡¯t the type to hold back when she could do what she wanted.


    Two of the knights from the Order of Fenrir grabbed Suvole¡¯s arms from both sides and grabbed his chin upon seeing Nienna give a signal. It was only after NIenna grabbed onto Suvole¡¯s tongue that he knew what was going on. Suvole desperately begged Nienna.


    ¡°W-wait, don¡¯t do this. Please hear me out!¡± Suvole shouted.


    ¡°These will be thest words that you can say with your tongue, so say something meaningful.¡±


    ¡°N-no. What I¡¯m trying to say is that they don¡¯t seem to respect your authority, General. They should be paying their respects to you, who is their savior.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter; I didn¡¯te here to receive their respects. Hm, but I just remembered something that I had forgotten about.¡±


    Nienna didn¡¯t think that Suvole¡¯s excuse was good enough to change her mind about pulling out his tongue, but she decided to let it slide for now. She would have a lot of time to pull out Suvole¡¯s tongue anyway.


    Nienna beckoned slightly to the back of the line, and a woman with a small figure came forward and stood next to Nienna while riding a horse. She was wearing a hood that covered her entirely.


    Suvole had often seen her meeting and talking to Nienna, but he had no idea who she was. He simply thought that she might be one of the easterners that Nienna had brought in for interrogation purposes.


    ¡®<i>But why is she standing beside Nienna right now¡­?</i>¡¯


    Nienna drove her horse toward the front of the fortress of Beldeve.


    ¡°Who¡¯s in charge of the fortress these days?¡± Nienna asked.


    Nienna could enter the fortress as she pleased, since the main gate of the fortress had already been destroyed. But Nienna did not act arrogantly.


    Soon, Horhell and Sina Solvane walked out from behind the gate, causing Nienna¡¯s eyes to widen.


    ¡°Horhell? You look like you haven¡¯t aged at all.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. I can see that the same is true for you, General Nienna Nelben.¡±


    ¡°I heard that you were beaten up pretty badly by Barth, but I see that you¡¯ve be themander of the division. Congrattions.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your high regard, General. But I¡¯m not themander. Themander is Sina Solvane, who is standing next to me,¡± Horhell pointed to Sina Solvane standing next to him.


    ¡°I¡¯m Sina Solvane from the Order of the Blue Rose, General Nienna Nelben. I wee you in the name of the Fourth Division,¡± Sina said politely.


    Nienna tilted her head in wonder when she saw Sina.


    ¡°Did H have a daughter? She only had a son as far as I remember,¡± Nienna asked.


    ¡°Unfortunately, Duke Henna passed away during the time I had been staying in Beldeve as a guest. I am temporarily leading this ce. Now that General Nienna is here, please rmend a suitable person tomand the Fourth Division and I will humbly put down my position.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see. I thought you were H¡¯s daughter because you only had one eye as well. My apologies. I happen to be a little indifferent toward everything other than thend I rule. Now that I¡¯m taking a closer look, you are prettier than H. H, too, used to have a beautiful face when she was young.¡±


    ¡°...Thank you, General.¡±


    There was no way that having a single eye could be inherited, but Nienna shrugged with a straight face. Sina thought that Nienna might be even weirder than the rumors said.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not continue this chat here. Why don¡¯t we go in and continue our conversation? Oh, I had something to give you before that¡­¡±


    Nienna rummaged through her pocket inside her cloak as if she was looking for something.


    Sina patiently waited to see what Nienna was talking about, but Nienna couldn¡¯t find what she was looking for even after a long time. Nienna¡¯s expression changed into one of bewilderment.


    ¡°Hmm, well this is¡­¡±


    ¡°Um, General Nienna? May I ask what you are looking for?¡± Sina asked.


    ¡°Oh. I¡¯m looking for the previousmander of the Fourth Division.¡±


    Nienna pulled her hand out of her pocket, almost as if she had been waiting for Sina¡¯s question. However, Nienna¡¯s hand was still empty.


    Sina tried taking a closer look at Nienna¡¯s hand to figure out what Nienna meant, but she couldn¡¯t quite figure it out.


    The moment Sina raised her head suspiciously, the hooded woman who had been standing next to Nienna took off her hood. Seeing her, Sina¡¯s eyes opened wide.


    ¡°Long time no see, female knight. It seems like you¡¯ve been guarding the fortress pretty well.¡±


    At the same time, the sound of Horhell dropping his sword was heard from behind. Simr sounds could be heard from all over the fortress, while Suvole was surprised as well.


    It was H Henna.


    Nienna shook her empty hands and grinned.


    ¡°Ta-da.¡±


    ***


    Nienna, H, and Sina moved to the audience chamber of the fortress. The Northern Army settled in the open space outside the fortress, since there was not enough room for ten thousand people in the fortress of Beldeve despite itsrge size. The Northern Army wasn¡¯t upset that they had to stay outside, since they were being supported and treated by the follow-up units.


    ¡°How¡­what happened? Everyone thought that you were dead.¡±


    Sina was still looking at H in disbelief. Horhell was even more surprised than Sina. He knew that it was rude, but he was so shocked that he grabbed H¡¯s hand to make sure that she was real.


    ¡°I know. I thought I was going to die too,¡± H admitted in a calm manner. ¡°But I can¡¯t really exin what exactly happened either. I remember seeing the waves engulfing me after I was thrown into the sea by that monster from the Crack, but I have no memory after that. I was in the barracks of General Nienna¡¯s support unit when I came to my senses.¡±


    Sina turned her head and looked at Nienna. Nienna just shrugged at Sina¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have much to say either. We found Duke Henna in a pit that was made to prevent the wind from blowing into it, and it was quite well made too. She was wrapped in high-quality leather. She even had a g with the Henna family¡¯s symbol on it to make sure that we could identify her. Without that¡­ I would have just passed by her or killed her because I would have thought she was one of the warriors of Arbalde. Thest time I saw H was fifty years ago, so I wouldn¡¯t have been able to recognize her at all. Back then, she used to have both her eyes and arms. She looked much more beautiful as well. Anyway, it¡¯s a good thing that I was able to bring her back alive. Although I don¡¯t know how Dame Sina feels about H¡¯s sudden return.¡± Nienna said.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t be more grateful. The position of themander was quite burdensome for me and I am not suitable for it in the first ce. It¡¯s only right to give it back to the rightful owner.¡±


    Sina showed her modesty and bowed her head. Sina noticed that H and Nienna were both hiding something. What happened to H was not something that could just be passed off with the sentence ¡®I don¡¯t know what happened.¡¯ It was clear that there was some kind of secret intervention that could not be mentioned.


    But Sina couldn¡¯t argue or ask them what they were hiding. Prying too much could give an impression that Sina didn¡¯t wee H¡¯s return.


    Meanwhile, Nienna smiled as if she could read Sina¡¯s thoughts.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry, knight. I have checked H myself. She is perfectly sane¡ªin fact, no one would believe that she has been fighting against the Crack for decades.¡±


    ¡°Yes, General.¡±


    Nienna¡¯s tone was strong as if she was telling Sina to keep it under wraps. Sina decided to hold back her questions for now.


    ¡°By the way,¡± Nienna leaned over the table. ¡°I have heard from Sir Suvole that there was a remarkable man here.¡±


    Sina couldn¡¯t figure out who Suvole was, but she immediately realized who ¡®the incredible man¡¯ that Nienna was talking about. Sina¡¯s shoulders stiffened as she got nervous.


    ¡®<i>She¡¯s probably Juan¡¯s daughter¡­ Will she recognize Juan? And would she acknowledge him as her father if she recognizes him?</i>¡¯


    ¡°General Nienna. I have something to ask you before I introduce you to him¡­¡±


    ¡°Nienna!¡±


    Sina¡¯s face turned pale at the voice she heard even before she could finish what she was saying.


    At the same time, a ck-haired young man could be seen leaning from the railing on the second floor¡ªit was Juan.


    ¡°Long time no see. I just took a shower; I didn¡¯t want to meet you while I was drenched in blood. So how have you been? Have you enjoyed your hobby?¡± Juan asked in a joyous tone.


    <i>Squeak!</i>


    Nienna jumped up from her seat with the sound of a chair scratching against the floor. The faces of everyone became distorted upon seeing Juan who had appeared out of nowhere without giving them any time to prepare. No, everyone except for Suvole, who didn¡¯t understand what was going on.


    ¡°Is that the famous ck-haired heretic? Wait¡­ what¡¯s wrong with everyone?¡±


    Suvole¡¯s words were dismissed as they were.


    Juan slowly walked down the stairs step by step, while Nienna was staring at him as if she did not want to miss a single scene.


    Sina noticed that Nienna¡¯s sword had turned white with frost as she clutched her sword tightly.


    ¡°I saw you taking an active part on the battlefield. You¡¯ve be much more experienced. Well, you were the type of child who could run just by being taught how to walk and speak eloquently just by being taught how to speak. I knew you¡¯d have great aplishments.¡±


    No murderous intent could be felt from Juan. Rather, Sina couldn¡¯t read any energy or expressions from Juan. Sina thought that such a Juan was even more dangerous than usual. Sina inadvertently recalled Juan¡¯s expressionless face when he had calmly annihted the Order of the Blue Rose.


    ¡°It¡¯s a little surprising that you fight without using a weapon now. Are you sick of it now? No, maybe it¡¯s because you didn¡¯t have an opponent who was strong enough for you to need to use your weapon. The only ones who could stand against you were Barth Baltic and Gerard Gain.¡±


    Juan had no hatred for Nienna, but at the same time, he had no expectations either. He intended to decide everything after meeting her at this moment.


    ¡°What about now? Are you going to keep holding onto your sword?¡± Juan asked.


    Sina broke out in a cold sweat. Then Sina stepped forward with the sound of ice breaking even before she knew it. Sina didn¡¯t even realize that she was already standing in Nienna¡¯s way.


    ¡°General Nienna. Please hear me out first.¡±


    The person most surprised at Sina¡¯s action was Sina herself. Never once did she think that she would be standing in the way of General Nienna who was more respected than anyone else in the Imperial Army and held the highest authority, just after the Regent¡ªespecially when her action was to protect Juan.


    ¡°Sina, there¡¯s no need for you toe in the middle of our conversation.¡±


    Sina looked down at the floor upon hearing Juan¡¯sughter from behind her back.


    The sound of ice breaking that was heard earlier was the sound of Nienna putting down the sword in her hand. Fragments of ice were scattered on the floor as they fell off of Nienna¡¯s hands, and the murderous intent that had filled the room disappearedpletely.


    At that moment, all that remained was Nienna¡¯s pure curiosity.


    ¡°I thought you were Gerard, that son of a bitch. But I guess I was wrong. Who are you? You look quite simr to someone else I know. Perhaps you¡¯re the result of my dad¡¯s private life?¡±

 Chapter 123 – Nienna Nelben (1)

    <h4>Chapter 123 ¨C Nienna Nelben (1)</h4>


    Nienna stared at Juan for a while, then made told the others while beckoning to them slightly.


    ¡°Everyone, give us some time to have a private conversation, would you?¡±


    Hearing this, Suvole looked at Nienna with a flustered look.


    ¡°But General, that man is a wanted criminal. He might be dangerous, so please let me¡­¡±


    A sudden burst ofughter could be heard from one side of the room even before Suvole could finish speaking. H was also giggling with her face covered with her hand, almost as if she couldn¡¯t hold back herughter, while at the same time, Horhell was also trying his best to put on a firm face. On the other hand, Sina just had aplicated look on her face.


    Nienna looked at Suvole with a dumbfounded look on her face.


    ¡°For a moment, let¡¯s assume that I can¡¯t protect myself against him. Then, do you think you could protect me from him? I¡¯m feeling a little ashamed if I really look that weak to you.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop getting in my way before I pull out your tongue. H, please excuse us,¡± Nienna said.


    ¡°Of course, General. Horhell, tell me about what I missed during the time I was gone,¡± H said.


    H and Horhell left the room, and Sina soon followed. Sina looked back many times, as if she was worried about Juan, but Juan didn¡¯t even spare a nce at her.


    Suvole moved toward the door as well; he had no choice. While leaving, he whispered something in Nienna¡¯s ears.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget about our promise.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t. But if you whisper in my ear one more time, I¡¯ll pull out all your teeth.¡±


    Suvole flinched upon hearing Nienna¡¯s cold words and quickly ran out of the room.


    Soon, Nienna and Juan were left alone in the room. Nienna brought out two cups and set them on the table.


    ¡°You don¡¯t like alcohol, do you?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°I knew it.¡±


    Nienna poured some water inside the cups and ced them in front of herself and Juan. Then Nienna sat on the table to look closely at Juan.


    ¡°You seem to know me pretty well based on the way you talk,¡± Nienna said.


    ¡°You think?¡± Juan spoke calmly. ¡°I¡¯m the one who raised you. Of course I know all about you.¡±


    Nienna neither seemed surprised nor did sheugh. She just looked at Juan with calm eyes as she raised her ss.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be saying things like that so easily. That reminds me of something. It¡¯s one of the three most embarrassing things I¡¯ve ever said. You should know what I am talking about if you really did raise me¡­¡±


    <i>¡°Your Majesty. You might be the one who raised me, but it was winter that gave birth to me.¡±</i>


    Nienna spat out the water in her mouth upon hearing Juan¡¯s words, while her face turned red with embarrassment.


    But Juan just continued speaking calmly.


    ¡°To be fair, you were only fifteen when you said that line. It would only be natural for you to say something like that at that age. But it is a little surprising that you think that what you said back then is one of the most embarrassing things you¡¯ve ever said. I thought that it was a pretty decent expression. In fact, you¡¯ve even said something better than that on one asion. <i>¡®There is a winter dragon¡¯s soul entangled in my destiny¡­¡¯</i>¡±


    ¡°Stop¡­ stop it. If you don¡¯t stop, I¡¯ll kill you to make you shut your mouth, no matter what your identity is!¡±


    Juan shrugged and raised both his hands. Meanwhile, Nienna¡¯s silver hair just made her red face even more prominent.


    ¡°God damn it. I thought that Gerard went missing, and my dad was dead and buried forever,¡± Nienna muttered.


    Juan inadvertently thought of an assumption that was ridiculous, and he wanted to deny it.


    ¡°That¡¯s not the reason why you got yourself involved with the matter of the assassination of the emperor, is it?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°Assassination of the emperor? What kind of bullshit are you talking about? I was waiting for backup support at that time. Had my dade, it would have been the perfect opportunity to have a final showdown and close the Crack for good. I couldn¡¯t even pay that much attention when I heard the news about Gerard, that asshole, stabbing dad because I was too busy fighting against tentacle monsters. I couldn¡¯t even set foot in the capital when Barth was busy with the purge,¡± Nienna exined.


    Juan stared at Nienna, but she didn¡¯t seem to be lying. She wasn¡¯t the type to lie in the first ce¡ªNienna was the type of person who had the audacity to say something like, <i>¡®Yes, that was me. So what are you going to do about it?¡¯</i>


    ¡°To be honest, all that I felt when I heard that my dad had been stabbed was <i>¡®the time hade.¡¯</i> The lives of dad and all his children were already like that¡ªit wouldn¡¯t be so strange if we got stabbed at any time anyway. It was just a surprise that it was Gerard who stabbed dad.¡±


    ¡°So you¡­ never felt anything to be strange about the current situation of the empire at all? You know, about the situation that Ras was in?¡±


    ¡°Ah, of course I thought it was strange. But¡­¡± Nienna frowned with her arms crossed. ¡°If you knew enough about me, you would know what I thought about all of it.¡±


    ¡°...You were probably busy fighting against the Crack,¡± Juan quietly said.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. If I had been able to close the Crack back then, I wouldn¡¯t be sweating in the middle of winter like this. I missed the best timing to close the Crack, and I¡¯m just barely stopping it from ruining the empire right now. If I had left it unattended, the influence of the Crack could have crossed from the north to reach the center of the empire. If the frontline bes any wider than it is now, the empire will not be able to handle the Crack anymore.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Juan nodded.


    ¡°I heard that Barth, Helmut, and Dismas are doing quite well in the rear. It¡¯s true that I was surprised to hear that Ras was involved in the assassination of the emperor, but I was already surprised with Gerard. So I guess I was less shocked the second time.¡±


    Juan felt that Nienna wasn¡¯t lying. There was no reason for her to lie, and even if she was lying, her storycked details.


    Considering that she had never left the northern territory, Juan figured that Nienna had nothing to do with the assassination of the emperor.


    ¡®<i>The person who led the treason probably thought that Nienna wouldn¡¯t care about the assassination of the emperor as long as she was left alone.</i>¡¯


    As a result, Nienna was able to maintain her position as a General, unlike Ras, who was publicly branded a traitor. The Crack might have spread further or a civil war might have broken out within the empire if Nienna hade to the capital like Ras¡ªafter all, Nienna had made the right decision.


    Nienna pped her hands, indicating that she wanted to change the topic.


    ¡°Anyway. Seeing that you know me so well, you¡¯re definitely not someone ordinary. Are you the man I¡¯ve been waiting for all along?¡±


    ¡°The man you¡¯ve been waiting for all along?¡± Juan tilted his head.


    ¡°Yes. Aren¡¯t you here to make me pregnant?¡±


    Complicated thoughts suddenly shed through Juan¡¯s head upon hearing Nienna¡¯s question. Juan had prepared himself for many different situations and conversations he might run into when he met his children, but never once had he thought about a situation where his child would say such words to him.


    After pondering even harder than he did when he fought against Nigrato, Juan was able to find a clue for Nienna¡¯s sudden remark.


    ¡°Are you talking about a story involving the winter duke?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°Yes, I am. There is a time when the North has a blizzard for seven days straight, and it is said that¡¯s when the winter duke visits. The story says that the maiden bes pregnant for no reason during that time, and gives birth to a silver-haired child. The legend says that the child would be called the child of the winter duke, and that the child will be a great help to the family if he is raised properly. Isn¡¯t that why you¡¯re here?¡±


    ¡°...What makes you think that <i>I¡¯m?</i>the winter duke?¡±


    ¡°Hm. Your appearance doesn''t resemble the winter duke from the story, but you look a lot like the greatest man that I know. You also mentioned that you¡¯re the one who raised me. That means you¡¯re either His Majesty or the winter duke. It wouldn¡¯t be too surprising even if His Majesty turned out to be the winter duke himself. So the bottom line is, you came to make me pregnant.¡±


    ¡°You arepletely wrong. I don¡¯t intend to make you pregnant at all.¡±


    ¡°So the boring conclusion is that you are His Majesty?¡±


    Juan held his head; he was starting to get a headache.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Juan answered.


    ¡°Then who¡¯s going to take my virginity?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s none of my business. Can you take me seriously at least once? Wait. How old are you right now? Why are you¡­¡±


    Juan felt that his encounter with Nienna was much more difficult andplicated than his encounter with Ras.


    ***


    Suvole nervously hovered around the hall. His n had been clear when the Order of the Capital ordered an investigation about Juan. He had thought that it was the perfect opportunity to wrap up the long-standing n that had been orchestrated by Pavan.


    Suvole recalled the time when he promised reinforcements for the Fourth Division in return for asking Duke Henna to pursue Juan. Duke Henna captured Juan by sending Horhell on a mission, and Suvole tricked the knight order which had crawled into the East to drop Horhell¡¯s dragon. In return, Urkel seeded in assassinating Duke Henna at the expense of several warriors of Arbalde. It was only natural for the civil war to intensify as both the dragon and Duke Henna were absent.


    And at that point, Suvole dragged Nienna Nelben, who had long since been interested in the affairs of the northeast, into the civil war in the name of bringing in the reinforcements requested by Duke Henna. The Northern Army was smaller than the Capital¡¯s Army, but they were the strongest army who had been honed on the battlefield. Just like that, the northeastern rebels as well as Duke Henna were both wiped out.


    Everyone was in the palm of his hands¡ªSuvole even felt a little pleasure that Nienna, who always acted so arrogantly, was nothing but a chess piece moving in the palm of his hand. This was despite the fact that he was only able to do all that he did due to Pavan¡¯s orders and the support of the Order of the Capital.


    Suvole intended to use Nienna¡¯s authority to get his hands on Juan when Nienna took over the fortress of Beldeve at the end of this n, since he believed that Juan would have no choice but to kneel down before Nienna and the Order of Fenrir no matter how powerful Juan was.


    What was unexpected was that Duke Henna had somehow survived and that Nienna had taken an interest in Juan. It was unknown as to why Nienna was interested in Juan, since she had always been indifferent toward anything other than the Crack and war.


    Suvole¡¯s n would only end up benefiting H if Suvole ended up missing out on getting his hands on Juan, since the northeastern rebels had been wiped out for no good reason. Suvole bit his lips.


    ¡°Stop roaming around like a dog that needs to poop. Come and have a drink with me, Suvole,¡± H said.


    Suvole turned his head. H had brought two sses and a bottle of alcohol and had a strange smile on her face.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re alive, Your Grace. I was very surprised when I heard the tragic news,¡± Suvole said in a careless greeting.


    ¡°Thank you for saying that, Suvole. But I bet you weren¡¯t as surprised as I was the moment I found out that I wasn¡¯t dead, even though I thought I had died.¡±


    ¡°I bet. Anyway, I want to thank you since I got to catch the ck-haired criminal. As I also brought in reinforcements of ten thousand troops, our deal has¡­¡±


    At that moment, H cut off Suvole¡¯s words and opened her mouth before he could continue.


    ¡°Oh, yes. About Juan¡ªI did have a hard time making him stay in Beldeve. Are you worried that General Nienna and Juan might have something going on between them inside the room? I didn¡¯t know that you were into silver-haired women,¡± H said.


    ¡°Please be careful with your rude remarks, Your Grace,¡± Suvole frowned.


    ¡°Be careful with my rude remarks, you say? Your attitude ispletely different from thest time when you begged me to pursue the ck-haired criminal. I¡¯m so scared. But you¡¯re the one who has to be careful with your words from now on.¡±


    H tapped Suvole¡¯s chest as she held out a ss to him. Suvole unconsciously took the ss that was being handed to him.


    ¡°Because I heard that you¡¯ve been talking quite a lot of shit to everyone,¡± H said with cold eyes.


    The moment Suvole flinched, H filled his ss with alcohol.


    ¡°Have a drink, Suvole.¡±


    ¡°Your Grace. What are you talking about? I¡­¡±


    ¡°I said drink.¡±


    Suvole gulped upon facing H¡¯s fierce eyes. Suvole had never seen someone give such a piercing and threatening look with just one eye before. Behind H stood Horhell with his arms crossed as he, too, red at Suvole.


    Suvole emptied the ss filled with alcohol after hesitating for a while. Suvole coughed vigorously, since the alcohol was too strong.


    ¡°The Order of the Capital will hold you ountable if I die,¡± Suvole said.


    ¡°Are you afraid that I poisoned your drink? You must have done something that makes you feel guilty if you think that. Well, don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t n on doing that, at least not right now,¡± H drank from her ss in front of Suvole as if she was proving that the alcohol wasn¡¯t poisoned. ¡°Your problem is that you¡¯re too arrogant. Did you really think that General Nienna is an idiot who knows nothing other than the Crack and war? I mean, I guess that¡¯s true to some extent. But you looked down on her obsession with the Crack. You thought she wouldn¡¯t interrogate a single warrior of Arbalde on the battlefield? Don¡¯t you think that at least one of the warriors of Arbalde would have talked about you?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean¡­? I¡¯m just¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah. Of course. You probably thought that the warriors of Arbalde who devoted themselves to the Crack would remain silent no matter what. But Nienna is a monster who tortures the beasts from the Crack to get what she wants. It¡¯s a piece of cake for her to interrogate one or two of the warriors of Arbalde to find out everything she wants. She might not have the detailed information, but a little fragmentary information is enough for her to figure things out.¡±


    ¡°...Stop talking nonsense.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense? Did you think General Nienna hates you for no reason? Tell me. Why do you think General Nienna kept the fact that I¡¯m alive a secret to you? Wasn¡¯t the time the Northern Army arrived at Beldeve earlier than you expected?¡±


    Suvole couldn¡¯t answer H¡¯s questions. H covered her mouth and burst intoughter.


    ¡°Now. I want you to answer another question. How do you think General Nienna would deal with a knight from the Order of the Capital who was in league with the Crack?¡±

 Chapter 124 – Nienna Nelben (2)

    <h4>Chapter 124 ¨C Nienna Nelben (2)</h4>


    It didn¡¯t take long for Nienna and Juan toe out of the audience chamber. H and Sina were waiting for them outside the room, while Nienna was looking around as H approached her.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Suvole?¡± Nienna asked.


    ¡°Horhell took him. He seemed like he had a lot to talk about,¡± H answered.


    ¡°You should have sent Walter with Horhell. He¡¯s good at things like that.¡±


    Walter was one of the knights of the Order of Fenrir who hade to Beldeve with Nienna. H shook her head at Nienna¡¯s words.


    ¡°I figured that Suvole will tell us everything even if we don¡¯t torture him. I¡¯ll go and find Sir Walter if Suvole hides anything from us.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough. All right, then let me use your training ground for a while.¡±


    ¡°The training ground? It''s a little messy right now due to post-war management. If you need an open space, the garden is empty and ready for you to use. But why do you need to use the training ground¡­?¡± H asked.


    Juan snorted.


    ¡°Because she still can¡¯t believe me after all the things I¡¯ve said. Apparently, she needs to see how good I am.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re gonna have to show me how good you are if you want to prove that you¡¯re my dad. Right, why don¡¯t we make a bet?¡± Nienna said.


    ¡°A bet? Like what?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°You need to get me pregnant if I win.¡±


    Sina dropped the sword she had been holding upon hearing Nienna¡¯s words. On the other hand, Juan red at Nienna, not even bothering to spare Sina with a nce.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not very much like my dad. He never thought about what would happen if he lost even before fighting,¡± Nienna shrugged.


    ¡°...I¡¯m gonna go crazy if I talk to you for much longer. What am I getting if I win?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you the honor to get me pregnant.¡±


    Juan seriously contemted whether or not he should give up on persuading Nienna and consider heading somewhere else¡ªthat didn¡¯t seem like too bad of an idea. Juan always knew that Nienna was a little ¡®unique¡¯pared to the others, but he had always believed that she must have hidden her true self in front of Juan in the past.


    ¡®<i>Or maybe she has also been encroached upon by the Crack and has lost her mind due to fighting the Crack for too long.</i>¡¯


    Juan felt his second guess to be more convincing as someone who had seen many people that had lost their mind by being in contact with the Crack.


    ¡°Why are you so obsessed with getting pregnant? As far as I know, the Imperialw doesn¡¯t allow incest. I thought you were only interested in the Crack¡ªI had no idea that you were the type to chase after men like this,¡± Juan said.


    ¡°Let me correct you. What I want is to get pregnant, not men. I need a sessor. Being seventy years old already, it¡¯s already toote to think of a sessor. The north needs a sessor, and I don¡¯t even care if the other person is a woman as long as she can get me pregnant.¡±


    Juan remained silent.


    ¡°I¡¯ve waited a long time for a decent man, but there were none. That¡¯s probably due to my standards being too high because of dad. Daughters tend to look up to their dads, you know.¡±


    ¡°Incest is a felony,¡± Juan frowned


    ¡°And the seniors who will be the judge for that would be more than happy to see me get pregnant. They don¡¯t seem to be against incest anyway. There¡¯s a lot of incest between mythical beings, you know? The father marries his daughter, and the nephew marries his aunt. Most importantly¡­ I¡¯m not biologically rted to dad. I¡¯m an adopted child. Ta-da. Everything works out perfectly, right?¡±


    ¡°No, nothing works out perfectly. I don¡¯t know about getting you pregnant, but there is one thing I have understood now.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°The fact that I really failed at educating my children properly. I guess Harmon was right¡ªI can¡¯t really say anything back to him.¡±


    ***


    The garden was filled with dead grass and deste trees that seemed to have been dead for a long time. Nienna took the lead and stood in the middle of the garden. As Juan followed, Sina hurriedly whispered from behind his back.


    ¡°Juan, General Nienna is said to be the second most powerful person in the empire after the Regent Barth Baltic. It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that she¡¯s the strongest among humans. You might be at quite a disadvantage if you¡¯re trying to prove your identity by fighting. You don¡¯t <i>have?</i>to fight¡ªwhy don¡¯t you take your time and¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you saying that she won¡¯t acknowledge me as the emperor, just like you refuse to acknowledge me?¡± Juan asked.


    Sina frowned, but nodded her head as if she had no choice.


    ¡°Yes, just like how I don¡¯t acknowledge you. I will stand as a witness for you.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Sina. But that¡¯s unnecessary.¡±


    Juan left Sina behind and took the lead toward the middle of the garden. Sina tried to stop him with a nervous look on her face, but failed.


    Nienna stood in front of Juan, facing him with her arms hanging loosely. Nienna scanned Juan from head to toe, then tilted her head and asked a question.


    ¡°Where¡¯s your weapon?¡±


    ¡°I used to have one, but it broke recently. It¡¯s fine, I don¡¯t need one anyway,¡± Juan shrugged.


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem to use just any weapon. Well, I guess it wouldn¡¯t matter if you really are my dad. He¡¯s someone who is good at fighting both with or without weapons. But he did admit that it was more advantageous to carry weapons when fighting than using bare hands.¡±


    ¡°Well I just fought ording to the situation. I never really decided on what was more advantageous or not.¡±


    Nienna giggled as if she was satisfied with Juan¡¯s answer.


    ¡°It seems more and more convincing that you are my dad. All right¡­ All I¡¯m looking forward to is for you to fight with all your might.¡±


    Nienna pulled out the sword hanging by her waist and handed it over to Juan. The de shone with a blue light and made the surrounding air freeze despite the winter air being cold already. Juan epted Nienna¡¯s sword without refusing and swung it into the air as if he was trying to get used to it. Upon seeing Juan y around with Nienna¡¯s sword, the knights from the Order of Fenrir made an unpleasant expression.


    ¡°This is a pretty good sword,¡± Juan said.


    ¡°Pretty good, you say? The craftsman who made that sword would be very upset if he heard you say that. He didn¡¯t let anything hotter than ice get near it when he was forging that sword. He said that he would dedicate it to me rather than dedicating it to the emperor.¡±


    ¡°What weapon are you going to use if you give this sword to me?¡±


    ¡°I have two weapons.¡±


    The moment Nienna clenched her hand in the air, the surrounding space froze and created a long spear. The spear looked like it was made from snowkes and had a rough grain and arbitrary de. But the texture looked quite solid and indicated that it was made out of ice. The de looked sharp enough to even slice through mes.


    ¡°It¡¯s a spirit¡¯s weapon. I call it Overon. I¡¯lly out some constraints for this duel. I¡¯m not going to use any magic or essence. I won¡¯t strengthen my body with mana, and I won¡¯t summon Fenrir either. I won¡¯t wear a cloak of winter, won¡¯t restore my body during the duel, and won¡¯t make it hard for you to fight by changing the terrain. Andstly, I¡¯ll fight you under the assumption that you are the real emperor under all these preconditions.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to go easy on me, you know.¡±


    ¡°Sure. Tell me that again after you are able to withstand my attack at least once.¡±


    Nienna held the spear high up in the air with both her hands and aimed it toward Juan.


    At the same time, Juan could see some interest and pleasure in her round eyes that were smiling at him.


    In the next moment, Nienna¡¯s eyes went cold, and Juan felt a strong murderous intent.


    Suddenly, Juan¡¯s chest was pierced. Due to the spear de being too powerful, Juan was thrown into the air instead of being prated on the spot. Juan felt a sharp pain.


    Juan could feel his consciousness getting hazy and distant, so he examined his condition¡ªthe injury was quite severe, with a hole the size of a fist in Juan¡¯s chest. Juan could even see his own heart. This type of injury was almost guaranteed to an average human¡ªand it was just a single attack. Juan frowned, since he wasn¡¯t even given the time to wrap himself with Umbra.


    Juan managed tond on his feet but he could barely stand.


    ¡°You must have a spare life or something, huh?¡± Nienna said mockingly.


    Everyone¡¯s gazes turned toward Nienna, and the knights from the Order of Fenrir flinched upon seeing her current condition.


    Nienna was also bleeding through her chest and her blood was soaking her clothing. Nienna¡¯s pupils were shaking.


    ¡°What the heck¡­ It¡¯smon sense to block the attack if you can, not to stab the opponent back at the risk of losing your own life. It¡¯s not like we are arch-enemies¡ªwhy risk your life over a simple test?¡± Nienna asked.


    ¡°I thought you said that you¡¯d fight me as if I¡¯m the real emperor?¡±


    Nienna grinned at Juan¡¯s answer.


    ¡°Yes, that''s exactly what my dad would do.¡±


    Juan had been checking and verifying his own physical abilities until now. This meant he knew that he wouldn¡¯t die from such an injury to his chest. In fact, Juan himself had no idea how much his body would have to be injured for him to die.


    ¡°I guess there¡¯s only one way to find out.¡±


    ***


    The tip of the spear grazed Juan¡¯s throat, and the blood drops froze due to the cold air. Juan clicked his tongue, since he couldn¡¯t even see the tip of the spear flying toward him. The only reason he wasn¡¯t fatally wounded was that Nienna was using the techniques of the Baltic Sword.


    Juan clearly remembered how to fight using a spear and was easily able to predict the trajectory. But that information could only benefit him when his physical ability allowed him to.


    Nienna was getting faster and faster every time Juan dodged her attacks, almost as if she was testing Juan¡¯s limits. Juan was also fighting back against Nienna by using the Baltic Sword, but he was certainly in a worse conditionpared to Nienna.


    ¡°What¡­ that¡¯s just¡­¡±


    Sina and the people around her had their jaws on the floor as they watched Nienna and Juan¡¯s duel. The sight seemed more like two streams of gas getting tangled with each other rather than a duel between humans. The trajectory of the weapons being swung in the air alone seemed to make an invisible bubble around Nienna and Juan.


    ¡°I remember the stories I heard from Horhell. He said that at a certain stage of the Baltic Sword, the movements be unpredictable like the fog and invisible like the wind¡­ I never would have thought that I¡¯d see not one, but two people who had reached such a level. It¡¯s extremely hard to find people on their level in the empire.¡±


    It had been a long time since Sina had given up on her goal of chasing after Juan. In fact, that had been an arrogant thought from the very beginning. Sina had understood that she would never be able to reach Juan¡¯s level.


    Even so, Sina struggled to look closely at Juan and Nienna¡¯s movement.


    H inadvertently noticed Sina, whose shoulders were trembling. H thought that it might be because Sina was immersed in Juan and Nienna¡¯s battle, but most of the people here, including H were only able to see the afterimages of the two. H wondered what Sina was able to see for her to be paying so much attention to it.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing? I told you to fight with all your might, didn¡¯t I? Take out that ck armor of yours and use the power of the sword in your hand! You can even use magic! I wouldn¡¯t save a trump card until the end if I were you!¡±


    Nienna shouted at Juan as if she was still rxed. The tip of Juan¡¯s sword slightly shook upon hearing Nienna¡¯s words, and then Juan wrapped himself in Umbra, almost as if he couldn¡¯t help it. Umbra quickly spread and covered Juan, starting from his chest¡ªit was his first time using Umbra in its full te armor form after the incident at Durgal.


    Niennaughed as if she had been waiting for Juan to cover himself in Umbra and swung her spear even more fiercely. Nienna was surprised by how solid and firm Umbra was. A magic armor that could be summoned was often made of soft metal. But Umbra was not only tout but also hard and flexible.


    Nienna noticed that Juan¡¯s movements became much faster and stronger after he donned Umbra. Nienna quickly dodged Juan¡¯s sword that was being swung toward her head, but then his sword immediately turned and aimed for her side as soon as she dodged. Juan¡¯s sword gradually cut Nienna.


    ¡°Hah,¡± Nienna smirked.


    In general, stronger physical ability wasn¡¯t directly corrted to the level of one¡¯s swordsmanship. But Juan seemed to be an exception to that rule¡ªNienna wondered how much Juan¡¯s swordsmanship skills would improve if Juan¡¯s physical ability became stronger.


    ¡®<i>If he got stronger¡­ then he might even reach stage five.</i>¡¯


    Nienna had reached stage five of the Baltic Sword a long time ago, but at some point in time, she realized that she wasn¡¯t making any more progress. So, Nienna felt joy at the fact that she had found a rival after decades. She focused and got more and more immersed in the battle and concentrated on the de flying toward her.


    At that moment, Nienna felt a sharp murderous intent toward a direction that she had not predicted. In anticipation of being fatally wounded by the unexpected attack, Nienna willingly threw herself and swung her spear toward that direction¡ªthe direction where Sina Solvane was standing.


    Nienna couldn¡¯t understand the situation for a moment. The murderous intent wasn¡¯ting from Juan, but from Sina. Nienna realized that she had made a mistake as soon as she appeared in front of Sina, whose eyes were still staring at the duel.


    But it was already toote.


    The situation couldn¡¯t be reversed and the tip of Nienna¡¯s spear that was pointed toward Sina was sharp.


    None of the people here, including Sina herself, were aware of Nienna¡¯s attack¡ªexcept for one person.

 Chapter 125 – Nienna Nelben (3)

    <h4>Chapter 125 ¨C Nienna Nelben (3)</h4>


    <i>Crash!</i>


    Shattered pieces of ice were suddenly scattered high up into the air with a loud roar. The sudden shock wave caused everyone watching the duel to be thrown backward, scattering all over the ce.


    In the middle of the chaos, Nienna noticed that her hand had suddenly been frozen and then shattered, joining the other ice pieces in the air. Red drops of blood fell on the ice, as Nienna fell on her backside.


    The knights from the Order of Fenrir quickly approached Nienna and began to take care of her hand as well as all her other wounds.


    Meanwhile, Juan was slowly pulling back Umbra into his body while looking tired and exhausted.


    Then, Nienna opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something, but was hesitant. Then she soon spoke in a quiet voice.


    ¡°What you just did¡­ that was¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s exactly what <i>you?</i>were just about to do.¡±


    Nienna bit her lips. She had attempted to perform the fifth stage of the Baltic Swords, but was helplessly stopped by Juan. The fifth stage of the Baltic Sword allowed one to distort time and space¡ªit created a world that was close to death, where the flesh burned, the heart stopped, and the opponent was suffocated just by moving. Even Nienna had barely reached the fifth stage and found it very difficult to perform.


    ¡°Haha,¡± Nienna burst intoughter. ¡°I did make a mistake, but¡­ I have to admit that there¡¯s only one person who can perform the fifth stage of the Baltic Sword so calmly.¡±


    Nienna neatly gathered her legs and ced her remaining hand on the ground.


    Slowly touching the ground with her forehead, Nienna worshiped the emperor who had returned to the empire.


    ¡°I give you my greetings, Your Majesty. And¡­¡±


    Nienna raised her head back up and smiled brightly.


    ¡°...I missed you, dad.¡±


    ***


    After the mess in the garden, Nienna visited Sina and apologized several times. However, Sina didn¡¯t even know why Nienna was apologizing to her.


    While silently watching the duel from the sidelines, Sina felt like she could gradually see Nienna and Juan¡¯s movements at some point. It was hard for her to spot every detailed movement, but at least their movements felt like human movements to her. She even had the urge to jump in and join the duel to fight them, all so she could get just a little more immersed¡ªwhat she felt at that time was a sense of triumph.


    At that very moment, everyone was suddenly thrown backward with a tremendous roar, and Juan was standing in front of her eyes, while Nienna had lost one of her hands and copsed to the ground.


    Everyone was wondering just what had happened in that one moment.


    ¡°You¡¯ve reached the fourth stage of the Baltic Sword,¡± Juan said.


    ¡°What?¡± Sina asked.


    ¡°Congrattions. This is just the beginning and you still have a long way to go, but I¡¯ve never seen anyone grow at such a fast rate as you since Nienna,¡± Juan lightly tapped Sina¡¯s shoulder and passed by.


    Sina was dazed by the words <i>¡®stage four¡¯</i>. Although the stages of the Baltic Sword were not an officially used standard, even among the captains of the knight orders, only a few had reached stage four.


    ¡®<i>But now I¡¯ve reached stage four out of nowhere?</i>¡¯


    ¡°Come to the north anytime if you are interested in war, Sina. The Order of Fenrir always wees talented individuals like you,¡± Nienna said to Sina with a smile as she followed Juan up the stairs.


    Only Sina remained at that spot with a bewildered face.


    ***


    H took Nienna and Juan to her office, saying that she had something to talk about now that Juan¡¯s identification had be clear.


    ¡°Your Majesty.¡±


    H carefully worshiped Juan as soon as they arrived at the office. H could no longer deny the fact that Juan was the emperor when Nienna, the emperor¡¯s own daughter, had confirmed Juan¡¯s identity.


    In fact, H had been made aware of the clues that Juan was the emperor by Horhell. While she was able to make assumptions that Juan was either the emperor¡¯s hidden child or Gerard Gain who was hiding his identity, it was difficult for H to believe that Juan was the emperor himself.


    It was only natural to be cautious when making such a judgment. She knew that the emperor¡¯s reappearance in the empire wouldn¡¯t mean the return of the peaceful era of the past like everyone expected¡ªthat was especially true for H herself, who was rted to Gerard Gain.


    H carefully raised her head while wondering what Juan would do now that his identity had been confirmed. H had no excuse even if Juan decided to behead her.


    But Juan was smiling,pletely unlike H¡¯s expectation.


    ¡°H. It feels so awkward for you to suddenly act that way. Just treat me the way you did before.¡±


    ¡°But, Your Majesty¡­ how could I dare to¡­¡±


    ¡°To be honest with you, personally, I just hate being treated as the emperor. It even feels like an insult to be called the emperor, considering the current situation of the empire,¡± Juan said while sighing.


    Upon hearing Juan¡¯s words, Nienna, who was seated in a rxed manner with her feet propped up against the desk, asked in a rxed manner.


    ¡°Come to think of it, I have a question that I wanted to ask. Why did youe back? I mean, there are a lot of reasons for you toe back and there are no reasons for you to note back. But when I heard that dad was¡­ dead without any sign of resurrection, I thought that you had simplymitted suicide.¡±


    H made a shocked and curious expression upon hearing the word ¡®suicide.¡¯


    Meanwhile, Nienna raised her severed hand and continued speaking as if she was adding an exnation.


    ¡°All those who were granted the essence of the emperor, including myself, have such a strong vitality that recovering lost body parts can easily be achieved. If we can recover that fast, the emperor himself must be able to recover even faster, wouldn¡¯t you think? I had never thought that dad would ever die. So the only thing that crossed my mind when I heard the news of dad¡¯s death was that youmitted suicide by borrowing someone else¡¯s hands.¡±


    ¡°Gerard had an unusual sword with him. The moment I was stabbed by it, I could feel that regeneration of wounds would be useless to keep me alive,¡± Juan shrugged.


    ¡°An unusual sword? Wait¡­ By any chance, did it have a ck de? Like a strange weapon with straight branches stretching in all directions.¡±


    Juan nodded at Nienna¡¯s description.


    ¡°Yes. Have you ever seen it?¡±


    ¡°Oh my goodness. So Gerard had Elkiehl with him?¡±


    Juan had heard of Elkiehl before. He recalled the elf Celine, who was working for the Thornbush Priest Organization. She briefly mentioned it during their encounter in Durgal when she was talking about the crown.


    ¡°Is that what it¡¯s called? Elkiehl, huh. Do you know what it is exactly?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°There are quite a few theories. I haven¡¯t seen it more than a few times either. It is said to be the Crack itself when they take root all over the world and start to encroach upon reality, or the bone that grows in the spine of a nine-headed dragon, or the branch of a huge tree that grows by engulfing all the energy of the world¡­ While there are many theories, none of them has been confirmed to be true. But besides the fact that it''s sinister and evil, there is one other thing I am sure of.¡±


    ¡°And what is that?¡±


    ¡°It disregards any shell and only digs into one¡¯s essence.¡±


    .


    ¡°borate.¡±


    ¡°No matter how strong you are or how strong your protective shield is, Elkiehl can prate the essence of its target. Does that make sense to you, dad? Basically, if Elkiehl aimed for your life, it <i>will?</i>take your life. Would it make more sense to you if I said that it was a sword that can destroy whatever its target is with just one sh or stab?¡± Nienna exined.


    ¡°...I¡¯ve heard of all sorts of terrible curses, but I¡¯ve never heard of anything like that before.¡±


    ¡®<i>And Gerard has that, huh.</i>¡¯


    Juan was convinced that the sword the stranger he met back in Hiveden had was Elkiehl. But the stranger had not only bandaged the sword, but also tried his best not to stab anything with it, even by mistake. Juan had no idea what the stranger¡¯s purpose was.


    Upon seeing Juan who seemed a little discouraged, Nienna nimbly added.


    ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not necessarily evil. People just say that it¡¯s evil because it¡¯s only been used for evil purposes. Elkiehl is also a tool that can be used to remove evil spirits and curses. No matter how strong the curse is, Elkiehl can easily get rid of it with just one sh or stab. What if Gerard stabbed you because you were under a serious curse that you weren¡¯t aware of?¡±


    ¡°Then he wouldn¡¯t have had to stab me from behind.¡±


    ¡°Hm¡­ well, that¡¯s true. Anyway, it might have felt a bit ominous because it¡¯s a weapon that belongs to the Crack. I¡¯m sure I would have broken either Gerard or Elkiehl if I had seen either of them first¡ªor maybe even both¡­ Well, that''s disregarding whether or not I am capable of those feats.¡±


    Nienna¡¯s words were firm. To Nienna, who had devoted her entire life to waging a war against the Crack, Elkiehl was a weapon that shouldn¡¯t exist. And the same was true of Gerard, who had used such a weapon.


    ¡°It would make sense for you to die if Gerard had stabbed you with Elkiehl. Then, I¡¯ll have to change my question¡­ How did youe back? Anyone who gets stabbed with Elkiehl is guaranteed to die.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that either. I remember my soul wandering infinitely through time. There were neither any thoughts nor any worries. At one point, I woke up somewhere on the Great ins of the south in the body of a child who looked to be only about eight years old.¡±


    ¡°Eight years old? I kind of want to see how you looked when you were eight years old, dad.¡±


    ¡°...Anyway. I had thought aboutmitting suicide for a moment, just like you said earlier. But it was unbearable for me to see the current state of the empire. All the vices and absurdities I had forbidden were being promoted under my name. I devoted my entire life to killing gods, but everyone was now worshiping me as a god and did all kinds of nasty things under my name. The gods I killed must beughing at me in the afterlife.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Nienna made an amused expression.


    ¡°Then you¡­ havee back to straighten the current state of the empire?¡±


    ¡°To put it in a good way, I guess so. To be exact, I¡¯m going to do exactly what I did in my past life, but by making a few changes and twisting the directions.¡±


    ¡°So you are going to start a war¡­ Then you¡¯ll have to be prepared to fight Barth Baltic, dad.¡±


    Juan looked at Nienna silently.


    ¡°I had thought that I might have to fight against you too. But as it turns out I didn¡¯t have to. Do you think I¡¯ll end up fighting Barth Baltic?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Nienna answered without hesitation.


    ¡°The empire began to worship me ever since Barth Baltic came to power. Don¡¯t you think it would be enough to convince him by simply revealing my identity? The person who he worshiped has appeared,¡± Juan said.


    ¡°Then you¡¯ll have to fight him even more.¡±


    ¡°Why is that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s simple. Actually, the reason is simr to mine. I hate the Crack so much, but I love the majestic scenery created by them. I like the purple fog as well as the traces of the mysterious civilization¡ªI especially like their bones, bodies, and the smell of their rotting flesh. But I don¡¯t like it when they are alive,¡± Nienna raised her finger. ¡°The same is true of Barth Baltic. He doesn¡¯t mind worshiping a dead god. But a living god¡ªthat¡¯s uneptable.¡±


    ***


    Juan looked at Nienna in silence for a moment. Nienna¡¯s expression was firm and unwavering, as if she was certain about her thoughts.


    ¡°Barth Baltic considers me to be a god?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if that has anything to do with what Gerard did. But apart from that, it¡¯s clear that Barth respected you and wanted to kill you at the same time. You should know¡ªafter all, you were his teacher. He could never reach your level even if he trained for the rest of his life. It¡¯s obvious that he wouldn¡¯t be too happy to see youe back alive.¡±


    Juan sighed deeply. It was unknown as to whether or not Barth Baltic was involved in Juan¡¯s assassination yet, but it was quite shocking to hear about his feelings toward Juan; he had no idea that Barth considered him a rival.


    On the other hand, Nienna looked puzzled upon seeing Juan¡¯s surprised expression.


    ¡°Wait. You really didn¡¯t know, dad? I thought you must have already known. After all, I could tell from just one look at Barth¡¯s eyes. I thought you two had a thrilling rtionship.¡±


    ¡°...I think that¡¯s because you and Barth are quite simr in a way. I bet you¡¯re the only one who can understand him and his endless hatred.¡±


    Hornsluine, Barth Balric¡¯s race, was destroyed by gods. So, it was only natural for Barth Baltic to hate gods. But Juan had no idea that Barth had considered Juan himself to be a god. If it was true that Barth considered Juan to be a god, then the reason why Nienna was concerned about Barth colliding with Juan made sense.


    ¡°Then I will have no choice but to kill Barth Baltic.¡±


    ¡°Dad,¡± Nienna leaned towards Juan with a serious face. ¡°Actually, I have something to say about that. To a certain extent, I already knew that you were my dad even before the duel. The reason why I requested a duel was to check your strength. Let me get straight to the point¡ªyou¡¯re no match for Barth Baltic. Don¡¯t get me wrong¡­ You¡¯re already quite good¡­ But not good enough to win against Barth Baltic.¡±


    Juan had already spected such a fact. Barth Baltic was strong enough for Juan to leave his back to him.


    But Juan was still surprised upon hearing Nienna saying that Barth was stronger than Juan.


    ¡°That might be true for now, but I thought I would catch up to him pretty soon. Is Barth Baltic really that strong?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what¡¯s important, dad. You shouldn¡¯t be ¡®fighting¡¯ Barth Baltic.¡±


    Nienna said firmly.


    ¡°Dad, you didn¡¯te back to fight him. You came back to punish them. So you shouldn¡¯t be ¡®fighting¡¯ Barth Baltic¡­ You have to overwhelm him. You should give the impression that people can not even dare to fight you. If you end up fighting him, you need to step on him like he¡¯s an ant and crush him. That¡¯s who the emperor is¡ªthat¡¯s who my dad is.¡±

 Chapter 126 – Trap (1)

    <h4>Chapter 126 ¨C Trap (1)</h4>


    Juan remained silent for a moment. Nienna was right¡ªJuan might be able to deal with the Temrs for now, but dealing with the entire Church and the Imperial Army was a whole different story. Even if Juan returned to the empire by fighting against them, internal strife and sacrifices would only increase without achieving the ¡®punishment¡¯ that Juan wanted.


    ¡°...You seem quite well-versed in the principles of kingship,¡± Juan said.


    ¡°Well, the person I watched and learned from was pretty decent. Considering the current situation, It would now be difficult to avoid the matters of the capital like we have been doing so far. To be honest with you, I really want to take you to the capital right now and say ¡®here is the emperor you guys have been worshiping as your god. Now, all those who are guilty should run to the training ground right away and line up in the order of severity of crimes.¡¯ But¡­¡± Nienna shrugged her shoulders.


    ¡°Doing so will just create a huge mess. Your daughter is the second in line to the empire and she is the leader of the strongest soldiers in the empire, you know? Think about what would happen if I brought you to the capital and said that you¡¯re the emperor¡ªeveryone would growl, raging that General Nienna has grown senile due to her old age or she is seeking to usurp the throne. At that point, we could simply kill everyone, but that¡¯s not really the best move.¡±


    Juan nodded upon hearing Nienna¡¯s words¡ªJuan still didn¡¯t have the overwhelming presence of an emperor.


    Nienna continued speaking with her eyes shining.


    ¡°In that sense, there are three things that you must do.¡±


    Nienna stretched out three fingers.


    ¡°Three things?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°Yes. Number one. Bing stronger. I shouldn¡¯t even have to mention this, right? I¡¯ll talk about the step-by-step methodter on,¡± Nienna said while folding one of her three fingers that she had stretched out. ¡°Number two. Usually the third thing would be the most important, but this is just as important as the third. We need to catch Gerard Gain. Not only did he stab you, but he¡¯s one of the traitors who ruined the empire and led to its current state. It¡¯s clear that Gerard is a traitor, and no one can truly say that the emperor has returned without catching Gerard Gain.¡±


    Nienna stopped talking for a second and looked toward H.


    ¡°It¡¯s no exaggeration to say that this is the primary reason I havee to the Eastern Territory. And it is also the reason why H is in the office with us right now.¡±


    Only then did Juan turn his gaze toward H. Although H was the owner and themander of the fortress of Beldeve, Juan had been thinking that there was no need for H to stay in the office and listen to the conversation between Juan and Nienna¡ªbut Nienna¡¯s words suggested that H was necessary for their n.


    ¡°You¡¯re saying that Gerard wille for H? Are you going to use her as bait?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°H has decided to cooperate if such a situation arises. But I bet Gerard will show up way before then.¡±


    Nienna said in a confident tone.


    ¡°There are many reasons to catch that bastard, dad. He stabbed you, ruined the empire, and became corrupted by the Crack. One reason to die is enough, but he¡¯s got three. Besides, he¡¯s in the east. I have a feeling that the reason for him to stay in the east is also rted to you, dad. If he really is here, I¡¯ve got a n to pull him out sooner orter.¡±


    Nienna continued speaking with a strange smile.


    ¡°Anyway, catching Gerard will be the first step on your return, dad. Lastly, number three¡ªthe most important¡­¡±


    Nienna said, being unable to hide her perplexed but excited expression.


    ¡°You must kill the emperor.¡±


    ***


    The snow grew stronger as the night approached.


    The songs that filled the battlefield were long gone and only silence prevailed as the snow piled up. There were thousands of bodies scattered on the battlefield, but no one held a funeral for them.


    The Order of Fenrir and the Northern Army retrieved the bodies, but did not hold a funeral for them. The knights and soldiers of the Northern Territory believed that those who had been encroached upon by the Crack couldn¡¯t properly head to the afterlife. They believed that those who had been encroached upon by the Crack would have their souls sucked through the Crack and be prey to the other monsters inside the Crack.


    Thus, there was no point in having a funeral. However, the Order of the Fenrir and the Northern Amry collected the bodies in an empty space; infectious diseases may start spreading in spring if the bodies were left unattended. They nned to burn the bodies all at once when it stopped snowing.


    Juan was visiting a hill made up of the bodies collected by the knights and soldiers. Then, the sound of ttering horse hooves was heard from behind him.


    ¡°Juan!¡±


    It was Sina. Sina got off her horse and quickly approached Juan while exhaling a white breath.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been looking for you. I wasn¡¯t able to properly thank you for what you did for me back at the garden.¡±


    ¡°Thank me? For what?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°When you were dueling with General Nienna. At that time, you saved me at thest minute, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Juan smiled without answering.


    ¡°To be honest, I had no idea what had happened at that time. I had no idea why General Nienna was suddenly standing in front of me in the middle of the duel and why you were blocking me from General Nienna. I was so shocked that it was hard for me toe to my senses. But after thinking about the situation, I was finally able to find out what happened.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Turns out I was too immersed in the duel between you and General Nienna. I must have unintentionally shown some murderous intent. And General Nienna who was focusing on the duel mistook my murderous intent for yours and attacked me instead. Then you blew up General Nienna¡¯s hand to protect me,¡± Sina exined.


    Juan silently continued walking as Sina followed after him.


    ¡°I only attacked Nienna because it was the perfect timing to do so; after all, she lost her concentration for a moment. You would have done the same as me if you were put in my shoes. Rather, I should be thanking you. I won thanks to you,¡± Juan replied as if he was annoyed.


    ¡°Whatever your reasons were, you saved me.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m telling you that I would have blown up Nienna¡¯s hand regardless of what you did. Come to think of it, you¡¯ve also saved my life before in Durgal, right? Actually, we¡¯ve tried to kill each other and saved each other several times. I¡¯ve never had another rtionship like this,¡± Juan burst outughing.


    Juan inadvertently realized that his rtionship with Sina was quite strange. Their rtionship was beyond just a good and bad rtionship. Even Juan couldn¡¯t define his rtionship with Sina, even when he had many connections and rtionships in the past.


    On the other hand, Sina didn¡¯t smile the slightest bit despite Juan¡¯sughter.


    ¡°Of course, I have not forgotten what you did to my knight order. I still hold a grudge against you for killing myrades. Apart from that, it is also true that our rtionship is not simple. The power you gave me is also connected to that, right?¡± Sina touched the tattoo on her eyes. ¡°This is no simple burn, is it? I feel my tattoo burning hot and bright whenever you exert your strength. I have no idea what intentions you had when you left me with this scar,¡± Sina continued with a sigh. ¡°But it is an undeniable fact that you are the emperor. Although your values don''t quite align with the values of the emperor I used to serve, I still believe that the emperor I used to serve is somewhere inside you. I intend to bark next to the emperor until he opens his eyes.¡±


    ¡°Bark?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°Yes, just like the emperor¡¯s watchdog that I am.¡±


    Juanughed in a low voice and stopped walking as he approached the ce where the bodies of the warriors of Arbalde were gathered. The Order of Fenrir had ced a protective magic spell on the bodies to prevent them from being further corrupted by the Crack. Unfortunately, this protective magic could only prevent the Crack, not other forces.


    ¡°Why do you think I came here, Sina?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. To mourn the deceased?¡±


    ¡°You know there¡¯s no way I would do something like that.¡±


    Instead of waiting for Sina¡¯s answer, Juan took something out of the box he had been holding¡ªit was the dragon skin that poured out of the box with a thud.


    An extremely strong curse as well as mana were still being released from the vestiges of the Evil Snake that had been worn by Velkre due to the fact that it was forcefully removed from his skin.


    ¡°...What are you trying to do?¡± Sina asked.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want all these bodies to go to waste. I¡¯ve be quite a thrifty person ever since I was revived. So I thought it would be nice to follow Ras¡¯ precedent. There¡¯s no one who can match him in efficiency of recycling corpses.¡±


    For a moment, an ominous thought passed through Sina¡¯s head. She turned pale in an instant.


    ¡°I vowed to kill all of these bastards, but Nienna stepped in before I could. So I have no choice but to make up for it in this way,¡± Juan said.


    ¡°How could you insult them like¡­¡±


    Juan ced his hand on a piece of the Evil Snake skin even before Sina could finish speaking. The pieces of the Evil Snake then wrapped around Juan¡¯s hand with a mushy sound and climbed up his arm.


    Juan began to chant a spell at a speed that was so fast that it was unintelligible¡ªSina couldn¡¯t understand it at all. He then began to demonstrate magic using the mana inside the Evil Snake. The blood oozing from the Evil Snake spread like a spider¡¯s web. Juan rubbed the blood of the dragon as well as the deep-seated curse entangled in the Evil Snake together in Juan¡¯s hands, then it climbed above the body of one of the warriors of Arbalde.


    At the same time, Juan spread the Umbra widely and covered the surroundings with it. It was a piece of cake to make an army of the undead with the help of the essence of Nigrato.


    ¡°A terrible grudge as well as a fine body are must-have ingredients for making the best undead. And if the Dragon Lord¡¯s curse that urges one to kill the emperor and ruin the empire is intertwined with those ingredients¡­¡±


    Juan smiled grimly while burning the blood of the Evil Snake brightly, and Sina looked at Juan with a pale face. Soon after, something slowly rose up from the pile of corpses. The skeleton of the being that stood up while throwing off the rotting skin from all the corpses was not pale white in color, but ominous red.


    Starting with the first undead, all the other undead soon began to raise their bodies here and there as well. Not all of the warriors of Arbalde had been revived. Only about fifty warriors stood up from within the pile of corpses. The most bizarre among all of them was the huge undead that was intertwined with numerous bodies.


    Upon seeing therge two-handed axe held by the undead, Sina realized that it was Urkel. Urkel, who had turned into an undead, felt even more ominous and creepy than the knights of the dead that Sina had seen back in Hiveden.


    ¡°We have some special undead here. They are like dragon blood soldiers.¡±


    ¡°What the¡­ what the hell are you going to do with all of these undead?¡± Sina asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s a pretty silly question, Sina. Why do you think I created all these soldiers?¡± Juanughed and continued speaking. ¡°Nienna told me during the day that I have to kill the emperor. And we mean the ¡®emperor¡¯ that is enshrined on the eternal throne and dried up like a mummy. Not only should we kill him because he¡¯s the vessel that is keeping my mana locked up, but also to symbolize that <i>the emperor?</i>has returned.¡±


    Juan snapped his fingers. At the same time, the dragon blood soldiers roared¡ªit was an eerie sound.


    ¡°In that sense, the undead created using the curse of the Dragon Lord who was so eager to kill the emperor will prove to be very helpful. I should congratte the Dragon Lord, since she¡¯ll eventually be able to achieve her lifelong goal.¡±


    Juan slowly stored all the dragon blood soldiers into Umbra, which had spread out like a cape¡ªthis was exactly how Ras used to hide all the knights of the dead. The space inside Umbra couldn¡¯t allow living beings inside, but it wasrge enough to hold even the fifty dragon blood soldiers.


    ¡°So I¡¯m starting to wonder what you think, Sina. Do you still believe that the emperor you once served is inside me after seeing what I¡¯ve just done? Isn¡¯t it fair to admit that the emperor you used to serve has always been this way?¡±


    Sina didn¡¯t know what to say.


    A blizzard, the dark moonlight, the undead with red bones ttering as they walk, Juan controlling the undead, a strange insanity in Juan¡¯s eyes, and the cold wind that was prating Sina¡¯s bones¡ªall these things were pressuring her, almost as if Juan was saying that the emperor she once knew was already killed by the hands of humans.


    ¡°Juan¡­ What can I say?¡±


    There was only one thing Sina had to say.


    ¡°Even if the owner decides to abandon the dog, the dog cannot just abandon its owner. If the owner is losing his mind and burning to death, it is the dog¡¯s job to bark until he dies. If you decide to walk into hell on your own, I¡¯ll be the dog that burns in hell right beside you while barking the loudest.¡±


    ***


    The blizzard became even harsher as the winter deepend. It was a piece of cake for Nienna to remove the snow clouds if she wanted, but she continued to stay in Beldeve while watching the snow cover the entire fortress. The only people who suffered because of her decision to stay were the soldiers who were working on removing the snow.


    The soldiers grumbled and whispered among themselves; they suspected that Nienna was making more snow fall on purpose, but no one knew the truth.


    ¡°The soldiers have beenining a lot, Nienna.¡±


    Juan spoke to Nienna who was looking at the sea from atop the fortress wall. She was looking at the sea with her feet hanging down the wall.


    ¡°Please tell them that a lot of snow in winter will make theirnd more fertile in spring. Now that we have kicked out the northeastern rebels, we should have Beldeve prepare to ept more residents.¡±


    Then a strange-shaped snowke fell on Nienna¡¯s ear. Nienna stopped shaking her legs and became still upon feeling the snowke. She seemed to be focusing on something for a while, but soon turned toward the inside of the fortress wall with a bright expression.


    ¡°Any good news?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°They¡¯re ready. You¡¯re ready too, aren¡¯t you dad?¡±


    ¡°Ready for what?¡±


    Nienna smiled.


    ¡°Ready to catch that bastard, Gerard Gain!¡±

 Chapter 127 – Trap (2)

    <h4>Chapter 127 ¨C Trap (2)</h4>


    ¡°Remnants of the rebel forces from Arbalde?¡± Juan asked.


    Nienna rode her horse at high speed on the snowy field. Behind her was the cavalry that was chasing her to try and catch up to her. At a nce, Juan immediately noticed that the number of cavalrymen had nearly halved. One could guess that the other half was carrying out a separate operation.


    ¡°Yes. To be precise, they are the remaining vigers¡ªthe remaining vigers who remained in the vige after the warriors of Arbalde took their forces to attend war¡­ Maybe I should call them survivors instead. Anyway, I was gathering all of them in a single ce,¡± Nienna answered.


    ¡°Have you been gathering them for them to be taken to the cavalry?¡±


    ¡°I would have, but the northeast is too big. There¡¯s too many of them to be gathered into the cavalry. Instead, I made sure to trample on the vigers and deteriorated the climate to create an environment that is impossible for the vigers to survive in. Then they will have no choice but to gather inrge groups naturally.¡±


    Juan nodded; he realized that the soldiers¡¯ suspicions about Nienna causing the snow to fall nonstop was correct. It was Nienna¡¯s n to trample on even the smallest means of survival for the survivors and drive the starved vigers into a single ce¡ªit was an operation to exterminate them by the roots.


    It was a cruel and ruthless n, but no one would be surprised; after all, Nienna had never stopped at anything to get rid of the Crack.


    Meanwhile, Nienna took a nce at Juan as if she was wondering what was on his mind after hearing about what she had done.


    ¡°Do you think that I¡¯m a terrible person for doing what I did?¡±


    ¡°Not really.¡±


    ¡®<i>You gotta do what you gotta do in order to deal with the Crack.</i>¡¯


    Juan believed in Nienna¡¯s judgment¡ªthe judgment of the person who had long since been protecting the north from the Crack. In fact, Juan was the one who had to learn from Nienna how to deal with the Crack. Gerard¡¯s failure to do so had caused the tragedy of Arbalde.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already allowed you to do the same thing in the past. This time around is just an extension of that time, and I would be nothing but a hypocrite if I oppose it or feel bad about it just because it is happening in front of my eyes this time around,¡± Juan said.


    ¡°I wish Gerard could also have thought like that,¡± Nienna muttered, smiling weakly. ¡°Gerard was expressionless throughout the ughter of the Arbalde residents. I couldn¡¯t figure out what was on his mind. I wish he would have at least opposed me and made a fuss about it. Then¡­ maybe none of this would have ever happened.¡±


    ¡°Nienna, I was the one who ced him in a position where he could take charge and be responsible for himself. He was in a position where he was capable of making his own judgments. If he couldn¡¯t ept or understand my order, he could havee to me to protest or petition in person. But he didn¡¯t do anything,¡± Juan said with a firm expression.


    ¡°That¡¯s true. If he¡¯s amander, then he should be responsible.¡±


    Nienna had never once listened to Juan¡¯s order to move the troops at once¡ªshe had only moved when she was thoroughly convinced that it was necessary, regardless of the emperor¡¯s order. It was only natural that she was used to thinking for herself and taking matters into her own hands; unlike Juan, who had to think about the bnce of the entire empire, Nienna was only focused on dealing with the Crack in the north.


    Even her earlier decision to invade the East when the Crack began to spread its roots there was based on her independent judgment.


    ¡°I think yours is an extreme case of that, but¡­ do you really think that Gerard wille? I heard that there are only a little over a thousand survivors. And you expect Gerard toe to save only that many survivors?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s clear that Gerard is somewhere nearby. Besides, you and I are also here. Right now, it¡¯s the moment when the tragedy of Arbalde is about to repeat itself, albeit on a smaller scale. I honestly think that Gerard will definitely show up if he has something he wants to say to us¡ªwhether it¡¯s to rebel against you, or because he feels a sense of obligation to protect the people. Even him not showing up at all can be a message too, in the sense of him obeying your order after what happened in the past.¡±


    Basically, Nienna was forcing Gerard to give her an answer about how he felt about what happened in the past. It was her way of confirming whether she was in the right or Gerard was in the right, with the emperor acting as the judge. Thus, Nienna was confident that Gerard would show himself.


    ¡°H will cooperate with us even if he doesn¡¯te out.¡±


    Juan looked back at H who was following him from behind. Juan had to admit that H was quite a brave warrior unlike what her age would make you believe. But he couldn¡¯t imagine how she would be useful as bait. It was true that H used to be Gerard¡¯s lover at one point in time, but Juan couldn¡¯t be sure that Gerard would appear to save her while knowing that she was a bait.


    Then H made a gesture of touching her lips¡ªit was a message that she had something to say to Juan. So, Juan slowed down his horse and approached H.


    ¡°Juan, I¡¯m sorry that I couldn¡¯t tell you about this back in the fortress of Beldeve. But¡­¡±


    H carefully brought up a story, almost as if she was still hesitant. Juan intuitively felt that she was about to bring up something serious upon seeing H being so hesitant.


    ¡°Do you remember the day that I fell from the fortress of Beldeve?¡± H asked.


    ¡°I do. I thought you must have fallen into the ocean.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t get even a single drop of water on my body; Gerard Gain came to save me.¡±


    Juan immediately froze upon hearing H¡¯s words.


    ¡°...How?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not too sure either. I thought I was dead the moment I felt a huge shock, but Gerad was right in front of me. In fact, I even doubted whether I was already dead at that moment.¡±


    ¡°But I didn¡¯t feel even the slightest trace of Gerard.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s probably because of the Crack. Just before I fell into the water, I felt a strange distortion of space. Then the direction of my fall changed and thendscape changed into one I had never seen before. Then I saw Gerard after that.¡±


    ¡°Did you see his face?¡±


    ¡°His face was covered with bandages, but I could tell just by looking at his eyes¡ªafter all, those are eyes that I¡¯ve never forgotten. I couldn¡¯t even talk to him, since I lost consciousness almost immediately. I was already in General Nienna¡¯s barracks when I woke up after that.¡±


    ¡°Did Gerard take you to Nienna himself?¡±


    ¡°They didn¡¯t meet in person, but General Nienna said that she received Gerard¡¯s message in her dreams. Thanks to that message, General Nienna was able to save me. That¡¯s why General Nienna believes that she can use me or the lives of others to get Gerard to show himself.¡±


    ¡°Do you think there¡¯s a possibility that he will show himself?¡±


    ¡°I think so.¡±


    Juan quietly stared at H.


    Gerard was a child made by cloning Juan¡¯s own soul. Gerard was quite simr to Juan in many ways, including his way of thinking, his behavior, and his appearance. But there was one thing that was definitely different from Juan: Gerard was not a born emperor. He had been in close contact with humans on the lower rung of society.


    ¡°I feel embarrassed and sorry to ask this favor off of you, but can you first listen to what Gerard Gain has to say instead of killing him right away when you meet him?¡± H asked with a desperate look.


    ¡°I thought you hated Gerard,¡± Juan said.


    ¡°¡®Hate¡¯ is not a good enough word to exin what I feel toward him. How could I ever judge the severity of his crimes with my trivial thoughts? I¡¯d even like to kill him with my own hands considering the harm he did to the empire. But¡­¡± H continued speaking with a painful expression. ¡°I can¡¯t help but hope that he¡¯s still the man I used to know. His eyes that I saw in that moment inside the Crack have not changed the slightest bit from the past. I can¡¯t believe his eyes were able to shine like that even within the Crack that distorts everything.¡±


    ¡°You could be delusional due to your nostalgia, H. You might even have been agitated because you were faced with the fear of death.¡±


    ¡°Then I would like to leave the judgment to Your Majesty. I won¡¯t argue or protest even if you decide to cut off his neck, since it is true that he hasmitted terrible crimes. I just want you to give him some time to leave hisst will.¡±


    H¡¯s tone was desperate. Juan didn¡¯t answer, but H saw him nodding slightly.


    ***


    It was hard to find a in snowfield around the coast. The coast was full of sand, mud, traces of horse hooves, scattered footprints, and blood.


    As the survivors got closer to the beach, the messy traces of the tragic battle caught their sight. But when they finally arrived at the sea, the surroundings became cleaner than ever. However, the winter waves were still rough.


    The survivors of the northeastern rebels were gathered in one ce with their backs facing the rough sea. They were no longer able to find a route to retreat and were almost dipping their feet in the cold seawater¡ªthey werepletely cornered.


    The survivors who were not even dressed appropriately for the cold weather trembled in the cold sea breeze and the rising waves. Some unexpectedly ran out, as if they were looking for a gap to escape, but were immediately blocked by the cavalry. Unlike the warriors of Arbalde, the survivors stepped back as soon as the cavalrymen pointed their spears at them.


    ¡°You¡¯re all doing quite a good job at keeping them in one ce.¡±


    The eyes of the survivors became even more desperate when they saw Nienna and the rest of the cavalry arriving at the scene. There were about ten thousand heavily armed cavalrymen behind Nienna. On the other hand, there were only about a thousand hungry survivors who werepletely unarmed. What was even more devastating was the fact that the opponent was Nienna Nelben; there was no way she''d let any of them live.


    It was only a little over two hundred cavalrymen who were actually driving the survivors into the corner¡ªmost of the cavalrymen were just watching them from the hills surrounding the beach. But the fact that there was no room for them to escape didn¡¯t change.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think Gerard is here yet,¡± Juan said.


    ¡°Probably not. Don¡¯t you think we need to stimte him a bit? I don¡¯t like killing people like this¡­ but he might not show himself if we go easy on them,¡± Nienna said as she tilted her head.


    The cavalrymen began to move forward upon seeing Nienna¡¯s signal. The survivors were gradually pushed out to the sea, almost as if they were being pushed by the tip of the spears. The survivors in the rear row were already waist-deep in the water.


    On the other hand, Nienna looked utterly ufortable upon seeing such a sight.


    ¡°Gerard, please show yourself quickly¡­¡± Nienna muttered.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to kill them anyway, aren¡¯t you?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°Slow and painful deaths are only suitable for monsters, not humans. Although I¡¯m good at killing people, I¡¯m not a huge fan of murder, dad.¡±


    Comints, screams, and cries broke out among the survivors. Juan felt like a viin upon hearing the cries of the children. In fact, Juan was willing to be a viin as long as he could achieve his goals. But that didn¡¯t mean he didn¡¯t feel anything from seeing such a terrible sight.


    ¡®<i>I¡¯m d that Sina¡¯s not here.</i>¡¯


    Sina couldn¡¯t follow them to the sea; since H wasing with them, and at least onemander needed to stay and look after the fortress of Beldeve, it was decided that Sina had to stay. There was no way Sina would have been able to stay still if she had seen this situation. She would have constantly tried to think of ways to save the survivors and reverse the encroachment of the Crack.


    ¡®<i>But that¡¯s impossible, Sina.</i>¡¯


    Anyone who understood the properties of the Crack knew that to be eroded by the Crack was like pottery being broken. They could be put back together, but the effect of the Crack in their soul wouldst forever. The worst thing was that those who were encroached upon by the Crack would also corrupt those around them.


    ¡®<i>Maybe they can be saved from the Crack when ash can be wood again and rust can be turned into iron.</i>¡¯


    In other words, saving one from the Crack was impossible. Juan recalled feeling helpless about the Crack even during his time as the emperor. Juan had a feeling that the reason he relied so much on Nienna for issues rted to the Crack might be due to that feeling of helplessness.


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t seem to want toe out at all¡­¡± Nienna muttered with a grim look on her face.


    Juan couldn¡¯t tell whether this was good news or bad news. Juan wondered whether Gerard was silently agreeing with Nienna¡¯s policy, or he was simply indifferent toward the fate of the survivors of Arbalde.


    ¡®<i>He would have shown his face when the warriors of Arbalde were being wiped out if he really cared about them.</i>¡¯


    The survivors were now shivering in the sea with water reaching up to their chest. There were a few people who had lifted the children above their heads to allow the children to breathe while they themselves were almost drowning. But even the children who were being lifted had started to turn blue already.


    The rough sea waves and the harsh wind would end the lives of the survivors in just half an hour. More than a thousand people were bound to quietly disappear into the sea without even having a chance to bleed.


    ¡°He won¡¯t show himself, dad. I mean, I guess it¡¯s only natural that he can¡¯t show his face if he knew that this was a scheme. Let¡¯s just end it. I¡¯ll have to ask H for a difficult favor.¡±


    Nienna frowned and turned her head. As she raised her hand, the cavalrymen raised their spears and prepared to advance.


    Just when Nienna was about to give the order to the cavalry, her eyes turned toward a ce. Juan also turned his head in that direction.


    Something was flying toward them from beyond the sky. Nienna¡¯s face distorted and she screamed.


    ¡°All troops, retreat! Get out of here as fast as you can!¡±


    At that moment, a huge shadow fell over everyone¡¯s heads.

 Chapter 128 – Trap (3)

    <h4>Chapter 128 ¨C Trap (3)</h4>


    The cavalrymen hesitated for a second at the unexpected order. However, soon, they too saw the huge shadow hanging over their heads. The cavalrymen were slightly disorganized due to being perplexed at the sudden situation, but they quickly reorganized themselves and ran away from the beach¡ªthe Northern Army boasted the best military discipline in the entire empire, and they were pretty quick.


    The survivors were perplexed to see the cavalry retreating so suddenly, but hurriedly crawled toward the beach as they looked up at the sky in fear.


    A huge creature that seemed to be at least hundreds of meters long was flying high in the air. The creature¡¯s wings were so huge that they covered the sun and tore the clouds into pieces. The fact that such a huge creature was flying in the sky itself seemed like a joke. The appearance of this phenomenal being that had been rarely seen for decades caused everyone¡¯s mouth to drop open and mutter only one name.


    ¡®<i>A dragon.</i>¡¯


    Juan burst outughing at the magnificent scene he was seeing for the first time in quite a while. The creature was clearly a ¡®real¡¯ dragon that was over a thousand years old. It was unknown as to how it had been able to survive, but the extinction of the dragons was led by the Order of Lindwurm and Gerard. Juan guessed that it wouldn¡¯t have been too difficult for Gerard to keep one of the dragons alive.


    Even the soldiers of the Fourth Division who were already familiar with Horhell¡¯s dragon looked frightened by the aura and dignity of the fully grown dragon.


    ¡°...His Majesty and the Order of Lindwurm made monsters like that extinct?¡± Someone murmured.


    Everyone had the same thought¡ªexcept Nienna Nelben, who had different ideas.


    ¡°Gerard.¡±


    The moment Nienna said Gerard¡¯s name out loud, the dragon turned its huge neck and looked down at the ground. There was clearly a long distance between the dragon and the humans, but everyone could clearly see the dragon¡¯s eyes. Just one nce into the dragon¡¯s eyes alone made ordinary people feel like they couldn¡¯t move.


    Then the dragon¡¯s chest started to swell up. Upon realizing what was about to happen, NIenna ordered everyone to retreat in a voice so loud that her vocal cords could be ripped apart.


    ¡°Everyone, fall back! Right now!¡±


    A huge wall of mes split the beach for a moment. Due to scorching light and heat, the soldiers covered their faces and quickly scrambled back. mes that looked like they came from hell covered the entire beach in just an instant. The soldiers trembled with fear as they imagined all the survivors beyond the wall of mes to have already been burned to death.


    Nienna hastily looked around to confirm that none of her people had suffered any losses.


    On the other hand, the dragon¡¯s mes melted even the sand, but the survivors beyond the wall of mes were still alive with frightened expressions.


    Nienna clicked her tongue upon realizing that the dragon had breathed out a straight line of mes, almost as if he was cutting sand with a knife.


    ¡°He created a wall,¡± Nienna muttered.


    Juan¡¯s eyes shone at Nienna¡¯s words.


    ¡°So that we can¡¯t approach the survivors?¡±


    ¡°Yes. But it doesn¡¯t matter since he¡¯s here anyway.¡±


    Nienna dispersed the cavalry with a signal. The appearance of the dragon was unexpected, and there was no way for the heavily armed cavalry to deal with it.


    While it seemed like the dragon didn¡¯t want to directly attack the cavalry for some reason, the damage would be enormous if it changed its mind.


    The dragon was just hovering in the sky and still watching the situation. Both Juan and Nienna intuitively felt that there was someone standing on top of the dragon¡¯s head.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of the situation here, so stay back, dad.¡±


    ¡°Your opponent <i>is?</i>Gerard and he also has a dragon with him.¡±


    As far as Juan could remember, Gerard and Nienna were of simr strength¡ªGerard was just the slightest bit stronger than Nienna was. But Nienna replied with a smirk.


    ¡°It¡¯s true that Gerad and I used to have simr strength when you were alive in the past, dad. But now he¡¯s got a dragon, the power of the Crack, and Elkiehl. He also has the ability to beat the Priests of the Crack,¡± Nienna said as she drew her sword.


    Juan could feel the air freezing around him.


    ¡°Those same things are also why Gerard will be defeated. After all, it is my specialty to destroy the Crack.¡±


    Nienna raised her sword high up in the sky and began to shout something. Juan noticed that she was casting a massive summoning spell¡ªNienna was summoning a Holy Beast that she had made a pact with.


    ording to Juan¡¯s memory, there was only one Holy Beast that had made a pact with Nienna, the ruler of the winter and a daughter of the winter duke.


    The clouds started pouring snow even more furiously. One snow crystal froze and started spreading in all directions. As the crystal continued to spread as if it were swelling, it formed the shape of arge frozen wolf.


    It was the beast that granted its name to Nienna¡¯s knight order.


    ¡°Fenrir, answer the call of your master!¡±


    A huge wolf came down from the sky, ready to devour the world.


    ***


    The dragon wasn¡¯t able to spot Fenrir, who was falling from the sky in time. The moment Fenrir bit on the dragon¡¯s neck, it was agitated and its gigantic figure shook greatly. But the dragon was not an easy opponent¡ªit would not fall to just one of Fenrir¡¯s attacks.


    The dragon struggled to avoid falling and immediately twisted its neck and spat mes toward Fenrir¡¯s leg. Fenrir¡¯s leg, which was made of ice, melted in an instant, but was reformed immediately. Then, Fenrir¡¯s ws scratched the dragon¡¯s stomach and tore it open. On the other hand, instead of spitting the mes again, the dragon folded its wings and curled up¡ªit was a posture used to prepare for an iing shock.


    The dragon and Fenrir intertwined in the air and then crashed toward the sea. However, the dragon spread its wings and quickly escaped just before the crash. Only Fenrir slipped and fell without being able to bite onto the dragon.


    This caused huge waves to surge toward the survivors, but they weren¡¯t powerful enough to drag them back into the sea.


    Meanwhile, people couldn¡¯t take their eyes off of the bloody battle between the dragon and the Holy Beast atop the sea.


    It was hard for one to even get to see monsters in the current empire, let alone Holy Beasts. This just proved that the emperor had created a safe world for humans.


    But, there was certainly something fascinating about mythological beings.


    The dragon pped its wings to fly up into the sky again, but it was clear that it had been injured. Furthermore, Pnelil¡¯s ability to freeze the opponent¡¯s wound was burdensome for even a dragon, beings who had such strong vitality. At the same time, Fenrir no longer had any other ways to attack the dragon which was flying in the sky either.


    Then people found a figure running across the sea. The surface of the sea froze everywhere Nienna¡¯s horse passed through, and a white cape that resembled a winter storm fluttered behind her back. Nienna jumped off her horse and climbed on Fenrir as soon as she got close to it.


    Fenrir rose above the frozen sea. The next thing people saw was Nienna reaching her hand out toward the sky from a distance. Oberon, the spear of ice, was sped in Nienna¡¯s hand. But the Oberon currently in her hand didn¡¯t seem like the one she used when dueling against Juan.


    Thousands of ice spears rose above the sea, and countless spear des that colored the sea white were aimed toward the dragon at once. The energy contained in the ice spears was a lot stronger than the energy contained in the steel spears.


    At the same time, the dragon pped its wings in a hurry to try and elerate, but wasn¡¯t able to do so due to the injury.


    Nienna finally threw the ice spear in her hand at the dragon. At the same time, the thousands of ice spears flew toward the dragon as well. The dragon btedly breathed out mes to vaporize nearly half of the ice spears, but the remaining half struck exactly one of the dragon¡¯s wings.


    This attack caused the dragon to lose its bnce and begin to crash into the sea.


    ***


    Nienna felt her insides reeling for the first time in a while. The Crack had been very quiet in recent years. The Crack had always been a threat, but Nienna hadn¡¯t really faced such a strong opponent that forced her to use all her might. The rapid consumption of mana made Nienna feel dizzy. But Nienna wasughing while breathing out a white breath.


    The giant figure of the dragon appeared over the sea. Its size was slightly smaller than that of Fenrir, but with the addition of its wings, neck, and tail, it was three times bigger than Fenrir. The dragon was still majestic even with one of its wings damaged.


    However, it wasn¡¯t the dragon that Nienna was interested in.


    ¡°Show yourself, Gerard¡­ I know that you haven¡¯t even revealed your full strength yet.¡±


    People might think that Nienna had been suppressing the dragon, but this was only due to the fact that Gerard hadn¡¯t even bothered to attack her so far.


    The children of the emperor were capable of easily catching a dragon.


    Nienna was beginning to feel impatient due to her urge to fight against Gerard.


    ¡°Come out, Gerard!¡±


    Nienna¡¯s roar resonated over the sea. At the same time, the surrounding sea froze with a cracking sound all the way to the coast. Nienna¡¯s eyes were burning with blue light.


    The dragon pped its wings, slowly breaking the ice of the frozen sea. Soon, someone appeared between the two horns of the dragon¡ªit was a man covered entirely in bandages and wearing a ragged robe. No one knew for sure who he was, but Nienna was certain that he was Gerard. His posture, gaze, and the way he walked were all screaming his identity.


    Nienna grinned.


    ¡°You and I have simr achievements, but people somehow always think that you¡¯re stronger than I am. Let¡¯s set the record straight today.¡±


    Fenrir charged toward the dragon as soon as Nienna finished speaking. At the same time Fenrir¡¯s sharp teeth bit the dragon, the dragon also bit Fenrir¡¯s neck.


    Nienna immediately jumped at Gerald while the Fenrir and the dragon were intertwined with each other. Then, Niennaunched the most powerful attack she could use, while Gerard also quickly read the energy being emanated from her sword.


    The moment their two swords shed in the air, the frozen sea was split in half. The shocking gusts of wind from the sh swept all the soldiers off the coast, and even the dragon and Fenrir were pushed back due to the shock. Nienna¡¯s sword was pressing against Gerard¡¯s sword as if she was pressuring him.


    Nienna¡¯s eyes became sharp upon seeing the bandages that were wrapped around Gerard¡¯s sword getting ripped to shreds to reveal Elkiehl¡¯s dark body.


    ¡°Is this all you¡¯ve got? This is the power you gained from selling your empire, betraying your knights and stabbing your own father? Huh?¡±


    Nienna roughly swung her sword and pushed Gerard. She wasn¡¯t using the Baltic Sword, but was basically only pushing Gerard with brute force.


    Gerard did not attack Nienna but just focused on defending himself. Nienna was getting angrier and angrier upon seeing Gerard¡¯s actions.


    ¡°Do you expect me to go easy on you if you look pitiful like that?¡± Nienna derided.


    Gerard remained silent. Gerard¡¯s silence as well as his heavy eyes were wearing away at Nienna¡¯s patience, and then her patience snapped. Nienna swung her sword with the intent to kill.


    The moment Gerard raised his sword in his attempt to block Nienna¡¯s overly simple attack, the space and time around them became distorted.


    Nienna¡¯s heart stopped as the air pped against her flesh and started burning violently¡ªit was the heat from the friction of air rubbing against her body. Nienna had wrapped herself in cold air as she knew that this would happen, but she still felt as if she had turned into a fireball.


    Everything happened in just an extremely short moment, so short that even her shadow couldn¡¯t keep up with her.


    Gerard was unable to block Nienna¡¯s attack that was even able to freeze time. It was the fifth stage of the Baltic Sword: Fleeting Moment.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    The moment a short cracking sound was heard, Nienna¡¯s sword had already prated deep into Gerard. Gerard opened his eyes wide and looked at Nienna, while she red at Gerard as she suppressed the burns all over her body caused by the heat.


    ¡°Keep your mouth shut¡ªI have no intention to listen to yourst will.¡±


    Nienna tightened the sword in her hand with the intent to finish Gerard off.


    Then, at that moment, someone quickly appeared and pushed her to the side, causing Nienna¡¯s face to be distorted.


    It was Juan.


    ¡°Dad.¡±


    Juan sighed as he stood between Gerard and Nienna. It was the right thing to stop his children from fighting, but it wasn¡¯t easy for Juan to intervene when they were fighting so fiercely. Fortunately, Gerard was severely injured and Nienna was exhausted.


    Juan looked at Gerard¡¯s condition. Gerard looked surprised due to Nienna¡¯s attack, but he seemed to know what had happened.


    ¡®<i>Gerard must have reached the fifth stage of the Baltic Sword as well.</i>¡¯


    It was natural that the side who used Fleeting Moment first was at an advantage when both sides had reached the fifth stage of the Baltic Sword. One might be able to notice and prepare a counterattack against it after they got used to performing the fifth stage, but neither Gerard nor Nienna had reached that level yet.


    ¡°Nienna, I know you had a hard time. But stop for a moment; I need to talk to Gerard. I promised H to hear him out before I punish him,¡± Juan said.


    ¡°Talk? Shouldn¡¯t you check whether his lips inside those bandages are sewn together, since he hasn¡¯t been¡­¡±


    Nienna¡¯s derisive remarks suddenly turned into a scream.


    With a short stabbing sound, a ck de stabbed toward Juan¡¯s chest. Juan even felt a feeling of d¨¦j¨¤ vu at the familiar sight that was urring in front of his eyes.


    Gerard was stabbing Juan in the back.

 Chapter 129 – Trap (4)

    <h4>Chapter 129 ¨C Trap (4)</h4>


    Blood spurted out of the wound caused by Juan getting stabbed by the ck de. For a moment, Juan couldn¡¯t understand the situation in front of him, and at the same time, he understood it better than anyone else¡ªit was the same as then.


    Juan was well aware that Gerard had betrayed him¡ªhe was the one who assassinated Juan. But at the same time, it was true that Juan was hoping for Gerard to have an excuse for doing what he did and hoped that he had apelling and inevitable reason behind his actions. He hoped for that even more after his encounter with Ras.


    Juan still hasn¡¯t forgotten the gibberish that left the mouth of the frightened Gerard on the night of the assassination. Juan even had a feeling that Gerard might have been manipted by some conspiracy or a curse.


    Not only did Gerard not attack Juan back in Hiveden, but he also saved Juan from being affected by the me crown back in Durgal. The Gerard who had appeared to save the vigers of Arbalde was exactly how Juan remembered him being in the past. This fact made Juan emotional.


    Juan wanted to believe that Gerard might have been misunderstood too, just like Ras.


    <i>St!</i>


    But at this moment, Gerard had once again stabbed Juan in the back, almost as if he wasughing at Juan¡¯s hope.


    <i>St! Crack! Squelch! Shunk!</i>


    Elkihel repeatedly entered and exited through Juan¡¯s wound¡ªit was as if stabbing him just once was not enough. Juan flinched and was helplessly shaken every time Gerard stabbed him.


    Juan could see Nienna as she was desperately screaming and running toward him, but he already knew that he couldn¡¯t be helped even if she came.


    In fact, he intuitively knew this fact from the moment he was stabbed by Elkiehl. It was the same as the night he had been assassinated¡ªthere was no way out of this. Juan could feel his strength being drained whenever the ck de stabbed into his chest.


    ¡®<i>What did I even expect?</i>¡¯


    Juanughed in vain; he could clearly feel Talter¡¯s mana, Grunbalde¡¯s fog, Nigrato¡¯s essence, and the Evil Snake¡¯s curse leaving his body along with the pouring blood. Enormous amounts of mana disappeared from Juan in just an instant. Death was right before Juan¡¯s eyes and he could feel himself being dragged by Gerard¡¯s hand.


    At that moment, something tightly grabbed his wrist. When Juan opened his eyes, he saw Nienna¡¯s frightened eyes. Then the next thing Juan felt was himself floating in the air.


    ***


    Sina stared nkly at the ck sphere that was ced on the table. She had never seen anything like this, but Sina knew exactly what it was¡ªit was Nigrato¡¯s essence. Juan used to call it Umbra. Ever since Talter¡¯s short sword was destroyed, Juan had been using Umbra as both an armor and a weapon.


    ¡°This was left behind by Ras?¡±


    Sina nodded nkly upon hearing H¡¯s question.


    ¡°...As far as I know, yes. That¡¯s what a Temr that I know from Hiveden told me.¡±


    Kamil, the former deputy of the Order of the White Crow, gave Sina a lot of information about Juan along with the holy sword. Among all that information was the information about Nigrato¡¯s essence that Ras had handed over to Juan. Besides, Sina had seen Juan fight using Umbra before.


    She wasn¡¯t aware of the fact that Umbra could be separated from Juan, but there was one thing she was sure of¡ªJuan would never have left the Umbra behind if he was still alive. After all, Umbra was thest thing that his son Ras had left him.


    H maintained her silence upon realizing just how meaningful Umbra was to Juan.


    The atmosphere of the fortress of Beldeve was quite strange. The official status of Juan should be that of a prisoner or that of amander of the punishment unit. However, no one here considered him to be a prisoner¡ªthis was especially true for the punishment unit. The members of the punishment unit remained motionless with a frozen expression upon hearing what had happened to Juan.


    The situation was not too different for the other soldiers of the Fourth Division, especially when there had been a rumor circting saying that Juan was the emperor who had returned. Ominous rumors spread all around.


    However, the atmosphere of the Fortress of Beldeve was still quite a bit more lively whenpared to the atmosphere of the Northern Army. The Order of Fenrir and the Northern Army were so gloomy that people thought they were holding a funeral.


    This was because of the fact that Nienna had disappeared along with Juan.


    ¡°Did you say that Gerard Gain stabbed Juan?¡± Sina asked.


    ¡°Yes. I saw it myself. He had his face covered with bandages, but he definitely had the same face as thest time, when he saved me. I could tell just by looking at the dragon, his swordsmanship, the way he walked, as well as his eyes. He stabbed Juan several times in the back, almost as if he was trying to make up for his failurest time,¡± Hughed, dumbfounded. ¡°I guess he didn¡¯t want to give Juan room to resurrect this time around.¡±


    Sina shook her head in denial.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way that Juan was tricked by such a simple surprise attack. Besides, didn¡¯t you say that General Nienna had already defeated Gerard at that moment? Is there any possibility that Juan purposely fell for Gerard¡¯s trick to¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, General Nienna was also dragged into the Crack,¡± H said firmly.


    A search for Nienna and Juan was still underway at the coast. There was no way that H would ever find Juan and Nienna near the sea; everyone saw Juan and Nienna being dragged into the Crack right before their very eyes. But H was desperately searching for them; she had no way of controlling the Northern Army.


    None of the knights of the Order of Fenrir were able to give a concrete decision on the future measures that needed to be taken, since no one had thought they would experience such a crisis in the east. The northeastern rebels were nothing but chickspared to the monsters of the Crack that the Order of Fenrir had been dealing with, and no one had thought they would lose their General in the fight against them. The knights grew more and more discouraged as time went by.


    However, Sina hadn¡¯t given up.


    ¡°He has a history of returning from death. So maybe he¡¯lle back this time, too.¡±


    ¡°His Majesty only managed to return to the appearance of a child after nearly fifty years had passed, even with his omnipotent power. But this time around, he was stabbed several times, and he has been dragged into the Crack. You can¡¯tpare this situation to what happened in the past.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°Sina,¡± H grabbed Sina¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Do you know who wants to die more than anyone else here right now? It¡¯s me. I have lost my son, my husband, my loved ones as well as the ones I respected on thisnd.¡±


    H recalled asking Juan to talk to Gerard before punishing him. It had just been a trivial request, but H lost both Juan and Nienna as a result of her request.


    ¡°I thought about throwing myself off of the walls of Beldeve just so that Gerard would appear again to save me and exin to me what happened. But I can¡¯t even do that because I have too many responsibilities I must bear on my shoulders.¡±


    ¡°Your Grace.¡±


    ¡°You are a talent that His Majesty valued. I don¡¯t know what potential he saw in you, but I don¡¯t think he would have expected you to deny reality and be frustrated like the other ordinary people.¡±


    Sina bit her lips and H continued speaking with a determined look on her face.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what I¡¯m going to do from now on. So far, I had been tied up in the east, but the east was given another chance thanks to General Nienna and His Majesty. Besides, we also have a card called Suvole that¡¯ll help us put pressure on the capital. There¡¯s also a high possibility that the Northern Army will take our side if we are able to persuade them.¡±


    H¡¯s words were filled with determination. Sina immediately realized H¡¯s n.


    ¡°I¡¯m nning to head straight to the capital now. I heard that the Church is starting to change around the current Saintess. Furthermore, it is said that the Helwin family is once again emerging in power. It won¡¯t be too hard for us to save our side. And when we gain enough power¡­¡± H grabbed Sina¡¯s hand. ¡°I will reinvestigate the case of His Majesty¡¯s assassination from the very beginning. Not only will the deep-rooted evils of the Church, but even the Regent will be thoroughly examined without exception. Other people might curse at me saying that I¡¯ve gone senile or I might even have to shed blood. But I think that¡¯s the only way I could ever repay His Majesty and General Nienna. Such a process requires a lot of talented individuals. I¡¯d like you to be there, Sina. What you want to know and what you want to get is exactly the same as me.¡±


    Sina bit her lips and remained silent. H pulled Sina¡¯s hand and hugged her tofort her.


    ¡°Juan¡ªno, His Majesty was someone important to all of us. He was someone that would be able to make anyone devote their entire life to him. So, I believe that you can y a big role.¡±


    Sina stood quietly upon hearing H¡¯s words, but soon pushed her away slightly, causing H to be disappointed.


    ¡°I want to be there with you. But¡­¡± Sina opened her mouth with trembling lips as if she was hesitating. ¡°I don¡¯t think Juan is dead just yet. I¡¯d like to take some time to think about it until I can be sure of his death.¡±


    ¡°But it might take you forever until you can be sure.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who told me that he was someone who could make people devote their entire life to him, Your Grace,¡± Sina said with a sad smile.


    ¡°...You¡¯re right.¡±


    ¡®<i>It must be His Majesty¡¯s karma to lead people around him into fate like that of a whirlpool.</i>¡¯


    Hughed bitterly at her own thoughts. People around Juan chased him and got dragged into the whirlpool of fate, but Juan acted as he pleased and cynicallyughed at his own fate. The fact that Juan could maintain such an attitude often made H jealous.


    ¡°Tell me if you need anything, and keep in mind that you are always wee to join me. Also¡­¡±


    At that moment, Sina and H heard a knock on the office door. H paused their conversation; she had told the others toe to the office in case of an urgent matter. The man who came into the room was Walter, a knight from the Order of Fenrir.


    H looked puzzled when she saw Walter¡¯s clean hands. After all, his hands should have been quite dirty, since H had left the clean up of the vigers of Arbalde to the Order of Fenrir after Gerard and Juan disappeared. But Walter''s hands didn¡¯t have a single drop of blood on them . H tilted her head in wonder; she had expected the knights from the Order of Fenrir to kill all the vigers.


    ¡°What is it, Sir Walter? Is there a problem with the mission?¡± H asked.


    ¡°Your Grace, we can¡¯t execute the vigers,¡± Walter answered with aplicated look on his face.


    ¡°What?¡± H doubted her ears. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Walter¡¯s answer made H even more confused.


    ¡°None of the vigers has been encroached upon by the Crack, Your Grace. General Nienna¡¯s order was to rescue those who had been encroached upon by the Crack, but there¡¯s no longer a reason to rescue them. I would like to ask General Nienna to reconsider her decision, but I must ask for your decision, since General Nienna¡¯s seat is vacant.¡±


    ¡°No one has been encroached upon by the Crack?¡±


    The vigers had not only lived in the northeast but they had been living alongside the warriors of Arbalde. It was only natural that they were all encroached upon by the Crack, even if it was the slightest bit. H even found traces that pointed to the vigers already having been encroached upon by the Crack when she ran into them in the middle of the battle several times.


    H suddenly got goosebumps as she btedly realized that none of the vigers on the coast had been singing a song or mumbling a name granted by the Crack. If it turned out to be true that the vigers had not been encroached upon by the Crack, Nienna and the Northern Army would have ughtered more than one thousand innocent citizens. Such a tragedy would have happened for sure if it hadn¡¯t been for Gerard¡¯s intervention.


    H didn''t know how to ept this situation.


    ¡°The execution will cease, but I want to ask the Order of Fenrir to investigate all the vigers. Don¡¯t forget to check who the vigers met and what they went through after being kicked out of the vige.¡±


    ***


    The fog on the floor scattered with every step Juan took. The huge amount of fog made Juan feel like he was swimming in water. When Juan pushed the fog away by radiating some heat, the fog dried up in an instant and revealed the view around him.


    Around him were the walls of the magic tower, though they were not fully visible to him. The abyss wasn¡¯t quite big enough for the tower, especially when you considered all the things stored in the abyss alongside the tower¡ªthe magicians of the tower didn¡¯t wish to scrap any of their valuable research materials. The head of the magicians in particr had begged Juan to not destroy the magic tower.


    At that moment, Juan felt a faint presence¡ªit was the presence of the head of the magicians. Juan slowly walked toward the direction where he felt the presence from. The fog grew thicker and thicker as Juan walked. Juan tried to push the fog away using the heat, but the overwhelming amount of fog constantly covered Juan¡¯s view.


    At that moment, Juan further increased the amount of heat he was releasing.


    ¡°Please stop radiating heat, Your Majesty!¡±


    Someone said urgently from within the fog. Juan stopped increasing the heat, but didn¡¯t lower the amount of heat he was releasing either.


    ¡°Show yourself, Dormund. I believe that you must have something to say to me,¡± Juan said.


    A white-haired magician carefully appeared from within the fog with something wrapped in arge cloth in his arms. The magician knelt in front of Juan.


    ¡°I can withstand the heat, but this child can¡¯t. Please have mercy, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡®<i>A child.</i>¡¯


    Juan felt his stomach churning and recalled the heat he was releasing. Soon the fog filled the space between them, but Juan headed toward the source from where the fog was being released. A faint mass emerged within the fog. When Juan put his hand on it, the fog began to abate quickly.


    What was revealed beyond the fog was a statue of a human with an eagle head made with all kinds of materials and forms of energy such as ice, stone, fire, wind, wood, and metal. In the area where the heart would be located, the rising me, as well as the raging ice, collided to seep the fog into its body.


    Juan quietly opened his mouth after looking at the body of a god for a while.


    ¡°What were you doing with the remains of Mananen McLeir?¡±

 Chapter 130 – Things that Couldn’t Die (1)

    <h4>Chapter 130 ¨C Things that Couldn¡¯t Die (1)</h4>


    Mananen McLeir, the mana god, was the only god who submitted himself to and cooperated with Juan back when Juan was exterminating the gods in the past¡ªMananen McLeir even devoted his heart toplete thest step needed for Juan to be the emperor. Mananen McLeir¡¯s heart was still beating inside Juan even now, and Juan was the one who allowed McLeir¡¯s remains to beid to rest in the magic tower.


    ¡°Back then you even took my hair without my knowledge.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty.¡±


    Juan grabbed the magician by the neck. Dane didn¡¯t even realize that Juan had made a move to grab him until he was lifted in the air. Dane groaned with a low and suffocated voice upon being suddenly hung in the air.


    ¡°Tell me what you are ying at, Dane Dormund.¡±


    Dane trembled in fear, but still managed to open the cloth and showed Juan what was inside. Inside the cloth was a baby with blonde hair and bright eyes looking at Juan without crying even in the sudden situation.


    .


    Juan quickly scanned the baby¡¯s soul through his eyes and was shocked to find out the identity of the baby.


    Juan tightened the hand holding Dane up in the air, causing Dane¡¯s face to be instantly turned red.


    ¡°What crazy thing have you done, Dane? Is everything a joke in the eyes of the magicians? How dare you y with life!?¡±


    ¡°Keuk, huff. Y-Your Majesty¡­¡±


    Juan felt the strong urge to directly separate Dane¡¯s body from his head¡ªbut he couldn¡¯t do that. Dane was both a father figure to Juan and a teacher who had taken care of Juan ever since he was young. At the same time, Dane was also the one who made the greatest contribution to Juan being crowned as the emperor.


    Juan felt an even greater sense of betrayal, since Dane was the one who Juan relied on the most.


    ¡°It-it was for hum-humanity, Your Majesty. Keuk, humanity will be irrevocable if anything happens to you. I had to think about who would be your sessor for the future of the empire.¡±


    Juan red at Dane for a while and soon rxed his hand.


    Upon falling to the floor, Dane hurriedly checked to see if there was any problem with the baby. On the other hand, Juan made a dejected expression.


    ¡°So that¡¯s your excuse for creating a clone of me without my permission?¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, you told me that you didn¡¯t want to have a biological child¡­ this was the only other solution I could think of¡­¡±


    ¡®<i>That was the problem?</i>¡¯


    Juan did not wish to create a world where his descendants ruled the empire from generation to generation. Juan had experienced and recognized both the positive and negative aspects of humans through his rtionships with his many colleagues, and thought that humanity had great potential.


    Due to this reason, Juan felt that ultimately the best thing to do would be to leave the fate of the world in human hands¡ªthis was the emperor¡¯s decision, the decision of the person who was full of love and respect for humans.


    Of course, there weren''t many people who understood his decision.


    But Juan had thought that at least Dane who taught him everything about humanity would understand his decision even if the others didn¡¯t.


    Yet Dane betrayed Juan in a way that Juan wanted to deny the most.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I say that humanity has great potential and that humans should be given a chance to make their own decisions, Dane? I¡¯m sure I made that clear to you,¡± Juan said.


    ¡°Your Majesty is a human too,¡± Dane answered with a cough. ¡°No. Your Majesty literally defines what a human is.¡±


    ¡°Dane.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty¡¯s decision is the decision of a human and a step forward. But Your Majesty doesn¡¯t understand something¡ªyou don¡¯t understand how little this world cares about us nor how tiny the existence of humanity is. Without Your Majesty, humanity as a race would have already gone extinct a long time ago. If Your Majesty continues to lead us, we can even rule this continent¡ªno, this entire. Perhaps we can even rule the universe.¡±


    Juan couldn¡¯t understand what Dane was saying. Juan thought that it might really be like Dane said¡ªthat he was clueless about the way humans thought.


    Dane might be right about certain things, but one thing was certain.


    ¡°You went against my will, Dane.¡±


    ¡°I am well aware of my sins, Your Majesty. But my intent had never been tomit treason¡ªinstead, I was the one who was the most loyal to you, your empire and all of humanity. So please have mercy and¡­¡±


    ¡°I deprive you of your status as the owner of the magic tower. I also deprive you of the status of an Imperial Grand Magician. All records about you will be banned from the empire¡¯s history and all your research data will be destroyed. You won¡¯t ever be allowed to take even a single grain of wheat from thisnd, nor should I ever be able to sense your presence around me ever again.¡±


    Dane wiped the cold sweat off of his forehead upon hearing Juan¡¯s words. But he also sighed in relief¡ªit seemed like he had been spared from the death penalty.


    ¡°I appreciate you for your generosity, Your Majesty. I¡¯ll be leaving with the baby as soon as¡­¡±


    But at that moment, Juan reached out and grabbed the baby wrapped in the cloth.


    Dane¡¯s face instantly turned pale as he remembered Juan¡¯s words that said that he would not be allowed to take even a single grain of wheat out of thisnd.


    ¡°Your Majesty! Your Majesty, please, I beg you. Please, not the baby! I¡¯ll live the rest of my life quietly, almost like I¡¯m a dead man. I promise to never take a single step toward the empire from beyond the border. Please, just spare the life of the baby!¡± Dane cried.


    Juan looked at Dane with a sad expression.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity that your pleas are not due topassion or your respect for life, Dane,¡± Juan continued speaking while holding the baby in his arms. ¡°This baby will continue to be safe. But he will never be allowed to find out how he was born, nor will he ever be allowed to find out about his real identity. He will never get to see you again either. Lastly, he won¡¯t be given the mission you wanted him to take on either. This baby will grow up with the same ideas and thoughts as me.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡±


    ¡°Get lost!¡± Juan shouted.


    Those short words that were filled with power was an order and it was like a magic that controlled one¡¯s mind. Dane couldn¡¯t even think about resisting Juan¡¯s words and immediately threw himself somewhere out of the empire as fast as he could. In just an instant, Dane disappeared, almost as if a fire on a candle had been blown out.


    Juan looked at the spot where Dane had disappeared from without saying a word and then he turned his gaze toward the baby. Juan had never raised a baby, nor did he ever think that he would be raising one.


    Juan flicked his finger in front of the baby¡¯s eyes, causing the baby to open his eyes wide andugh upon seeing the small me on Juan¡¯s fingertip.


    A strange feeling that Juan had never felt before started to brew inside him.


    ***


    Winoa Weaver, the captain of the Imperial Guard, was anxiously waiting for his master toe out of the entrance of the magic tower.


    The position of the captain of the Imperial Guard, the group which was meant to protect the emperor, was rather embarrassing to Winoa.


    ¡®<i>Protecting His Majesty? No¡ªit¡¯s more like they are being protected by His Majesty.</i>¡¯


    Winoa had often heard such sarcasm countless times, and it was even a joke that even Winoa himself couldn¡¯t really deny. It would be impossible to hurt the emperor even if there were one hundred men like Winoa trying to attack him, and all the guards including Winoa himself knew this.


    Nevertheless, Winoa loved the position of the captain of the Imperial Guards; it was the only upation in the empire where it didn¡¯t seem strange to constantly worry about the emperor¡¯s safety.


    But Winoa¡¯s list of concerns definitely did not include the emperor returning with a baby. Winoa Weaver was extremely perplexed upon seeing the emperor holding a baby in an awkward manner.


    ¡°Who is that baby, Your Majesty?¡± Winoa asked.


    ¡°I picked him up on my way.¡±


    Juan¡¯s calm answer seemed as if he was telling Winoa not to ask any more questions.


    Winoa sighed and approached the emperor, whom he respected so much, holding the baby. Then Winoa slowly taught Juan how to properly hold onto a baby in his arms.


    ¡°Babies can not hold their heads straight. You should support their neck with your hands like this.¡±


    Juan supported the baby¡¯s neck with difficulty, just like Winoa told him to. Then, the baby looked much morefortable than before. Juan nodded his head; he recalled that Winoa was the father of two sons.


    ¡°It seems like I will be asking you for a lot of advice in the future, Winoa,¡± Juan said.


    ¡°Are you nning to raise him, Your Majesty? I can introduce you to a good family that is in need of a child.¡±


    ¡°I cannot leave him in the hands of others. I¡¯m going to have to raise him on my own.¡±


    ¡°I understand, Your Majesty. So, what¡¯s the baby¡¯s name?¡±


    Juan fell into silence.


    ¡®<i>The baby¡¯s name?</i>¡¯


    The fact that he had toe up with a name for the baby was something that Juan hadn¡¯t considered.


    ¡°Can¡¯t we just call him a baby?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°There are many rules to consider when giving someone a name, but the most important one is that the baby shouldn¡¯t be given a name that will cause them to resent you in the future, Your Majesty. The baby will one day be a boy, and the boy will one day be a man. Please keep that in mind,¡± Winoa said.


    Juan agreed with Winoa. Juan tried to think of anyone who had a good name among the people around him. Then Juan suddenly seemed to have thought of something.


    Back when he had just been a small child, before he met Dane Dormund, Juan used to have a different name. In the rural vige where Juan was born, orphans were named after the valleys and the name of the viges around the area.


    Juan remembered a girl with whom he had spent his childhood at that time. When Juan was hesitant about leaving the vige to be the emperor, she told Juan something with a firm expression.


    ¡®<i>If you have to fight, then go out and fight. If you end up dying, then I promise to give birth to a baby and give him the same name as yours. Then you will be born again.</i>¡¯


    Only after hearing those words could Juan throw away the name he had used until then.


    And that was how he became the emperor, Juan Calberg Kennosis.


    Juan recalled his old name and who he used to be¡ªa child of Gain vige in the Gerard Valley.


    ¡°Gain. Let¡¯s call him Gerard Gain.¡±


    ***


    Juan opened his eyes only to realize that his eyes were wet with tears upon touching his face.


    Juan roughly wiped off the tears on his face and looked around. He was inside a dark cave that had a low ceiling.


    There was a strong scent of the sea breeze. Upon looking at his surroundings, Juan noticed that animal skins and poorly made household goods were everywhere. There was a strong presence of someone who had lived inside the cave up until recently.


    Juan then looked at his own body. Although he still retained the form of an eighteen-year-old boy, his mana heart was close to beingpletely empty. All the mana that Juan had struggled to collect had disappeared at once; however, he didn¡¯t feel a sense of loss. Rather, he only had questions about how he was still alive after what had just happened.


    After seeing that the wounds on his back and chest had been bandaged, Juan got up and headed out of the cave. The sound of the roaring waves could be heard and the sea breeze stirred Juan¡¯s hair.


    The cave was located on quite a high location and was surrounded by sea in all directions. White coral reefs lined the ind, almost filling the entire sea. Upon seeing this sight, Juan instantly realized where this ce was.


    What Juan thought were white coral reefs were actually the bones of a dragon¡ªthe ind was made up of dragon bones and located in the far eastern sea, beyond the boundaries of the empire.


    It was the Kaliduk Archipgo, the cemetery where the dragons met their end.


    ***


    [Stop zoning out ande down already if you¡¯vee to your senses.]


    At that moment, an unknown voice belonging to a woman was heard.


    Juan didn¡¯t need to ask the voice where he had to go. If he was in the Kaliduk Archipgo, then there was only one ce he had to go to. Juan could roughly guess who was talking to him.


    Juan could see a slippery road on the hillside¡ªit looked like it had been used countless times. Juan walked down the road and went down the valley. Below the valley were traces of something that had been broken using artificial means and was copsed by something huge. The floor was t because the rocks had been crushed under enormous weight.


    The first thing Juan encountered in the shaded cave located deep inside the valley was a dragon with huge golden scales who was cackling away, as if it found something to be extremely funny. In front of the dragon was a silver-haired woman.


    [Ah¡­ Who do we have here? Isn¡¯t it the sleepyhead VIP that we¡¯ve been waiting for,] the dragon sarcastically said as Juan approached them.


    The silver-haired woman soon turned her head when she heard the wordsing out of the mouth of the dragon.


    Juan heaved a huge sigh of relief the moment he saw her face.


    ¡°Nienna.¡±


    ¡°Dad!¡±


    Nienna ran over and tightly hugged Juan, lifting him up. Although Juan was taller than he was back in Tantil, his height was still notparable to Nienna, who was quite tall.


    With his feet hanging in the air, Juanforted Nienna by rubbing her back.


    Juan remembered that Nienna had grabbed his hand at thest minute. Juan had been concerned, since she was nowhere to be found when he opened his eyes, but he never would have thought that she would be talking to a dragon in such a calm manner.


    The dragon watched Juan and Nienna while licking its wounded right wing¡ªit was the dragon that had appeared alongside Gerard. The wound from being directly struck by Nienna¡¯s spear still remained on its shoulder, but it seemed to have already recovered to some extent.


    ¡°You two seem to have developed a pretty friendly rtionshippared to thest time I saw you guys when you were trying to kill each other,¡± Juan said.


    Nienna put Juan down on the floor whileughing, almost as if Juan¡¯s words were funny.


    ¡°It has a funny way of speaking. It speaks as if it''s reading from a book or something,¡± Nienna said.


    The dragon stretched out its neck and looked closely at Juan. The size of its eyes were much bigger than Juan¡¯s body. But Juan didn¡¯t even flinch.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare make me have to look up at you, dragon.¡±

 Chapter 131 – Things That Couldn’t Die (2)

    <h4>Chapter 131 ¨C Things That Couldn¡¯t Die (2)</h4>


    The dragon quietly looked down at Juan, then soon disappeared. After a while, a woman with long golden hair and a curvy figure appeared from beyond the shadow. The colorful dress that revealed her curves seemed to be in a style that was at least from a hundred years ago.


    ¡°What a dramatic appearance,¡± Juan said.


    ¡°Pardon me, is it improper to show myself thus? Is the same not true for thy frivolous appearance, unbing of thine age?¡±


    Juan was surprised upon hearing the dragon¡¯s calm response. Although the dragon was acting a little cranky, she seemedpletely calm, considering that she was talking to the person who had wiped out her entire race. The fact that the dragon had changed her appearance to that of an elf to have a conversation with Juan was also quite polite of her.


    But Juan didn¡¯t care about receiving the consideration of the dragon¡ªhis attention was focused elsewhere.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Gerard?¡± Juan asked.


    The dragon made an amused expression upon hearing Juan¡¯s question, while Nienna seemed perplexed.


    Seeing that, Juan couldn¡¯t understand the reason behind such a change in Nienna¡¯s expression. To be exact, it was the current situation that Juan couldn¡¯t understand. Juan clearly remembered being stabbed by Gerard several times. But he was still alive, and most of his wounds had even recovered. On the other hand, Nienna wasughing and having a pleasant conversation with the dragon that she had been so eager to kill before.


    The situation was so strange that Juan thought he might already be dead and that he was in the afterlife. The only reason he knew that this was not the afterlife was that he had already died once.


    ¡°He is not hither,¡± the dragon answered.


    ¡°Stop messing with me, dragon,¡± Juan warned in a low voice.


    At that moment, Nienna stepped in.


    ¡°She¡¯s not lying, dad.¡±


    Juan sighed when he saw Nienna give a helping hand to the dragon. He nodded; he knew that Nienna would have already tried to look for Gerard as soon as she opened her eyes. If Gerard had been here, the atmosphere would have probably been even more intense than it was now. Juan had a feeling that the situation regarding Gerard had already been exined, seeing that the dragon and Nienna were able to talk in such a friendly manner.


    ¡°It seems like you can¡¯t tell me where he is,¡± Juan said.


    ¡°I do not speak of things unknown to me, and I know naught but that he is not present hither.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­ Is the noble emperor asking for the name of such a humble being as myself? What an honor,¡± the dragon said with a smile.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be thest dragon in this world, so I might as well remember your name.¡±


    Both Nienna and the dragon knew that Juan¡¯s words represented a threat. The dragon felt her lips twitching.


    ¡°Dost thou even have the power to kill me?¡±


    ¡°You can try me if you want.¡±


    The dragon nced at Juan. He had lost most of his mana and his injuries were severe. In fact, his current state was extremely bad, to the extent that ordinary people would have already been dead. But his eyes, which were rife with murderous intent, pressured the dragon and made her feel numb.


    The dragon gave up on provoking Juan anymore.


    ¡°...I am called Entalucia.¡±


    ¡°Entalucia. How are you still alive? I thought Gerard exterminated your kind.¡±


    ¡°Thou knowest it well. Thou shouldst know the answer to thine own question.¡±


    Even Juan felt that he had asked a silly question upon hearing Entalucia¡¯s answer.


    ¡®<i>Of course, Gerard was the one who saved her life.</i>¡¯


    Juan had ordered theplete eradication of the dragons ever since the beginning of the war against the dragons. There had been only one group of dragons excluded from thismand: the Hatchlings that could be tamed. This was because even one dragon staying alive could cause enormous damage to the empire.


    But the fact that this adult dragon was still alive meant that Gerard had vited Juan¡¯s order long before the tragedy of Arbalde.


    ¡°So that¡¯s the reason you¡¯re serving Gerard?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°Serving? ¡®Tis but association,¡± Entalucia grumbled, as if her pride had been hurt. ¡°He already owed a life to me, his savior; to him, sparing this life of mine amidst the war was the means of repaying his debt. To me, he was but a robber, ravaging mine abode whilst saying that I should be thankful that he let me live, but s! Times were such that I had little thought to spare for such things as favor and spite. And neither am I one to brood over misdeeds of the past. Thus¡­it wouldst be better said that he and I arerades who share a goal. s that now even such kinship be frayed.¡±


    Entalucia shrugged.


    ¡°What made your partnership turn soplicated? What¡¯s your purpose? Assassinating the emperor?¡±


    ¡°A bell by any other name chimes just as sweetly.¡± Entalucia burst outughing, her clear voice echoing throughout the valley.


    ¡°Such a deed as ying the emperor rang most pleasant to mine ears, but nay! That was not my thought. It was Gerard who thus connived, and not with my knowledge; and it was only when the matter hade to an end that we truly joined forces. Seeing the Hatchlings of the Order of Lindwurm ughtered before mine eyes, I had sworn vengeance; yet Gerard pledged that he would save one of my kin, be it at the cost of life or limb, and thus he did.¡±


    ¡®<i>Horhell¡¯s dragon.</i>¡¯


    Juan recalled Horhell saying that he was only allowed to keep his dragon on one condition¡ªhe had to betray the Order of Lindwurm, give up his position, and work for H. By following these conditions, he had managed to save the dragon¡¯s life, albeit cing numerous restraints on it.


    ¡°Gerard was involved in that?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°I know no better than thee how he did so. Thence, Gerard and I have lived together on this ind, observing the East. I, watching the dragon, and he H.¡±


    ¡°H? Why?¡±


    .


    ¡°I did not bother asking. But dost it not stand to reason that he did so, since she is hispanion?¡±


    While it was true that Gerard and H were supposed to get engaged, their rtionship hadn¡¯t been official. This was the only reason why H was allowed to keep her life even after the incident where Gerard had assassinated the emperor.


    Hter married another man and even had a child with him. Juan figured that Gerard had been watching it all from afar.


    ¡®<i>That¡¯s probably why he was able to save H when she almost died after being thrown off the fortress wall.</i>¡¯


    ¡°Then you have no intention of attacking me?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°Pray thee, why should I? Indeed, I can easily dispatch the weak and powerless emperor before me. To thine powerful self that I well remember, thou art naught but a grain of sand in the desert,¡± Entalucia replied with a smile. ¡°Yet, I also know that such sand canst verily burn my feet. I saw my own kin desire what they ought not to have, and I saw them thus perish. Mine ill fate with the emperor, let it end hither; for I have never forgotten, nor shall I ever forget the blood shed by my kin.¡±


    Entalucia saying that she would not forget the blood shed by her kind could be interpreted in two different ways¡ªit meant that she would not forget her grudge, but it could also mean that she would not forget the lesson that she had learned. Regardless, it meant that she had no intention of being hostile toward Juan. And that was enough for Juan to put his guard down.


    Juan reached his hand out to Entalucia first. The dragon was neither a monster, nor a god; Juan felt thatpromising with her was enough. Entalucia looked at Juan, then took his hand.


    This cleared up the previous history of the emperor and the dragon. Now, all that existed between the two was a new rtionship that waspletely separate from their past.


    ¡°Then let me change the question. Why did you bring me here? Isn¡¯t that too much work to simply kill me?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°I was only asked for a favor,¡± Entalucia answered.


    ¡°From Gerard? Where is he right now?¡±


    ¡°Shouldst thou not better ask that very person? He is thither.¡±


    Entalucia gestured behind Juan¡¯s back. Behind him stood a stranger who was wrapped in bandages and soaked in seawater, holding arge fish in his hand.


    ***


    The stranger brought out a huge pot and put it in front of Juan. The pot appeared to be a part of the collection of items that belonged to the dragon, but it was now filled with a ck liquid that was boiling. Juan frowned upon seeing such arge fish being cooked in the soup. Juan had seen all kinds of terrible things in his life, but he felt utterly disgusted by this soup.


    The stranger then cut off some of the fish in the bowl and handed it over to Juan.


    ¡°You want me to eat this?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°He would not be trying to show thee how fair it is, I presume,¡± Entalucia said as she giggled behind Juan.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to eat any?¡± Juan asked Entalucia.


    ¡°Boiled flesh doth not entice me. Thou canst eat however much pleases thee,¡± Entalucia answered.


    Juan looked at the soup in the bowl. He hadn¡¯t needed to consume any food until now, so he didn¡¯t care too much about the taste. However, he had no choice but to eat something now so that he could maintain his strength and form, since his mana was almostpletely drained.


    Juan closed his eyes and took a sip of the soup with difficulty. Then, he immediately put down the bowl.


    ¡°Did you boil the seawater as it was?¡± he asked, after a long period of silence.


    The stranger nodded, causing Juan to show a dumbfounded expression.


    ¡°Dying due to excessive salt is a slow and painful death. Why didn¡¯t you just stab me to death already? Do you really want to see me die slowly and painfully?¡±


    At that moment, Entalucia pped Juan in the back of the head.


    ¡°I find His Majesty¡¯s remarks rather boorish. Should the host prepare a meal, the guest ought to show uttermost gratitude, whether the food be poison or venom,¡± Entalucia said.


    ¡°I guess you do not deny the fact that I could die from eating this.¡±


    ¡°Thus I no longer indulge in such fine cuisine.¡±


    Nienna also took a sip of the soup, only to quietly put it away with a sour look on her face. She had gone through many hardships in her life on the battlefield, but this soup made by the stranger was hard for even her to handle.


    It was unknown whether the stranger was offended by the others¡¯ reaction to his food, but he showed no hostility at all. He was not even holding Elkiehl in his hand.


    In fact, Juan was the only person showing hostility¡ªagainst the soup in the bowl.


    Juan turned his head and looked at the pot hanging over the bonfire and sighed. He feltplicated at the thought that Elkiehl, the weapon that had almost killed him twice, was being used to cook fish.


    The stranger approached the bonfire as if he had noticed Juan gazing at Elkiehl. He took the fish skewered by the sword and handed it over to Juan.


    ¡°No, I wasn¡¯t really looking at the fish. But¡­¡±


    Juan looked at the grilled fish with suspicious eyes; he couldn¡¯t believe that the stranger had actually been using Elkiehl to cook it. He had never once expected that the weapon used to assassinate the emperor would be used as a spit for grilling fish.


    Although the fish was a little burnt on the outside, it still looked quite delicious, with the oil flowing down the flesh. Juan carefully took a bite of the grilled fish.


    ¡°...Not bad.¡±


    The stranger hadn¡¯t reacted when everyone hadn¡¯t liked his soup, but he clearly seemed to be pleased upon seeing Juan enjoy the fish.


    Meanwhile, Juan felt a strange sense of regret¡ªhe felt that he should have given Gerard a little more advice on cooking instead of just swordsmanship or magic.


    ¡°To point out the small things, it¡¯s better to get rid of the scales before you grill fish. Also remove the internal organs too,¡± Juan said.


    Such advice was usuallymon sense, so Juan felt quite awkward telling all this to the stranger, but his interlocutor eagerly nodded. Juan pondered as he chewed on the fish scales and intestines in his mouth.


    He assumed that the stranger had been living here for a while. The fact that his cooking skills were so terrible despite him living on an ind probably meant that he also didn¡¯t have to consume any food to stay alive, just like Juan.


    In other words, the stranger had attempted to cook, something that he had never tried in his life, just for Juan, who was no longer able to maintain his form without mana. Juan did not know how to interpret the stranger¡¯s act of kindness.


    ¡®<i>I guess anyone would be confused if the person who stabbed them several times in the back was the one cooking for them and treating their injuries</i>.¡¯


    Juan finished eating the entire fish. While it wasn¡¯t very good, it was certainly better than the soup. The stranger offered Juan another fish, but Juan turned it down; he thought that one fish was enough for him to maintain his form.


    ¡°Gerard.¡±


    The stranger stopped moving upon hearing Juan¡¯s voice. Juan looked directly at him.


    ¡°Unwrap the bandages.¡±


    The stranger looked at Juan, frozen in ce, but Juan didn¡¯t avoid his eyes. Juan could feel the stranger trembling under the bandages. As the stranger didn¡¯t move even after a while, Juan slowly reached his hand out toward the stranger¡¯s face, and he didn¡¯t avoid Juan¡¯s hand.


    Juan slowly loosened the bandage wrapped around the stranger¡¯s face. He stopped for a moment, but he then continued to unwrap the bandage¡ªonly to be left speechless as the stranger¡¯s face was exposed.


    ¡°...Who are you?¡±


    The stranger was a boy who looked a little younger than Juan himself, around fifteen years old. His face and hair were strikingly simr to Gerard¡¯s. He only had a single eye, but this eye was also simr to Gerard¡¯s, to the extent where Juan had mistaken him for Gerard for a second.


    However, the boy¡¯s left eye socket was so hollow and dark that it was probably more appropriate to call it a simple hole. The wound that had destroyed the eye crossed the boy¡¯s face diagonally, making him look almost as if he was wearing an eye patch.


    But the boy¡¯s appearance didn¡¯t matter to Juan. He looked closely into the depths of the boy¡¯s soul through his eye.


    ¡®<i>This boy isn¡¯t Gerard.</i>¡¯


    Only then did Juan recall that Entalucia kept using odd expressions to refer to the stranger. He hadn¡¯t known her intentions, but she had seeded in throwing him off.


    The boy bowed his head in front of Juan.


    ¡°Greetings to Your Majesty.¡±


    There was only one possibility that Juan could think of. He muttered dejectedly,


    ¡°You are H and Gerard¡¯s son.¡±

 Chapter 132 – Opening the Door (1)

    <h4>Chapter 132 ¨C Opening the Door (1)</h4>


    Juan recalled H telling him that she once had a son, but that he was killed on the battlefield by an arrow. Juan regretted not listening to her story properly. He had a feeling that he didn¡¯t focus on her story properly because he assumed that H had married another man.


    But the truth was that H had been pregnant with Gerard¡¯s child even before she married another man.


    ¡®<i>She must have hurried to get married again to trick everyone.</i>¡¯


    It was highly likely that the man who married H had known the truth, since Gerard¡¯s rtionship with H was quite famous in the East. Thanks to H¡¯s trick, Gerard¡¯s son was able to survive even after the assassination of the emperor. But H¡¯s son was killed by an arrow shot by the rebels.


    ¡®<i>No, was he really dead?</i>¡¯


    Juan couldn¡¯t tell if her story had been a trick from the beginning or not. It was clear what would have happened if the empire ever found out that Gerard¡¯s son was still alive, since Gerard¡¯s son would definitely resemble his father as he grew older.


    ¡°What is your name?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°My name is Haild Henna, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡®<i>Henna¡­ I guess he had no choice but to follow H¡¯sst name.</i>¡¯


    While it was the custom of the empire for sons to follow the family name of their father and daughters to follow the family name of their mother, it was not a hard tradition that <i>had</i> to be followed. Juan understood that Haild couldn¡¯t use Gain as hisst name, since he had to hide the fact that he was Gerard¡¯s son. Juan wondered if H had hesitated before giving Haild herst name rather than thest name of the man she married.


    ¡°I had thought you were dead.¡±


    ¡°It is true that I was pierced by an arrow. This eye is the result of what happened back then,¡± Haild said as he pointed toward his hollow eye that resembled a dark hole. ¡°That¡¯s when my eye was encroached upon by the Crack. I also thought that I was dead. But my father, who I had never seen before, was in front of me when I woke up. He told me that the arrow that pierced me was intentionally shot from inside the Crack, so he had to stop my growth in order to stop the encroachment of the Crack.¡±


    ¡®<i>Father, huh.</i>¡¯


    Juan gulped with difficulty. After a moment of silence, Juan opened his mouth.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Gerard right now?¡±


    Haild hesitated to answer, but Juan patiently waited for him to open his mouth.


    ¡°He suddenly disappeared a few years ago. He left all of his belongings and disappeared without any word of whether he wille back. I tried to look for him everywhere, but couldn¡¯t even find a single trace of him,¡± Haild answered.


    ¡°Then were you the one who appeared in Hiveden?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you reveal your identity until now?¡±


    Haild looked perplexed upon hearing Juan¡¯s question. He continued to answer with his head down.


    ¡°My father taught me how to use swords and how to deal with the Crack, including how to prevent the encroachment of the Crack from deepening. Out of everything, the thing my father taught me with the most zeal was teaching me what to do when ¡®he¡¯ appeared one day. I couldn¡¯t wander around the empire looking like this until then. Furthermore, I couldn¡¯t go and see my mother after learning who my father was,¡± Haild said as he touched the hole that was his left eye. ¡°When I felt that tremendous power back in Hiveden, I realized that ¡®he,¡¯ the person that my father taught me about, had finally appeared. But I had to approach him carefully.¡±


    ¡°Why is that?¡±


    ¡°My father had told me that there will be two possible situations with ¡®his¡¯ appearance. One was that ¡®he¡¯ was the emperor. And the other was¡­¡± Haild looked straight at Juan. ¡°¡­the possibility that ¡®he¡¯ is a monster.¡±


    ¡°Hah,¡± Juan smiled faintly.


    Gerard¡¯s assumptions did not seem to be wrong either way. If anyone put the existence and the concerns of the current empire as their priority, Juan really might be closer to a monster rather than the emperor. But ironically, it was Gerard himself who turned Juan, who used to be the emperor, into the monster he was today.


    Haild quickly continued to speak.


    ¡°Of course, I no longer have any doubts about Your Majesty now. I¡¯ve watched Your Majesty from afar for a long time, and I think Your Majesty has proven himself enough. In fact, I was nning to show myself before you after some more time, but I ended up meeting you all of a sudden like this.¡±


    ¡°You were nning to visit me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. I knew what I had to do once it became clear to me that Your Majesty was indeed the ¡®emperor.¡¯¡±


    Juan nced back at Elkiehl upon hearing Haild¡¯s words.


    ¡°Does that include stabbing me in the back with a sword?¡±


    Haild looked visibly perplexed as he waved his hand in denial.


    ¡°I know that there was room for misunderstanding, but the situation back then wasn¡¯t one where I could exin everything; I didn¡¯t know what would happen if I dragged all the junk inside Your Majesty¡¯s body into the Crack. And¡­¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°...I couldn¡¯t rule out the possibility that Your Majesty had been contaminated by the Crack.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Then tell me, what would have happened if I had turned out to be a ¡®monster¡¯? What would you have done then?¡±


    Haild was speechless. His silence alone answered Juan¡¯s question.


    Not only had Gerard directly stabbed Juan in the back, but he had also passed on his sin to his son. Haild had shown him that he had no intention of killing Juan. However, Juan felt very ufortable leaving his fate in the hands of another. Such difort wasn¡¯t something that could simply be tolerated.


    ¡°Your Majesty doesn¡¯t know about the ¡®monster,¡¯¡± Haild managed to speak out an answer with difficulty after a long period of silence.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about the ¡®monster¡¯?¡±


    ¡°My father talked about the possibility that Your Majesty is not the ¡®emperor,¡¯ but a monster called ¡®Qzatquizail,¡® a monster that will split the world in half and cause destruction. The word ¡®monster¡¯ is not just a metaphor when describing it. It is something that will really bring about the end of the world,¡± Haild exined.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard a few times about that Qzatquizail before. Is that why Gerard stabbed me? What even is that thing?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why my father stabbed Your Majesty. And about Qzatquizail¡­ everything I told you is all that I know as well. All I know is that the Thornbush Priest Organization worships him, and he is the one who created the Crack.¡±


    Juan red at Haild. The ck hole in Haild¡¯s left eye bothered Juan; it, too, had the mark of the Crack. The depths of the Crack were not measurable, and Juan wondered if the Crack had encroached deeper than Haild¡¯s eye, all the way into his brain.


    Juan shook his head to push such thoughts out of his head; Juan knew that once he began to doubt one thing, he would eventually end up doubting everything. But that didn¡¯t necessarily mean that he would trust everything that Haild had said.


    ¡°Why should I trust you?¡± Juan asked.


    Without any hesitation, Haild lifted up Elkiehl with both his hands and showed it to Juan.


    ¡°My father left this for me. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard of Elkiehl before, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°I have. I was told that it has the power to destroy everything, including curses and those that are physically untouchable.¡±


    ¡°While that is true as well, my father was more focused on one other effect of Elkiehl.¡±


    ¡°And what is that?¡±


    Haild spoke with firm eyes.


    ¡°Elkiehl is almost certainly the only way topletely destroy the Crack.¡±


    ***


    Juan looked at the setting sun from atop the skull of a dragon. The flesh of the unknown dragon had already rotted and disappeared a long time ago, leaving behind only white bones. The area around the ind was sandy, with pieces worn out from the dragon bones lying around. No matter how hard the bones of a dragon were, the years of rough waves hitting against the bones had turned them into fine sand.


    Juan felt that it was a pity that he was never given the time for his hurt feelings to be broken down like the dragon¡¯s bones.


    ¡°Dad.¡±


    Nienna¡¯s voice came from behind.


    ¡°I know that your thoughts are all over the ce and can¡¯t be easily organized. But¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°What?¡±


    Juan picked up a piece of dragon bone and threw it into the sea.


    ¡°About what that little boy said,¡± Juan muttered.


    ¡°That you might be the ¡®monster¡¯ that will destroy the world? I mean¡­ that can be true for anyone that is strong enough, isn¡¯t it? Even <i>I</i> could destroy the empire if I aimed to do that rather than dominating it. Such a prediction is the murmur of the gloomy and sympathetic losers stuck in the corner of their dark room.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think what the kid was saying was only rted to the empire.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not even a big deal in the eyes of ordinary people. To everyone, the world was going to end soon when you got stabbed to death, dad. But look. Everything is fine, isn¡¯t it? Isn¡¯t that what life is all about anyway?¡±


    ¡°I think the kid has a point.¡±


    Nienna looked at Juan with suspicious eyes.


    ¡°Listen. Dad. I respect you, but don¡¯t you think you are overestimating yourself a little too much? Even I¡¯ve stopped thinking that I could dangerous enough to destroy the whole world ever since I was fifteen¡ªI humbly ept that at most I could be dangerous enough to destroy the empire, but not the whole world.¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯ve heard of the name Qzatquizail before,¡± Juan said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know all the details, but I know there¡¯s something in the Crack that they serve and worship¡ªsomething that will split the world and destroy everything, h h h. If such a monster did exist for real, the empire would have been destroyed a long time ago. Even gods wouldn¡¯t be a match for it.¡±


    ¡°If I really am that monster, maybe I deserve to be stabbed in the back.¡±


    Nienna frowned.


    ¡°Dad¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you think that was why Gerard tried to kill me?¡±


    Juan had asked Haild about the reason why Gerard had tried to kill him. But Haild only said that he didn¡¯t know anything and that his father had refused to answer him as well.


    Nienna snorted.


    ¡°If his reasons could be so easily justified, why would he have kept it all a secret? He would have probably told me first if you were something rted to the Crack¡ªand I would have been the one to stab you in the back. It would have been hard for Gerard to find an ally as strong as me when ites to dealing with the Crack.¡±


    ¡°...I guess that¡¯s true. But you two didn¡¯t really get along very well.¡±


    ¡°If you can¡¯t believe me, then trust my eyes. Besides, you know nothing about the Crack, dad. If you really turn out to be a monster of the Crack, then <i>I</i> will make sure to end your life without pain.¡±


    ¡°I wish I could go back to the past and teach you again, this time spending a little more effort in teaching you manners. I should have listened to Harmon when he emphasized educating the children on manners and etiquette. Day by day, I am regretting being negligent about the things Harmon told me to do more and more..¡±


    ¡°Killing you with courtesy and manners won¡¯t change anything, dad. Everyone looks like shit when they die.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Anyway, thanks for saying all that.¡±


    ¡°So what are you going to do?¡± Nienna asked.


    ¡°What do you think I <i>should?</i>do? I have no idea where my son who killed me has disappeared to, and my son¡¯s son is the only one that¡¯s here. To be honest, I don¡¯t even know what I¡¯d do if I were to meet Gerard. I thought I¡¯d know when I got to meet him. But now¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s your grandson, dad.¡±


    Juan closed his mouth. He was avoiding the use of the word ¡®grandson¡¯ on purpose.


    ¡°To be upfront with you, that¡¯s the only grandchild you¡¯ll ever have. I totally forgot about this, but Dismas, that maniac dered celibacy for life and became a Priest after you were stabbed. I¡¯m rooting for you, but I don¡¯t want you to encounter that lunatic. And Ras¡­ didn¡¯t really have a chance to have a child. So that boy¡­ is my only nephew.¡±


    ¡°But he¡¯s been encroached upon by the crack. Is that okay with you?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°There are many people around me who have been encroached upon by the Crack, but are suppressing it. Besides, you heard what the kid said about Elkiehl¡ªit¡¯s the only way to get rid of the Crack for good,¡± Nienna twisted her lips. ¡°It¡¯s hard to trust him just yet, but I think his words are reasonable. From what I remember, Gerard was frantically looking for a way to get rid of the Crack. If he found the way to get rid of the Crack at the end¡­ I don¡¯t know. To be honest with you, it¡¯s hard for me to disregard that boy¡¯s words.¡±


    Juan looked back at Nienna. Her lips were trembling.


    ¡°Dad. I¡¯ve been doing absolutely everything I could do to prevent the Crack from contaminating the empire. But how do you think I¡¯d feel to hear that there is a way to get rid of the Crack? And what if it had a pretty convincing basis?¡±


    ¡°Haild can¡¯t even get rid of the encroachment of the Crack in his eye. Keep that in mind.¡±


    ¡°If we can remove any contamination by the Crack in the earlier stages, where it has not eroded too deeply into one¡¯s mind, that alone is enough. I wouldn¡¯t have had to execute so many of my people if that had been possible. Of course, we are not fully sure about this use of Elkiehl just yet, and there¡¯s a lot that we need to find out. But¡­¡±


    ¡°It is a concept that¡¯s hard to get used to.¡±


    Excluding all abstract expressions, Elkiehl was an object that could eliminate ¡®anything.¡¯


    Juan nodded as he thought that it would have been easy for Gerard to kill him with such an object. Although Juan had been revived for unknown reasons, it was true that Juan had died by Elkiehl.


    In other words, Gerard really tried to kill Juan. But Haild¡¯s existence was constantly making Juan¡¯s conclusion even moreplicated.


    ¡°Well, the matter of your grandson definitely is a problem that¡¯s hard to look over. I wish I could use Elkiehl to split you from the emperor and Gerard from the traitor.¡±


    Juan smiled upon hearing Nienna¡¯s words. Despite Elkiehl having the ability to cut even abstract concepts, it would be impossible to alter such a social rtionship.


    Juan¡¯s expression hardened for a moment, and Nienna grew perplexed when she saw his face.


    ¡°Um, dad? I was only joking. If such a thing was possible with Elkiehl, Gerard would be wandering around the empire without any problems.¡±


    ¡°Of course you¡¯re only joking. Stop saying silly things.¡±


    Juan snapped at Nienna as if he thought she was being ridiculous, then jumped off the dragon¡¯s skull to head to the valley.


    Inside the valley was Halid still waiting for an answer from Juan.


    ¡°Haild,¡± Juan said.


    Haild flinched and raised his head. Juan red at Haild and continued speaking.


    ¡°What your father did is unforgivable. But fortunately, your father was given a second chance from the man he stabbed to death by himing back to life. So let me tell you a way to convince me.¡±


    Haild looked up at Juan with hopeful eyes. Juan looked into Haild¡¯s eye and whispered.


    ¡°The only person who can forgive Gerard is the emperor.¡±


    ¡°...Your Majesty?¡±


    ¡°The emperor must return for Gerard to be forgiven. Tell me with your own mouth what the ¡®emperor¡¯ should do to return.¡±

 Chapter 133 – Opening the Door (2)

    <h4>Chapter 133 ¨C Opening the Door (2)</h4>


    The next morning, Nienna, Haild, and Juan came out to the beach that was made up of the bones of dragons.


    ¡°Are you actually going to do it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not the first time anyway.¡±


    Juan was sitting on the sandy beach with his back turned toward Haild, who was looking down at him nervously. Nienna chewed on her nails, feeling half worried and half nervous.


    ¡°I understand that we gotta do what we gotta do, but it makes me feel ufortable to see you get stabbed again by the weapon that killed you. There¡¯s gotta be other ways to make you stronger, you know,¡± Nienna said.


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who told me that I have to do more than just simply winning against Barth Baltic in a fight. You told me that I should step on him like he¡¯s an ant and crush him.¡±


    ¡°...I guess I did.¡±


    Juan looked back at Haild.


    ¡°You said I can gain strength by doing what you told me to do, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. To put it bluntly, you can regain your original strength,¡± Haild swallowed a gulp. ¡°There¡¯s a thing called the ¡®crown¡¯ inside Your Majesty, and that¡¯s the thing you saw back in Durgal. I don¡¯t know what it is exactly, but the Thornbush Priest Organization has been frantically searching for it. They thought that my father¡­ I mean Gerard, had the crown with him until now, but it was confirmed that it is still within Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°So what?¡±


    ¡°We must bring out the power of the crown.¡±


    Juan stroked his chin with an unpleasant look on his face.


    ¡°I remember the state I was in when the crown appeared back in Durgal. At that time, I waspletely out of control and had lost consciousness.¡±


    ¡°And Your Majesty will once again be put in a simr situation this time. But Elkiehl and I are here with you this time.¡±


    Juan looked at the ck de which absorbed even the sunlight. The matte de with no luster was giving off an ominous aura that made Juan feel suspicious on whether or not he should trust such a suspicious item.


    ¡°Even if Your Majesty loses your mind, we can force the crown back in as long as we have Elkiehl. All Your Majesty has to do is try to control the power of the crown while trying to maintain consciousness. If you can handle even a small portion of that power, it will be much more useful than using the mana of trivial beings.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it too dangerous?¡± Nienna intervened in the conversation.


    Haild looked at Nienna silently.


    ¡°It is. It¡¯s very dangerous, and that¡¯s why we are doing it on this ind. This ind is very far from the empire, so there¡¯s no need to worry about harming any of the civilians. The whole process will also be very harsh on His Majesty until he learns to properly control the power of the crown¡ªboth physically and mentally.¡±


    Juan stared at Haild.


    ¡°How much strength do you think I¡¯ll be able to regain if I couldpletely handle the power of the crown? Will I be as strong as I used to be as the emperor?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°Your Majesty, you don¡¯t seem to understand this very well,¡± Haild spoke with a serious face. ¡°The crown is a huge dam and Your Majesty is kind of like a gate that lets the water escape. Of course, the gate is closed at the moment, but Your Majesty used to be able to let the water flow inrge amounts. For your information, it is impossible topletely handle the crown.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s an interesting metaphor, Haild,¡± Juan smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s do this.¡±


    Haild nodded. After looking at Nienna for a while, Haild carefully stabbed Elkiehl into Juan¡¯s back.


    ***


    Juan opened his eyes.


    Feeling his head that was throbbing due to the heat, Juan realized that the sun was setting. Juan managed to turn his head despite the extreme fatigue that could almost melt him.


    It seemed like a long time had passed, but he couldn¡¯t remember anything about what had happened after he was stabbed. Juan wondered if this is what a hangover that he had never experienced before would feel like.


    Although Juan had no memory, seeing the situation around him was enough to show him what he had done while he was unconscious. The sandy beach which was filled with dragon bones that were burnt and ckened, and Nienna¡¯s ice spears were scattered everywhere, making quite a mess.


    Juan blinked, seeing some parts of the ind burning as a consequence.


    ¡°What the¡­¡±


    ¡®<i>If this pain is close to what a hangover feels like, should I consider myself to be drunk right now?</i>¡¯


    Juan tried to raise himself up while thinking ridiculous thoughts, but soon realized that his hands and feet were pierced through by ice spears. But Juan was so exhausted that he had no energy left to melt the ice.


    ¡°Dad?¡±


    At that moment, Nienna¡¯s nervous voice was heard from the side. When Juan turned his head, he saw Nienna, who was heavily armed and in abat posture, aiming an ice spear toward him. Behind Nienna was a half-melted Fenrir that was breaking down and scattering away. Nienna had a fed-up look on her face and asked once again.


    ¡°Is that really you, dad?¡±


    ¡°Maybe?¡±


    Nienna let out a sigh of relief, lowering the tip of her ice spear.


    ¡°It seems like the whole process took quite a while. I didn¡¯t expect it to take the whole day,¡± Juan said.


    ¡°The whole day?¡± Niennaughed, almost as if she was dumbfounded.


    Then Nienna pulled out the ice spears pierced through Juan¡¯s limbs one by one.


    ¡°Today was the third day. Haild, Entalucia and I haven¡¯t slept for three days and nights, all to fight against you.¡±


    Juan was taken aback by the unexpected wordsing out of Nienna¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m just d that you didn¡¯t try to escape the ind. If you did¡­¡± Nienna shook her head and shuddered; she didn''t even want to imagine what would have happened.


    Then Juan heard the sound of huge wings pping in the air. Soon, Entalucianded on the sandy beach. The water dripping down from her huge body implied that she had been somewhere deep in the sea, and Haild who got off of Entalucia was also soaked in seawater.


    Haild could barely open his mouth to speak with an exhausted expression.


    ¡°...It seems like you¡¯re finally back, Your Majesty. Thank goodness.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°Aunt Nienna finally seeded in restraining Your Majesty¡¯s hands and feet, and then I forced the crown back in with the help of Elkiehl. At that moment, Entalucia and I were thrown into the sea by a roar from Your Majesty.¡±


    Juan assumed that Haild and Entalucia must have been thrown quite far, considering that the sea they fell into was deep enough for an entire dragon who was hundreds of meters tall to drown.


    Juan looked at Haild as if he was dumbfounded and spoke.


    ¡°I thought you said you could get me under control as long as you had Elkiehl with you? Actually, while we are at it, this time was quite different from back when I was in Durgal. Back then, I was somewhat conscious and Swan told me that you were able to restrain me with ease.¡±


    Haild also made an awkward expression as if it was difficult for him to exin.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s because of Elkiehl.¡±


    ¡°How is Elkiehl responsible for it now?¡±


    ¡°Back then, the crown was forcibly drawn out through the power of spells and prayers that only the Priests of Thornbush Priest Organization can use. The fact that Your Majesty¡¯s consciousness was at its peak due to the heat of the battle should also have contributed to you remaining somewhat conscious when the crown was drawn out. But it seems like Your Majesty¡¯s consciousness was instantly taken over this time, since the crown was taken out through Elkiehl in apletely stable state.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why this mess happened?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. Maybe we should¡­ think of a better way that causes less harm. My father and I had only prepared this theoretically, so¡­ Another way to make this work is to use a spell. But that might attract the attention of the Priests from the Thornbush Priest Organization¡­ before that, maybe I should¡­¡± Haild stumbled and fell on the sand. ¡°...I need to take a nap¡­¡±


    Haild started snoring even before he finished speaking.


    Meanwhile, Juan looked at Haild with a dumbfounded smile.


    ¡®<i>How defenseless</i>.¡¯


    Nienna sighed, recalling all the ice spears and the Fenrir she had summoned.


    ¡°So? How was it?¡± Juan asked Nienna.


    ¡°Terrible. It was so terrible that I highly doubt I will ever be able to kill you even if you were a monster of the Crack,¡± Nienna said with a shudder.


    Such words could almost count as a praise from Nienna.


    ¡°Right from the very first day, I tried to restrain your limbs with Oberon. But far from being able to restrain you, Oberon even immediately vaporized and disappeared as soon as it approached you. I tried to shroud myself in ice to protect myself as much as I could and get closer to you, but I could never get close to you. Even the sandy beach that we walked around on the first day melted down and turned into ss, so you can look around at itter if you¡¯re interested.¡±


    ¡°Walked around?¡±


    ¡°Yes. We were all exhausted from trying to get you back under control, but you just walked around the beach as if you were out strolling on a sandy beach. You looked like a kid who has never been on a beach before. Then, the second day was even worse. You were running all over the ce and setting everything on fire. The heat was a little less intensepared to the first day, but there was no way for us to put out all the mes. Haild and I almost died several times.¡±


    ¡°Did I try to kill you guys?¡±


    ¡°No. And, that was a little strange. You didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of attacking us. You were just running toward us¡­ But you know, we wouldn¡¯t even be left with ashes if you had hugged us like that. Haild tried to take advantage of you running toward us to force the crown back in with Elkiehl, but he wasn¡¯t confident enough to withstand the heat,¡± NIenna sighed. ¡°Finally, on the third day, around the evening, your movements started bing much slower and the mes died down enough to the point where I could stop you using Oberon. Maybe you were tired or something. I stabbed you with Oberon and Haild forced the crown back inside you, since that would be our only opportunity. Then the crown exploded so we thought that Haild was going to die. But, it turned out that the crown hadn¡¯t exploded¡ªit had simply bounced off.¡±


    Juan remained silent.


    Nienna then examined the wounds on the back of Juan¡¯s hands¡ªalthough it was slow, they were slowly but surely recovering. Juan also noticed that his back which had been stabbed by Haild had already healed.


    ¡°Dad. Your mana¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes. I got a small amount of my mana back.¡±


    Quite arge amount of mana had filled Juan during the time when the crown was drawn out, and it was what filled him with almost the same amount of mana he had after he absorbed Talter.


    ¡®<i>Not bad. This is much more than I had expected.</i>¡¯


    Juan muttered, thinking that it was a relief that Haild was asleep.


    ¡°The ¡®dam¡¯ is much bigger than I thought.¡±


    But Juan couldn¡¯t be satisfied. His purpose was to learn how topletely control the crown¡ªhe didn¡¯t intend to be satisfied with just a cup of water leaking from the dam.


    ***


    Haild spoke firmly on the next day.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do it in a slightly different manner this time.¡±


    Neither Nienna nor Haild wanted to repeat what they had to do in the past few days. They were safe thanks to Juan not being hostile toward them, but no one knew what would happen if Juan lost consciousness again.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to try recreating an environment that¡¯s somewhat simr to what you encountered in Durgal and see what happens. I¡¯ll use both the spell and Elkiehl to have a duel with Your Majesty. I¡¯m hoping that Your Majesty will stay conscious while the crown is drawn out, since your consciousness seems to heighten duringbat,¡± Haild exined.


    Innread dot".


    ¡°A duel, eh?¡± Juan asked with an interested look.


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. While Aunt Nienna and Your Majesty are fighting, I will try to draw out the crown with Elkiehl¡­¡±


    ¡°No. Do exactly what you did thest time.¡±


    ¡°Pardon? But that¡¯s too dangerous. If Your Majesty loses consciousness again¡­¡±


    ¡°It didn¡¯t workst time because I didn¡¯t expect things to go in such a different direction from what happened in Durgal. If it¡¯s just a matter of how much I concentrate, I¡¯m sure that I can handle it. Just do it.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°Do it. The fact that I¡¯m swayed by such an unknown item is so annoying that I want to split my skull and pull it out.¡±


    Seeing Juan''s firm attitude, Haild looked back at Nienna with a concerned look on his face.


    Nienna sighed and summoned Fenrir, preparing herself as much as she could for the uing duel. The sea froze white, and hundreds of ice spears were aimed toward Juan.


    Directly epting Nienna¡¯s murderous intent, Juan calmly sat down on the sandy beach.


    Haild looked down at the back of Juan¡¯s head and hesitated to take out Elkiehl.


    Tension filled the atmosphere around the sandy beach.


    ¡°Here we go.¡±


    Just like he didst time, Haild stabbed Juan¡¯s back with Elkiehl.

 Chapter 134 – Opening the Door (3)

    <h4>Chapter 134 ¨C Opening the Door (3)</h4>


    mes started soaring above Juan¡¯s head. Haild immediately pulled Elkiehl out and stepped back upon seeing the mes. Just like what had happened a few days ago, the mes fluttered in columns and took the form of an enormous horn. Halid widened the distance between himself and Juan as soon as he could, but the back of his hand still ended up bing red due to the burning heat.


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡± Haild cried out impatiently.


    But Juan stood still without answering Haild. Only then did Haild realize that Juan¡¯s arms were twitching as if he was convulsing.


    Juan gritted his teeth in pain; it felt like his brain was melting due to the heat. It wasn¡¯t long before his teeth cracked with a terrible sound and blood flowed down his cheeks. After that, even the blood running down his cheek started burning with red smoke. Juan felt as if someone had thrusted red hot iron inside his head.


    The pain he was feeling was beyond anything anyone could ever imagine. What he felt couldn¡¯t simply be described as pain¡ªthe mes were burning fiercely, as if it was to burn Juan¡¯s soul and nerves to make him lose his mind.


    Juan groaned and clenched his teeth even harder as he attempted to bear the pain. He thought that it was rather fortunate that his teeth cracked and broke earlier, since that meant that he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about biting his tongue.


    The muscles throughout Juan¡¯s entire body began to swell and rip apart. It was clear that his body would break down and turn into a powder even before he was burned to death at this rate.


    Haild, who was watching the sight, could not believe his eyes.


    ¡®<i>Is he actually controlling the crown?</i>¡¯


    Haild was doubtful about what was going on, and Nienna stood beside him with her mouth wide open.


    ¡°Haild. Is he really okay? No matter how I look at him¡­ I don¡¯t think he¡¯s in a good condition.¡±


    ¡°The fact that he is not freaking out or turning everything around him into ashes means that he¡¯s okay. Besides, he is restraining himself. If that¡¯s the case, his condition may actually be¡­¡±


    At that moment, Haild closed his mouth as Juan screamed and shook his body. At the same time as Juan let out a scream, his right arm shattered and scattered everywhere.


    Nienna¡¯s face turned pale upon seeing such a sight.


    Juan shivered with his back bent over. His consciousness was only narrowly maintained, as if he had tied a huge ship with only one extremely taut thread. Juan had almost lost consciousness several times, but his desire to find out about Gerard¡¯s intentions paradoxically allowed him to remain sane.


    ¡®<i>Was it because of this crown that Gerard decided to stab me in the back? And did Gerard really think that I could handle this?</i>¡¯


    Juan concentrated on the crown. The crown was still burning as furiously as ever above his head. Then Juan wondered if the pain would be less if he were to transfer the heat concentrated on his head elsewhere. He couldn¡¯t be sure if it would work or not, but figured that it should be no different from controlling his mana.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    Nienna and Haild, who were observing Juan in silence, inadvertently found something strange¡ªthe mes which had been soaring above Juan¡¯s head in the form of a horn began to spread from Juan¡¯s forehead, almost as if they were taking root. The me first invaded Juan¡¯s eyes, quickly burning his eyeballs. The ashes then scattered with a terrible sound and mes burst out of Juan¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Shit!¡±


    Nienna tried to run toward Juan, but Haild quickly stopped her.


    ¡°Aunt, please stay still!¡±


    ¡°Does that look normal to you? Dad¡¯s body never burns in fire! That means that his body is not functioning properly!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what process the crown uses to calm down. I¡¯m not too sure whether everything is properly progressing right now, but His Majesty will recover once he loses consciousness. On the other hand, you won¡¯t be able to stay safe if you approached him so recklessly right now!¡±


    Haild was right, but it was hard to Nienna to stay still and look at Juan suffer. Nienna nervously chewed on her nails as she looked at Juan.


    ¡°I will hold you responsible if anything happens to dad,¡± Nienna warned.


    ¡°What if His Majesty getspletely taken over by the crown?¡±


    The mes from the crown began to intertwine with Juan¡¯s body like roots. Juan¡¯s skin burned down at every spot where the mes passed by. Juan¡¯s face looked no different from a fireball. Almost his entire face including his eyes, nose, and mouth was emitting mes, to the point that his face looked like charcoal due to bright mes.


    Juan¡¯s body, which had been twitching, almost as if he was suffering from convulsions, was no longer showing any movements now. The mes of the crown engulfed Juan, almost as if it was trying to encroach upon him.


    Nienna realized that the mes were flowing along Juan¡¯s blood vessels. The moment the mes reached his amputated right arm, they spread themselves as if there were blood vessels in the ce of his non-existent arm.


    It continued getting hotter and hotter as the crown slowly encroached upon Juan. Nienna stepped back; she could no longer withstand the heat despite being quite far away from Juan. The same was true of Haild.


    Juan was now burning almost like a piece of wood and his ckened skin split in half, shing the heat inside.


    ¡°How does it look?¡±


    Nienna asked. But Haild couldn¡¯t answer her; even he had no idea what was going on. Everything happening right now was out of his expectations.


    At that moment, Juan¡¯s left arm, which had still been intact, exploded and turned into ashes with a loud bang. ck ashes flew away in the heat, scattering all over the white sand.


    After that, a series of thunderous bangs rang out one after the other, and Juan lost bnce and fell t onto the white sand.


    Juan¡¯s body slowly turned into ashes and helplessly scattered away. The sound of his body crumbling down and scattering was quite gruesome.


    ¡°Dad!¡±


    .


    Nienna grit her teeth and quickly sent her ice spears toward Juan. Hundreds of ice spears were vaporized in just an instant, releasing huge amounts of steam. Even the steam that was being emitted was so hot that it could easily scald Nienna and Haild. While Nienna¡¯s view wasn¡¯t clear due to the steam, she didn¡¯t stop.


    Haild had no choice but to admit that the current situation waspletely unexpected.


    ¡°Aunt, stay back!¡±


    Haild picked up Elkiehl and stabbed it into the steam. At that moment, the steam was scattering in a round shape, slowly allowing Nienna and Haild to regain their vision. The intense heat had also cooled down a little, thanks to Nienna¡¯s ice spears. But it was still quite hot.


    Haild felt his hands starting to deform due to heat, but he continued to put strength into his hand which was stabbing Elkiehl in the steam. Then he witnessed something unbelievable inside the steam¡ªJuan¡¯s body had turned into ashes and scattered away, but the crown was still at the spot where Juan had been standing, burning furiously.


    ***


    Juan had no eyes, but he could still ¡®see¡¯. He had no brain, but he could still ¡®think¡¯.


    Juan recalled the time when an unknown power was poured into him back in Hiveden. This was quite simr to that time¡ªbut unlike that time, Juan could still feel his body. The zing mes themselves were Juan. He thought that he had experienced the same condition, even long before Hiveden.


    When he had just been revived as a scrawny boy, this was exactly how he had looked like. The only differencepared to back then was that he was conscious now. Juan realized that the crown was certainly rted to his resurrection.


    The power fluctuating in the crown was enormous.


    Juan felt that he could easily burn down the entire empire in his current state. He could feel the amount of power thaty inside the crown. Upon feeling the amount of power inside the crown, he realized just how reckless he had been and how lucky he was to be able to survive from thest time he summoned the crown.


    Juan carefully moved his body that was made up of mes. His body felt veryfortable and light, without the slightest pain; one could only feel pain if they had a physical form. Most of his human needs had also disappeared. Being able to sense the surrounding environment was a system that consisted of rewards and punishments, and it was designed for the sake of survival. But Juan was now free from such matters and had no reason to feel such unnecessary things.


    However, Juan felt quite displeased for a moment.


    ¡®<i>This is no different from being a god.</i>¡¯


    Juan preferred having a physical form. He liked to touch, feel, eat, sleep,ugh out loud and even feel pain. He hadn¡¯t felt any particr pleasure from any of it until now, but now he desperately wanted them more than ever.


    Then he got his body back.


    ***


    Juan slowly looked up. It seemed that his eye level was slightly higher than before. Juan looked at his own hands and examined his own condition. His skin was slightly pale, but it was clean and soft, almost as if he was a newborn baby. He had also gotten a little more muscr. His hair had also grown longer, reaching down to his shoulders.


    All in all, he looked to be around twenty years of age; Juan seemed to have grown a little olderpared to before the crown was summoned.


    ¡®<i>I didn¡¯t expect to grow older.</i>¡¯


    At that moment, Juan stepped over something as he slightly moved¡ªthey were ashes. Juan realized that the ashes were from his old body. This was the first time that his original body remained after his new body had been reconstructed. This hinted at the fact that the scale of body reconstruction this time around was quite differentpared to previous times.


    ¡®Rebirth¡¯ would be a better word than ¡®reconstruction of the body.¡¯ More mana than ever was flowing inside his body.


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡±


    Juan could see Haild and Nienna hastily running toward him. Nienna hesitated for a moment upon seeing the growth of Juan¡¯s body, but she immediately took off her furry cloak and wrapped it around Juan.


    ¡°What happened? Are you able to control the crown now?¡± Haild asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t exactly know what happened. It seems like I am able to handle the crown better now, since my body was reconstructed right before my old body and soul turned into ashes. It¡¯s hard to exin in detail, but¡­ Hm. I can feel that my body is filled with the clean and pure power of fire,¡± Juan said.


    ¡°As much as before you died?¡± Nienna asked with delight.


    ¡°Not to that extent. But¡­ I can put this power to good use.¡±


    Haild made a disappointed expression.


    Juan inadvertently thought that his definition and Haild¡¯s definition of ¡®good use¡¯ might be slightly different from each other, but he didn¡¯t bother to point it out.


    ¡°Do you think you¡¯d be able to summon the crown again?¡±


    Juan nodded upon hearing Haild¡¯s question.


    ¡°Maybe. However, I don¡¯t want to go through that again.¡±


    Juan realized that Haild¡¯s use of the metaphor was correct. If the crown was a huge amount of water stored in the dam, Juan himself was the dam gate. The act of inserting Elkiehl inside Juan was like making a hole in the dam.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯d like to check some things a few more times in the future. While I do think that what aunt Nienna and I saw is enough to make some assumptions about the crown, it would be hard to confront the Crack until you can take full control of the crown,¡± Haild said.


    ¡°I guess I have no choice but to do it if I have to. I¡¯m sure it will be easier the third time.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to exin this situation other than saying that¡­ it¡¯s a miracle. I can¡¯t believe that you learned how to control the crown even the slightest bit in just two attempts. It¡¯s apletely different resultpared to the information I had collected about the crown before. I thought it would take at least another year,¡± Haild said.


    ¡°That¡¯s His Majesty. He¡¯s a genius at anything he does,¡± Nienna proudly said.


    Haild nodded at Nienna¡¯s reply.


    ¡°Genius¡­ surely it would be impossible otherwise. I feel like he was created to be perfect at everything he does rather than simply being a genius¡­¡±


    ¡°Haild, don¡¯t say such cheeky things,¡± Nienna shot back upon hearing Haild¡¯s mutterings, almost as if she was warning him.


    Haild quickly bowed his head.


    ¡°My apologies. I didn¡¯t think much before I spoke just now. I got a little too excited because everything went against my expectations.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Thanks to you, my n has been expedited,¡± Juan said as he clenched his hands.


    ¡®<i>Gerard. If you¡¯re alive, I want to give you a taste of this sea of fire.</i>¡¯


    Juan promised himself that he would make such happen. His lovely son had to be punished.

 Chapter 135 – Opening the door (4)

    <h4>Chapter 135 ¨C Opening the door (4)</h4>


    ¡°I intend to approach this from a different perspective starting from now.¡±


    The next morning, Haild said solemnly as he put down the pot. Juan also made a firm expression and red at the pot upon smelling what was inside the pot.


    ¡°Are you saying that you will do everything you can to help me better handle the crown? It seems like you¡¯ve created something using the tricks and methods of the Crack. All right. I¡¯ve already decided that I will try my best to do whatever I can. Go on and open the pot. I¡¯m ready.¡±


    ¡°Huh? No, this is just breakfast.¡±


    Both Juan and Nienna looked shocked upon hearing Haild¡¯s words.


    ¡°You¡¯re pretty harsh with the way you are training me. Is this supposed to help me avoid getting poisoned?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°No, I already told you. This is just breakfast.¡±


    Haild opened the lid of the pot, causing the faces of both Juan and Nienna to be further distorted.


    ¡°Breakfast? Are you sure this isn¡¯t just an offering meant to be ced on the altar of the evil sea god?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°There must be a line somewhere in the Church¡¯s doctrine that prohibits one from eating such dishes under the name of the emperor, dad,¡± Nienna said.


    ¡°If there isn¡¯t one, I¡¯ll add that line myself. It will be one more reason to discipline those bastards of the Church for their negligence.¡±


    ¡°I know that you two aren¡¯t familiar with seafood, since you¡¯re both from ind, but yourments are a little hurtful,¡± Haild said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever get used to it, Haild. Why do you eat this if it¡¯s not for the purpose of training?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®why¡¯? It¡¯s obviously because I get hungry if I don¡¯t eat.¡±


    Juan and Nienna looked at each other. Juan could easily recreate his body using mana, and Nienna had also reached the point of having to eat only once or twice a week to maintain her condition.


    But Haild¡¯s case seemed to be quite different.


    ¡°So you¡¯re telling me that you cook often?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Doesn¡¯t it make sense?¡±


    ¡°You have been cooking for a few decades?¡±


    ¡°Huh? I mean, yes. To be honest, cooking is rather enjoyable for me. But as you can see, this ind is not the best ce to get ingredients and spices that are needed for cooking¡­¡±


    Juan had thought that Haild had never cooked before and had tried making food for the first time just to take care of Juan until his condition returned to normal. As such, it was hard to believe that Haild¡¯s food was the result of his many years of experience in cooking.


    Juan and Nienna just stared at the pot with a serious face and whispered to each other.


    ¡°Dad. Shouldn¡¯t we teach him how to maintain his body using mana?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s going to take too much time. Rather than that, teach him how to cook before that.¡±


    ¡°Do you know how to cook, dad? Because I don¡¯t. I¡¯ve fried the corpse of a monster from the Crack and fed it to one of the prisoners, but I wouldn¡¯t really call that cooking. But looking at his food¡­ I have a feeling that the prisoners would prefer the monster from the Crack.¡±


    ¡°The only thing I¡¯ve ever cooked in my life are the bodies of my enemies. Damn it. I should have taught Gerard some more practical skills.¡±


    Then Nienna and Juan heard Haild clearing his throat.


    ¡°Your Majesty, Aunt. You don¡¯t have to eat this unless you want to. I know that both of you don¡¯t have to eat in order to maintain your conditions. I can see that His Majesty can now recover with mana, so don¡¯t worry about having to eat something you don¡¯t want to.¡±


    Juan and Nienna were delighted, but they couldn¡¯t easily answer Haild. Haild had obviously made food that was enough for three people. Haild¡¯s sincerity to cook three servings, even when he knew that Juan and Nienna didn¡¯t need to eat made it hard for them to refuse the food.


    Juan hesitated but tried to smile.


    ¡°...No, it¡¯s fine. Let me try a bowl.¡±


    Nienna¡¯s lips twitched as she red at Juan. s, she had no choice but to grab a bowl as well.


    ***


    ¡°I¡¯m nning to draw out the crown without using Elkiehl this time,¡± Haild said.


    ¡°Without using Elkiehl?¡± Juan asked.


    Juan and Haild headed to the beach after eating. Juan crossed his arms and recalled what he felt when the crown had appeared. Juan only remembered feeling unpleasant when he was stabbed by Elkiehl, but he also remembered the situation when the crown had taken root in his body. Juan thought he could work things out if he reversed what he didst time.


    ¡°Let¡¯s give this a try,¡± Juan said.


    ¡°It won¡¯t be easy. Drawing out the crown with the help of Elkiehl and summoning it yourself arepletely different things, so¡­¡±


    Haild closed his mouth even before he could finish speaking; he noticed that mes began to burn above Juan¡¯s eyebrows. He quickly stepped back upon feeling the heat that began to spread in just an instant.


    mes that came from Juan¡¯s eyebrows flowed above his head. Unlike the shape of a horn that rose from the middle of Juan¡¯s foreheadst time, the appearance of the mes resembled a real crown this time around. Haild looked at the unbelievable sight with his mouth wide open.


    Then Juan immediately extinguished the mes.


    ¡°Huh? Your Majesty¡­ Why did you stop the mes already?¡± Haild asked.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t the crown,¡± Juan frowned. ¡°I was confused for a second, but this is just my mana. I have a feeling that this isn¡¯t going to be easy.¡±


    Juan shook his head; he thought that reversing the process of the crown taking root was the wrong approach.


    ¡°Can you stab me with Elkiehl one more time? I¡¯d like to recall what I felt thest time.¡±


    Juan never imagined that he would ask for such a favor.


    ¡®<i>Asking someone to stab me with Elkiehl, huh.</i>¡¯


    Juan felt that it was quite ironic, but he had no choice; he had no better methods as of now.


    ¡°We¡¯ve seeded in controlling the crown once already, so there¡¯s a high chance that we will seed the second time as well. Maybe we¡¯ll be able to achieve some explosive growth again this time,¡± Haild said as he nodded.


    ¡°Ah. To be honest, I like the way you look now, dad. I don¡¯t want you to go back to looking like the muscr bearded man that you used to be,¡± Nienna grumbled as she watched Juan and Haild from afar.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll grow any older from this point on. My appearance in your memory was the result of me deliberately promoting aging with the help of magic. Harmon told me that people would trust me more if I grew a beard. I feel like my body will try its best to maintain the condition of its heyday, even if my mana reserves increase,¡± Juan smiled.


    ¡°I like the way I look right now too. There were some people who told me that I was being ridiculous, but they shut their mouths real quick when I pinched their cheeks,¡± Nienna, who was over seventy years old, but looked to be in her twenties, giggled.


    The way Haild got himself to look younger than his age was using a simr method, but in his case, it was the result of Gerard forcibly stopping Haild¡¯s growth to prevent the Crack from further encroaching upon his mind.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try stabbing you with Elkiehl again. Aunt Nienna, please get ready.¡±


    Nienna sighed and began to prepare herself. She didn¡¯t show any signs of nervousness, but she made sure to prepare herself perfectly; she knew that it would all turn into a disaster if Juan lost control over his consciousness again.


    Then, Haild raised Elkiehl, almost looking anxious.


    ¡°Then¡­¡±


    Haild carefully aimed Elkiehl toward Juan¡¯s back and stabbed him at once. At the same time, Juan started to focus on his consciousness in preparation.


    Haild pulled out Elkiehl almost immediately and stepped back. However, Haild soon stopped in his tracks, a dumbfounded expression on his face.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    The crown was nowhere to be found.


    Everyone grew perplexed. Juan had clearly felt the unpleasant sensation of Elkiehl stabbing him in the back. But the crown did not appear.


    ¡°Um. I-I feel like I did something wrong. Should I try stabbing you again?¡±


    Haild stuttered, perplexed.


    On the other hand, Juan quietly looked down at his own body and then shook his head.


    ¡°No. You did exactly what you did thest time. Elkiehl makes no mistakes, does it?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t¡­ but I don¡¯t know everything about Elkiehl. My father didn¡¯t teach me the details.¡±


    Innread dot".


    Juan recalled the sensations he felt when he was stabbed by Elkiehl. The feeling of a foreign substance prating into the body was unpleasant, whether it was Elkiehl or any other weapons. Juan remembered feeling a soul-shaking shock when Elkiehl had pushed the crown out of his body the previous times, but he only felt the sensation of something metallic digging into his back this time around.


    ¡°What should I do?¡± Haild asked somewhat nervously.


    ¡°It would be no use to stab me with Elkiehl again. The crown has either disappeared from my body or¡­¡±


    ¡®<i>It has be inseparable from my body.</i>¡¯


    Juan didn¡¯t bother speaking about thetter possibility out loud. Juan had felt like a god when he was conscious with the crown havingplete control of his body. But Juan had quickly forced his body to recover, since he didn¡¯t like that unpleasant feeling.


    Yet, it was unknown as to whether or not he had actually reconstructed his body. Perhaps the inside of his body was still burning with mes.


    From Juan¡¯s point of view, he was no different from the ¡®monster¡¯ that Haild was wary of.


    ¡°I feel like we could make things a lot better, but it is already enough as it is.¡±


    ¡°Enough for what?¡±


    Juan answered Haild as if it was only natural.


    ¡°Enough to return.¡±


    ***


    Helmut, who was lying on the sofa at an angle, delightedly raised his upper body at the unexpectedly good news.


    ¡°That ck-haired bastard is finally dead?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Holiness. The news of his death has been spreading in the east.¡±


    Perhaps because he could inform the Pope about a piece of good news after a long time, the ck Priest visited the office in person rather than sending in a report as usual.


    The smell of burning incense filled the office. The ck Priest felt like he could be intoxicated, but the Pope looked fine.


    ¡°What good news! I haven¡¯t heard one of those in months. Haha!¡±


    ¡°Congrattions, Your Holiness,¡± the ck Briest said, forcing his lips up.


    The ck Priest had reported the destruction of the Order of the Evil Snake and the loss of the holy items before reporting the death of the ck-haired young man, but Helmut didn¡¯t seem like he cared about the former news at all. The Temrs who had been sacrificed while confronting the apostatic rebels from beyond the border seemed to havepletely disappeared from his mind.


    ¡°Alright. How did he die? Say it again.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Holiness. Although I don¡¯t know the exact situation, it was said that he was with General Nienna. General Nienna had deployed her forces to wipe out the remnants of the rebels, but then a dragon and a man assumed to be the apostate Gerard Gain appeared out of nowhere.¡±


    ¡°A dragon and the apostate¡­ what a perfectbination! The evil beast and the traitor! The world has been going crazy ever since that ck-haired bastard showed up. So what happened next?¡±


    ¡°General Nienna seeded in fatally wounding Gerard in a fight. At that moment, the ck-haired young man blocked General Nienna. But then, Gerard suddenly stabbed the ck-haired young man in the back. Soon, all three of them disappeared beyond the Crack.¡±


    ¡°Praise General Nienna for her heroic achievements! Haha. What a great Northern hero, wiping out the demon of Tantil and the apostate at the same time! So, have you heard anything about General Nienna¡¯s return yet?¡±


    ¡°Not yet. But, it is known that the atmosphere of the Northern Army is still quite gloomy. Most of the cavalry that had been sent to the east is on its way back to the north, although some of them have remained to continue searching.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead with the procedure to honor General Nienna as a Saint and contact the Order of Fenrir. We need to ce some of our personnel in the Northern Army, since those who gain control of the Northern Army will hold the power of the empire in the future. Who knows what Pavan, that son of a bitch, will do. Also¡­ we must be careful of the Saintess,¡± Helmut gritted his teeth.


    Saintess Ivy Isildin, who Helmut had tried to use as his puppet, was forming a force within the Church with the support of Lenly Loen, the captain of the Imperial Guard, and it was a force that couldn¡¯t be overlooked. Lenly has long been respected within the Church for his devotion and faithfulness. On top of that, Ivy was popr among not only the civilians, but also the nobles. Helmut felt as if he was being driven to the edge of a cliff.


    ¡°Lenly Loen and Ivy Isildin won¡¯t be able to do anything stupid, since I¡¯m monopolizing the power of His Majesty anyway. But there is no reason for me to go out of my way to undermine my power¡­¡±


    Helmut muttered andid down at an angle, almost as if he was trying to reassure himself.


    ¡°The death of the ck-haired young man is a sign that things will go well in the future. The Saintess¡¯ poprity will wane, since her prophecy was wrong. I won¡¯t have to worry about anything unless the dead ck-haired young man shows up again.¡±


    Helmut lit another incense as he dreamed of a rosy future.

 Chapter 136 – The Emperor Has Returned

    <h4>Chapter 136 ¨C The Emperor Has Returned</h4>


    Footprints were left behind on the snow that was piled up on the fortress walls.


    H looked around at the snow-covered fortress withplicated emotions in her eyes. At this moment only about a hundred soldiers remained inside the fortress, preparing to vacate the fortress. The fortress of Beldeve had yed an important role in the war against the dragons as well as the war against the rebels from Arbalde until now, but now its job was done.


    Now, the duty left for H was to stabilize the eastern territory¡ªshe didn¡¯t have to fight any more battles.


    ¡°I heard you are nning to move to the south, Your Grace,¡± Walter, one of the knights from the Order of Fenrir, said as he approached H.


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m nning to move to Orsk. Though I am a bit worried that my people won¡¯t be able to adapt there, since they¡¯re not used to getting the attention of the lord. I should take care of everything before springes, since there must be a lot of damage that has umted over time,¡± H answered.


    ¡°They might not wee you, but it would still be better than letting the seat of the Lord remain vacant. Your Grace is a good ruler, after all.¡±


    H took a nce at Walter.


    The eastern territory was about to wee the return of their ruler, while the northern territory had lost its ruler. Walter felt that this was quite heartbreaking. Majority of the Northern Army had returned, but a small number of them remained, forming search teams to look for traces of General Nienna.


    And Walter, who was themander of the Northern Army, remained here. H had a hunch that Walter would continue to stay here even if Nienna didn¡¯t end up returning.


    ¡°I heard that the Northern territory is always upied by a set of rulers,¡± H said.


    ¡°You are talking about the legend of the winter duke? Yes, it is said that the descendants of other winter dukes appear to inherit the position of the lord whenever the current lord dies. I am not sure if it¡¯s because of the fact that General Nienna has lived for a long time, but none of the people in my generation have ever seen a winter duke. And I don¡¯t even know if anyone could ever rece General Nienna anyway.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s such a shame that a man as talented as yourself is nning to rot away in this tomb-like fortress,¡± H grumbled and continued speaking. ¡°My n is to correct the things in the East that I couldn¡¯t pay attention to before this. But what I¡¯m going to focus on more than that is putting pressure on the capital. I must not only get more information about General Nienna and His Majesty, but I also gotta make sure that we find out about the conspiracy behind everything. General Nienna would also want you to lend your hand in it rather than rotting here while trying to find her.¡±


    ¡°I had made a pledge to be loyal to only one person. It¡¯s no use trying to persuade me, Your Grace.¡±


    H snorted instead of answering Walter. Even she knew that it would be of no use.


    ¡°I need more people by my side, but it seems like no one is willing to help me out. Maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯m too old. Sina also left without¡­¡±


    At that moment, H suddenly stopped talking. Walter lifted his head up upon seeing H¡¯s gaze turn toward the middle of the fortress walls.


    There was a white wolf standing on top of the fortress walls that were covered with snow. It was a white wolf that looked like it was made of frozen snowkes. H immediately noticed that the white wolf was quite extraordinary.


    On the other hand, Walter opened his quivering lips.


    ¡°...Fenrir¡­¡±


    ¡°Fenrir? That¡¯s Fenrir? It looks a little smaller than what I saw before¡­¡±


    Walter hastily ran toward the white wolf even before H could finish her words. Then, he immediately kneeled down in front of the white wolf and tried to ask where General Nienna was at the moment, and whether or not she was safe.


    Then the white wolf whispered something into Walter¡¯s ear.


    ¡°What?¡±


    Walter shot back, but the white wolf soon broke down and scattered, disappearing like a melting snowke. The only things left in Walter¡¯s hand were snowkes.


    At that moment, H finally caught up to Walter who was staring nkly into space.


    ¡°What the hell was that just now? Where did the wolf go? I thought it said something to you. What did it say?¡± H asked.


    ¡°...I don¡¯t know if what I heard is right¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, what did it say?¡±


    Walter muttered, almost as if he were dreaming.


    ¡°He said that the emperor is returning.¡±


    ***


    Ivy Isildin, the Saintess, was weing a troublesome guest.


    ¡°So, Miss Heretia, what you need is¡­¡±


    ¡°An official imperial document from forty-eight years ago, yes.¡±


    Heretia Helwin looked straight at the weak and delicate-looking girl in front of her. The girl that no one even knew the name of up until just a few months ago was now at the center of the storm that shook the entire Church.


    ¡®<i>Saintess Ivy Isildin.</i>¡¯


    Heretia had never cared about the prophecy of a Saintess until now, since she knew just how fake and meaningless the position of the Saintess was. But the most recent Saintess had gained poprity by making a strange prophecy and even managed to get Lenly Loen, the Captain of the Imperial Guard who had been residing at the Imperial Castle, the ce where the emperor was enshrined, on her side.


    Heretia didn¡¯t think that all of this was merely a coincidence. Everything was flowing with this young girl in the middle, and Heretia had no intention of missing out on the action.


    Ivy asked back with a confused look on her face.


    ¡°While I have no idea why you are looking for an official imperial document from so long ago all of a sudden, shouldn''t you visit the administrative office rather than the Vatican if that is what you want, Miss Heretia?¡±


    ¡°Old documents like the one I am looking for always end up getting destroyed, leaving behind only a part of them. What I¡¯m looking for is a secret document that was signed by His Majesty, and then stored in the Imperial Castle,¡± Heretia said while taking a nce at Lenly, who was standing beside Ivy.


    Captain Lenly Loen was a Temr who was reticent and quite talented, butcked a political mind¡ªhe was everything that Heretia needed. However, Ivy Isildin was the key to manipting the man in question.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about your request, Miss Heretia. Isn¡¯t His Majesty the only person who could see the secret document signed by himself? Not only am I not allowed to hand over such an important document, but as far as I know, even if I do decide to give it to you, you wouldn¡¯t be able to open it¡ªonly His Majesty and the intended recipient of the said document would be able to open it.¡±


    ¡°To be exact, only the intended recipient and the one with His Majesty¡¯s Imperial seal would be able to open the document.¡±


    ¡°Right. But His Majesty¡¯s Imperial seal was lost, and¡­¡±


    Ivy suddenly opened her eyes wide and stopped speaking upon hearing Heretia¡¯s next words and seeing her nod.


    ¡°I have His Majesty¡¯s Imperial seal.¡±


    At that moment, Lenly Loen quickly turned his head toward Heretia, causing her to hastily raise both of her hands.


    ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t have it with me right now. I hid it in a ce that no one other than me knows about. So, let¡¯s have a mature political conversation rather than talking nonsense.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not something that should be under your possession, even for a second,¡± Lenly Loen snapped coldly.


    Heretia simply raised the corners of her mouth despite his murderous intent.


    ¡°And I¡¯m not saying that I¡¯ll hold on to it forever, Captain of the Imperial Guard. You should shut up and listen to the conversation of us humans like the watchdog that you are. It will be the Saintess who makes the decision,¡± Heretia derided.


    Lenly seemed to be a little dumbfounded upon hearing Heretia¡¯s words. While it was obvious that Heretia was bluffing, she wasn¡¯t wrong.


    Ivy opened her mouth with an upset look, as if she was offended by Heretia¡¯s remark toward Lenly.


    ¡°Miss Heretia. Captain Lenly is not only my guard, but also a friend. Please refrain from making such rash remarks.¡±


    ¡°...My apologies, Saintess. I would also like to apologize to Captain Lenly Loen.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s okay, Miss Heretia. I won¡¯t ask you about what means you used to get His Majesty¡¯s Imperial seal, since the more important matter is what you are nning to do with it. Hopefully¡­ it¡¯s not something that will be a nuisance for His Majesty, right?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s actually the other way around. You must know how the loss of the Imperial seal almost paralyzed the Imperial administration right after the beginning of the Eternal Rule. The shocking news of His Majesty¡¯s absence caused everyone to fail at doing their jobs properly, and the bloody wind of the purge made it even worse. There were a lot of documents that were sealed and couldn¡¯t be opened.¡± Heretia grinned, rubbing her fingers together. ¡°I have been collecting those sealed documents for quite a while. No one really considered them important, since those documents couldn¡¯t be opened anyway. However, recently the Imperial seal happened to fall into my hands and I got a chance to look at those sealed records.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see¡­ but those documents are from forty-seven years ago anyway. They wouldn¡¯t really be much help, would they?¡± Ivy asked.


    ¡°You might be correct about that if you looked at those documents separately. But the one who sealed and sent away those documents in the past was none other than my family¡¯s Harmon Helwin. If you analyze the traces of the documents that he sent at the time, we can infer whether or not he really nned tomit treason and what the whole process looked like.¡±


    ¡°Harmon¡­ you mean the apostate Harmon Helwin? It should have been quite hard for you to expose your own family¡¯s disgrace¡­¡±


    ¡°It really was, Saintess. However, after going through all the documents, I came to a slightly different conclusion. It is true that Harmon knew about the treason. But after recognizing the signs of treason on the horizon, he devised countermeasures and follow-up measures.¡±


    Heretia¡¯s remark was quite shocking. The story that Harmon Helwin, who was widely considered to be one of the Six Apostates, had in fact prepared for the countermeasures to the treason was something that could shake the capital more than mere gossip ever could.


    Ivy¡¯s face hardened a little as she realized the weight of such a story.


    ¡°Even if that¡¯s true, how can I be sure that you¡¯re not making up this story to cover up the Helwin Family¡¯s disgrace?¡±


    ¡°You would agree with me if you looked at the information stated in the documents¡ªthat Harmon is not an apostate,¡± Heretia said with a firm look.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°You may also feel one more thing¡ªthat Harmon would never have been caught or failed if he really ever intended to rebel.¡±


    Ivy looked at Heretia in silence. Meanwhile, Heretia leaned toward Ivy with an eager face and continued.


    ¡°But a crucial clue is missing from the documents. The data I can gather is only superficial. The really important documents are those that were written by Harmon himself, and those are the secret documents that remained in the Imperial Castle at the time of the incident. I guarantee that those documents contain extremely important information.¡±


    ¡°...So that¡¯s why you want it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an opportunity to solve the secrets of the incident of His Majesty¡¯s assassination. How can I not covet it?¡±


    Ivy stared at Heretia for a while and stood up. She wandered around the room as if she was in agony, then turned her gaze toward the outside of the window. Misty rain was falling from the sky¡ªthe first bout of rainfall since the start of winter was turning the capital into a mess.


    ¡°A lot of strange things have happened to me recently. I was nothing but an apprentice Priestess, but I suddenly became a Saintess. Then I recited a prophecy and met Captain Lenly Loen¡­ perhaps everything that happened was because I was expected to y a certain role.¡± Ivy turned her head. ¡°I can¡¯t fully trust you yet, Miss Heretia. To be honest with you, your reputation is not really that great within the Vatican.¡±


    ¡°I am well aware. I have tried my best to not show my contempt for the Church, but doing so isn¡¯t always easy when I live in the capital.¡±


    Ivy smiled bitterly. Ivy herself was also a member of the Church, but it was often difficult to feel any affection toward the Church. Only her faith in His Majesty motivated her to hold out.


    ¡°Please give me some time to consider this matter. It shouldn¡¯t take too long.¡±


    ¡°I look forward to a positive answer.¡±


    Heretia smiled and approached Ivy to shake her hand.


    The moment Ivy was about to grab Heretia¡¯s hand, her eyes suddenly rolled to the back of her head and she bent her back.


    Heretia was frightened and backed away, while Lenly quickly held Ivy up, stopping her from copsing to the floor.


    ¡°W-what¡¯s going on? Is the Saintess suffering from epilepsy or¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a prophecy,¡± Lenly said.


    ¡°A prophecy?¡±


    Lenlyid Ivy down in afortable position and supported her body¡ªit was as if he was already familiar with this kind of situation.


    Then, Ivy trembled and let out a sigh, followed by a voice. It was a short but clear messagepletely unmistakable.


    ¡°...returning.¡±


    Ivy cried out, almost as if she was announcing.


    ¡°The Emperor is returning!¡±


    ***


    ¡°You¡¯re an elf, right? We have quite the precious visitor here, huh¡­¡±


    Swan looked quite puzzled upon seeing a woman in ck clothing who recognized her race at just a nce. The woman looked a little gloomy with her ck leather armor and slender figure, but she didn¡¯t feel like the notorious and infamous Captain of the Order of Huginn.


    The underground hideout in Hiveden, where the Order of Huginn was hiding, was dark but located somewhere more noticeable than expected. Swan noticed the shadows of the people passing over the hole from where the sunlight leaked inside.


    ¡®<i>I can¡¯t believe that the official enemies of the empire were hiding somewhere so close.</i>¡¯


    ¡°You can call me Anya. I heard that you have something that I might be interested in.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes. I do.¡±


    Swan pulled out a ck sphere from her pocket. The sphere had a hard texture and it seemed like it had flowing mist inside it. Anya carefully held the ck sphere that was handed over to her.


    ¡°Can you recognize what it is? The person who asked me to bring this to you said that you would recognize it at just a nce,¡± Swan asked.


    Anya stared at the ck sphere for a long time, then suddenly started shedding tears. Swan was perplexed upon seeing Anya suddenly burst into tears, since she couldn¡¯t figure out what the story behind the ck sphere was.


    At that moment, the old knight with a burnt scar on his face sitting next to Anya cleared his throat and patted Anya on the back. The old knight consoled Anya, who was still sniffling, and spoke to Swan.


    ¡°My name is Dilmond. May I ask who did you get this from?¡±


    ¡°Sina. It was from a knight named Sina Solvane. She told me that it was something left behind by Juan?¡±


    ¡°...Is Juan dead?¡±


    Swan shrugged with an ufortable expression upon hearing Anya¡¯s question.


    ¡°I¡¯m not too sure, but there are a lot of such rumors in the east¡ªthat the ck-haired young man who had a bounty of ten thousand gold pieces ced on his head by the Church died. Some say that General Nienna stabbed him to death herself, while some others say that the apostate Gerard Gain appeared and killed him. The rumors are so messy that it¡¯s hard to know the truth. But they all say that he is dead.¡±


    ¡°Did the knight named Sina Solvane say the same?¡± Dilmond asked with a serious face.


    ¡°Sina¡­ seemed to think that he was still alive. But she had the face of someone who had already attended his funeral. To be honest, I think he is still alive as well. I can¡¯t imagine Mr. Ten thousand gold pieces dying so easily,¡± Swan answered.


    ¡°There was a time when I thought so too,¡± Anya opened her mouth as she wiped away her tears. ¡°There was a time when the person I thought would never die and continue to lead us forever, died. This item was left by him or Juan. And now, it hase back to me.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ Sina said that it would be better for you to keep it, whether Mr. Ten thousand gold pieces¡­ no, whether Juan,es back or not.¡±


    Swan recalled Juan using the ck sphere. It had been in the form of an armor when she saw it, and Swan had clearly seen with her own eyes just how enormous the power contained inside it was. It took Swan a lot of courage to hand over such an item to the Order of Huginn, the official enemy of the empire. But Swan couldn¡¯t refuse the request from Sina and Juan.


    ¡°I¡­ well, we¡­ haven¡¯t been able to do anything for a while ever since Juan left us. To be honest, I thought he would stay with us and lead us. But now that Juan¡¯s sphere¡ªno, Captain Ras¡¯ sphere is back, I can¡¯t just sit still and do nothing.¡±


    Anya put the sphere down on the table and stood up. Her dark eyes were zing with indescribable anger and hatred.


    ¡°His Majesty had returned to save the empire, but the empire killed His Majesty instead. So, the empire will have no choice but to be ruled by His Majesty again. The empire will finally greet His Majesty when I cover the entire world with death.¡±


    Anya¡¯s eerie deration sent chills down Swan¡¯s spine.


    Both Dilmond and Swan could see that Anya meant what she said. Dilmond red at Anya for a second, but soon stood up tofort her.


    ¡°I think you are too caught up in your own words. For now, you should go inside and calm down a little.¡±


    Anya didn¡¯t reply, but simply turned her back to them and walked away.


    At the same time, Swan also rose from her seat.


    Dilmond looked back at Swan and made a perplexed expression.


    ¡°Miss Swan, thank you foring all this way. If you are acquainted with His Majesty, you are also a friend to us. I¡¯ll get you a ce to stay as well as a reasonable price for your hard work, so pleasee with me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I already have a ce to stay. More than that, I¡­¡±


    <i>p!</i>


    Dilmond and Swan turned their heads at the sudden sound of a bird¡¯s wings pping. Anya also stopped walking.


    There was a crow perched on the table, and the sight of a ck crow that leisurely entered the underground hideout which had no entrance other than the sewer lid made of iron was quite strange. The crow tilted its head and pped its wings one more time.


    Then another crow flew up from somewhere.


    Dilmond was stunned at the texture of the crow¡¯s feathers¡ªthe crow wasn¡¯t a living creature. Rather, its feathers resembled the look and the color of Umbra¡ªthe essence of Nigrato that was brought in by Swan.


    ¡°He is returning!¡± cried one of the crows.


    The moment when everyone was perplexed due to no one knowing what the crow was talking about, another crow cried out.


    ¡°The emperor is returning!¡±


    <i>p! p!</i>


    More crows pped their wings and appeared here and there inside the hideout¡ªthey kept appearing out of nowhere. The number of crows soon grewrge enough to fill the entire room.


    It was due to Umbra, which was dividing and forming the crows. Even Dilmond and Swan, who had been through all sorts of hardships in their life, were quite flustered.


    But Anya was different. Anya realized that the voicesing from the mouths of the crows belonged to Ras.


    Then, thousands of crows pushed against the ceiling of the underground hideout and flew out at once. The citizens of Hiveden became flustered when they saw a huge flock of crows filling the sky.


    The crows shouted only one sentence, all in one voice.


    <i>He is returning!</i>


    <i>He is returning!</i>


    <i>The emperor is returning!</i>


    ***


    <i>Crunch!</i>


    The sound of snow being stepped on was light.


    The man who was looking at the white snowfield turned his gaze toward arge city that had begun to appear at the end of the horizon.


    A storm that was created in the eastern sea was rushing toward the city. It seemed that a harsh winter that had not been experienced before would sooner orter invade the city.


    Juan¡¯s lips curled up into a smile as he muttered.


    ¡°I have returned.¡±

 Chapter 137 – In the Middle of the Storm (1)

    <h4>Chapter 137 ¨C In the Middle of the Storm (1)</h4>


    ¡°I demand justice for His Majesty!¡±


    Most of the nobles of the empire were the sessors of the nobles from the old kingdoms or local natives that had gathered under the banner of the emperor. The emperor protected their wealth and honor in return for them obediently gathering under his banner in the name of mankind.


    While the administration of the capital was handled by electing someone from among the people selected by the Church, the local administration was handled by these people. If the Church was said to be the head of the current empire, it was no exaggeration to say that the House of Peers would be the limbs of the current empire.


    In the middle of such a House of Peers, Heretia shouted once more.


    ¡°I demand justice for His Majesty!¡±


    Rymer massaged his forehead with a troubled look on his face. This meeting was originally called in order to increase the internal crackdown against the chaotic rumors that had been shaking the empire internally, as well as to gain the strong cooperation of all the nobles.


    However, it was ruined very quickly when Heretia imed that there was a controversy hidden in the incident of His Majesty¡¯s assassination.


    ¡°Miss Heretia Helwin, are you being serious right now?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t reliable evidence that would arouse suspicionse out from the Vatican already?¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    Chairman Rymer looked at Heretia, speechless.


    ¡°The matter of the Regent being involved with the assassination of His Majesty is not something that can be imed so lightly.¡±


    Rymer honestly wanted to ask Heretia if she had about two more lives. The Regent Barth Baltic was not only the suprememander of the famous Imperial Army and the former Grand General who represented the administration, but was also the strongest man in the empire based on his individual power alone.


    He did not sit on the throne of the emperor, but he was practically the emperor considering the fact that he held both power and authority in the empire. Heretia was basically saying that she wanted to point a knife directly at Barth Baltic.


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not suggesting that the Regent is directly involved in the assassination of His Majesty. I¡¯m just asking him to exin something that I don¡¯t understand about some of the marching orders he gave to the military at the time,¡± Heretia said.


    ¡°Miss Helwin, even if there is something that you don¡¯t understand about what happened, that was forty-seven¡ªno, forty-eight years ago. How could the Regent remember what happened that long ago and exin it all?¡±


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t he remember it? After all, it was the day of His Majesty¡¯s death. My father remembers that day quite vividly, and he was only an eight-year-old boy back then. He remembers what he ate for breakfast that day and he also remembers the moment when he heard the shocking news. I don¡¯t think I¡¯d ever forget it until I die either.¡±


    Helwin said and took out a letter and ced it on the table.


    ¡°This letter is a written order that I recently obtained by chance. I can¡¯t tell you how I acquired it, but what¡¯s written in here is amand for the troops to march into the Imperial castle. With the Regent¡¯s signature on it! Isn¡¯t it possible that the absence of the guards due to the marching order led to His Majesty¡¯s assassination?¡±


    The nobles thumped the table in agreement.


    Innread dot".


    On the other hand, Rhymer felt dumbfounded. The emperor had been moving toward the northern front at that time, and the order for the troops to march was nothing new.


    ¡®<i>The opponent was none other than His Majesty. Who would even dare to try and harm him?</i>¡¯


    In Rhymer¡¯s eyes, Heretia only seemed to be throwing a tantrum. But then something suddenly passed through Rhymer¡¯s mind.


    ¡®<i>This cheeky noble.</i>¡¯


    Heretia was by no means a stubborn young girl nor was she a fool. She was known to be so wise that she was called the reincarnation of Harmon Helwin, the heretic genius of the Helwin family. Heretia was not the type of woman to pick a fight with the Regent with only such a document that no one even knew the origin of.


    With such a thought, Rhymer began to observe Heretia¡¯s behavior differently.


    It was only natural for there to be factions, even in the House of Peers. There were first-generation founding nobles, who were all powerful people who worked for the emperor during the founding era. Then there were the second-generation meritorious nobles who were recognized as nobles for their contributions during the period of the empire¡¯s stabilization and foundation. Finally, there were the third-generation religious noblesposed primarily of Priests who were influenced by the Church or retired from the Church after the assassination of the emperor.


    Among these, the founding faction had thergest number of members in the House of Peers. However, they could no longer y any role other than being a show of hands during election processes once the Church began to gain ground. The meritorious faction resisted this trend, but they, too, became silent as their numbers decreased.


    The Helwin family was close to being a member of the founding faction, but they often worked with the members of the meritorious faction due to the presence of Harmon Helwin. When Harmon Helwin was executed and dered an apostate, the Helwin family hid among the founding factions while remaining silent.


    But the Helwin family once again started rising¡ªthis time as the leader of the meritorious faction. This happened after Heretia became the head of the Helwin family.


    ¡®<i>What Heretia wants in order to gain a greater right to speak is¡­ to shake it up.</i>¡¯


    Rhymer realized that Heretia was nning to shake Barth Baltic¡¯s position.


    Oddly, Barth Baltic had no interest in politics at all, and therefore no one lined up behind him or ttered him. Nevertheless, there were still many people who supported him, considering that he was basically the current head of the empire.


    At the same time, many people were bound to support Heretia in her attempt to stand up against Barth Baltic.


    In the end, iming that the Barth Baltic was involved in the plot of His Majesty¡¯s assassination was a good enough reason for Heretia to cause a stir. After all, Barth Baltic, too, was responsible for His Majesty¡¯s assassination, since he was nearby at the time. However, no one held him responsible because the sharp and bloody wind of the purge that took ce immediately after His Majesty¡¯s assassination was so terrible.


    Besides, Heretia brought out a document that stated amand for the military to march at the time. It wouldn¡¯t even be a big problem for Heretia if things went wrong, since it was non-visualized, and Barth Baltic could easily ignore or simply apologize once regarding its content.


    But Heretia would gain a lot of fame with such a document.


    ¡°Here are the signatures of ny members of the House of Peers asking for the Regent¡¯s exnation. The Regent Barth Baltic will have to appear and provide us with a convincing exnation!¡± Heretia shouted while presenting another document.


    Rhymer realized that his thoughts were correct when he saw that more people had signed the document than he had expected. The meritorious faction alone couldn¡¯t make up ny people. Rhymer realized that not only the founding faction, but even a part of the religious faction must have signed the document.


    ¡®<i>I guess everyone seems to be in favor of shaking up the Regent¡¯s position.</i>¡¯


    Barth Baltic had too much power in his hands when he didn¡¯t even do much for the empire¡ªit would be good for everyone to break down his power at least a little bit.


    Rhymer, the leader of the founding faction and the chairman of the House of Peers, noticed that this matter was in the interest of everyone, not just Heretia.


    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll take Miss Helwin¡¯s suggestion and ce a request for the Regent to rify and exin himself if this decision passes a vote.¡±


    The sound of people pounding the table in approval grew even louder within the House of Peers. This meant that most people were in favor of it with no need for a vote to be conducted.


    Only one person, Imill Ilde, the leader of the religious faction, was ring at Heretia in silence.


    On the other hand, Heretia pounded on the desk and smiled coldly at him.


    ***


    ¡°A request for the Regent to exin himself? What nonsense are you talking about?! Can¡¯t you see that we are in the situation where we don¡¯t even know where the heretic who impersonated His Majesty will appear from!?¡±


    Helmut threw out the proposal which was approved by the House of Peers and requested the Regent to exin himself in regards to the matter of the emperor¡¯s assassination at the Priest.


    On the other hand, the Priest who brought the proposal fell to the floor with his hand over his head.


    Helmut didn¡¯t stop there¡ªhe then swept the books on the table to the floor.


    ¡°They want me to go to the Regent and tell him to exin himself and apologize for what happened forty-seven years ago? Damn it! I hate that horned bastard, but who the hell would ever be convinced by such a proposal?¡±


    ¡°Y-your Holiness, please settle down.¡±


    ¡°Stupid fools! Don¡¯t they understand? This is a trick to shake us up from the inside! Who was the one that proposed this matter? Heretia Helwin? From the Helwin family? She has the dirty blood of an apostate!¡±


    ¡°H-Helwin family not only made great contributions during the founding era of the empire, but also escaped the sin of His Majesty¡¯s assassination by directly punishing Harmon Helwin with their own hands. Since then, they have tried their best to be a great help to the empire to¡­¡±


    ¡°Who cares! That bitch is about to ruin everything at a time like this!¡±


    Helmut picked up a chair and threw it out of the window. As the huge window broke with a loud crashing sound, a refreshing wind entered the room and drove out the intoxicating scent of incense that had filled the room. Helmut felt a little calmer as he felt the cold wind.


    ¡°One month.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Your Holiness?¡±


    ¡°A month has passed since the prophecy¡ªno, the rumor saying that His Majesty will return started spreading. But there¡¯s no sign of that anywhere. His Majesty, who is sitting on the eternal throne still didn¡¯t even budge. I recently held a worship service and called in the schrs of the Magic Tower to investigate, but not a single clue was found.¡±


    ¡°Your Holiness¡­¡±


    ¡°But I can feel a sense of rebellion brewing on the outskirts of the empire. Flowers that bloom even in winter are evil against all reason,¡± Helmut said as he picked up one of the documents rolling on the floor. ¡°General Nienna had been sending letters everyday, asking me to exin what the rumor of His Majesty¡¯s return is about, and Duke Henna asked me to apologize for the incident where the Order of the Evil Snake attacked them. And Hiveden¡­ damn it! What¡¯s happening there ispletely beyond me. And those supporting His Majesty? The Church is in control now, but they are organizing under another warlord using the emperor¡¯s name? And the rebellious ones in the Church are supporting the Saintess, and they even get involved in some mad bullshit in the House of Peers? What do you think all of this means?¡±


    ¡°I think they are bad omens, Your Holiness.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. In the end, their words that <i>¡®the emperor will return¡¯</i> does not mean that His Majesty, who is sitting on the eternal throne will return¡ªit¡¯s only a rumor that they have made up. They are talking about a fake emperor.¡±


    Helmut slumped on the sofa with his hands pressed against his forehead.


    ¡°Damn apostates¡­ There are only heretics and corrupted ones left¡­¡±


    ¡°Your Holiness. Do you want me to light up some more incense for you?¡±


    The Priest quickly approached Helmut and ced an ashtray in front of him. Helmut stared at the ashtray for a while, but then soon shook his head.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. It¡¯s nice to breathe in some fresh air after a long time. I should think about this matter while my head is clear. It¡¯s not easy to defend the empire that His Majesty left behind from the apostates. Perhaps I¡¯ve lived way toofortably until now¡­¡±


    Helmut stared nkly at the ceiling, then opened his mouth again.


    ¡°I should first clean up internally. I¡¯ll have to make amends with the Saintess, and then I will propose a definite investigation about this prophecy about the emperor¡¯s return. Everything will be better once I get rid of the source of the rumor.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Holiness.¡±


    ¡°And ignore the request to demand an exnation from the Regent. Those damned noble bastards have no idea just how crazy the Regent is just because he has been quiet until now. They probably thought that I would like it if they decided to try and shake Barth Baltic¡¯s position; after all, there¡¯s the religious faction within the House of Peers. Go and send them a warning toe back to their senses.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Holiness.¡±


    Then the Priest suddenly stopped as he picked up the documents sent in by the House of Peers.


    ¡°Um, Your Holiness. If the rumors turn out to be true¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I-I mean, there are a lot of people who babble like that. So, I was wondering what would happen if the people were to ignore the truth and worship one of the apostates as the emperor¡­¡±


    Helmut snapped back at the Priest as if he had just heard the most ridiculous question.


    ¡°If that happens, then I¡¯ll rip that apostate¡¯s head myself. That would make me feel quite good.¡±


    The Pope going out of his way to punish someone had never happened before. The Priest shuddered in fear unconsciously. Most incidents were taken care of just by sending some Temrs from a knight order. If not, dispatching some Bishops was enough to handle the situation.


    But the Popeing forward was a whole different story.


    The Pope, who directly administered His Majesty¡¯s Grace, held enough power to confront the entire Church on his own. It would be a catastrophe for his enemies if he decided to step forward himself.


    But in the end, the Priest couldn¡¯t bring up the question that he really wanted to ask.


    ¡®<i>What if the real emperor is returning?</i>¡¯


    The Priest thought that it would be the Pope rather than the opponent who would end up facing a disaster if that timees.


    ***


    <i>Crunch!</i>


    As soon as the crunching sound rang out, purple bodily fluids sttered over Juan¡¯s face.


    Juan wiped the bodily fluid off of his cheek and shook off the corpse of the Priest from Thornbush Priest Organization that had been pierced through by his fist. The Priest who had transformed into a strange mutation fluttered and scattered without his body remaining whole.


    Juan looked around at his surroundings. He was inside a cavity made by huge and bizarre monsters from the other world. The ceiling, walls, and floors were all made of corpses that were impaled and glued together, but none of them had a proper human form.


    Then someone showed up.


    It was Haild.


    ¡°I think that everything has been sorted out now. There¡¯s no one left here.¡±


    Juan made a surprised expression upon hearing Haild¡¯s words.


    ¡°Is the entire city clear?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°The ones who had been controlling Kaleb were the Priests from the Thornbush Priest Organization, and the rest were visitors from the Crack. They all ran away as soon as they heard that His Majesty had appeared. They even blocked the doorpletely. As a result, the Priests from the Thornbush Priest Organization couldn¡¯t even escape. Most of them were hiding in this temple that Your Majesty just wiped out.¡±

 Chapter 138 – In the Middle of the Storm (2)

    <h4>Chapter 138 ¨C In the Middle of the Storm (2)</h4>


    ¡°Huh. Well.¡±


    It was the Priests from the Thornbush Priest Organization that Juan was going after, not the beings from the Crack. Juan didn¡¯t intend to deal with the intellectuals who ran away on their own if they weren¡¯t nning to intervene in the matters of thisnd. Even when he had been the emperor, Juan did not chase after the gods who fled to the Crack.


    ¡°Then this is the only one who is left.¡±


    Juan headed toward the center of the temple where dozens of tentacles the size of trees were rolling on the ground, almost as if they had been roughly torn apart. In the center of the temple was a Priest who had lost all his limbs. He was sobbing helplessly.


    ¡°Gerard! Gerard Gain that fucking bastard! He said that he killed the emperor!¡± the Priest cried.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sorry that I¡¯m not dead,¡± Juan looked down at the man coldly and muttered. ¡°But unlike me, you will most certainly die.¡±


    The man¡¯s head exploded, with blood sttering everywhere as soon as Juan¡¯s feet touched his chin. It was hard to find even a single trace of the man in the blood scattered all over.


    Haild scratched his chin and then opened his mouth.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to interrogate him? You must have had a lot of questions to ask.¡±


    ¡°I already did. But, it turns out that he doesn¡¯t know much¡ªnot to mention that it¡¯s been a long time since the Head Priest of the Thornbush Priest Organization showed himself,¡± Juan said as he looked around the temple. ¡°It¡¯s basically an abandoned group. They were only able to maintain themselves because of their hostility toward the empire and them having been encroached upon by the Crack. It seems like they¡¯ve tried lots of things, but nothing has gone right since their Head Priest disappeared about a year ago. I think they had more ns to resurrect other gods besides Talter¡­¡±


    ¡°Woah. Isn¡¯t that too dangerous?¡± Haild asked.


    ¡°As I said, I don¡¯t think they¡¯ve achieved anything, since they haven¡¯t been properly managed.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I should be relieved or frustrated. After all, we didn¡¯t end up getting any of the information that we were looking for,¡± Haild said as he sighed. ¡°This underground city of Kaleb was thergest gathering ce for the Priests of the Thornbush Priest Organization. We destroyed all the gathering ces of the Thornbush Priest Organization, but it doesn¡¯t seem like we¡¯ve gained much from it.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve gained enough just based on the fact that they won¡¯t be able to stab us in the back anymore,¡± Juan said, clicking his tongue. ¡°Besides, I had already decided topletely exterminate these bastards when they had thrown H into the sea. That resolution has now been fulfilled¡ªthat¡¯s it,¡± Juan said.


    Haild nodded. If Haild hadn¡¯t rescued H back then, she would have died.


    While H survived in the end, Juan had no intention of reverting the decision that he had already made. Juan was especially careful about keeping his word when they involved killing someone.


    ¡°Then¡­ are you nning to go back to the capital now? Aunt Nienna left first to prepare everything in the north, so I think this is enough.¡±


    ¡°Yes, this is enough. Let¡¯s go back.¡±


    ***


    Cold wind blew toward Juan and Haild in the snowy mountain valley when they came out. Due to the lukewarm wind blowing out from inside the cave, snow was not piled up at its entrance. The sunlight poured into the white snow field, causing Haild to smile joyfully upon seeing the natural sun that he had not seen in a long time.


    As Juan stared at the smiling Haild, Haild asked something as if he were curious.


    ¡°Is everything okay, Your Majesty?¡±


    ¡°...Yes, it¡¯s nothing.¡±


    For a moment, Juan felt as if it was Gerard who was standing in front of him. Haild had arge scar engraved on his face due to being pierced through by the arrow and being encroached upon by the Crack, but Juan couldn¡¯t help but acknowledge that Haild really was Gerard¡¯s son. Juan nodded as he thought that blood really ran thicker than water.


    Juan couldn¡¯t understand what he was feeling. He was regaining the strength he had as the emperor with the help of Gerard¡¯s arrangement, and the Thornbush Priest Organization who had been encroaching upon the empire had been eradicated.


    But Gerard¡¯s intentions, as well as his whereabouts, were still unknown.


    If Gerard had no reason to be ashamed of himself, it would have been fine even if Gerard himself took charge of what Haild was doing right now. Juan felt that he might be able to forgive Gerard, though his rtionship with Gerard would never be the same.


    ¡®<i>Isn¡¯t that what reconciliation is all about anyway?</i>¡¯


    ¡°This cave has an exit leading to the north, so it will be close to the Winter Citadel. Would you like to visit Aunt Nienna, Your Majesty?¡± Haild asked.


    ¡°No. We are heading toward the capital right away.¡±


    ¡°Do you mean the Holy City of Torra?¡±


    ¡°The Order of Huginn, Duke Henna, and Nienna will all join me on my way.¡±


    Haild looked a little frightened when Juan mentioned Duke Henna. He had still not informed H Henna that he was alive. In fact, he didn¡¯t even know how he would exin it to her or where he should begin. After all, to exin why he was still alive, he would have to talk about Gerard first.


    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to H first,¡± Juan said.


    ¡°...Maybe that¡¯s for the best. I¡¯ll follow Your Majesty¡¯s orders.¡±


    Juan began to walk through the snowfield and Haild followed behind him.


    ¡°Come to think of it, why did you stagnate for a month even after sending out the message that you are returning? Ah, of course, I also understand that it was important to destroy the Thornbush Priest Organization, but couldn¡¯t you have sent the message of your return now rather than a month ago, since you have now eliminated the Thornbush Priest Organization?¡± Haild asked.


    Juan took a nce at Haild. At this moment, he truly understood that Gerard really had stopped Haild¡¯s growth¡ªhe really was just like a young child, starting to ask so many questions right after saying that he would follow Juan¡¯s orders.


    ¡°I¡¯m just following Harmon¡¯s advice,¡± Juan said.


    ¡°Harmon¡­? Who is that?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s the most annoying man I know. But, he is also the most capable man I know as well. He used to have an attitude that screamed, ¡®I¡¯m apetent man and you wouldn¡¯t dare to kill such a talented man like me even if you¡¯re the emperor.¡¯ There was a piece of advice that he gave me when I had united all of humanity.¡±


    ¡°What was the advice?¡±


    ¡°Man is even more afraid of imaginary monsters than he is of real monsters.¡±


    Haild looked confused as if he didn¡¯t understand what Juan was saying.


    ¡°Did he mean that Your Majesty is a monster?¡±


    ¡°I think that¡¯s what he meant. Back then, Harmon had ced a bait half a year before I met the leader of another kingdom. He made sure to let everyone know how ruthless I was to my enemies and about all the terrible things I¡¯ve done¡­ the process was so slow and there were so many intrusive rumors that I used to get really annoyed with Harmon.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty was annoyed? That¡¯s kind of hard to imagine. So, what was his reaction?¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t even bother to listen to me.¡±


    Haildughed at the absurdity.


    ¡°His idea wasn¡¯t wrong though. Harmon just wanted to create a morbidly tightmunity for humanity. Taking more time makes one firm, but acting hastily makes one see blood. Thank goodness I had already dered that I would never get married. If I had agreed to get married, with Harmon¡¯s arrangement, I would have had at least about twenty wives,¡± Juan continued to answer Haild¡¯s question. ¡°That¡¯s why I took a month. Attacking right after sending a warning is done only when youck power or just as much power as your enemy. But I have overwhelming power and the flow is with me. Moving slowly is one of the ways to avoid having to shed blood.¡±


    Juan continued walking in the snowfield.


    ¡°If the opponent is scared of you, even taking one step forward is enough to make them fall. That moment is also when the enemies and allies get clearly divided. That¡¯s the way to do it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s very generous of you, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Generous¡­ I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s the right word for it,¡± Juan smiled and looked back at Haild. ¡°Maybe I¡¯m just acting like that because that¡¯s what I have learned. Or maybe I want to look generous so that the people that I care about won¡¯t be disappointed in me. But to be honest, I hope that my enemies will rebel and fight back with all their might.¡±


    Juan¡¯s tone was quite harsh.


    ¡°Then I¡¯d be able to see those bastards die of regret while rolling in bloody mud.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Do not dazzle the believers with fake prophecies!¡±


    Hemult had never imagined that he would have to shout these words out loud to the Saintess even once.


    The Saintess stood on the altar and bit her lips with a hardened expression. She looked pale, but determined.


    .


    Helmut couldn¡¯t understand such a look on the Saintess¡¯ face. The position of a Saintess was created by him, and she had no real connection with the emperor whatsoever.


    ¡®<i>But what is with that rebellious attitude that she is showing me?</i>¡¯


    ¡°There is only one emperor, and that is His Majesty who is sitting on the Eternal Throne! How dare you babble out all that nonsense!¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t nonsense!¡± Ivy said firmly.


    Helmut¡¯s face flushed. All the Priests and Bishops in the capital had gathered to attend the general assembly of the Church, but the Saintess had just refuted his words in front of all of them.


    ¡°His Majesty appeared in my dream and dered that he is returning. He said that the return would begin from the east.¡±


    Murmurs started to spread once again. Just like the prophecy she had made at the ceremony for the appointment of the Saintess, she had now made another concrete prophecy. Ivy¡¯s words were even more effective due to the rumors that had already started to spread around the empire.


    ¡°His Majesty said he would generously give a total of three warnings before his arrival, since his absence has been so long. First is to make us confront our own lies. Second is to break down our swords. Then the third is to¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop! Stop impersonating His Majesty¡¯s words with such a false prophecy!¡±


    When the uproar grew, Helmut mmed the floor with his staff as if he could not stand it. The entire altar vibrated with a rumbling sound while the floor began to break. Then, amidst the loud sound of something breaking, a loud scream was heard by everyone.


    Only then did all the Priests, including Ivy, closed their mouths. Most people didn¡¯t know just how powerful Helmut was, since it was rare for him to show himself in outside events, but he was the one who handled the most amount of His Majesty¡¯s Grace out of anyone in the Church.


    No one in the Church could dare to go against his unteral dictatorship.


    ¡°I am the one who brought mankind together without splitting the empire after His Majesty¡¯s assassination! I have helped and maintained the Eternal Rule under His Majesty¡¯s values until now, do you understand? But how can all of you be shaken so easily by such a fake prophecy!¡± Helmut screamed.


    ¡°It is His Majesty that is great, not Your Holiness.¡±


    Helmut¡¯s face turned even redder at Ivy¡¯s remark.


    Meanwhile, Ivy¡¯s hands were shaking as if she was nervous, but she did not back down. The reason for her being able to stand strong was Lenly Loen, the captain of the Imperial Guard, who supported her from behind. Even the Pope couldn¡¯t beat her to death like he had once done in the past as long as Lenly was protecting her.


    Helmut, who had been silently ring at Ivy for a while, opened his mouth.


    ¡°Yes. You¡¯re right. I am not His Majesty¡­¡±


    Helmut strode toward Ivy with his staff. Lenly Loen quickly blocked him as soon as Ivy flinched, but Helmut didn¡¯t even budge. Helmut just red at Lenly and opened his mouth again.


    ¡°...And just as the nonsense that your flighty mouth recites is not a real prophecy, neither is the man you speak of the emperor.¡±


    ¡°I thought I made it very clear that¡­¡±


    ¡°If your prophecy wasing from the real emperor, why are Lenly Loen and the Imperial Guards here?¡±


    Ivy closed her mouth upon hearing Helmut¡¯s words. Then Helmut continued to speak sarcastically.


    ¡°His Majesty ended up dying because of the Imperial Guards not doing their job properly and moving out in vain. It¡¯s not like I expected them to protect His Majesty in the first ce. Only if one of them had bothered to scream to warn His Majesty, then His Majesty would have been safe. But the Imperial Guards did absolutely nothing until the moment His Majesty was stabbed.¡±


    Lenly¡¯s hands began to tremble as Helmut continued to speak in a calm manner.


    Seeing this, Ivy quickly grabbed Lenly¡¯s hands in order to calm him down. Lenly¡¯s faith and loyalty toward the emperor were impable, which was why Helmut¡¯s criticism waspletely unbearable for him.


    ¡°If the emperor is really out there, shouldn¡¯t you drag all your guards to go and protect him? But look at you, still lingering around here in Torra. Doesn¡¯t that alone prove that the Saintess¡¯ prophecy is fake? Though, I have nothing to say if it is the tradition of the Imperial Guards to guard the wrong ce.¡±

 Chapter 139 – In the Middle of the Storm (3)

    <h4>Chapter 139 ¨C In the Middle of the Storm (3)</h4>


    ¡°...It is also important to protect His Majesty¡¯s body.¡±


    Ivy spoke, almost as if she was trying to find an excuse, but she was well aware that what she had just said was illogical. If it was the real emperor who was on his way to the Holy City of Torra, there would be nothing more important than protecting him. But it was beyond hard for the Imperial Guards who had been serving the emperor sitting on the Eternal Throne for decades to leave him behind to go and greet the ¡®real emperor.¡¯


    ¡°You know that what you just said doesn¡¯t make sense, right?¡±


    Ivy remained silent and looked at Lenly with anxious eyes. Lenly was her strongest ally, but at the same time, he had also been made the biggest contradiction in her logic.


    ¡°Be humble, Saintess,¡± Helmut derided Ivy.


    Helmut¡¯s tone had be much more polite than before, but Ivy felt like she had been indirectly cursed at. Ivy was confident in her own prophecy. Nevertheless, she had never once thought that His Majesty, who was sitting on the Eternal Throne, was fake. Lenly also seemed to have no answer to Helmut¡¯s question.


    As the silence persisted, Helmut thought that he had won.


    Then, Lenly suddenly opened his mouth.


    ¡°Juan Calberg Kennosis. Kennosis means ¡®god wears the human body.¡¯¡±


    Helmut frowned upon hearing Lenly¡¯s words. This was the very basics of the Church¡¯s teachings and what every Priest of the Church first learned on their path to bing priests. When the emperor used to wander around the wastnd, the magicians, including Dane Dormund, had found him and taken him as their emperor.


    Then the emperor was given the title of ¡®Kennosis.¡¯


    ¡°And?¡± Helmut asked.


    ¡°If His Majesty wore the human form, then his soul may be separated from the human body.¡±


    ¡°...Isn¡¯t that a theory that was refuted and buried a long time ago? Why are you bringing that up now?¡±


    This was a theory that was proposed by some of the extremists in the former Church. The theory stated that the emperor sitting on the Eternal Throne was nothing but a shell and that his soul was wandering around the world. The theory further suggested that the emperor¡¯s body must be destroyed in order to allow his soul to enter a new living body. However, the extremists¡¯ opinions that they should directly ce their hands on the emperor¡¯s body and destroy it quickly disappeared without staying prevalent in the Church.


    Helmut was about tough at Lenly¡¯s words, but gradually all emotions disappeared from his face.


    ¡®Wait. A madman who insists on destroying the emperor¡¯s body is in charge of the Imperial Guards?¡¯


    Lenly continued to speak.


    ¡°While I don¡¯t dare to touch His Majesty¡¯s body, the fact that His Majesty¡¯s body has been kept safe thus far could prove my words.¡±


    Helmut red at Lenly in silence. Until now, Helmut had thought of the Imperial Guards as only people who were in exile. But just now he realized that they were pointing their weapons toward him.


    ¡®<i>I¡¯ve done something rash.</i>¡¯


    ¡°What I¡¯m trying to say is that the words of the Saintess might not be nonsense. If His Majesty really is capable of wearing human bodies, then his soul might be able to wear a different body as well,¡± Lenly said.


    ¡°Why are you suggesting that now?¡±


    ¡°Because I was taught that His Majesty will return when the empire is on the verge of facing a disaster.¡±


    It was a fundamental statement, but it was difficult to refute. The Priests on the altar were now almostpletely divided in two groups and arguing against each other.


    Helmut thought that while this situation was better than the beginning of the assembly when Ivy had humiliated him, it still wasn¡¯t a very pleasant situation for him.


    But he decided to settle for this.


    ¡°All right.¡±


    The altar became dead silent, and then Helmut spoke to Ivy.


    ¡°Saintess, this debate seems to be endless. Why don¡¯t you check the true nature of the rumor?¡±


    ¡°True nature¡­ of the rumor?¡± Ivy asked back.


    ¡°Let¡¯s have every knight order meet and judge the person who calls himself the emperor, one by one,¡± Helmut said, smiling. ¡°And each of the knight orders will greet him in their own ways.¡±


    ¡°If they do something beyond their duty¡­¡± Ivy said with a hardened expression.


    ¡°We all make mistakes, since we are imperfect human beings. But His Majesty would most certainly recognize his servants, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ***


    Juan recognized at just a nce that his opponent was a Priest from the Church¡ªtherefore he didn¡¯t hesitate before swinging his hand. The Priest¡¯s neck turned in the opposite direction from just a single p to the face. With a short cracking sound, the Priest fell t on the ground.


    He was thest of the Priests and had tried to escape till thest minute. Haild who was following Juan btedly exhaled a heavy breath.


    ¡°Are you all right, Your Majesty?¡± Haild asked.


    ¡°You should be asking that question to the people in that carriage over there, not me,¡± Juan said, looking at the overturned carriage.


    The carriage didn¡¯t seem to have received any serious damage due to the snow acting as a cushion, but the horse that was pulling it was dead. Around the carriage were the bodies of the masked Priests that Haild had killed and scattered everywhere. Their blood had turned the snow red.


    When Juan and Haild were on their way out of Kaleb, going to a nearby city, a carriage suddenly rushed into the middle of the road.


    Juan and Haild stopped upon seeing that the carriage was being attacked by masked men. There was no reason for Juan to save them, but he felt the power of the emperor from the masked men. Then the masked men attacked Juan and Haild, saying that they should not leave witnesses.


    As expected, the skills of the masked men were so terrible that Haild could take care of all of them without Juan even having to step out.


    At that moment, Juan heard a groan as he approached the carriage. There was a horseman with a broken arm lying in the snow. Juan frowned upon checking his face.


    ¡°He is¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you know who he is, Your Majesty?¡±


    ¡°I saw him back in Hiveden. Get him out of the snow.¡±


    Haild pulled the young horseman out of the snow. The horseman who was dragged out as he let out a groan was unconscious. Fortunately, he had no injuries other than his broken arm.


    ¡®If this guy is here, then¡­¡¯


    Juan climbed atop the overturned carriage and opened the door. Inside the carriage was a familiar face lying in an ufortable position while pressed against the wall. Juan sighed upon seeing that the person didn¡¯t seem to have any injuries.


    ¡°Juan, you¡¯ve grown a lot taller and more handsome since thest time I saw you. I told you I have good eyes, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    Juan smiled at the woman who was greeting him in a calm manner.


    ¡°Heretia.¡±


    ¡°Is it your preference to talk to a woman who is lying down? But I don¡¯t like doing it outdoors because it¡¯s quite dirty.¡±


    Juan reached out his hand and pulled Heretia out of the carriage. Heretia groaned and couldn¡¯t straighten her back as if she had hurt her back when the carriage was overturned.


    ¡°Looking at you groaning due to back pain, you look just like Harmon,¡± Juanughed.


    ¡°That¡¯s because he had a job where he only sat in front of the desk. How¡¯s the horseman? Is he dead?¡± Heretia asked.


    ¡°He¡¯s still alive. Though he looks a little dizzy.¡±


    Heretia sighed with relief and carelessly sat down on the floor after hearing that the young man who had been beside Heretia in Hiveden when she first met Juan was still alive.


    ¡°I¡¯m d I made it just in time,¡± Heretia said.


    ¡°What¡¯s up with all these Priests? Why were they attacking you with masks on?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°These aren¡¯t ordinary Priests. They are a sanctioned group working directly for the Pope called the ck Priests. I¡¯ve been picking at a beehive recently¡ªmeaning that I¡¯ve been messing with Barth Baltic. The Pope gave a strange order at the Church assembly, so I thought it would be better for me toe and find you first. But it seems like the bastards from the Church thought this was the perfect opportunity to attack me.¡±


    ¡°How did you even know I was here?¡±


    ¡°Well you didn¡¯t really bother to hide, did you? Anyone with money and authority could easily find you if they wanted. I bet the Temrs are on their way to find you as well.¡±


    ¡°Temrs? Why?¡±


    Heretia stared at Juan.


    ¡°To check if you¡¯re really the emperor or not.¡±


    ***


    Juan and Heretia decided to first head to a nearby vige, since there was a patient with them. Entalucia, the dragon, helped them to get to the vige and disappeared as soon as she dropped them off of her back.


    Entalucia had not directly intervened in the battle against the Thornbush Priest Organization for the past month, but she had helped Juan and Haild by offering transportation like this.


    Juan had gotten used to riding on the dragon¡¯s back, but Heretia¡¯s face was quite pale even after they arrived at her room in the tavern. Heretia barely managed to lie face down on her bed with her shaky legs.


    ¡°Are you scared of heights?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°A little bit. But did we really have to go that high up in the sky?¡± Heretiained.


    ¡°We have to fly higher than the clouds to avoid being caught. We can use magic to make us invisible, but it¡¯s not really useful on snowy or rainy days.¡±


    ¡°I feel like I¡¯m gonna be sick¡­¡±


    Juan stared at Heretia¡¯s back for a while and then opened his mouth.


    ¡°You said that you came because you thought you should see me before the Church finds me. What did you want to tell me?¡±


    ¡°Oh right. That¡¯s certainly something more important than my fear of heights or my motion sickness.¡±


    Heretia rolled over and looked at Juan while lying at an angle.


    ¡°First things first. How do you want me to address you? Juan? Or Your Majesty?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care either way. Both are referring to me anyway.¡±


    ¡°I see. So you really are the emperor.¡±


    Juan feltplicated upon seeing Heretia being convinced so easily. He felt that things would have been much more convenient if only people like Heretia, who was so easily convinced, were around.


    Heretia quickly continued to speak as if she could read Juan¡¯s feelings.


    ¡°Well I have my own reasons to be convinced. Like your rtionship with the Order of Huginn, what happened right after I left Hiveden, and how calm you were about the Imperial Seal. Besides, the rumor that the new ¡®emperor¡¯ had ck hair also yed a part. There are two most famous people with ck hair that I know, and you are much more likely to be the emperorpared to the other one.¡±


    ¡°Two?¡±


    ¡°There was a famous male prostitute in the Nuero salon that was sold to the Duchess of Rayette. He was not only expensive, but he also had extraordinary looks. All the nobledies in the Holy City of Torra were upset to hear the news that he was sold.¡±


    ¡°...A prostitute, huh.¡±


    ¡°An emperor that has the history of being a murderer is much better than an emperor that has a history of being a prostitute. Besides, you have something inmon with the former emperor¡ªlike how you embrace humanity with love. Anyway, that¡¯s not important right now.¡±


    Heretia quickly cut off the subject matter that was irrelevant and moved on to the main issue.


    ¡°I won¡¯t talk about the colleagues that His Majesty has been bringing around. You know, the likes of a bandaged man who gives off an ominous impression or a dragon, a beast that¡¯sbeled as the empire¡¯s evil beast by the emperor himself. While it¡¯s not a good look, people fear you more than respect you. So, it''s better to maximize that fear.¡±


    ¡°Of course, those who have sinned should be in fear.¡±


    ¡°Please tell me that you are not heading to the capital with just those two colleagues of yours, are you?¡±


    ¡°No. Duke H Henna¡¯s Eastern Army, the Order of Huginn, as well as Nienna Nelben¡¯s Northern Army have agreed to support me.¡±


    ¡°Whoa. Henna <i>and?</i>Nienna? I guess it¡¯s not just your height that has grown since thest time I saw you. I can see that you¡¯ve built some interesting rtionships throughout your journey. So what¡¯s your n? Starting a civil war?¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m just going to bring them along to show the capital my force. There will be no civil war,¡± Juan spoke calmly. ¡°If there¡¯s gonna be any bloodshed, it will be in the form of a massacre rather than a war.¡±


    Heretia grinned instead of showing any signs of nervousness or disgust.


    ¡°I¡¯m d that you know what you¡¯re doing. That sounds like a great idea. If there¡¯s gonna be bloodshed, then make it short and intense. The emperor shouldn¡¯t be ¡®fighting¡¯ against his servants. He should crush them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what Nienna told me.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ I prefer not to see blood as much as possible. Wouldn¡¯t it be nice if no one had to shed a single drop of blood or sweat and you could simply im that you are the emperor by whispering into their ears?¡±


    Juan stared at Heretia, who shrugged her shoulders as if she was happy just by imagining the scene. She then grew perplexed and stopped talking upon seeing Juan ncing at her.


    ¡°Heretia. I am not going back to the capital to be the emperor again.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Then why are you going back?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to find those responsible for my death and turn the empire that I created into the disaster it is today. There will be no situation where bloodshed can be avoided. I¡¯m not a light-hearted person who would show mercy to them. The one they wille face to face will neither be there to rule them, nor to save them.¡±


    Juan said as he looked at Heretia with gloomy eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m visiting them as the one who will punish them.¡±

 Chapter 140 – The Magic Tower (1)

    <h4>Chapter 140 ¨C The Magic Tower (1)</h4>


    ¡°Um¡­ I don¡¯t really know what to say, Your Majesty. I like your firm attitude, and it is true that sinners must be punished. But¡­¡±


    Heretia carefully continued speaking.


    ¡°It would be best if the people who had only been used in the process are left unharmed, right? Those people are the power of the empire and the ones that make the empire what it is.¡±


    Instead of answering Heretia¡¯s question, Juan asked Heretia a question.


    ¡°What are you trying to say, Heretia?¡±


    ¡°Form an alliance with the Magic Tower.¡±


    ¡°Magic Tower?¡±


    ¡°I forgot whether it was called the Magician¡¯s Tower or the Magic Tower. But I¡¯m talking about the group of freaks who live at the ce where Mananen McLeir¡¯s body is buried. I suggest you form an alliance with them.¡±


    Juan looked at Heretia with surprised eyes, and Heretia frowned upon seeing his gaze.


    ¡°What? You don¡¯t like my suggestion?¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s just that Harmon Helwin had told me the same thing¡ªhe told me to first form an alliance with the Magic Tower back when I had yet to be the emperor. I had a close rtionship with the magicians thanks to Dane Dormund, but it was my first time forming a formal alliance,¡± Juan said as he stroked his chin and tilted his head. ¡°But I heard that they have now turned into just a group of schrs. I was told that anyone who uses magic isbeled as an illegal mage by the Church.¡±


    ¡°That applies only outside the Magic Tower. No one knows and will never know what happens inside the Magic Tower. Magic Tower is a group older than the emperor or any other country in human history. There are stories about them that have existed since the mythological period and the ancient dragon period, you know? That¡¯s why they are so well respected and have so many talented people.¡±


    Juan nodded as his assumptions were confirmed. One of the reasons why Juan didn¡¯t bring the Magic Tower into his alliance was due to what happened between him and Dane Dormund. When Juan had expelled Dane Dormund from the empire, his alliance with the Magic Tower had slightly changed. While there was no reason for Juan to view them in a negative light, he would be lying if he said he didn¡¯t feel uneasy.


    ¡°But¡­ maybe it doesn¡¯t matter anymore. I know someone from the Magic Tower anyway.¡±


    Juan recalled Opert from the Order of the Huginn. Opert¡¯s position as the vice tower master of the Magic Tower was only given to him due to the other older magicians beingzy, but Opert was quite a capable man. Juan thought that forming an alliance with the Magic Tower would be easy as long as Opert helped him out.


    Heretia smiled in delight upon hearing Juan¡¯s response.


    ¡°All right. Then I¡¯ll contact the Magic Tower. The Helwin family has been providing quite a bit of financial support to the Magic Tower, so they will be considerate toward me. Those with authority from the Magic Tower wille and visit us to¡­¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll visit them myself.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Are you sure? That might not be a good look for you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care. Besides, I have things I need to bring back from the Magic Tower anyway.¡±


    ***


    Two gs with white lotus and ck lotus symbols respectively were flying side by side in the air. Dembel Dorkmel, the captain of the Order of the White Lotus, was quite unfamiliar with such a sight. It had been decades since the knight orders worked together. This was because the number of beings that threatened the empire had decreased over time, and just one knight order could easily upy a city in just an instant.


    Even the so-famous Ras Raud and the Order of Huginn had been confronted by only the Order of the White Crow. As such, the current situation was very much abnormal.


    [What are you thinking?]


    Lianna Laos, the captain of the Order of the ck Lotus, sent Dembel a message using magic.


    ¡°I don¡¯t intend to have useless conversations with you. Shut up and focus,¡± Dembel answered with a frown.


    Liannaughed with a strange sound. As sheughed, one could see that she didn¡¯t have a tongue in her mouth.


    [Don¡¯t you think there¡¯s a reason why His Holiness sent us together? You and I have quite a bit of difference in the way we perform our duties.]


    Lianna was one of the most talkative people Dembel knew. In fact, she would have been even more talkative if she had a tongue.


    Lianna continued to send a mental message to Dembel from his side¡ªit didn¡¯t matter whether he answered her or not.


    [Let¡¯s be honest here. You were rmended by the Saintess, and I was rmended by the Pope. Considering my usual duties, I think the Pope picked me to kill you if anything goes wrong. So, tell me why the Saintess picked you.]


    ¡°...How the hell am I supposed to know that?¡±


    [Well, well, well¡­ You ended up responding to me. I''ll have to keep talking to you, since I now know that you have been listening¡ªno, watching me. Good boy, Dembel. Good boy!]


    Dembel wanted to kick Lianna¡¯s ass, but she was much stronger than him. She had always been stronger ever since Dembel and Lianna came to the Church¡¯s orphanage at the age of five. Lianna and Dembel had gone through the same growth process and then graduated from the same knight school. Not only did they live in the monastery together, but they had also be Temrs together as well.


    Dembel had always been overwhelmed just trying to chase after Lianna and catch up to her.


    ¡°Fuck you, Lianna. Fine, I¡¯ll tell you. I was rmended by Captain Lenly Loen, not the Saintess. She doesn¡¯t know much about the knight orders anyway. I was just told to go and figure out the truth of the rumor,¡± Dembel said as he grit his teeth.


    [I wish there were more interesting reasons, but I¡¯m convinced; after all, both the Saintess and Captain Lenly Leon are boring people. Why is it so hard to find interesting people like His Holiness?]


    The Order of the White Lotus was appointed by the Saintess, and the Order of the ck Lotus was appointed by the Pope. Both the knight orders were tasked with checking the validity of the rumors that had been circting around the empire. But there was a slight difference in the ways they performed.


    Dembel looked at Lianna with anxious eyes. Just like the Order of the Evil Snake, the Order of the ck Lotus was a group that carried out the secret orders of the Pope. The only difference was that the Order of the Evil Snake focused on the assassination of an individual, while the Order of the ck Lotus focused on causing destruction¡ªutter destruction.


    The target to be destroyed could be a facility, a family, or maybe even a city. If the right environment and the conditions were met, the Order of the ck Lotus had the ability to devastate a small city without giving even a single person any time to scream.


    All the Temrs of the Order of the ck Lotus had cut off their tongues in order to keep secrets, since most of their duties were ssified. Ironically, their captain was more talkative than anyone else.


    [It¡¯s kind of strange if you think about it. I thought the Pope would rmend you since you guys specialize in hunting monsters. After all, we are going after a ck monster who is impersonating the emperor. You would be perfect for enacting the orders.]


    ¡°From what I¡¯ve heard, several knight orders have already been destroyed by this self-proimed emperor. So, it¡¯s about time to think about other ns.¡±


    [Yeah, I¡¯ve heard about that too. Both Ethan and Velkre died, huh? If two out of twelve knight orders led by Temrs have been destroyed to the extent that they aren¡¯t able to recover, then who¡¯s recollecting all their equipment? No, that¡¯s not what¡¯s important. So, are you saying that you aren¡¯t nning to fight, but nning to think of a different way?]


    Dembel sighed.


    ¡°You know nothing other than fighting. What we do is not only fighting, but also finding and rescuing the people who are faithful to His Majesty from the heretics. It is only natural that we should first distinguish if this self-proimed emperor is a heretic or not. Both His Holiness and Saintess have sent us with precisely that intention.¡±


    [What? You can tell the difference? I¡¯ve never done that before.]


    ¡°That¡¯s because your¡­¡±


    ¡®<i>¡­your duty doesn¡¯t require you to do so.</i>¡¯


    It was the Order of the ck Lotus¡¯ job to kill those that the Pope wants to kill and destroy those that the Pope wants to destroy.


    ¡°At least give it a try, will you? We learned all this in the knight school. Besides, there¡¯s no way we wouldn¡¯t be able to recognize His Majesty. We would all be lying facing down in front of his brilliant halo the moment we encountered him.¡±


    Lianna didn¡¯t answer Dembel this time. She simply smirked without a word, then ran forward whileughing at Dembel.


    Dembel felt as if he could feel a lot of sarcasm.


    ***


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ the Magic Tower?¡±


    Juan tilted his head upon hearing Haild¡¯s question.


    ¡°Have you never seen it before?¡±


    Haild shook his head.


    ¡°It¡¯s the first time I¡¯vee so deep into the empire. It¡¯s much more interesting than I had imagined it would be¡ªhow can a tower even stand like that?¡±


    The Magic Tower was a huge, pointy tower that was tilted nearly forty degrees toward the western direction. Around the huge tower were other small towers, sticking out like twigs, while the surrounding ground was so dry that dust flew everywhere.


    Haild and Juan continued toward the Magic Tower.


    ¡°The Magic Tower was built when a huge tower from a long time ago crashed. Most of the old tower ended up being buried under the ground, and only a part of it is said to be the Magic Tower,¡± Juan exined.


    ¡°Only a part of it? That? No way,¡± Haild opened his mouth wide.


    ¡°If you think about the ce down there, where Mananen McLeir¡¯s body was buried¡­ then yes, it¡¯s true. I actually have no idea how deep it is.¡±


    Juan recalled being so tired after walking for a long time that he threw Mananen McLer¡¯s body into a random hole around him in the past. It was unbelievable to think that Mananen McLeir¡¯s body hadn¡¯t even been buried properly.


    ¡°Then who made that old tower?¡± Haild asked.


    ¡°Some say that it was an ancient dragon that had nothing better to do, and some say that it¡¯s a relic left behind by the Hornsluine. Well, they¡¯re all dead now anyway.¡±


    Juan was not particrly interested in the origin of the Magic Tower. He had once looked at the records with interest, but most of them had disappeared now. This was understandable since, back then, humans were treated no better than bugs and proper human groups onlysted for about one hundred years.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we hurry? If you have any academic questions, you can ask as many questions as you want inside the Magic Tower. We have to get our work with the Magic Tower done before Juan¡¯s allies arrive at the capital,¡± Heretia said.


    ¡°Right, sorry.¡±


    Haild quickly followed after Heretia as she snapped. Haild¡¯s grotesque appearance with bandages all over his face often frightened people, but Heretia didn¡¯t seem intimidated at all. Rather, it felt like Haild was intimidated by Heretia, even though he was older than her.


    ¡®<i>I mean, everyone would be intimidated by Heretia¡­</i>¡¯


    On the other hand, Haild was the type to be intimidated by everyone, even young children. Juan wondered how such a child managed to fight against Nienna in a battle.


    Around the Magic Tower was a vige built for magicians and tourists. Because many people from all over the ce that dressed in all kinds of clothes gathered here, Haild with bandages all over his body, and Juan with ck hair didn¡¯t attract much attention.


    Juan could tell that a lot of people seemed to havee from beyond the boundary at just a nce, and he even saw races that he had never seen before.


    ¡°...Wait, that¡¯s¡­¡±


    Juan stopped upon arriving near the main gate of the Magic Tower. A proper entrance had been built separately due to the tower being tilted. Now, on both sides of the entrance stood a huge eagle-shaped statue. Dozens of magicians were looking at Juan from between the statues.


    ¡°They must have been waiting for us. I did send them a message in advance, but I didn¡¯t think they¡¯d be so hospitable,¡± Heretia whispered, just as surprised.


    Hospitality from the Magic Tower didn¡¯t necessarily mean bad things, but Juan had many enemies in the capital. In Heretia¡¯s eyes, excessive hospitality was a reason to remain vignt.


    Juan took a step forward first. At that moment, the huge eagle statues standing on both sides of the main gate of the Magic Tower began to move. A loud noise could be heard every time the joints of the stone eagles moved, and it was enough to make the entire vige around the Magic Tower shake.


    In just an instant, everyone¡¯s eyes turned toward the Magic Tower.


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡±


    Haild tried to step in, but Heretia grabbed him by the shoulder.


    At the same time, Heretia was chewing her nails with a nervous look on her face.


    ¡°Don¡¯t step in. We need to know what their intentions are,¡± Heretia warned.


    ¡°But they might attack His Majesty!¡±


    ¡°If they do attack HIs Majesty, do you think they¡¯ll be able to beat him?¡±


    The eagle statues pounded the ground with their four legs as they approached Juan. Then pieces of stone poured down over Juan¡¯s head.


    Heretia couldn¡¯t help but grow even more nervous even though she knew that those trivial statues were no match for Juan.


    They were quite rare, but the statues were golems: the most powerful magic soldiers from the time when the emperor founded the empire. At this point, most of them were hidden, making it difficult to find traces of them. But it seemed there were still some golems that remained in the Magic Tower.


    The key was whether or not Juan had grown enough to deal with the Golems, which were said to be difficult to deal with even if an entire knight order attacked them.


    The eagle statues were about to attack Juan, causing screams to break out in the vige.


    Of course, Juan had no intention of fighting against the Golems.


    Juan quietly muttered as he looked at the statues with a frown.


    ¡°Keep your heads down.¡±


    In an instant, the eagle statues quickly fell t on their stomachs.

 Chapter 141 – The Magic Tower (2)

    <h4>Chapter 141 ¨C The Magic Tower (2)</h4>


    People couldn¡¯t really understand what happened when they saw the eagle statues lying t on the ground.


    Juan looked at the golems with his arms crossed and shook his fingers to the side.


    ¡°Roll over.¡±


    The sight of the giant eagle statues rolling on the bare ground caused everyone to recall watching aedy show. But Juan continued to give orders withoutughing.


    ¡°Bellies.¡±


    The eagle statues flipped over and exposed their stomachs.


    Heretia thought that now was the perfect time tough out loud, but her lips couldn¡¯t move at all for some reason.


    ¡®<i>He¡¯s controlling the Golems as he pleases?</i>¡¯


    Golems were said to be the thickest arms supporting the throne¡ªmagic soldiers that were supporting the empire. Most of them except for a few were now nothing more than legends, and they were made by the emperor to only obey him. But here Juan was, controlling them like puppies with his fingers.


    What this situation meant was quite clear.


    ¡°Head.¡±


    The eagle statues thumped their heads into the ground at Juan¡¯s order. Then Juan gently patted the eagles on their heads.


    Heretia wondered if Juan wasplimenting the eagles, but he simply took out a stone piece from the wings of the golems with his bare hands. Inside the opening was something that was glowing blue.


    After confirming what was inside, Juan simply covered it up once again.


    ¡°All right, well done. You can go back now.¡±


    The eagle statues stomped around and returned to the entrance of the Magic Tower like well trained dogs. Then they once again took a dignified posture and stood still, just like before. But the people who were here today realized that they would never be able to look at the eagle statues the same way ever again.


    ¡°What trifling things they¡¯ve done,¡± Juan muttered.


    As Juan approached the entrance of the Magic Tower, one of the magicians jumped out in front of Juan and bowed his head.


    Just as Juan was about toin out of annoyance, he stopped when he saw a familiar face. The person standing in front of him looked very familiar.


    ¡°Your Majesty, did your business in the east go well?¡±


    ¡°Opert, you were present in the magic tower?¡±


    It was Opert, the smuggler whom Juan had met back in Hiveden. He was also a magician and the vice tower master of the Magic Tower.


    ¡°I apologize if the behavior of the golems was offensive, Your Majesty. The senior magicians insisted on confirming your identity¡­ but I was able to change their minds and convince them to use the golems instead of directly asking Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°You must have heard about what happened at the Ash Tower from Anya.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. She said that you controlled the golem from the Ash Tower, so I thought that everything would be fine this time as well.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the part that I found offensive. You yed a little trick on the golems.¡±


    ¡°Sorry? Oh, yes¡­ we did carve it into the shape of an eagle to¡­¡±


    ¡°No, not that. You yed around with the settings of the golems to omit their ability to detect mana. I could also see that you have added another name to the list of people who canmand the golems. While your borate modifications are quite impressive, it¡¯s rather unpleasant that you tested me with something that originally belonged to me.¡±


    ¡°Um, I don¡¯t know much about that part. As far as I know, it was one of the senior magicians who altered the settings. As you know, the golems attract the curiosity of many magicians, since it is Your Majesty¡¯s legacy.¡±


    Juan clicked his tongue; he felt that it was useless to argue about the golems with Opert. Juan took a nce at the people standing behind Opert. He felt that the hospitality of the magic tower was not as great as Heretia thought.


    ¡°These aren¡¯t magicians, are they?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°No, they aren¡¯t. Most of them are schrs. The real magicians have locked themselves up inside their rooms for a long time. Who knows what will happen if theye out and get caught recklessly using magic by the Priests,¡± Opert answered.


    ¡°I see. So, you¡¯re their representative?¡±


    Opert shook his head at Juan¡¯s question.


    ¡°No, Your Majesty. I¡¯m just an envoy who is here to serve Your Majesty. There is someone waiting for you.¡±


    ¡°And who is that?¡±


    ¡°Someone who sent me down exactly on time just before Your Majesty arrived. The master of the Magic Tower is waiting for you, Your Majesty.¡±


    ***


    Climbing up the magic tower was not too difficult, since the tower was tilted. But Heretia stopped several times as she gasped for air, since she couldn¡¯t handle it. Juan clicked his tongue and got Haild to help her.


    ¡°You don¡¯t really have to follow me to the top. Just go somewhere and take a rest,¡± Juan said.


    ¡°No¡­ I¡¯m going. Do you even know how hard it is to meet the master of the Magic Tower?¡± Heretia answered.


    ¡°Then do as you please. But you¡¯d better hurry, because we are not going to wait for you. You can ask Haild for a piggyback ride or something.¡±


    ¡°Why would I do that when I can walk on my own two legs?¡±


    ¡°I wonder if you will be able to say the same thing when we get to the top.¡±


    Heretia grumbled and forced her legs to continue moving. Haild nervously wandered around her, trying to offer help, but Heretia refused his help¡ªit almost looked like she was about to bite him. Juan ignored the two and climbed up the stairs.


    The interior of the Magic Tower was originally quite simple, but became messy due to the mixing of the old structure with new stairs and spaces made due to the renovation. Almost as if confusion was the theme of the interior, there were stairs on the ceiling that should not exist and rooms without floors.


    It would be extremely easy to get lost without guidance, but Juan had already visited the Magic Tower several times. Opert looked at the back of Juan who was walking ahead of him.


    Juan soon arrived in front of a huge door. The wall which should have been the ceiling was tilted at an angle, but the door was still intact.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting out here, Your Majesty,¡± Opert said, stopping at the stairs.


    Juan nodded and entered the room without knocking. The room was sorge that it even felt quite empty, and the entire top floor seemed to be devoted to just this room. The walls were tilted just like the other floors, but it didn¡¯t feel suffocating, since there were windows everywhere.


    ¡°Ah, the guest that I¡¯ve been waiting for has arrived.¡±


    A weing voice was heard as soon as Juan opened the door.


    In the center of the huge room, one could see an unknown ck liquid bubbling in a hole the size of a small pond. On the outskirts of the hole, a small boy was stirring the liquid with a staff that was evenrger than him.


    ¡°Wee, emperor. It¡¯s been quite a long time, huh?¡±


    The look in his eyes and his manner of speech did not suit his age. Looking at the boy¡¯s round and curved eyes, Juan immediately realized who he was.


    Juan¡¯s face became distorted as he called out a name through gritted teeth.


    ¡°Dane Dormund.¡±


    Dane Dormund, Juan¡¯s teacher. The man who found him, protected him, and taught him magic until he became the emperor, as well as the Grand Magician who was expelled for bringing about the existence known as Gerard Gain.


    He was standing in front of Juan.


    ***


    ¡°Good, you still remember me. I was worried that you might not recognize me, since my appearance has changed. But I guess the same is true about you as well.¡±


    Dane Dormund, who looked like a child, giggled and continued to stir the pond. A group of glittering lights freely moved around and wandered inside the ck liquid.


    ¡°I thought I told you to never appear in front of my eyes ever again,¡± Juan said with a firm expression.


    ¡°You sure did,¡± Dane winked at Juan. ¡°When you were the Emperor.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still an emperor.¡±


    ¡°Harmon would have disagreed if he were still here. Well, it would only be a matter of time, but¡­ Anyway. Without Mananen McLeir¡¯s heart, you can¡¯tmand me like you did in the past. The previousmands you had made were also canceled when your original body died. You no longer have his divinity.¡±


    Dane Dormund was right. Juan had beenpleted as the emperor with the help of Mananen McLeir¡¯s heart, and was able to reign over humans. Juan was quite powerful right now, but he was far weaker whenpared to his time as the emperor¡ªthe time when he hunted gods.


    ¡°I can still make you disappear.¡±


    As Juan strode closer, Dane quickly took the staff out of the pond and used the ck liquid to draw a long line on the floor in front of him.


    At that moment, Juan suddenly felt that Dane¡¯s presence had gotten several hundred kilometers away. In fact, Juan could no longer feel his presence at all. Dane Dormund was clearly standing in front of Juan, but the actual distance between them had increased by who knew how much.


    ¡°This line looks just like a random scribble, but it would take more than just a day or two to cross it. The bigger problem is that your body might even break apart trying to cross this,¡± Dane shrugged.


    ¡°...I can see that you¡¯re still using that trifling magic of yours.¡±


    ¡°You are definitely weaker than you used to be¡­ but you¡¯re still quite dangerous.¡±


    For some reason, Dane had a proud look on his face, and Juan didn¡¯t like such a look. Dane used to look at Juan with the same expression even when Juan was the emperor. Ordinary people looked at Juan with respect or fear, but Dane looked at Juan as if he was looking at a big puppy. Juan was much stronger and more powerful than Dane, but Dane didn¡¯t even seem bothered by that part.


    ¡°What is this? I¡¯ve never seen this kind of magic before,¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s the achievement I made after a decade of work. It¡¯s kind of like a microcosm¡ªI set thews of physics to be the same as the macroscopic universe and added a few more settings that I can calcte and change. It¡¯s my own way of reducing the variables of quantum uncertainty and inducing macroscopic flows toe out within reasonable error margins, so that I can use this in different forms.¡±


    ¡°Stop ying with words. Why don¡¯t you just say that you are moving the position of the stars in the swamp of the sky to weave the thread of prophecy just like you used to before?¡±


    ¡°I like saying it like that too, since it¡¯s poetic,¡± Dane giggled. ¡°Why don¡¯t you stop trying to kill me and let''s talk about each other¡¯s business. So, how have you been after you were murdered by your own son? I¡¯ve always wondered what the afterlife looks like. I¡¯ve tried learning necromancy, but it¡¯s never really been helpful.¡±


    ¡°There was nothing, and I couldn¡¯t feel anything at all. Then, I suddenly came back to life¡ªthat¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re saying the same thing as the dead.¡±


    Juan dragged a chair in front of the ck line and sat down.


    At the same time, Dane once again began to stir the pond with his staff.


    Meanwhile, Juan stared at Dane; he still couldn¡¯t get used to Dane¡¯s young appearance at all.


    ¡°Why do you look like that anyway? Were you resurrected as well or something?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°No way. This is what I looked like in the first ce. Well, I did get some parts from elsewhere. Ah, nevermind. I guess I can¡¯t really say that I originally looked like this. But, this is what I looked like for at least three hundred years. I did have a different body that I used for two hundred years before this, but I like the way I look now much better.¡±


    ¡°Then what about the old man that I saw before?¡±


    ¡°I had to look old and wise in order to win your trust,¡± Dane grinned and continued speaking. ¡°You know how hard it is to win respect or trust with the appearance of a child. It would have especially been hard since you were also a child back then. I had to look more like a reliable adult, and it worked quite well.¡±


    ¡®What a monster.¡¯


    Juan murmured to himself. No one knew how long Dane had lived for¡ªeven Juan couldn¡¯t figure that out.


    ¡®<i>Can someone who changes bodies and lives close to an eternal life even be called a human?</i>¡¯


    Dane continued speaking as if he could read Juan¡¯s thoughts.


    ¡°I may have changed my body, but it is true that I was human when I was born. All the bodies that I¡¯ve used were those of humans as well. I might have lived for a long time, but I haven¡¯t been around as long as this tower. So you can rx. This tower was already in ce when I was born.¡±


    ¡°If you had that much power, you should have used it to fight against gods instead of me.¡±


    ¡°There is a limit no matter how strong I be. The threshold of the human race is limited, whether it be in terms of spirit or flesh. I wasn''t even able to reach the limit anyway.¡±


    ¡°The limit?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s not a big deal. Anyway¡­¡±


    Juan got a feeling that Dane was trying to avoid exining further, but nodded anyway; Dane was right about the fact that it wasn¡¯t a big deal. Juan didn¡¯t even want to be with Dane for any longer than he had to.


    ¡°The reason you came to the Magic Tower is to form an alliance with us, am I right?¡± Dane asked.


    ¡°Yes. But I¡¯ll have to reconsider my decision now that I know that you are here.¡±


    ¡°Oh,e on. Don¡¯t be like that. I have even prepared some gifts for you.¡±


    Dane smiled and used his staff to split the pond in half. The ck liquid split apart to reveal an interior filled with bizarre texture.


    Juan had felt a strong sense of displeasure when he had seen the water in the pond. Considering the structure of the Magic Tower, the bottom had to be empty. However, the inside of the pond led to a huge and endless darkness. There was only a sense of emptiness and coldness.


    What soon appeared within the darkness was a small room. Juan noticed some simple bedding and a sword inside the room. At that moment, Juan saw a familiar figure on one side of the room¡ªit was Sina Solvane.


    ¡°I found her wandering around Durgal. She was looking for a way to enter the Crack,¡± Dane said.


    ¡°...To find me?¡±


    ¡°Maybe? It''s quite likely. I heard that thest time she saw you was right when you were dragged into the Crack.¡±


    Juan had thought that Sina might be looking for him, but he didn¡¯t pay much attention, since he believed that she would be fine on her own. But Juan hadn¡¯t expected to find her in the magic tower. Looking at the structure of the room, Sina seemed to be in a guest room somewhere inside the tower.


    At least it didn¡¯t look like she had been abducted.


    ¡°So? What do you think? Do you like the gift I have prepared for you?¡± Dane asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need it.¡±

 Chapter 142 – The Magic Tower (3)

    <h4>Chapter 142 ¨C The Magic Tower (3)</h4>


    Dane muttered with a perplexed look on his face, almost as if he felt that it was a shame.


    ¡°I had thought that you¡¯d like my gift.¡±


    ¡°Sina is not some object that anyone can give as they please. I appreciate you for holding her back from stupidly crawling into the Crack, but that¡¯s all. Besides, she would have already heard about my situation if she had heard about the rumors that are going around. I bet you were just keeping her clueless on purpose¡ªtry and deny it, I dare you.¡±


    Daneughed out loud upon hearing Juan¡¯s words.


    ¡°I just can¡¯t fool you, can I? You¡¯re right. I told her to stay here in the Magic Tower for a while, since I would have found you soon. But I did tell her that she was free to leave at any time she wanted. So, I guess it¡¯s really not fair of me to call her my ¡®gift¡¯ to you. But that¡¯s not the only gift I have prepared for you.¡±


    Dane pushed away, causing Sina¡¯s room to disappear. Then he scooped out something that was burning brightly from a deeper part of the dark, cold void. Dane used his staff almost as if he was fishing, and fished the object out from the void.


    Juan could feel the cold air around them disappearing in just an instant as soon as the item appeared before them¡ªit was a burning sword.


    ¡°It¡¯s Sutra,¡± Juan muttered.


    Sutra was one of the two weapons that Juan owned and used when he had been the emperor. It was a sword called Sutra. Its name had the meaning of ¡®the shame of the Gods.¡¯


    ¡°It sure is. It¡¯s been a while, hasn¡¯t it?¡±


    Sutra was a sword that Juan had made on his own with the power of his mes. Due to the fact that it was always covered in mes, no one else would dare to hold it.


    Juan recalled giving Sutra to the magicians as a reward for their help in stabilizing the empire after the formation of their alliance. Juan had tried to retrieve it for the war against the Crack, but he was stabbed by Elkiehl before he could do so. It seemed like Sutra had been stored inside the Magic Tower ever since then.


    ¡°I dide to the Magic Tower to retrieve Sutra,¡± Juan muttered as he watched Sutra which was burning fiercely. ¡°But it¡¯s not even funny that you are acting like you are giving me a gift, when the item you are giving me is already mine. That sword was made by me, and belongs to me. And you call it a ¡®gift?¡¯ Shame on you.¡±


    ¡°Come on, don¡¯t be like that. You know, I could have handed over Sutra to the Church, right? You would be really surprised if you knew just how eager the Church was to find Sutra. Do you even know how hard it has been for me to keep Sutra safe until now? Think about it. Telgramm, the spear you had when you died is currently stored in the Church as a ¡®holy item¡¯, but Sutra is here, right in front of you.¡±


    Dane tapped Sutra with his staff and sent it toward Juan.


    Juan stared at Sutra for a long time, then carefully grabbed its handle. But then, a sharp shock immediately swept over Juan. For a moment, he almost dropped Sutra¡ªbut he clenched his teeth and tightly held onto it. He could feel his knees bending against his will.


    Daneughed out loud.


    ¡°Sutra seems to be quite unfamiliar with its owner.¡±


    ¡°Damn it¡­ Shut up.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only natural that Sutra is pushing you away, since you made sure that no one else other than you would be able to use it. Your power right now is less than half as strong as it was when you had made Sutra, so you can only me yourself.¡±


    Juan clenched his teeth even harder and supported himself by pressing Sutra against the floor, causing it to begin to burn even more brightly and color the entire floor red. Juan felt as if his insides were bubbling and seething, but he was already used to the pain caused by heat.


    Dane smiled bitterly.


    ¡°Stop being so stubborn. You don¡¯t need to suffer unnecessarily¡ªjust ask for my help to¡­¡±


    At that moment, mes suddenly appeared around Juan¡¯s eyebrows.


    Dane quickly erased the smile on his face and looked at Juan with a stiff expression.


    The white mes which began to burn around Juan¡¯s head soon turned Dane¡¯s room so bright that it was impossible to even find a shadow anywhere.


    Before he knew it, Juan noticed that he was gradually feeling more and morefortable while holding Sutra. Eventually, he was able to stand uppletely on his two feet without having to rely on Sutra.


    <i>Stomp!</i>


    The moment Juan stomped his foot, the mes that were burning around his head quickly died down. However, the bright light that colored the room did not disappear. The bright white light was noting from the Sutra, but instead from Juan¡¯s head. It was so hot that even the stones on the floor melted down.


    ¡°I guess Sutra is ready to adapt to its new master,¡± Dane remarked.


    Juan exhaled a long breath and rubbed the sword with his hand. Almost as if it had never been burning, the bright light around Sutra disappeared in an instant and then it turned into an ordinary sword.


    Dane stared nkly at Juan, feeling both perplexed and excited at the same time.


    ¡°What, but how¡­ My goodness.¡±


    ¡°Why are you so surprised? Did you think that I¡¯d give in to your temptation?¡±


    ¡°I thought you would need a period of at least one month or even up to half a year to adjust. I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d be able to tame Sutra on the spot, just like that.¡±


    Dane seemed to be in a good mood even though his predictions were proven wrong.


    ¡°As expected. The real emperor is certainly a different breed,¡± Dane smiled.


    ¡°What do you mean? The real emperor?¡± Juan frowned.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing. One of the idiots who visited the Magic Tower a few days ago imed that he was ¡®the emperor.¡¯ It seemed like some insane Priest encouraged him to do so due to the rumors that had been circting these days. But then he ordered me to give Sutra to him.¡±


    Juan was dumbfounded upon hearing Dane¡¯s words, but soon was convinced. It was only natural for lunatics to appear when the world was chaotic. It was also understandable how Heretia managed to find him so easily; after all, there was a person impersonating him around here.


    ¡°So what did you do?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°What could I do when the Priest was being so stubborn? I showed Sutra¡¯s light to the Priest, who just held his eyes and ran away in a hurry. He then began to fool around by lighting up an ordinary metal sword on fire and calling it Sutra. I¡¯m sure that you can find him in the vige outside.¡±


    Dane¡¯s tone seemed to be encouraging Juan to check what was going on in the vige, but Juan had no intention of doing so. Juan felt that the lunatics would disappear on their own once he showed himself.


    ¡°Anyway. I can see that your progress is much faster than I expected, considering that you were able to tame Sutra so quickly,¡± Dane said with a smile.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°Huh? Oh, nothing.¡±


    Juan spun Sutra and swung it, trying to split the ck pond in half. The pond then burst into mes and was instantly instant in two halves. The mes then continued to burn, turning half the ck pond white.


    Dane¡¯s expression hardened upon seeing such a sight.


    ¡°Here¡¯s a warning. I don¡¯t like the fact that you¡¯re nning something behind my back. I¡¯m sure you know why.¡±


    ¡°...Because of Gerard? It¡¯s not my fault that Gerard stabbed you. As you know, I haven¡¯t even seen Gerard since he was just a baby.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not because of Gerard. I simply didn¡¯t like you from the very beginning. I only let you stay by my side because you were like my teacher and father. But I¡¯m sure I told you that all of that was over when you created Gerard without getting my permission or even informing me.¡±


    ¡°...Right,¡± Dane smiled bitterly and continued speaking. ¡°Alright. I understand that you don¡¯t like me; after all, it¡¯s true that I wasn¡¯t honest with you. Then, what are you going to do about the matter of forming an alliance with the Magic Tower? Do you intend to give up on getting our support?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®give up your support¡¯?¡± Juan frowned. ¡°Are you seriously asking me that question? Do you not realize what it means for the Magic Tower to not support me? Are the magicians nning to lose their tower and wander around the empire without ab for the rest of their lives, continuing their research by digging into some underground dungeon in the mountains? Are the magicians irrational enough to protect <i>you?</i>at all costs?¡±


    Juan stabbed Sutra into the ground and continued speaking.


    ¡°I originally came here for support. But I have changed my mind after encountering you¡ªI don¡¯t need the support of the magicians. I need their obedience.¡±


    ***


    Opert was waiting for Juan toe out of Dane Dormund¡¯s room. As soon as he saw Juan, he bowed to greet him.


    ¡°How did your meeting go, Your Majesty?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if Dane was satisfied, but I managed to get the result that I wanted.¡±


    Opert noticed the sword in Juan¡¯s hand, which he hadn¡¯t seen when Juan entered the room earlier. Opert had no idea what that sword was, so he tilted his head, wondering if Juan had received a gift from the master of the Magic Tower.


    ¡°Dane? Is that the master¡¯s name?¡±


    ¡°Yes. His name is Dane Dormund. He didn¡¯t tell you his name?¡±


    ¡°Nope. No one knows the master¡¯s name except for the elders. Everyone just called him master anyway. Oh! No, wait a second¡­ Dane Dormund¡­ isn¡¯t he that¡­ that famous Grand Magician¡­¡± Opert stuttered and tried to ask Juan more questions.


    However, at that moment, Heretia and Haild finally finished climbing up the stairs.


    Heretia was climbing up the stairs with her head down, an exhausted expression on her face. She looked like she could roll over at any time, but then she saw Juan¡¯s feet. Heretia helplessly raised her head, and muttered nkly upon seeing Juan¡¯s face.


    ¡°Is it over?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s over.¡±


    ¡°Do I have to go down the stairs now?¡±


    ¡°Go down the stairs.¡± Juan nodded expressionlessly.


    Heretia copsed on the stairs. She nkly stared up the ceiling, then stretched her arms toward Juan.


    ¡°I feel like my legs are about to fall off. Give me a piggyback.¡±


    Juan looked at Heretia as if she was pathetic, then sent a signal toward Haild.


    Haild walked down the stairs and stuck his back out to Heretia, who jumped on Haild¡¯s back without any hesitation.


    Juan inadvertently remembered the story of the fake emperor that Dane told him about. He wondered if Heretia came to look for him after hearing such rumors.


    ¡°Heretia. What¡¯s the rumor about the emperor¡¯s return?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°Huh? Oh¡­ There are rumors that crows fly around, making a fuss about the return of the emperor. There are also rumors that a dragon has been found in the eastern territory, and that Sutra has appeared once again. Oh, there¡¯s also a rumor about Gerard Gain and General Nienna Nelben fighting in the presence of the Northern Army. Then there''s also another rumor saying that a prophet has already found the emperor and is fathering the followers. And all these rumors are known to be reasonable. Isn¡¯t that quite unbelievable?¡±


    ¡°How did you know which rumors were real and which were not?¡±


    ¡°By collecting consistent information. But due to the current situation being as it is, a lot of lunatics who im to be the emperor have appeared. That¡¯s nothing new though. I had a feeling that you were most likely to be around this area, but then the information about your whereabouts was conflicting, pointing in two directions.¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®so?¡¯ When I heard that the emperor was wandering around with a Priest, I immediately concluded that he was fake. I¡¯ve always believed that His Majesty who is sitting on the Eternal Throne would stand up and crush the heads of the bastards from the Church if he were to ever encounter them.¡±


    ¡°Very reasonable,¡± Juan nodded.


    Facts and false information were mixed, but Heretia had moved ording to her intuition. Of course, it was hard to expect such a level of intuition from the others.


    Juan already expected that there would be a group of people who would abuse the deration of his return, but he had not expected anyone to be bold enough to im themselves to be the emperor. He couldn¡¯t understand why anyone would do that, since such an action would only turn both the Church and Juan into their enemies.


    ¡®<i>No. Perhaps it was organized by the Church, considering that a Priest was involved.</i>¡¯


    The Church could easily shake the situation if they moved faster than Juan. He thought that the matter of the fake emperor should not be taken too lightly.


    ***


    Half the ck pond was still white, and Dane silently stared at the sight. Little stars were burning inside the ck pond, and one of thes that was engulfed in white mes was turning distorted and letting out a terrible scream. Then, the soon became silent.


    There was nothing that Dane Dormund could do about the mes which covered half of the ¡®universe¡¯. Even thes in the ck part of the pond dried up in the face of the light.


    Dane ced his staff inside the white part of the pond. The stave then dyed the surroundings ck, almost as if he had dropped ink into the pond. Soon, the stars that had be silent were revealed. Dane then stirred the entire pond for a long time as if he was stirring a pot of porridge, and the universe which had been burning due to a sudden disaster soon began to be purified.


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    A voice was heard from behind Dane.


    But Dane ignored the voice and remained silent.


    The mane came closer to Dane, almost as if he was anxious.


    ¡°Master Dane Dormund. Everyone is asking about him.¡±


    ¡°Stop.¡±

 Chapter 143 – Fakes (1)

    <h4>Chapter 143 ¨C Fakes (1)</h4>


    The man flinched and ground to a halt when he found a line in front of his feet that seemed to have been drawn with ink¡ªit was the ck line that Dane had drawn earlier while blocking Juan earlier.


    ¡°Be careful if you don¡¯t want to end up losing your feet.¡±


    ¡°...There are many people waiting for Master Dane Dormund¡¯s decision. Can you tell me a little bit in advance?¡±


    Dane turned his head toward the man.


    The man looked into Dane¡¯s eyes and flinched as he bowed his head. Dane¡¯s eyes which seemed to have the experience of hundreds of years but ironically had the appearance of a child¡¯s eyes, gave an odd feeling that made it difficult for one to look at him recklessly.


    ¡°What is it that you want to know?¡±


    ¡°...Master, you already know what I want to know. Has the emperor really returned? After all, Aruntal¡¯s fate is at stake here.¡±


    Dane was silent for a moment. He shuddered in front of Juan and admired his potential. The possibility of Juan taking over the capital was close to one hundred percent. Although Barth Baltic was quite strong, it wasn¡¯t important to figure out who was stronger¡ªand that was why Dane thought that Juan wasn¡¯t ready yet.


    Dane spat out a reply.


    ¡°He is broken. He is no longer the emperor.¡±


    The man opened his eyes wide and looked at Dane, who continued to speak.


    ¡°I must make a new one.¡±


    ***


    <i>Gallop! Gallop! Gallop!</i>


    The horses covered in heavy armor trampled on the ground vigorously.


    Freaked out by the Temrs crossing the middle of the boulevard, people quickly stepped aside. They wondered why the Temrs were moving so hastily. They grew even more perplexed when they saw the two gs at the front.


    ¡®<i>Two knight orders moving together at once¡­ are they nning to go to war?</i>¡¯


    Dembel, the captain of the Order of the White Lotus, rode on his horse fiercely.


    Lianna, the captain of the Order of the ck Lotus, who was riding her horse right beside Dembelughed a silentugh through her tongueless mouth and pped the thigh of Dembel¡¯s horse with her sheath.


    Dembel¡¯s horse stumbled in surprise and almost dropped Dembel, but Dembel managed to calm it down.


    ¡°Damn it! I told you we need to hear them out and not kill them right away!¡± Dembel shouted.


    [We can kill them first and askter on if they are still alive.]


    ¡°What kind of nonsense are you spouting!¡±


    [Move faster if you don¡¯t want that to happen.]


    Even though it shouldn¡¯t be possible, Dembel felt as if he was hearing Lianna¡¯sughter.


    Dembel and Lianna¡¯s race began shortly after finding the whereabouts of the self-proimed emperor¡ªthis type of forceful rapid march would have been impossible if they were ordinary knights.


    The Order of the White Lotus restored the horses¡¯ physical strength by using Grace, and they even endured their bodily desires like hunger and the need to excrete by overusing their Grace. However, despite their efforts, they were only barely able to keep up with the Order of the ck Lotus.


    Soon after the Temrs crossed a hill, a huge structure caught their eyes.


    It was the ancient Magic Tower, which was tilted at an angle.


    ***


    [How can you be so certain that he¡¯s a fake emperor, Your Holiness?]


    Lianna asked the Pope early in the morning, before the Saintess and the Pope appointed the two knight orders to investigate.


    There were only two reasons why Lianna could directly ask the Pope such a question. First, she was crazy. Second, she never gave the Pope any room to doubt her loyalty.


    Helmut felt quite ufortable upon hearing Lianna¡¯s question, but he still opened his mouth to answer. Helmut was somewhat generous due to being intoxicated by the new incense that the Earl of Illde had gifted him.


    ¡°You¡­ no, most of the Temrs have never seen the way His Majesty ruled the empire.¡±


    The Temrs were only created by the Church after the beginning of Eternal Rule. Originally, most of them consisted of knights of the Imperial Army as well as retired Imperial Guards, but their positions were soon mostly upied by orphans raised in the Church.


    The Church, which had only Bishops and Priests who had been granted a share of His Majesty¡¯s Grace, grew into another small empire within the empire, with the Temrs acting as the physical power and the protectors of this small empire.


    As the Temrs¡¯ authority grew greater and greater, reaching the peak, even children with parents were sent to the Church¡¯s orphanage if they were deemed to be talented.


    Due to these reasons, most of the Temrs were under the age of forty even if they were old.


    ¡°I remember the time when His Majesty ruled, as well as the time when the gods were still walking on thisnd. At that time, humans weren''t the owners of thisnd¡ªthey existed only as minor states or tribes in the mountains and valleys, and were in a position to be exploited by other races,¡± Helmut exined.


    [I can¡¯t even imagine.]


    ¡°Of course you can¡¯t. If you look at the different races within the empire now¡­ At that time, each race had gods who protected them and blessed them, allowing them to enjoy many benefits. The elves were blessed with an almost eternal life and had the grace of the spirits under the care of Iolin, while the Arles were granted enough strength to jump over the mountains and pull out trees by drinking the blood of Arleyahir¡­ and there were many more. Well, it¡¯s all gone now.¡±


    Lianna somehow felt like someone had tickled her ears when she heard the names of the now old and unfamiliar gods who were now dead or missing.


    On the other hand, such names flowed out of Helmut¡¯s mouth as if he was quite familiar with them.


    ¡°Now, the number of different types of races has decreased considerably, but back then, there were dozens of times the number of races that exist today. Humans had no power among those races¡ªthey didn¡¯t even have gods to bless them, protect them or look over them. In other words, humans didn¡¯t even have gods they could pray to if things went wrong. They were treated as just some trifles or ves.¡± Helmut smiled with his hand on his head. ¡°Oh, of course, there were some ¡®good¡¯ races¡ªlike the elves. They had overwhelming power and the blessing of eternal life, so they were able to afford the generosity of not trampling us crawling trifles. But as soon as they realized that they wouldn¡¯t gain anything by doing that, they betrayed us.¡±


    Helmut lifted the ss of alcohol and took a sip before continuing.


    ¡°At the time, I was¡­ on the very bottom of the food chain. No matter how poorly humans were treated back then, kings and nobles still existed among us at that time. However, I was born a ve child.¡±


    Lianna was unperturbed even after hearing about Helmut¡¯s origin. There were many rumors about Helmut, but no one exactly knew of his past nor mentioned it because there were many cases where they disappeared without a sound after carelessly speaking about his past.


    ¡°There were human parents above me, a human master above them, and an Arle master above him. Think about how miserable that life of mine would have been. Of course, I¡¯ve never even seen my parents. There was only a ve who was in charge of breastfeeding me. When I was about six years old, I was sent to the mine to work even though I was smaller than other children of the same age.¡±


    Helmut giggled, almost as if he was having fun talking about his childhood.


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know how to exin that feeling in words. While I did not crawl through the mine on all fours like a baby, more often than not I was literally wriggling around like a bug in the ground, just trying to scratch the rocks and dig into the soil. When it was time toe out of the mines, I had to either push myself on my own or someone would pull the string tied to my ankle from outside the mine. What would happen if the mines copsed? Obviously, we would just die. They treated me more like a trifling worm than a human being. There were hundreds of such ¡®worms¡¯ in the mine. That¡¯s how humans were treated back then.¡±


    Lianna did not answer.


    For a while, Helmut stared at the ceiling with heavy eyes, then suddenly opened his mouth again.


    ¡°Then His Majesty appeared.¡± Helmut smiled. ¡°Think about it, Lianna. A child who considered himself nothing more than a worm heard about a human who tore down the gods and exterminated other races while forming an army only for the sake of humans. How do you think I would have felt? I thought what I heard was a lie, since there were all kinds of delusional rumors being talked about amongst the ves.¡±


    [It is also mentioned in the catechism that many people suspected the birth of His Majesty.]


    ¡°I tried not to pay attention to the rumors, since I was living in a world where the only thing you would get for being hopeful was pain. Yes¡­ But that was only until His Majesty appeared before me to kill our masters who were whipping us and freed us ves.¡±


    Helmut still couldn¡¯t forget that moment. At the time, the human who was their master was rushing to pack something, while the Arle who owned him was scolding him. They weren¡¯t even preparing the ves to send them into the mines.


    Something strange was going on.


    But before they could flee, His Majesty arrived there with eyes burning like the sun and fists that were like giant trees.


    ¡°Praise His Majesty,¡± Helmut quietly muttered. ¡°Just like that, His Majesty showed me the light when I was stuck in the darkness and brought us warmth. I was nothing but a bug digging through the soil, but His Majesty turned me into a human. Since then, I believe that he is the ¡®god of humans¡¯ without a doubt.¡±


    Helmut¡¯s voice trembled gently with excitement and agitation. He continued on without stopping.


    ¡°Of course, I begged to follow His Majesty¡ªbut His Majesty said that I was still too young to do so. Many ¡®worms¡¯, including myself, were left with some adults and were ordered to move to a safe ce. But, the very first thing we did¡­ was to tear apart our human master.¡±


    [Did His Majesty spare his life?]


    ¡°He did, but only because that man knelt down and bowed his head while begging for forgiveness. His Majesty knew that he, too, was a victim of the system. Most importantly, he was a human as well. But I and all the others felt that he was more disgusting than anybody.¡±


    [So what did you do after that?]


    ¡°We went to the safe ce that His Majesty told us to go to. But I couldn¡¯t wait until I became an adult to join His Majesty¡¯s army. So I¡­ created a special army¡ªan army that could punish the kindred races. An army that His Majesty wouldpliment for its bravery and dly ept as his soldiers.¡±


    Helmut remained silent for a moment. He spent a long time in silence before muttering in a slightly subdued voice.


    ¡°We wanted to prove our loyalty to His Majesty by any means. I don¡¯t think what I did was simply a stupid thing I did due to being young, considering everything they had done to us first.¡±


    Helmut got up from the sofa and looked at Lianna, who was still on her knees, waiting for his next words.


    ¡°You see? His Majesty did not give superior power to humans, but blessed them by bringing all the other races down to the same level as humans. Without His Majesty, humans would have remained a race no better than bugs or even worse. After all, humans were nothing but imperfect, weak, and trifling bugs. Humans needed His Majesty. And because of that¡­¡±


    Helmut suddenly closed his mouth.


    Lianna was concerned about the way he suddenly stopped talking, but she didn¡¯t ask further questions.


    Then, Helmut clenched his fist and opened his mouth.


    ¡°I¡¯ve talked too much. There are a lot of weird things going on these days that are bothering me.¡±


    [I¡¯ll get going now. Please make yourselffortable.]


    ¡°All right. You may go.¡±


    Lianna stood up and walked out of Helmut¡¯s office. Just before she closed the door, Helmut¡¯s voice rang out.


    ¡°Lianna, only His Majesty who sits on the Eternal Throne is the real emperor. Keep in mind that there will be no other emperors other than His Majesty who sits on the Eternal Throne.¡±


    ***


    Suddenly, Juan turned his head. Heretia followed his gaze and looked out of the window, but it didn¡¯t seem like Juan was simply enjoying the view outside the Magic Tower.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Heretia asked while hanging from Haild¡¯s back.


    ¡°The Temrs areing,¡± Juan answered.


    ¡°The Temrs? Yikes, they got here faster than I expected. I guess it¡¯s only natural for the Church to be able to find you since even I was able to find you on my own¡ªnot to mention that the rumors about the fake emperor are getting more and more famous. But what are they going to do at the Magic Tower?¡±


    ¡°I feel like there were people who said simr things back in Hiveden too.¡±


    ¡°Hiveden is not your standard medium-sized city. On the other hand, the Magic Tower is well respected by people¡­ well, I guess that part is quite controversial. But it still has a long history with many dangerous people residing inside it. The reason why the Magic Tower obeys the magic ban enacted by the Church is due to the fact that the Church doesn¡¯t directly bother the Magic Tower.¡±


    Juan nodded his head.


    The Magic Tower had always been that way. The Magic Tower never paid much attention to humans even when humans were being persecuted, and they only decided to help out when humanity was on the verge of extermination. It was very much like the magicians to lock themselves up in a small room to study instead of entering political confrontations or struggling for freedom.


    But once the magicians decided to take action, it would be a piece of cake for them to deal with the Temrs, even with just Dane Dormund.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think they are going for the Magic Tower.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait. After all, we are the guests here.¡±


    Juan began to climb down the stairs again. Just as Heretia had said, there was no need for them to hurry just to run into the Temrs.


    Juan felt that now was the perfect time for the Temrs to visit. This was the first knight order that Juan would encounter after dering his return.


    And from the looks of it, the seeds he had scattered were wriggling throughout the empire, ready to spout.


    Juan thought that it would be good to bring them all together.

 Chapter 144 – Fakes (2)

    <h4>Chapter 144 ¨C Fakes (2)</h4>


    Lianna and Dembel roamed around, trying to find a ce to stay instead of entering the vige near the Magic Tower. The Magic Tower had been obeying the Church¡¯s demands, but the way all the individual magicians felt toward the Church was a different matter.


    In fact, some of the magicians often became illegal magicians at the cost of leaving the Magic Tower.


    There was no need for Lianna and Dembel to enter the vige and unnecessarily get on the bad side of the Magic Tower.


    ¡°It¡¯s quite hard to find a particr entrance to block, since it¡¯s an open wilderness everywhere around here.¡±


    [Should we set up a campsite or something?]


    ¡°If the person who ims himself to be the emperor has allied himself with the Magic Tower just like we were worried, then it''s likely that they will be staying inside the Magic Tower. Don¡¯t you think it would be better for us to increase surveince to make sure that they don¡¯t leave the tower, spread out and infiltrate inside?¡±


    [You¡¯re being very passive; that¡¯s not like you at all. Are you usually this timid when you hunt monsters too?]


    ¡°Monsters aren¡¯t political beings. Why don¡¯t you try considering the web of political matters that is connected with our duty for at least a single second? I don¡¯t see you going inside the Magic Tower either.¡±


    [I will, but at night. I¡¯ll suddenly appear in front of him in the middle of the night¡­ and ask him about his identity.]


    ¡°Perfect n to get yourself stabbed.¡±


    [I¡¯ll have the time to hear his answer if I get lucky enough.]


    ¡°Lianna.¡±


    Dembel grabbed Lianna by the arm, causing her to look back at him in wonder.


    ¡°Please take your time and seriously think about this. The opponent may or may not be His Majesty himself. We need to assume and act while considering both scenarios. If he really is His Majesty, you would basically bemitting suicide. If he isn¡¯t His Majesty, then both of us have to work together and get rid of him. That¡¯s why His Holiness and the Saintess have sent us together.¡±


    [You think too much, Dembel,] Lianna giggled soundlessly and moved her hand. [His Holiness has always told us that ¡®His Majesty wants simple faith.¡¯ If His Majesty has really returned, why did he show up as two emperors, testing our faith?]


    ¡°Who are we to ever think we know of His Majesty¡¯s will¡­¡±


    [Don¡¯t think too hard. The answer is simple. One of the two is fake: either His Majesty at the capital or His Majesty near here.]


    Dembel remained silent.


    [You bet on this side, and I¡¯ll bet on that side. Then at least one of us will live, don¡¯t you think?]


    ¡°Then at least let me check his identity first.¡±


    [What? What do you mean?]


    ¡°I mean that I¡¯ll meet him before you do. It won¡¯t be toote even if we have to fight him after that, right? I¡¯d feel ufortable having a conversation with him after whatever fuss you make anyway.¡±


    Lianna stared at Dembel. It was unknown as to whether or not the opponent was the real emperor, and he was known to be hostile toward the Church. No one knew what he would do as soon as he encountered one of the Temrs. Considering all that, Lianna thought that it would be better to ambush the opponent in a hurry¡ªespecially for a fool like Dembel.


    Lianna remained silent for a while, then slowly moved her hand.


    [Do as you please.]


    Lianna sent out a fist as soon as Dembel rejoiced at her answer. The moment Dembel flinched, Lianna opened her fist in front of his nose. Inside her hand hung a small rosary which had a small essory with the figure of a strange monster attached to it.


    Dembel¡¯s expression hardened when he saw the monster.


    [His Holiness made sure to prepare everything to perfection. I don''t know if the Saintess has done so as well¡ªso my advice is to run away as soon as you think it¡¯s going to get dangerous. Or make the opponent prove himself to be the emperor.]


    ¡°Lianna, You¡­ if you use something like that in the Magic Tower¡­¡±


    [Everyone will die, yes. But wouldn¡¯t that be better than the whole empire being engulfed in a sea of mes?]


    ***


    Lianna disappeared somewhere as soon as the sun went down.


    Meanwhile, Dembel entered the vige with only three other Temrs. They had hoods covering their faces. While they still had their armors on, only the bare minimum equipment could be seen.


    For pilgrims who were traveling along His Majesty¡¯s footsteps, the Magic Tower was a must-visit ce. For this reason, Dembel and the other Temrs wearing a hood didn¡¯t seem particrly out of ce.


    In fact, it was both an advantage and a disadvantage, since it would be hard to track down the stranger who had visited the Magic Tower recently.


    ¡®<i>It was said that he was gathering followers somewhere in the vige near the Magic Tower.</i>¡¯


    The Church was already actively collecting information on the returning emperor. There was a lot of unbelievable and ridiculous information, but the most reasonable one was the rumor about the man wandering around this vige.


    This rumor was consistent with the sightings reported by Hiveden and the Fourth Division, which were known to provide reliable information. Besides, there were more than enough reasons for the returning emperor to visit the Magic Tower.


    ¡®<i>If you really are His Majesty, why won¡¯t you go and look for your servants¡­</i>¡¯


    Dembel muttered to himself, but he already knew the answer.


    Amidst all the internal conflict of the Church, as well as the amount of fuss the people were making regarding the rumor that the emperor would be returning, hardly anyone would want to deal with them.


    Dembel didn¡¯t want to make any mistakes. He wanted to believe that the rumor was true as much as possible, especially because of the fact that Lianna was nning to take some extreme measures.


    ¡°Captain, it¡¯s somewhere around here,¡± one of the Temrs whispered in Dembel¡¯s ear.


    Dembel could see a huge mansion over the big wall. It was in the middle of the night, but the lights inside brightened the surroundings everywhere. Seeing that it was still quiet around the mansion, Dembel figured that he had arrived earlier than Lianna.


    ¡°Should we enter through the front door? I¡¯m sure they would wee us if we prove that we are servants who serve His Majesty.¡±


    Each knight order was strongly influenced by the thoughts of their captain, and Dembel noticed that his Temrs were thinking in the same direction as him. Dembel also had a strong desire to be recognized and acknowledged by His Majesty, but refrained himself as much as possible.


    ¡°We are not sure who the opponent is yet. Let''s look around for a little longer.¡±


    Dembele started moving. However, it wasn¡¯t long before he stopped walking upon seeing a stranger standing in their way. Dembel was about to anxiously draw his sword, but simply ced his hand on the handle instead, just in case the person in front of him might be His Majesty.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Dembel asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s my question. Who are you people?¡±


    The face of the opponent, who was dressed simply, was hard to see due to it being quite dark in the alley. However, the opponent¡¯s dominating aura itself told Dembel that he was no ordinary person. Dembel inadvertently saw a sword hanging at his opponent¡¯s waist. Then it urred to him that the opponent might be another Temr who was performing individual duties, just like themselves.


    ¡°I am Dembel Dorkmel, the captain of the Order of the White Lotus. Are you a Temr?¡±


    There was no answer from the opponent. The opponent seemed to be hesitant to answer rather than refusing to answer, so Dembel decided to pressure his opponent a little more.


    ¡°We are carrying out the orders of His Holiness the Pope. If you interrupt our duties, I will treat that as you betraying the Church.¡±


    Only then did the opponent slowly step out of the alley. The bright light that lit up the mansion shone on her golden hair and blue eyes. Arge burn scar covering her left eye was also clearly revealed under the light.


    ¡°...I am Sina Solvane from the Order of the Blue Rose. What are the Temrs doing here?¡±


    Dembel and the Temrs exchanged puzzled nces. If she was from the Order of the Blue Rose, it was highly likely that she was an ordinary knight from the outskirts of the empire that none of them had even heard the name of. Nevertheless, the energy she gave off was enough to mistake her as the captain of a knight order led by Temrs.


    ¡°What is your rtionship with¡­ the emperor?¡± Dembel asked carefully.


    Sina frowned upon hearing his question.


    ¡°Juan?¡±


    The Temrs became agitated for a short moment.


    ¡®How dare she mention His Majesty¡¯s name just like that?¡¯


    It could be that she was referring to someone else with the same name, but it was clear that the name referred to the emperor, given the situation they were in.


    So, Dembel¡¯s expression hardened.


    ¡°Oh, excuse me. I have my reasons,¡± Sina answered quickly as if she was making an excuse.


    Dembel raised his eyebrows but decided to ept her apology.


    ¡°We are looking into the rumors about the return of the emperor. Is that what you are up to as well?¡±


    ¡°I guess you could say that. In fact, I don¡¯t know too much about the rumors, since I had been wandering around the remote areas for a while and then had been inside the Magic Tower. But I came out in a hurry to find out about the return of Juan¡ªno, His Majesty,¡± Sina said as she turned her gaze toward the mansion that Dembel and the Temrs were looking around. ¡°Is His Majesty inside this mansion?¡±


    ¡°...We are in the middle of checking.¡±


    Sina and Dembel exchanged intense nces, as if they were trying to figure out the other¡¯s intentions.


    However, their goals were the same and the amount of information they had was also simr.


    Dembel was the one who opened his mouth first.


    ¡°Then I guess there¡¯s only one way to find out. I have no choice but to meet His Majesty in person.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes. You¡¯ll be able to tell right away.¡±


    ¡°We will be able to tell right away? Are the signs that clear? I mean, I guess it would rather be strange if no one could tell his identity when he gives off such an extraordinary aura. That must mean¡­ Hmm. Has His Majesty really returned¡­?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ that¡¯s not really what I meant¡­ but I suppose it doesn¡¯t matter. I hope you will be able to acknowledge him.¡±


    ***


    There was a shadow hanging over the outer wall of the Magic Tower.


    Lianna moved quickly using the darkness caused by the tiled Magic Tower. It was quite steep, but Lianna and the Temrs were moving at a speed simr to that of running. At the same time, they only made a barely audible tapping sound.


    The knights from the Order of the ck Lotus looked more like wolves with spider legs made of darkness rather than humans. Some people regarded their appearance as profane and misunderstood them to be users of dark magic, but it was actually a kind of a Grace.


    The one that serves closest to the light is often a shadow. When the light gets brighter, the shadow gets darker. The Order of the ck Lotus had served the Church as its most faithful servant for a long time. Not only did their strength and speed improve when they assumed the form of a shadow, but ordinary people could be mesmerized by them with just a simple eye contact with them.


    It was almost impossible to find them in the dark, but even if one did, meeting a knight from the Order of the ck Lotus only meant death. Thus, the secret of the Order of the ck Lotus continued to remain safe, and the only thing that remained was a pile of corpses that seemed to have been torn apart by beasts.


    [Stop.]


    Lianna, who was crawling with her nails stabbed into the outer wall, sent a signal to the Temrs, causing the other Temrs to stop moving instantly. Lianna looked into the window next to her; she could hear the loud voices of a young man and a woman who were talking inside.


    Lianna and Dembel had about the same amount of information regarding the return of the emperor. Neither of the two knew what he looked like, where he was within the Magic tower, or even whether or not he was actually in the Magic Tower.


    Lianna had a hunch that he was inside the Magic Tower rather than the vige, and something that stimted her senses was happening inside the window she was looking at; Lianna¡¯s senses were sharpened to the extreme level when she assumed the form of a shadow.


    Lianna stretched her neck and looked inside the window.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the emperor?¡± a woman with long straight red hair asked while leaning leisurely against a chair.


    Lianna¡¯s expression hardened upon recognizing who the woman was. The owner of the voice was Heretia, a famous noble who was active in the empire¡¯s politics and was known for her rebellious nature toward the Church in the holy city of Torra.


    The fact that Heretia was at the Magic Tower was surprising enough, but what was more surprising than that were the words that wereing out of her mouth.


    ¡®<i>Did she just say the emperor?</i>¡¯


    ¡°Lady Heretia. Please refrain yourself from referring to His Majesty like that. There is a possibility that other people might misunderstand and¡­¡±


    Lianna turned her gaze toward the owner of the other voice¡ªit was a strange-looking man with bandages all over his face. Lianna couldn¡¯t tell who he was, but he gave off a gruesome energy.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid, Haild. Of course I¡¯m not going to refer to him like that in public. I¡¯m only calling him that because we all know each other here. Go ahead and set up a formal asion and try to test me. You won¡¯t be able to find someone who¡¯s more polite toward the emperor than me.¡±


    The woman next to Heretia chuckled as Heretia grumbled.


    ¡°¡®Tis rather interesting how humans are obsessed with honorifics and convoluted oration. My, would those be of such momentous importance? ¡®Tis the wish of the emperor that all who are human be thus honored. He himself cared little about such trifles, so why must those around him trouble themselves?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes, Dame Dragon. Great people don¡¯t have to try so hard since people already know how great they are, but for ordinary humans, they desire to make sure that they are in a higher position than others by iming that they are better.¡±


    Lianna was even more shocked upon hearing Heretia¡¯s sarcastic words.


    ¡®<i>Did¡­ she say a dragon?</i>¡¯


    Only then did Lianna take another look at the man with bandages wrapped around his face. The dragons were originally situated in the east, and the east had been heavily encroached upon by the Crack. Lianna realized that the gruesome energy she was feeling from the man was none other than the aura of the Crack.


    A rebel against the Church, a man who had been encroached upon by the Crack, and a dragon, the official Evil Beast of the empire, were talking about meeting the returning emperor so casually.


    Lianna thought that she had to hurry up and let Dembel know about what she found out. She had no idea where the returning emperor was, but she either had to stop him before he ran into Dembel, or at least stop Dembel from fighting against him.


    However, due to her anxiousness, Lianna made a mistake before she even knew it.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    The first person to react was Haild. As soon as he felt something suspicious, he immediately drew out Elkiehl and stabbed it into the wall. Elkiehl passed through the wall of the Magic Tower as if it was made of soft tofu, and then it prated into one side of Lianna¡¯s arm which was made of shadow.


    Most weapons wouldn¡¯t even be able to leave a scratch on Lianna, but her arm started disappearing without a trace as soon as Elkiehl touched her. As more and more of her arm continued to disappear around the affected area, Lianna quickly cut off her own arm. However, she still had seven shadow arms left.


    ¡°Who is it!?¡±


    Ignoring Haild¡¯s shout, Lianna sent instructions to the other Temrs.


    [Kill them all.]


    Lianna couldn¡¯t waste a single second. Lianna left the rest to the Temrs and quickly climbed down the outer wall of the Magic Tower.

 Chapter 145 – Fakes (3)

    <h4>Chapter 145 ¨C Fakes (3)</h4>


    ¡°But what have we done for His Majesty in return? Two of the four children he adopted ended up betraying him. Even the colleagues who His Majesty had trusted all his life were blinded by greed and betrayed His Majesty!¡±


    The sound of someone giving a speech in a loud voice was heard as soon as Sina and Dembel stepped into the mansion. A Priest was passionately giving a speech on the tform, and the pilgrims who visited the Magic Tower were intently listening to the speech.


    Sina and Dembel were wearing hoods to cover their faces, looking just like the other ordinary pilgrims.


    ¡°The reason why His Majesty sat on the Eternal Throne all this time and remained silent was not that he was injured. It is because His Majesty was disappointed in us humans! It is because he was tired of endless doubt, ignorance, and greed! Look at what¡¯s happening even now¡ªthe old vicious groups from the past are once again trying to take control of the empire in the absence of His Majesty!¡±


    People responded enthusiastically and recited the emperor¡¯s name every time the Priest rebuked the folly of humans in a loud voice.


    ¡°Heretics, different races, and the outsiders among us are dividing up the empire even at this very moment! And who is in the center of all that? Barth Baltic! Ladies and gentlemen, can you believe this? It is neither His Majesty nor His Holiness that has the most amount of authority in the empire, but it is the Hornsluine race¡¯s Barth Baltic! They have taken over the power of the empire from behind and are now enving us poormoners!¡±


    Dembel smiled bitterly and opened his mouth.


    ¡°I feel like I¡¯m at one of those revival assemblies.¡±


    ¡°Is this the atmosphere of the revival assemblies in the capital?¡± Sina asked.


    ¡°This is definitely a little more intense. At least no one in the capital is brave enough to openly curse the Regent.¡±


    The pilgrims shouted and screamed out curses as if they were excited when Barth Baltic¡¯s name came out of the Priest¡¯s mouth. The Priest didn¡¯t stop them¡ªinstead, he even gave them time to curse all they wanted and the sound of curses died down. It was almost as if he was enjoying their reaction.


    ¡°Heretics, heterogeneous races, and the outsiders have stolen away our jobs, our money, and our power. And now they are conspiring to take the Church down as well! Their authority is too powerful. Do you know even a single person who can stand up to Barth Baltic? No one! Not even any of the Temrs could ever stand up to him!¡±


    Dembel seemed a little offended upon hearing the Priest¡¯s speech, but still continued to listen to him in silence.


    ¡°It seems like I havee to the wrong ce. There¡¯s no way that His Majesty would tolerate words like those,¡± Sina said as she shook her head in disappointment.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hear him out for a little while longer. It is true that Barth Baltic has even more power than the Church.¡±


    Sina looked at Dembel as if she was dumbfounded.


    ¡°Do you actually believe the ridiculous rumor that a heterogeneous race is controlling the empire?¡±


    ¡°The Regent is a member of a heterogeneous race, and I heard that the Order of the Capital often appoints knights from the heterogeneous race¡ªand it¡¯s not like they pick them from some publicly recognized knight school. Barth Baltic is only acting ording to his own whims. He is obviously very suspicious from the perspective of the Church.¡±


    Sina wanted to tell Dembel that this was because Barth Baltic picked people based solely on their talent rather than their status as a noble or based on background. Pavan Peltere, the captain of the Order of the Capital, was an orphan from the eastern territory that was famous for being alienated from the empire.


    On the other hand, while Sina was from a knight school, knight schools were usually more focused on the Church¡¯s brainwashing lectures rather than swordsmanship.


    The pilgrims booed negatively when the Priest said that no one could stand up to Barth Baltic, almost as if they were disappointed. But then, the Priest smiled and waved his hand in a rxed manner.


    ¡°But that arrogant man won¡¯t be able tost forever. Thisnd belongs to us humans! This is the empire made for humans. This is thend His Majesty, the god of humans, founded and blessed! Now, Barth Baltic must be shivering in fear in a corner of his room!¡± the Priest cried as he mmed the tform. ¡°Because His Majesty the emperor has imed that he will return!¡±


    The people cheered loudly and pped.


    Then Sina saw Dembel clenching his fist in agreement. Sina found the situation ridiculous, but she inadvertently thought that she, too, would have also been excited by such a speech only a few months ago.


    The things she went through after encountering Juan had changed herpletely.


    ¡°His Majesty will kick that horned monkey out from the empire and clean up the holy city of Torra! He will establish a pure empire for pure humans to rule in peace for the uing thousand years!¡±


    The cheers of the people reached an all-time high. Dembel raised his hands to p without even realizing he had done so, but made an embarrassed expression when he felt Sina¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°What? He is saying that His Majesty will return to build and for us humans. That¡¯s not a bad speech,¡± Dembel said.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s pure arrogance to think that humanity has the right to deserve all that. Was it Barth Baltic that stabbed His Majesty? No. It was Gerard Gain.¡±


    Dembel was speechless.


    The cheers surrounding the tform grew even louder, and people began to chant the emperor¡¯s name.


    ¡°Great and mighty Kennosis! Please save us!¡±


    ¡°Great Juan Kennosis! Please save the empire!¡±


    Dembel and Sina stopped and looked at the Priest¡¯s reaction. The Priest waved his hands up and down with a solemn expression as if he was trying to further excite the people. People called out the emperor¡¯s name much louder and even more earnestly upon seeing the Priest¡¯s actions.


    Finally, when the sound of the people¡¯s chanting couldn¡¯t get any louder, the door to the balcony on the second floor of the mansion opened and a bright light began to burn.


    ¡°There¡¯s Sutra! That¡¯s the light of the one and only Sutra!¡± someone from the crowd shouted.


    Sina looked up at the terrace with a stiff face.


    As people watched while holding their breath, a person soon showed himself from behind the railing.


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    The whole ce fell silent. While everyone was feeling shocked, someone fell to their knees.


    ¡°His Majesty.¡±


    ¡°His Majesty has returned.¡±


    ¡°His Majesty¡­¡±


    Sina silently stared at the man standing behind the railing.


    The man who was holding onto a burning sword in his hand quietly looked down at the people in the yard without saying anything. The mysterious silence made people kneel down.


    Sina turned her gaze toward Dembel, and found his face slowly turning pale.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that you¡¯re¡­¡±


    ¡°He looks exactly like His Majesty¡­ doesn¡¯t he?¡± Dembel asked in a trembling voice.


    Sina realized why the man standing behind the railing was particrly eye-catchingpared to the other lunatics and how he was able to get a Priest on his side. The man standing on the second floor of the terrace looked exactly like the portrait of the emperor.


    He had blonde hair, pale skin, a shaggy beard and sharp eyes¡ªhe looked exactly like the portrait of His Majesty illustrated on the first page of the Church¡¯s scriptures.


    ¡°...I mean, I am also a bit surprised to see what he looks like. But the portrait of His Majesty¡¯s face could be exaggerated and the subjectivity of the artist is very much included. Besides, a lot of people have said that the portrait looked more like the artist rather than the emperor. Above all, the artist didn''t actually draw that portrait while looking at His Majesty¡¯s face. It¡¯s even thirty years old.¡±


    ¡°Well, it is said that His Majesty appeared in the artist¡¯s dream and walked into the canvas himself. Even I hadn¡¯t expected the portrait to look exactly like His Majesty until now. But he is¡­¡±


    Dembel looked like he waspletely possessed. Sina felt frustrated, but it was only natural for people to be agitated; the man looked like he had walked straight out of the Church¡¯s scriptures. Sina could understand why even the Priest took the lead to praise him.


    At that moment, the man standing on the terrace opened his mouth.


    ¡°I speak in the name of Juan Calberg Kennosis.¡±


    ¡®<i>Oh my goodness, Juan.</i>¡¯


    Sina touched her head with her hand. Sina, who knew exactly what Juan was like due to the months she had spent with him, felt like leaving this ce right away.


    ¡°I, Juan Calberg Kennosis, am recruiting a volunteer army to drive out the evil ethnic groups! Unite, humans!¡±


    ***


    The only reason why Sina didn¡¯t run up to the second floor to beat the heck out of the fake emperor or didn¡¯t leave the mansion right away was to keep an eye on Dembel. Sina knew how dangerous it would be if a captain of a knight order decided to follow the fake emperor along with the Priest, since the Temrs were very influential within the empire. At that point, those following the fake emperor would already be beyond a simple group of lunatics.


    ¡°As I said, keep in mind that your job is to only check whether or not he is the real emperor,¡± Sina said.


    ¡°...I know. Do I look that stupid to you?¡±


    Some of the people who had gathered in the yard then went inside the mansion to wait for the emperor¡¯s reception. Those gathered were mostly people who had paid a lot of donations, the socially influential, or skilled men like Dembel. Among them, Dembel who revealed his identity as a Temr drew quite a lot of attention.


    Other ordinary people were chatting or praying in the yard, hoping and waiting for the emperor to show his face one more time.


    ¡°To be honest, youing here would already not be considered wise,¡± Sina said.


    ¡°You hold too many suspicions. I think I can understand why you¡¯re not a Temr even with your skills,¡± Dembel said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a child. Just because the Temrs seem cool doesn¡¯t mean I wish to join them.¡±


    ¡°...You have a harsh way of speaking.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Then, Sina and Dembel saw a Priesting down the stairs. Almost as if he was a different person from the Priest who was passionately shouting at the tform earlier, he came down with an elegant smile.


    ¡°You all are talented people who will take care of the future of the empire. Pleasee along. His Majesty is waiting for you.¡±


    People followed the Priest while whispering to each other. Sina also stepped up the stairs while thinking about the ways to destroy the reception. Then the Priest caught up to her side.


    ¡°You are quite beautiful. Is it your first time visiting here?¡± the Priest asked.


    ¡°Beautiful? You must have bad eyesight. I too have bad eyesight because I¡¯ve only got one eye.¡±


    Sina snapped and lifted her hair to reveal her left eye with its burn marks. People around her flinched upon seeing her scar, but the Priest didn¡¯t even budge.


    ¡°I already knew. It¡¯s a unique trait. As far as I know, you came here with that Temr over there. Are you a Temr as well?¡± the Priest asked as he pointed to Dembel who was walking ahead of them.


    ¡°I¡¯m not here with him. I only came here to stop him,¡± Sina scoffed.


    Then Sina looked back at the Priest and continued to speak.


    ¡°It seems that your goal is to be the next Pope, but please keep in mind that there had been no Pope when His Majesty ruled¡ªeven though there were generals, the Grand Duke, the captain of the Imperial Guards, and the grand magician. Also, please go and study the reason why His Majesty didn¡¯t establish a religion or something like that in the first ce.¡±


    Sina quickly disappeared through the crowd before the Priest could even answer her. Sina wanted to tell the Church exactly what she just said, so it felt good to have the opportunity to say what she wanted to say.


    When Sina went up to the second floor, Sina could see the ¡®emperor¡¯ sitting on a small throne¡ªhe seemed to look exactly like the portrait. It also seemed as if the throne was made by imitating the Eternal Throne; it was gold colored with unknown letters engraved everywhere. Behind the throne hung two illustrations from the scriptures on each wall. Sina felt a little out of touch with reality upon seeing such a sight.


    ¡°I am Juan Calberg Kennosis, the emperor of this empire.¡±


    The people who were stirred by the emperor¡¯s deep voice carefully knelt down. Unlike before, when everyone was agitated due to his appearance at the yard, no one could feel the emperor¡¯s energy that they had expected. However, most of the people who hade this far were already persuaded¡ªor they were the ones who came to bet on him despite being aware of the truth.


    ¡°Your Majesty.¡±


    It was Dembel who stepped forward to speak first. Sina desperately wanted to drag him out.


    ¡°Imand you in the name of Juan Calberg Kennosis, speak.¡±


    ¡®It seems like saying the full name has be a habit for him.¡¯


    Juan had never tried to hide his identity in particr, but Sina wondered what would have happened if he acted like the fake emperor in front of her.


    Dembel bowed his head and carefully opened his mouth.


    ¡°I came here under the orders of the Church. With all due respect, Your Majesty is¡­¡±


    However, Dembel couldn¡¯t finish his words¡ªwith a loud bang, the ss on the terrace of the second floor suddenly broke as someone broke in. A wind surged in through the window and a dark shadow engulfed the emperor.


    Dembel quickly drew his sword and blocked the attack. A loud roar rang out. Dembel was pushed back but managed to prevent the emperor from being assassinated.


    People quickly stepped back in shock at the sudden intrusion.


    ¡°It-it¡¯s a monster!¡±


    There was a wolf with eight arms made up of ck shadows, and inside the shadow was the face of a woman with a stiff expression, giving off an ominous energy.


    Dembel shouted in an angry voice.


    ¡°Lianna!¡±


    [Step back, Dembel.]


    ¡°What are you doing right now? Didn¡¯t you agree to give me time to speak with His Majesty first?¡±


    [I found evidence that he¡¯s a fake emperor. I¡¯ve witnessed the scene of someone encroached upon by the Crack, an Evil Beast, and a traitor uniting together. He is an evil created to take the throne of His Majesty.]


    Dembel was visibly perplexed.


    On the other hand, Lianna roared loudly and inted herself as if she had no intention of further talking.


    People were busy running away in shock at the sight. The emperor sat down behind Dembel and nkly watched Lianna.


    [Tell everyone to get out of here if they don¡¯t want to be dragged into fight and die.]


    ¡°...Everyone, get out of here! I will protect His Majesty!¡±


    Most people hurried away upon hearing Dembel¡¯s shout. Nevertheless, there were some people who did not leave. The emperor remained motionless and Sina also remained in the room.


    Dembel shouted once again at those who did not leave.


    ¡°Come on! Get out of here before you get caught up!¡±


    ¡°Why? Just keep the show going. It¡¯s fun.¡±


    At that moment, Dembel heard a man¡¯s voice. Dembel, Lianna, and Sina all turned their heads to the voice.


    One of the people who did not leave the room brought out a chair andfortably sat down, watching the scene with interest.


    Lianna asked Dembel as if she was dumbfounded.


    [Who the hell is that? Do you know him?]


    ¡°No, I have no idea who he is¡­¡±


    Only one person in the room, Sina, was looking at the man with an expression that looked like she couldn¡¯t hold back herughter.


    A ck-haired young man was looking at the scene as if he was watching aedy.

 Chapter 146 – Fakes (4)

    <h4>Chapter 146 ¨C Fakes (4)</h4>


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°Is that really important in a situation like this? We are in a situation where the ¡®emperor¡¯, a monster who¡¯s trying to assassinate the emperor, and a brave Temr who is stepping up against the monster to protect the emperor are all about to collide. Everything was just about to get interesting, but you just had to interrupt that by asking a bypasser¡¯s name?¡±


    The answer to the question asked by the ck-haired young man was ¡®of course not.¡¯


    Both Dembel and Lianna knew that the situation they were in at the moment was a very serious and dangerous one¡ªone where they might have to risk their lives. However, neither Dembel nor Lianna could ignore the presence of a ck-haired young man for some reason.


    Sina Solvane, who had beenughing with her hand covering her mouth while shaking her shoulders, was bothering them as well, but now was not the time to pay attention to her.


    ¡°...Lianna. Did you really have to do this?¡± Dembel asked with a stiff face.


    [You¡¯re only saying that because you haven¡¯t seen what I saw. A man who had been encroached upon by the Crack, a Dragon, the Evil Beast of the empire, and Heretia, who is a famous politician that is known to be hostile toward the Church in the holy city of Torra¡ªthey are all here. And you know what they were doing? They were plotting something about the emperor.]


    Lianna¡¯s words were firm, and Demebel felt a little shaken by her reaction. He was almost fully convinced that the man standing behind him was the emperor, but Lianna seemedpletely convinced by what she saw.


    Dembel knew that he too would have been suspicious of the emperor standing behind him if he had seen what Lianna had just mentioned. Nevertheless, Dembel found it difficult to believe Lianna¡¯s words just like that.


    ¡°How am I supposed to believe that?¡±


    [What?]


    ¡°You were already eager to kill the ¡®emperor¡¯ even before you arrived here. So how am I supposed to trust your words?¡±


    Lianna somehow looked hurt by Dembel¡¯s suspicion toward her.


    [Dembel, you asshole¡­ have I ever lied to you before]


    ¡°...No.¡±


    However, Dembel could not back down either. Due to these reasons, Lianna and Dembel¡¯s decision stood at the opposite extremes. Either the man standing behind Dembel would be killed or he would have his life protected¡ªit was a matter of their lifelong convictions.


    Lianna roared and trembled when she saw Dembel show no signs of backing down. It seemed as if she would charge toward Dembel at any moment. At the same time, Dembel also prepared for the uing battle.


    ¡°Your Majesty! This evil beast hase to assassinate Your Majesty! I will stop this Evil Best, so please make sure to keep yourself safe¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not the emperor.¡±


    Dembel flinched and stopped talking upon hearing a sudden voice from behind him. Unlike the deep and heavy voice from before, the current voice was light and trembling.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m not¡­ not some emperor¡­¡±


    ¡°What? What do you mean? You¡¯re not¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ I¡¯ve heard a lot of people around me say that I look like His Majesty. M-my real name is Coba Camel, but the Priest kept telling me that I am certainly the returning emperor¡­¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡±


    Suddenly, a loud scream came from the corner of the room. The Priest, who was lying on the floor ever since Lianna stormed into the room, was trembling as he yelled at Coba.


    ¡°With all due respect, what do you mean, Your Majesty? Didn¡¯t Your Majesty say that you have realized your fate and recalled the past after I found you living a secluded life? Did Your Majesty not promise to overturn this rotten world alongside me?¡±


    ¡°No, I only said that because you came and told me that I¡¯m the emperor¡­ and it was too tempting, since a lot of people told me that I looked very much like His Majesty¡­ I thought it would be good to go around the empire and make money by acting like the emperor. When would I ever get a chance to be treated like an emperor?¡±


    ¡°Why would you say such weak things!? Please realize and acknowledge your destiny, Your Majesty!¡± the Priest desperately screamed.


    Lianna quietly looked back and forth between the fake emperor and the Priest, then slowly approached the Priest. The Priest shouted and struggled in fear, but he couldn¡¯t stop Lianna from bringing one of her giant ws close to his neck.


    Lianna silently snapped off the rosary worn around the Priest¡¯s neck and gestured toward Dembel.


    [There was no Grace in this rosary. He was just wearing an ordinary rosary that had no blessings.]


    ¡°No Grace? Then¡­ does that mean that he¡¯s not even a real Priest?¡±


    [I don¡¯t think he¡¯s a fake Priest¡­ but he seems more like an emunicated priest. Judging from his current condition, it is likely that he went insane from reading the scriptures for too long? A conspiracy to select and praise a fake emperor, huh? Of course he deserves to be emunicated.]


    Dembel red at the Priest as if he was dumbfounded, then turned his gaze toward the fake emperor.


    The fake emperor inhaled a short breath and cowered upon seeing Dembel¡¯s gaze toward him.


    Dembel felt disgusted upon seeing the man that he thought was the emperor was now acting so servile.


    ¡°What the hell¡­ I mean, do you not realize just how big a sin it is to impersonate the emperor? How could you simply think that you could make money off of impersonating the emperor and get away with it? How the heck¡­¡±


    Dembel was so dumbfounded that he couldn¡¯t even get angry. He knew that he had made a huge mistake. He had originallye here to determine whether his opponent was the real emperor or not in the first ce. But he almost acknowledged the opponent as the emperor just because he had a face simr to that of His Majesty who was sitting on the Eternal Throne.


    ¡°What do we do with them?¡± Dembel asked with aplicated look on his face.


    [What do you mean? They impersonated His Majesty¡ªthere is only one thing to do with them.]


    Lianna swung her ws and pierced the Priest¡¯s neck without the slightest hesitation. The Priest¡¯s voice, which had been shouting something at the fake emperor even until that moment, stopped instantly along with the sound of blood bubbling from his throat.


    The fake emperor looked at blood flowing out of the Priest¡¯s pierced neck and stepped back in fear while taking a gasp.


    [There¡¯s no need to hand him over to the Church for the doctrinal trial, since he¡¯s an emunicated Priest. And there¡¯s also the truth of that fake emperor.]


    Dembel realized that it was up to him to get rid of the fake emperor when Lianna handed the fake emperor over to him. He grasped his sword and turned around.


    The fake emperor screamed, stepping back.


    Dembel felt ufortable killing someone who looked so much like the emperor in the scripture, but he couldn¡¯t bear the fake emperor behaving indecently while assuming His Majesty¡¯s identity.


    ***


    After taking care of the matter of the fake emperor, Lianna reverted her transformation and once again assumed a human form.


    Dembel inadvertently found the fake emperor¡¯s sword rolling on the floor and noticed that the de was covered in oil. He figured that there must be quite a lot of fake Sutras, since lightning up a piece of metal damages the sword quite quickly and makes it useless.


    ¡°Fuck!¡±


    Dembel couldn¡¯t believe that two knight orders that were led by Temrs had been dispatched just because of a ridiculous fake emperor¡ªit was a huge disgrace for both the Temrs as well as the Church.


    ¡°How do we even report this?¡± Dembel asked,


    [There¡¯s nothing we can do. The current state of the empire is so chaotic that it¡¯s only natural for all kinds of rumors to confuse everyone. Besides, this is not something that can just happen coincidentally. I bet there was someone controlling the whole situation from behind the scenes. The Order of the ck Lotus will soone and bring the enemies. Why don¡¯t we move over there for now and¡­]


    ¡°What, is it over already?¡±


    At that moment, the voice was heard once again¡ªit was the ck-haired young man who had been sitting on the chair, watching the whole scene.


    Due to his extreme irritation, Dembel red at the ck-haired young man with bloodshot eyes.


    ¡°Show some respect and courtesy, you barbarian bastard. Isn¡¯t there a single human being left beyond the border to teach you some manners?¡±


    ¡°Good dramas always include at least one scene showing bloodshed, some affairs between men and women, and a bloodbath. But this drama was so disappointing. As expected, bastards from the Church have no talent for art.¡±


    Dembel felt that enough was enough. He instantly swung his sword toward the ck-haired young man¡¯s leg at once. Dembel didn¡¯t intend to kill him but was going to make him regret deriding them for the rest of his life.


    However, Dembel¡¯s attack was blocked along with a sharp sound¡ªit was Sina who stopped him.


    ¡°You are the ones who need to show respect here.¡±


    Dembel raised his eyebrows. He had already known that Sina had an extraordinary talent, but he hadn¡¯t even been able to notice her unsheathing her sword.


    Dembel repositioned himself and swung his sword toward Sina again.


    Meanwhile, Sina began to leisurely counterattack.


    It wasn¡¯t long before Dembel started to sweat, feeling perplexed. He was even using a Grace to strengthen his physical abilities, but Sina was blocking his attacks with ease.


    Of course, Dembel had more experience fighting against monsters rather than humans. But he had never heard of a knight who was capable of fighting against the captain of a knight order led by Temrs on an equal footing, especially when the captain was using a Grace.


    At that moment, Lianna intervened in their battle without a sound, since she had also noticed that their opponent was quite extraordinary.


    Dembel grit his teeth as his pride was hurt, but he couldn¡¯t help it. He had to consider the possibility of the ck-haired young man and Sina being the ones behind the fake emperor.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    Dembel saw Lianna make a sound for the first time in a few years¡ªhe figured that she must have been trying to say some kind of profanity. Despite the fact that both Lianna and Dembel were charging toward her, Sina was holding out pretty well.


    But it was impossible for one person to withstand the attack of two of the captains of knight orders led by Temrs at once.


    Dembel decided to finish this boring battle as soon as possible. He winked and sent a signal to Lianna. The moment he stomped his foot on the floor, his sword de turned white. At the same time, two shadow arms appeared from within Lianna, aiming for Sina¡¯s heart.


    At that moment, the ck-haired young man stamped his foot on the floor. The attacks then crossed in the air.


    <i>Bang!</i>


    There was a powerful shockwave along with a loud explosion. It was Dembel and Lianna who were pushed back in the collision. The two looked at Sina with perplexed eyes. Sina¡¯s left eye which was distorted due to the burn scars was glowing brightly with an orange-colored rune.


    ¡°The emperor¡¯s watchdog¡­¡±


    Dembel muttered as he read the rune. He couldn¡¯t understand why a person with such a rune tattooed on her eye was protecting a ck-haired person from beyond the border¡ªsomeone who wasn¡¯t even from the empire.


    ¡°People say that watching others fight is the most interesting thing, but nothing is more boring than ame fight.¡±


    ¡°I should have just let you handle everything on your own.¡±


    Sina grumbled back upon hearing the ck-haired young man¡¯s words.


    Dembel barely stood up with his legs that were trembling from the shock. He couldn¡¯t understand what had just happened. When his sword, which was blessed with the emperor¡¯s Grace, met with Sina¡¯s sword, he felt the power of an even stronger Grace from Sina.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you weren¡¯t a Temr?¡± Dembel asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± Sina answered Dembel¡¯s question calmly.


    ¡°She¡¯s right. She¡¯s just a knight.¡±


    The ck-haired young man slowly walked out in front of Dembel and Sina. Dembel raised his sword, but the ck-haired young man didn¡¯t even seem to care about it.


    ¡°She is my sword, my watchman, and my counterbnce.¡±


    Dembel couldn¡¯t figure out what he was talking about, but Juan grinned and continued speaking.


    ¡°At times, she can be a hard head and frustrates me, but that¡¯s the role I had expected her to y in the first ce.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a hard head and frustrate you?¡± Sina asked back as if she wasining.


    Meanwhile, Lianna stumbled as she picked herself up from the floor and held out her sword toward the ck-haired young man.


    [You punk¡­ who are you?] Lianna asked.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t really been hiding my identity all along. To be honest, it¡¯s a little embarrassing to reveal who I am with my own mouth right now. It would make me feel like I¡¯m making a joke,¡± the ck-haired young man said as he looked at the corpse of the fake emperor Coba that was lying on the floor. ¡°So why don¡¯t you tell me who I am with your own mouth?¡±


    [What?]


    Lianna¡¯s face distorted; she thought that he was joking.


    But the ck-haired young man took a step closer to Lianna and Dembel without a change in his expression. Both Lianna and Dembel faltered back even before they knew it.


    ¡°I beat the God of Blood and Madness in a bloody battle, brought death to the God of Death, and removed the cloak of the tower that was forever shrouded in fog.¡±


    The ck-haired young man took another step.


    ¡°I was the ruler of all the swords, the master of magic, and I made all the kings kneel down before me.¡±


    Then he took another step.


    ¡°God decided to destroy Man and Man rebelled against God in retaliation.¡±


    Now the ck-haired young man had passed Lianna and Dembel and was heading toward the terrace.


    However, for some reason, neither Lianna nor Dembel could move an inch. What the ck-haired young man was suggesting was clear. His words came at the very beginning of the scripture and it was the most basic praise given to the emperor.


    ¡°I arose in thisnd as a result of the rebellion.¡±


    The ck-haired young man stood opposite of Lianna and Dembel to look at the moonlight.


    Dembel felt a shiver running down his spine. Just facing him standing in the dark and looking at his ck eyes made Dembel¡¯s legs tremble and made it difficult for him to breathe.


    ¡°I cut the gods into pieces and scattered them across the mountains, rivers, and fields.¡±


    The ck-haired young man¡¯s presence was so overwhelming that Dembel wondered why he had not been aware of his presence until now.


    ¡®<i>No. He had been hiding his presence until now on purpose, and he had been watching us from the very beginning.</i>¡¯


    Dembel realized that at least some part of the speech that the fake Priest had given earlier was true¡ªthe emperor had always been watching the humans. But, he was noting back because he was disappointed in humans; he was now returning because the time hade.


    And the returning emperor held a sword in his hand.


    ¡°You already know who I am.¡±


    Dembel finally knelt down before the ck-haired young man as if he had copsed.


    ¡°Your Majesty. Juan Calberg Kennosis, the only ruler of the empire. Your Majesty¡­¡±


    The ck-haired young man smiled.


    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s my name.¡±

 Chapter 147 – Fakes (5)

    <h4>Chapter 147 ¨C Fakes (5)</h4>


    At that moment, a loud bang rang out.


    It was Lianna who had jumped at Juan. Just like Dembel, she too was feeling the tremendous energy that was emanating from Juan as he spoke. Enormous power naturally crashed down upon Lianna without revealing itself, but feeling such power only further increased Lianna¡¯s hostility toward Juan.


    Sina blocked Lianna¡¯s way path to Juan once again and parried her sword. Sina was so powerful that she was only driven to a corner after both Lianna and Dembel charged at her at once. There was no way that Lianna could handle Sina on her own.


    However, Lianna called upon the power of the Grace granted to her and slowly began to transform her body into that of a shadow beast.


    ¡°Lianna, stop it!¡± Dembel shouted.


    [Don¡¯t be stupid, Dembel.]


    At the same time, Lianna¡¯s body began to turn into a dark shadow, and spider-like limbs grew from her body. Lianna curled up inside the fog-like shadow and red at Juan with hostile eyes.


    [I¡¯ve seen the people who are behind this bastard at the Magic Tower! He is only pretending to be the emperor to blind our eyes! If such a powerful man is covered up with well-made up lies, then¡­!]


    ¡®<i>Then everyone will be fooled.</i>¡¯


    Lianna thought that the Priest and the fake emperor they killed earlier were just a jokepared to Juan; after all, fooling the eyes of others just with appearances alone would eventually reveal the truth and it would only be a matter of time before their act failed.


    But if the fake emperor had enormous power and powerful strength behind him, the empire would soon copse.


    [That¡¯s the real fake emperor who hase to destroy us! He is the ck Emperor!]


    Dembel flinched upon hearing Lianna¡¯s words. He had also heard of the rumors about the ck Emperor. The rumors about the ck Emperor and the Devil of Tantil were part of the prophecy that the previous Saintess had made.


    ¡®<i>The one who wille to turn the empire into ashes</i>.¡¯


    Juan¡¯s ck hair further added to the persuasive power of the Saintess¡¯ prophecy.


    ¡°The Saintess had also prophesied the return of the real emperor! If you believe in the Saintess¡¯ prophecy, then you should also consider the prophecy about the real emperor as well!¡± Dembel yelled at Lianna.


    [You can talk to him. But I¡¯ve already seen enough evidence to believe that he is fake. My Temrs will soon kill those behind that bastard ande here.]


    Lianna attacked Sina with her sharp ws as soon as she finished speaking. Although Sina was a talented knight, it was difficult for her to hold out against the attack of the captain of a knight order led by Temrs who was using the power of Grace.


    However, the situation was quickly reversed when the rune engraved on Sina¡¯s left eye began to burn. Lianna¡¯s ws broke and turned into ashes whenever they met with Sina¡¯s sword. Lianna stepped back with a painful expression.


    ¡°Lianna! If you have called your Temrs here, I have no choice but to also call my Temrs to¡­!¡±


    ¡°Temrs? Are you talking about those out there?¡±


    As soon as Dembel shouted at Lianna, Juan suddenly opened his mouth as he pointed toward the terrace.


    At that moment, the outside of the terrace shed with bright light. Lianna flinched and paused as she witnessed a huge fire burning along the surface of the Magic Tower. Something huge was flying and heating the surface of the Magic Tower in the dark.


    ¡°The Magic Tower itself is so big that Entalucia¡¯s breath feels warm rather than burning hot,¡± Juan said with a smirk.


    Lianna instinctively realized that the fireballs that were fiercely burning and falling from atop the Magic Tower were her Temrs. Something had gone terribly wrong.


    ¡®<i>No way¡­ there¡¯s no way that such a huge dragon still exists¡­</i>¡¯


    The only dragon Lianna had ever seen was the one that the centurion from the Fourth Division of the eastern army carried around. Thus the biggest dragon that she could imagine in her head was only about twice as big as the dragon that belonged to the centurion. However, the size of the thing moving dimly in the dark was beyond her imagination.


    Lianna stood still and stared nkly at the terrace, but soon charged toward Juan as if she was convulsing. The moment Lianna used the power of the Grace granted to her with all her might, the entire room was covered with shadows. Hundreds of murderous shadow ws shot toward Juan.


    ¡°Lianna!¡±


    If Lianna had a tongue, her roar would have been heard in the room. But both the attacker and the person under attack remained silent. Dembel trembled, since he couldn¡¯t tell what was happening in the dark.


    Then suddenly, the darkness which had covered the room disappeared without a trace. The moonlight shone into the room again, and the first thing that entered Dembel¡¯s eyes was the scattered blood as well as two severed arms lying on the floor¡ªthey were Lianna¡¯s arms.


    Lianna was hanging in the air with Juan holding her neck at a twisted angle. A beast-like groan wasing out of Lianna¡¯s throat along with foaming blood.


    ¡°Two arms are enough to wield a sword. But you have too many,¡± Juan clicked his tongue.


    Lianna was bleeding so much from her shoulders that it was clear she would notst long. No matter how powerful the Grace granted to a Temr was, death couldn¡¯t be avoided in the case of major blood loss.


    Dembel quickly picked himself up and lied face down in front of Juan.


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡±


    Juan looked down at Dembel.


    It no longer mattered to Dembel whether or not Juan was the real emperor. The mission given to him by the Church and the Saintess, as well as the teachings of the scriptures had long since disappeared from his head.


    ¡°Your Majesty, please have mercy and forgive her! She doesn¡¯t know any better!¡± Dembel desperately pleaded.


    ¡°Do you think that ignorance can be used as an excuse?¡± Juan replied.


    ¡°We have only lived our life to serve and die for Your Majesty ever since we were young. She had just been clueless until now. If Your Majesty teaches us the right way and direction, then both of us will be the best swords to serve Your Majesty!¡±


    Dembel was desperate. Blood began to run down from his forehead as he continuously mmed his head on the floor.


    ¡°Please have mercy on her!¡±


    Juan looked down at Dembel and turned his gaze toward Lianna. She was about to lose consciousness due to suffocation due to Juan choking her.


    ¡°What rtionship do you have with this Temr?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°She is my fri-friend¡­ no, no. S-she is my family. S-she is my fam-family that¡¯s been with me all my life, ever since I grew up as an orphan,¡± Dembel stuttered and barely finished his sentence.


    Juan stared at Dembel upon hearing the word ¡®family.¡¯ Juan had never liked the idea of Temrs, especially ones that dared to point their swords at him. In that sense, it was the right thing for Juan to kill Dembel, just like Lianna.


    Juan looked at Sina as if he was asking her what to do. Sina nodded her head¡ªshe meant that he should spare Lianna and Dembel¡¯s lives.


    ¡®In fact, I should have already known that asking Sina for her opinion would mean that she would tell me to spare their lives.¡¯


    Juan ced his hand over Lianna¡¯s severed shoulder. For a moment, the sound of flesh burning echoed throughout the room. Lianna tried to scream due to terrible pain, but all she could do was tremble without a voice, given that her neck was still being choked by Juan.


    Dembel managed to keep his head down on the floor so as not to raise his head.


    ¡°It seems like your ¡®family member¡¯ won¡¯t be able to wield her sword anymore with her injuries. Then how do you intend to serve me from now on?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°...In the scriptures, Your Majesty said that holding a sword is not the only thing one can do to serve Your Majesty. We will serve Your Majesty by being sincere and exemry imperial citizens.¡±


    Dembel was relieved at the thought that Lianna could live. It didn¡¯t matter that Lianna had lost both her arms, since he could take care of her for the rest of his life if she somehow managed to survive. Dembel believed that Lianna, who was optimistic and had a strong personality, could ovee the aftermath of losing her arms.


    ¡°All right. Let¡¯s see if you can keep your word.¡±


    Juan dropped Lianna on the floor. Lianna curled up and groaned as if she were in terrible pain. Dembel hurried to approach and examine her condition.


    ¡°Lianna, Lianna, are you okay? I¡¯m going to find someone capable of using a healing Grace right now, so you hang in¡­¡±


    Then Dembel stopped talking. The reason why Lianna was lying on her stomach wasn¡¯t because of the pain¡ªit was to bite off the rosary hanging on her neck with her teeth.


    ¡°No!¡±


    Despite Dembel¡¯s scream, Lianna looked directly at him with drowsy eyes as she cut off the rosary without any hesitation. With a small sound, the rosary¡¯s beads poured out onto the floor. Then the bizarre-shaped beast decoration that was hanging on the rosary helplessly dropped.


    Dembel saw Lianna puffing her mouth as if she was trying to say something to him.


    ¡®Sorry.¡¯


    At that moment, Lianna¡¯s head disappeared along with a small tornado of blood.


    ***


    Dembel was pulled out from his stupor as soon as a loud roar rang out.


    Dembel stared nkly at the sight in front of his eyes.


    Juan had snatched the beast decoration on the rosary with a grim and distorted expression before it could touch the ground, and at the same time his fist was pressed down where Lianna¡¯s head used to be. Juan had mmed Lianna¡¯s head so hard that all that could be seen above Lianna¡¯s shoulder was only a blood-red mark.


    Juan was clutching his fist as hard as he could with cold sweat running down his forehead. Juan¡¯s fist was glowing with a reddish-orange hue and releasing so much heat that it was setting the surroundings on fire. Dembel could feel unbearable heat despite being quite a distance from Juan.


    Dembel couldn¡¯t figure out what was going on inside Juan¡¯s clenched fist. All he knew was that Juan was pressing down on ¡®it¡¯ with an enormous amount of heat and pressure.


    <i>Crack! Crack!</i>


    A grotesque sound rang out from Juan¡¯s fingers. Only then did Dembel realize that this was the sound of Juan¡¯s fingers being broken.


    It didn¡¯t take long for Sina to realize that as well. Sina hastily ran toward Juan to hold his hand.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡±


    Juan tried to shout at Sina that ¡®it¡¯s dangerous¡¯, but an orange me rose from Sina¡¯s left eye as soon as her hand touched Juan¡¯s hand. This time there was no smell of flesh burning like when Juan cauterized Lianna¡¯s shoulders.


    Juan stared at Sina for a while and then quietly murmured toward his fist.


    ¡°Hurry and fuck off to your hell.¡±


    A little whileter, the heat slowly began to die down. Juan stood up and opened his fist with an exhausted expression. The only thing left inside his fist were ck ashes, which were scattered away by the blowing wind.


    Juan looked at Dembel.


    ¡°Do you realize what your friend¡­ no, your ¡®family¡¯, was trying to do?¡±


    ¡°...She tried to summon Kelegrenon.¡±


    Sina looked at Dembel with startled eyes, since it was a name she had heard before. Kelegrenon was the beast that Bishop Rietto had tried to summon back in Hiveden in order to destroy the city.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Kelegrenon¡ªMananen McLeir¡¯s pet beast that eats up Mana. She tried to summon Kelegrenon at the Magic Tower, huh? Then you must know what your ¡®family¡¯ was trying to do by summoning Kelegrenon.¡±


    Juan approached Dembel and poured the remaining ashes over his head.


    ¡°Your family tried to kill the tens of thousands of people in the Magic Tower in exchange for my mercy.¡±


    Dembel did not give Juan a reply.


    After staring at Dembel for a while, Juan looked up into the air with a sigh.


    ¡°I keep trying to suppress my hatred and approach you humans, but I feel more and more tested. It¡¯s as if someone is continuously asking me <i>¡®Can you really forgive them? Even if they behave this way? Are you sure?¡¯</i>¡±


    Juan¡¯s words were not only directed toward Dembel¡ªthey were also directed toward Sina and Juan himself.


    Juan stood silently for a long time. A heavy and oppressive silence was pressing down on everyone as Juan¡¯s eyes wandered in the air for a while.


    ¡°Go,¡± Juan opened his mouth and spoke to Dembel.


    Dembel raised his head, only to see Juan, who looked tired.


    ¡°I have already decided not to kill you. I won¡¯t change my decision to forgive you just because of the sinmitted by your family. Take her corpse and go back to the holy city of Torra.¡±


    Dembel nodded in silence.


    Juan left Dembel behind and headed out of the mansion.


    Meanwhile, the Temrs were rushing into the mansion after hearing the disturbance.


    Dembel crawled toward Lianna¡¯s cold body on the floor. Lianna had always been chatty, even after she had lost her tongue. But now she waspletely silent.


    However, Dembel could hear Lianna let out a scream louder than ever in his ears.


    ***


    ¡°I thought you would kill him.¡±


    Sina opened her mouth on the boulevard to the Magic Tower. Juan looked toward Sina, and she looked back at him as if she was seeing someone unfamiliar.


    ¡°I hope you don¡¯t make the mistake of thinking that I am bing merciful. You should know that sometimes it¡¯s more painful to be alive than dead. Besides, you already saw that Temrs are no longer a threat to me,¡± Juan said.


    ¡°...You certainly do look quite a bit taller than you used to be.¡±


    Juan, who used to look like a scrawny nine-year-old child when Sina had first seen him, now looked like a twenty-year-old young man who was taller than her. It was difficult for her to gauge Juan¡¯s power at this point, since she had witnessed just how much stronger Juan would grow every time he grew older.


    Juan snorted.


    ¡°Yes, yes. I don¡¯t have to say <i>¡®it¡¯s nice to see you again¡¯</i>, do I? You always follow me as you please anyway.¡±


    ¡°If someone heard that, they would probably think that I¡¯m chasing you because I have a crush on you,¡± Sina grumbled.


    Then, a sound of several horse hooves ttering was heard from behind. Juan looked back at the sound and noticed the Temrs with a white lotus symbol running along the boulevard. With a loud roar from someone, a group of bluish lights wrapped around the entire knight order to form a huge spear de¡ªit was a cavalry charge using the powers of Grace granted to all the Temrs of knight order, simr to the one which had smashed the walls of Hiveden at once before.


    Sina flinched upon seeing such a sight. Even though Juan had gotten much stronger than before, there was no way that he could block such an attack.


    Juan focused his attention on the Temr riding a horse at the very front of the line.


    The Temr who was running toward Juan and Sina without even wearing any armor was Dembel.


    Dembel¡¯s eyes were hollow and contained no murderous intent. In fact, his murderous intent was all directed toward himself.


    ¡°So that¡¯s your decision, huh, Dembel?¡±


    Juan clicked his tongue and stood upright while facing the attacking knight order.


    ¡°Then I will fulfill your wish.¡±

 Chapter 148 – Plotting Treason (1)

    <h4>Chapter 148 ¨C Plotting Treason (1)</h4>


    Yulec Yuno, the captain of the gatekeepers who defend the holy city of Torra, was walking along the castle wall to check the status early in the morning. The Imperial Capital had never been threatened since the start of the Eternal Rule, but now was not the time to be immersed in suchcency.


    Even Captain Pavan Peltere of the Order of the Capital, Yulec¡¯s distant superior, was on edge these days and urged him to stay on his guard at all times. It was the first time that Yulec had seen Captain Pavan Peltere on edge like this ever since he joined the Imperial Army.


    As was usually the case in the military, the worse the mood of the superiors, the more sensitive the subordinates would be as well. The subordinates of the Imperial Army were also aware that the situation of the empire was quite unusual these days.


    ¡®<i>I can¡¯t believe that His Majesty is returning.</i>¡¯


    Yulec shook his head unconsciously. The fact that His Majesty was returning felt so unreal that people had made a saying in areas that were distant from the capital: ¡®the emperor will jump to his feet.¡¯ There were even people making shallow jokes on the periphery of the empire. Most citizens of the empire were already ustomed to an emperor who sat on his throne inplete silence. For this reason, most ordinary people like Yulec were concerned that the empire might fall into chaos when the emperor returned.


    ¡°Yulec!¡±


    .


    Yulec heard someone call out his name from behind¡ªIt was Tyr, Yulec¡¯s colleague who joined the military at the same time as him. Unlike himself, who joined the gatekeepers, Tyr was a talented friend who joined the First Division of the Imperial Army, directly under the Order of the Capital.


    ¡°Long time no see. What¡¯s up? As far as I know, your position is way too prestigious for you to be keeping guard,¡± Tyr said.


    ¡°Long time no see, my ass. I saw you just a few days ago. And, I¡¯m not keeping guard; I¡¯m checking on the guards. The superiors are so on edge these days that any soldiers who are caught dozing around foolishly during guard duty might be killed.¡±


    ¡°Ah, because of that rumor about the emperor or something?¡±


    ¡°Yep. Have you heard anything about it?¡±


    ¡°Nothing other than the nobles wanting to punch the Regent and the Church dispatching two knight orders to figure out if the rumor is true.¡±


    ¡°Everyone knows that already. Come on, tell me if you know anything else. I need some room to breathe, man.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know much either. It¡¯s the same for everyone, including our superiors as well. That¡¯s why everyone is so nervous. No one is scared of a piece of ss that is easily seen¡ªit¡¯s the hidden pieces that people are scared of.¡±


    ¡°Hurry up and fuck off if you don¡¯t know anything interesting. Why did you evene here in the first ce?¡±


    ¡°Oh. Because the Order of the Capital is nning to send soldiers to find out the truth about the rumor as well. While they have already sent out the knight order, both the Church and the Order of the Capital are confused, since both the knight orders stopped reporting all of a sudden.¡±


    Yulec¡¯s face distorted upon hearing Tyr¡¯s words.


    ¡°The Temrs stopped sending reports?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Why?¡±


    ¡°You dumbass. This is why the superiors are acting like dogs suffering from hemorrhoids! Do you think it¡¯s normal for the knight orders to stop reporting all of a sudden? Military is a ce where people freak out even if an ordinary soldier is just an hourte!¡±


    Only then did Tyr make a perplexed expression.


    Upon seeing Tyr¡¯s expression, Yulec thought, ¡®how did this guy be a soldier of the First Division that is directly under the Order of the Capital?¡¯ Yulec figured that Tyr must have incredible talent to make up for being dumb.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way that a knight order led by Temrs would be wiped out. Besides, the knight orders that had been sent were no ordinary knight orders. They were the Order of the White Lotus and the Order of the ck Lotus.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s precisely why the situation is even more chaotic. Damn it¡­ We are going to be he busy for a while. You¡¯d better get it together as well¡ªat least until we know where the knight orders are at right¡­¡±


    Yulec couldn¡¯t finish his words; he noticed a group of horses approaching in the bright morning sun from the east. Being the captain of the defense force, Yulec was skilled enough to quickly figure out that there were about thirty horses in total¡ªa number that matched the numbers of Temrs in a knight order led by Temrs.


    ¡°You may not need to be dispatched. I think the Temrs are returning,¡± Yulec said.


    ¡°Wait. Seriously?¡± Tyr joyfully asked and stuck his head out as well.


    Tyr could also see the group approaching the walls and smiled; he was d he didn¡¯t need to be dispatched. Then Tyr tilted his head in wonder as he counted the numbers of the horses.


    ¡°Why are there only thirty of them? Shouldn¡¯t there be sixty since two knight orders were dispatched?¡± Tyr asked.


    ¡°Come to think of it, you¡¯re right.¡±


    Yulec and Tyr¡¯s expressions changed from time to time as the horses got closer to the walls. The Temrs weren¡¯t sitting on the horse¡ªrather they were lying on top of the horses like corpses. When the group finally came close enough to the walls that Tyr and Yulec could recognize their condition, Yulec pushed Tyr¡¯s back with a stiff face.


    Only then did Yulec and Tyr realize that they were the first ones to witness the worst news of the Capital.


    ¡°Tyr¡­ immediately go and report to someone¡­ be it someone from the Church or one of your superiors¡­ tell them that the knight order¡­ no, I don¡¯t even know who they are¡­ but tell them that thirty knights were turned into ashes and then loaded on the horses and sent back.¡±


    ***


    ¡°...All thirty of them are alive?¡±


    Helmut groaned. It was right before breakfast when he heard the news. It was good news that the Temrs had returned, but they looked like human-shaped piles of ashes rather than humans. It was difficult to even identify who each Temr was, since they suffered from full-body burns while wearing armor.


    They would have certainly died if it wasn¡¯t for the Grace that had been granted to them. However, Helmut couldn¡¯t tell whether or not the fact that they were still alive was fortunate, considering their terrible condition.


    ¡°What about the Order of the ck Lotus?¡±


    The Priest who delivered the news shook his head at Helmut¡¯s question. The most terrible piece of news that the Priest had delivered to Helmut was that the Order of the ck Lotus that he had sent to kill the fake emperor did not even return at all. It was difficult to expect the return of the Order of the ck Lotus, given the condition of the members of the Order of the White Lotus, who were sent back rtively peacefully.


    ¡°Who the hell is this bastard!¡± Helmut shouted in anger.


    ¡°There was something that one of the Temrs said; however, it was barely intelligible,¡± the Priest spoke cautiously.


    ¡°And what is that?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡±


    The Priest looked perplexed as if it was difficult for him to say anything. When the Priest told Helmut what the Temr had said after hesitating for a long time, Helmut made a dumbfounded expression, almost as if he had been hit in the head.


    The words that came out of the Temr¡¯s mouth were brief, but they were enough to shake Helmut¡¯s base beliefs as a Pope.


    ¡°Who else heard his words?¡± Helmut asked in a trembling voice.


    ¡°...the Saintess heard them andmanded me to report them to Your Holiness.¡±


    Hellmut copsed on the sofa.


    It felt like his whole world was copsing¡ªthe world that he believed would never be shaken no matter what type of crisis came to be.


    ***


    The news of the return of the Order of the White Lotus quickly swept through the Capital in just an hour. The Church tried to keep the news a secret, but the story about a knight order led by Temrs being dispatched to find out about the returning emperor was one of unprecedented interest.


    The return of the Order of the White Lotus couldn¡¯t be concealed, and the Saintess Ivy Isildin moved faster than anyone else.


    ¡°Please hand me a new bandage.¡±


    The underground ward of the Church was full of Temrs who were groaning in pain. Lenly handed over the cut bandage to Ivy. Ivy removed the old bandage that had wrapped around the Temr¡¯s wounds, causing thick pus and blood to cover Ivy¡¯s hand. But Ivy continued to rece the bandage as if it wasn¡¯t a big deal.


    ¡°Saintess, perhaps it is better to use a healing Grace rather than touching such a thing¡­¡±


    ¡°The healing Grace doesn¡¯t work well on burns anyway. Burns need to be kept especially clean.¡±


    The other Priests didn¡¯t seem to like Ivy¡¯sments, since pointing out the limitations of Grace was the same as pointing out the limitations of the Priest who used that Grace.


    However, Ivy didn¡¯t even budge and even frowned upon seeing the Priests¡¯ reactions.


    ¡°Please go back if you don¡¯t intend to help.¡±


    The Priests hesitated but did not go back, since they were people who wanted toe under the banner of the Saintess who was growing in power. When Ivy scolded them, the Priests eventually began to take care of the Temrs as well, despite their hesitation.


    Ivy sighed upon seeing such a sight. Sitting next to Ivy was Lenly, who was expertly wiping off the pus being released from the wounds of a Temr and recing a bandage. Lenly already seemed to be ustomed to this kind of work that involved taking care of the wounded knights.


    ¡°Did you hear about what happened, Captain?¡± Ivy asked.


    Lenly listened to Ivy in silence.


    ¡°The knight order attacked the supposed emperor. No one knows how it happened, but their spears broke like canes and the power of their Grace turned into mes that engulfed them the moment they attacked.¡±


    ¡°It must have been terrible,¡± Lenly answered.


    ¡°I can¡¯t even imagine what it would have been like. I¡¯ve seen the charge of a knight order led by Temrs several times before, and to me, it seemed impossible for anyone to be able to block them¡­ I heard that all thirty of the Temrs are suffering greatly from the burns. The Priests had been sticking around to try and heal them, but they say that the Temrs probably won¡¯t be able to hold a sword ever again in the future.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure everyone already knew the risks and expected such injuries.¡±


    ¡°...I suppose so. They are Temrs, after all. But I highly doubt that they expected their opponent to be the emperor¡­ the fact that the opponent injured the Temrs to this extent, while still sparing their lives means that he is a man with a lot of power and skills. It also means that the opponent could have easily overpowered the Temrs without hurting them so much like this.¡±


    ¡°Some people think that receiving mercy embodies weakness,¡± Lenly continued speaking quietly. ¡°The opponent probably could have sent the Temrs back without such serious injuries. Maybe even a loud shout would have brought the Temrs to their knees too, just like how His Majesty spoke through your voice.¡±


    ¡°Are you talking about the time I first met you at the Imperial Pce, Captain? I have no memory of that time.¡±


    ¡°At that time, His Majesty certainly borrowed your body and spoke to me¡ªthat¡¯s the reason I am standing by you to protect you.¡±


    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t His Majesty do that again this time¡­?¡±


    Lenly fiddled with the handle of his sword and opened his mouth.


    ¡°His Majesty said that he would only give a warning three times.¡±


    ¡°You mean the prophecy about the lies, sword, and the walls? Back then¡­ it was a little different. I was still conscious and felt like I was speaking without even realizing that I am. Maybe that really was a prophecy¡­¡±


    ¡°I heard that the previous Saintess asionally made such prophecies as well. Perhaps that¡¯s what happened to you, too. The two destroyed knight orders may have been referring to the first part of the prophecies.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying that the Temrs are a lie?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s the Church.¡±


    Lenly didn¡¯t even hesitate before iming his suspicions about the Church. The Saintess was speechless since Lenly¡¯s meaning was very clear.


    ¡°You¡¯re not saying that we, who serve His Majesty, are wrong¡­ are you?¡±


    ¡°His Majesty didn¡¯t create the Church. Neither did he write the scriptures, nor did he teach the Temrs. All he left behind was the empire, the knights, and the people. Maybe it¡¯s time that we go back to that era.¡±


    The Church and the Temrs serving the emperor was something that was already rooted deeply throughout the empire. The people all over the empire were already used to the Priests wielding the power and the Grace granted by the emperor, and the Temrs fulfilling their duties more actively than the Imperial Army.


    The world without the Church and the Temrs mentioned by Lenly was something unimaginable to Ivy, who had just turned twenty this year.


    At that moment, Ivy was startled by someone who suddenly grabbed her hand¡ªit was a Temr whose face was severely damaged from the burns. However, Ivy was soon able to recognize the identity of the Temr.


    ¡°Captain Dembel? Captain Dembel, are you awake?¡± Ivy asked.


    Dembel mumbled some iprehensible words. Ivy hastily brought a Priest to use a healing Grace around Dembel¡¯s chin so that he could speak. Because a Grace was only granted with the permission of the Pope, Ivy was not granted any Grace.


    Dembel mumbled while letting out a groan as soon as his tongue was recovered with the help of the healing Grace.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need ves¡­ or thieves who take advantage of stolen power¡­¡±


    ¡°Dembel? What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°You must all stop imitating gods¡­ and put down everything that you have stolen¡­¡±


    Dembel murmured and barely managed to continue speaking.


    ¡°...Go back to being humans.¡±


    ***


    The traces of soot on the exterior walls of the Magic Tower looked as if ink had been sprayed on a white canvas.


    Juan looked at the traces left behind from a room located in the periphery of the Magic Tower. Juan had thought that innocent victims might have suffered from the mes earlier, but Entalucia¡¯s breath control was exquisite enough to minimize damage¡ªnot to mention the Magic Tower¡¯s walls were strong enough to provide some protection.


    The only victims of the mes were the Temrs from the Order of the ck Lotus, who were all turned into lumps of charcoal.


    At the same time, there were noints or protests from the Magic Tower about the damage. Rather, they began to study the scorched traces on the walls with joy, since they felt that they had obtained rare research data.


    Juan turned his back against the window. Now that the warning has been sent, the Church would have no choice but to start moving. Juan had already sent a message to Nienna, He, and Anya.


    ¡°Then¡­¡±


    Juan found this situation funny.


    ¡°Shall wemit treason?¡±

 Chapter 149 – Plotting Treason (2)

    <h4>Chapter 149 ¨C Plotting Treason (2)</h4>


    Juan spread the map wide open.


    The north of the vertically long map was dark, like it was marked with ck ink. That was a location that had now been encroached upon by the Crack, and no one remembered what it used to look like before. However, the countless mountains extending from the Crack indicated that it originally used to be rugged terrain.


    The huge mountain range which began from the Crack was divided into two. They were the ¡®Walls of Nulvin¡¯ toward the north and the ¡®Dilver mountains¡¯ toward the west.


    And in the huge in that was snuggled by the surrounding mountain ranges was the holy city of Torra, the Capital of the Empire.


    The advancing mountain ranges and river streams became blurred as they met the eastern sea and the southern desert. Thend that was divided into rivers and small mountain ranges was separated from the Capital by the four sides surrounding it.


    But the holy city of Torra was not the center of the empire on the map. Rather, it was slightly to the west. At the center of the empire was the Magic Tower. To be precise, the Magic Tower was bound to be at the center.


    cing apass where the Magic Tower was located on the map and picking a spot that was located at the extreme end of the empire to draw a circle would result in a line that was defined as ¡®the boundary.¡¯


    The empire was defined by this boundary, and therefore the empire¡¯s territory formed a perfect circle with the Magic Tower as the center. The emperor¡¯s Grace couldn¡¯t be used beyond the boundary, and thus the barbarians and monsters that had fled from the empire lurked there.


    There was even a story that the surviving gods who had run away from the emperor were hiding beyond the boundary. Furthermore, ck-haired humans lived there as well. The ck-haired humans were unfortunate and disturbed people who refused the emperor¡¯s blessings and protection.


    Although there were countless threats and fears lurking beyond the boundary, the people living within the boundary were safe.


    ¡°Why was the boundary made around the Magic Tower?¡±


    ¡°That was because of Mananen McLeir¡¯s body.¡±


    Juan answered Sina¡¯s question apathetically.


    ¡°Walls and swords weren¡¯t enough to prevent those who fled to all directions froming back. So a huge seal based on Mananen McLeir¡¯s body was built. But it was such a difficult magic to use that the seal wasn¡¯t able to perfectly block all of the threats.¡±


    ¡°If the boundary protects against external enemies, then why can¡¯t it block the Crack?¡± Sina asked.


    ¡°Because the Crack has the property of encroaching upon, eroding, and digging into absolutely anything. And that includes even one¡¯s mind. Thick walls are of no use. It is best to simply kill everything that¡¯s rted to the Crack.¡±


    Sina nodded as she had also seen the terror of the Crack in the east.


    Sina and Juan were standing at the very top of the Magic Tower. It was difficult for Sina to even stand upright due to the tilted floor, but Juan strode around with ease. All Sina could see below them were the clouds. The clouds, ironically, seemed to be stable and fluffy to Sina, causing her to get goosebumps¡ªshe was afraid that she would suffer from the ridiculous temptation to jump on the clouds.


    ¡°Be careful, since it¡¯s quite windy up here.¡±


    A storm seemed to be approaching. A humid wind caused Sina¡¯s cloak to p around. She sighed, since getting a storm in winter was not something ordinary.


    ¡°What are you going to do here?¡± Sina asked.


    ¡°The Magic Tower is not only the center of the empire, but also the highest ce within the empire,¡± Juan answered.


    ¡°What¡¯s your point?¡±


    ¡°My point is that this is the best ce to light a smoke beacon.¡±


    ¡°A beacon?¡±


    ¡®<i>A smoke beacon in this cloudy weather?</i>¡¯


    Although the Magic Tower was the highest location and the center of the empire, there was a limit to the field of view. But Juan was not thinking of some normal-scale beacon. What he was thinking of was one that could be seen by anyone from anywhere in the empire.


    Juan finally climbed to the top of the Magic Tower. Where he was standing was the edge of the cylinder that was the Magic Tower. Juan then nced down at Sina.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to follow me. You could have just seen it on the back of Entalucia like Heretia and Haild.¡±


    ¡°I have to watch everything you do from right by your side,¡± Sina said as she stared directly at Juan. ¡°That¡¯s what you asked me to do. Isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    Juan smiled and didn¡¯t answer Sina. Instead, he began to mumble something with his hands on the railing.


    Sina was perplexed upon seeing the spot touched by Juan glowing a bright red shortly afterward but didn¡¯t take her eyes off of it. The red traces didn¡¯tst long; the railing melted and flowed down like blood, dripping onto the Magic Tower and covering it.


    The burning light could be seen rather clearly, since it was a cloudy day. Soon, the entire Magic Tower began to shine with red patterns. Only then did Sina realize that the light glowing under her hand didn¡¯t feel hot at all.


    <i>Tsk.</i>


    There was no sound. But Sina felt as if she had heard a sound. A red light pierced through the floor, going straight toward the ground located a little away from the base of the Magic Tower. The light that was as thick as the Magic Tower then prated the cloudy sky and the dark clouds, seeming like it would make the storm disappear.


    Sina couldn¡¯t even tell how far or how long it would continue to rise. She then looked at Juan with a perplexed expression upon witnessing a bright light that burst out of nowhere.


    ¡°This is where Mananen McLeir¡¯s body is stored. I used his mana,¡± Juan said while staring at the red light.


    Juan brushed his hands off and slid down toward the entrance.


    ¡°They will be able toe and find me after looking at that light.¡±


    ***


    Winter has always been Nienna¡¯s strongest ally and closest friend. The fierce northern cold turned the beasts into dry corpses and covered the thick Crack with snow and ice. Even if it wasn¡¯t for the cold weather, no beasts could hold out against Nienna¡¯s abilities in the winter breeze.


    Nienna¡¯s strength doubled in a cold snowstorm, and the Northern Army gained strength by watching her run like a goddess on the battlefield.


    ¡°Go on.¡±


    ¡°The smaller Cracks are all frozen, and the medium andrger ones are showing no signs of activity due to the past purging.¡±


    Nienna nodded upon hearing the report.


    Recently, the Crack was getting quieter and quieter without an issue¡ªsuch a thing was unprecedented. Thanks to the Crack being calm, the North was enjoying an unexpected period of peace.


    But this peace caused Nienna to somehow feel uneasy.


    ¡®<i>Maybe I¡¯ve gotten too used to war.</i>¡¯


    Nienna¡¯s n was to retire and meet a suitable partner to give birth to a suitable sessor when the peaceful time finally came. Now might be the perfect time for her to implement her n, but the war had just begun in the south this time instead of the north.


    ¡°Well, I guess it¡¯s happening at a good time anyway.¡±


    Nienna rose from her seat and headed straight toward the terrace. The door to the terrace was wide open and a snowstorm was pouring inside. She could see the countless people of the Northern Imperial Army that filled the outside of the winter citadel. Those were warriors with shaggy beards and faces scarred by the harsh winter wind and the ws of monsters.


    Even the armor they were wearing was not in an ordinary imperial style¡ªit was made using the hide and ws of the monsters. They did not seem to be wearing uniforms at all. However, Nienna felt proud when she saw them. They were Nienna¡¯s kindred people, her admirers and her warriors. They were the most powerful troops in the Imperial Army.


    Nienna quietly raised her hand to the side.


    .


    ¡°Ah-hoo!¡±


    The entire mountain range trembled due to the short but loud cry that rang out suddenly. The cry was so loud that it even caused a small avnche and the echoes of the cry rang out for a long time.


    Nienna pondered for a moment about what to say. The opponents that they were about to fight from now on were not monsters nor were they human rebels. Rather, it was the object of their loyalty until now.


    <i>¡®Would it be okay for me to suddenly order my men to swing their swords at the opponent and make the opponent bleed?¡¯</i>


    Nienna¡¯s agony didn¡¯tst long. Nienna quietly extended her raised hand toward the south, where the red light was shining.


    ¡°Ah-hoo!¡±


    With another short cry, the army began to move in unison.


    The master of the North did not make a speech, nor did she ask for anyone¡¯s understanding. When the master of the North gave themand, their swords executed the order. The responsibility and the guilt were all borne by the master of the North.


    Therefore, the weight of the responsibilities felt by Nienna was as great as the weight of the entire army.


    ***


    A crow sat on Anya¡¯s wrist as she reached her hand out. The crow¡¯s red eyes resembled the red light that could be seen toward the north.


    ¡°Anabelle. The people of the emperor¡¯s army have also agreed to cooperate,¡± Dilmond, who had followed the outer path of the wall, spoke to Anya.


    Anya looked back at Dilmond.


    Dilmond flinched the moment he looked into Anya¡¯s eyes. Unlike before, her eyes were dark red¡ªthis was a change that urred within Anya when she wore the Umbra to maximize her abilities as a necromancer.


    Dilmond had once been worried that she might end up being eaten by Nigrato, but never once did anything he feared ur. Rather, her loyalty toward the emperor had be frighteningly strong. This also seemed to be a change that urred when she heard of Juan¡¯s death.


    ¡°That¡¯s great news. At least I don¡¯t have to go out of my way to persuade them.¡±


    Anya pped the hem of Umbra¡¯s long robe. For a moment, Dilmond felt as if he could see countless skeletons under the ck robe.


    Among the numerous corpses left behind after the tragedy of Hiveden were those of the Temrs. One day, their bodies had suddenly disappeared and no one knew what happened to them¡ªexcept for Dilmond and Anya.


    Dilmond wondered if it was okay to take advantage of the bodies of the Temrs, but Anya¡¯s answer to his concerns was clear.


    ¡®<i>It¡¯s better for the dead to die once more than for the living to die.</i>¡¯


    Although it seemed evil, Anya¡¯s intentions did not go against the will of the emperor. At least Dilmond wished to believe so.


    Anya, who had now brought out the Umbra¡¯s ability to the maximum extent, was just as powerful as Ras.


    Back then, Ras had no choice but to devote part of his power to suppress Nigrato. But Anya had no such restrictions. If Anya decided to act against the will of the emperor with such power, the empire would be faced with a new disaster. Dilmond could guarantee that such an end would most definitely be terrible for everyone.


    ¡°Then shall we get going, Sir Dilmond?¡± Anya asked.


    ¡°Sure¡­ I mean, yes, Captain.¡±


    Anya, the captain of the Order of Huginn, did not have to directly givemands to her knight order. As soon as Anya conveyed her will, the crow on her arm loudly fluttered its wings and flew high up in the sky.


    Then, the army of undead under Anya¡¯s feet began to march toward the North. The knights of the dead, which belonged to the Order of Huginn, rode atop dead horses, and the Dragon Blood Soldiers that were created by Juan took the lead. At the very front of the line walked Urkel, the one who used to be called the Revenge King, with dozens of skulls ttering on his body.


    Anya calmly thought that all she could do was ask her enemies to surrender. And whether they decide to surrender or not, they would eventually be a part of the emperor¡¯s army.


    ***


    It was once a demerit, but now, it was a merit, that the East was without a leader.


    H expertly dominated the east with the little imperial influence she held. The mercenary guilds that flourished in the east offered H some highly-skilled warriors to do the duties of the soldiers during their absence.


    The mercenaries were the best at smelling the scent of war and money. Above all, they were well aware of which direction would eventually achieve victory.


    Arge number of troops gathered together, filling the route to the west.


    The war against the warriors of Arbalde could have been quickly cleared up and settled if such an amount of troops had gathered back then, but everything was already in the past. Besides, there was no way that such a huge number of troops would have gotten together like this in the past.


    ¡°Hury.¡±


    H spoke to Hury, the former leader of the Punishment Unit, who had now be the Captain of the Special Forces Gueri Unit.


    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t hear any more whispers?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Grace.¡± Hury nodded. ¡°The same goes for the other troops. But we can still exert the power of the Crack.¡±


    All of Hury¡¯s troops were people who had been encroached upon by the Crack to some extent. They were constantly tempted by the Crack and felt the urge to cry out the name granted to them by the Crack. In return, they gained far more power and strength than ordinary people.


    Hury used to be one of the warriors of Arbalde and one of the people who had been most influenced by the Crack. However, the whispers of the Crack that used to make him suffer had gone quiet for some time now.


    ¡°That¡¯s good news. The power of the Crack is evil, but we need that power at a time like this,¡± H said.


    ¡°...What you said the other day must be true, right?¡± Hury asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± H nodded as she looked at the red light rising from the west. ¡°His Majesty said that he had found a way to permanently protect the empire from the Crack. He also said that you will all be able to get your normal lives back.¡±


    To the warriors of Arbalde who had been encroached upon by the Crack unwillingly and then volunteered to be prisoners because they did not want to turn into monsters, there was no better reward for thempared to getting their ordinary lives back.


    H promised to give rewards to all those who were gathered here, ready to fight. For some, she promised them gold, sess to some others, indulgence for some, and a future for the rest.


    The Special Forces Gueri Unit had a different purposepared to the Northern Army, who were ready to risk their lives to followmands, or the Order of the Huginn, who rose from even death to carry out themands given to them.


    However, they were the most human-like Army.

 Chapter 150 – Justice For the Emperor (1)

    <h4>Chapter 150 ¨C Justice For the Emperor (1)</h4>


    It all began with just one old woman.


    Early in the morning, an old woman who was wearing a hood limped to stand in the middle of the square in front of the Vatican. The old woman easily caught the eyes of the crowd due to the fact that the middle of the square was empty¡ªthere were not many people there.


    The old woman stared at the Vatican for a long time, then mmed the cane she held in her hands onto the floor as she shouted.


    ¡°I demand justice for His Majesty!¡±


    It was a voice so loud and sharp that no one could believe that it came from an old woman.


    The eyes of the crowd who were about to start their morning routine at the edge of the square turned toward the old woman at once. At the same time, the guards who were guarding the Vatican exchanged perplexed eyes.


    ¡°I demand justice for His Majesty!¡±


    When the old woman shouted the same slogan once again, the guards figured that they had to pull her out of the square.


    ¡°Come on, ma¡¯am. Don¡¯t do this here and¡­¡±


    ¡°Let go of me, you punk!¡±


    The old woman swung her cane and pped the guard on the head. The guard was wearing a helmet for protection but still stepped back while feeling dumbfounded due to the tingling sensation he felt on his head.


    Then the old woman shouted in a loud voice once again.


    ¡°I stood on the front lines alongside His Majesty! I have much more experience than you do! How dare you try and touch me!?¡±


    The old woman didn¡¯t stop there but continued to hit the guard in the back and the waist with her cane.


    The guard retreated with a perplexed expression and then ran into the Captain of the Guards who hurriedly came to the square upon hearing about the disturbance.


    ¡°What is it? What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°This crazy olddy is saying that she was in the same army as His Majesty¡­¡±


    The Captain of the Guards noticed a familiar old iron brooch on the old woman¡¯s chest. This was the brooch that many soldiers received when they were discharged from the military at the end of the Founding era and the beginning of the Emperor¡¯s era.


    Looking at the old woman¡¯s wrinkled face, the Captain of the Guards figured that there was a high probability that what she was saying was true. But he had no choice but to say the same thing as the other guard.


    ¡°Um, ma¡¯am. Please don¡¯t do this here¡­¡±


    ¡°I said let go of me, you punk! You want me to stay still and do nothing when the empire that I built with my own hands is teetering on the verge of copse in the hands of the bad guys? What do you or the Pope do other than hiding inside the Vatican and eating up all the food every day?¡±


    The faces of the Guards turned pale upon hearing the old woman¡¯s words. If such impious words were spoken right in front of the Vatican and were heard by a Priest or a Temr, they would immediately be punished. Not only the old woman, but even they, the guards themselves, would be punished.


    ¡°This crazy old woman¡­¡±


    ¡°Hurry up and drag her out. Ma¡¯am, you¡¯ll be in big trouble if you say such things so recklessly.¡±


    ¡°Let go! I said let go, you bastards! I demand justice for His Majesty!¡± the old woman screamed.


    At that moment, someone firmly grabbed the shoulder of one of the guards¡ªit was the owner of a butcher shop in a nearby shopping square.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s not be too careless with this old woman. From what I heard, she sounds like a war veteran.¡±


    The guard¡¯s face distorted upon hearing the words spoken by the owner of the butcher shop.


    ¡°You know nothing. So, you¡¯d better fuck off and stay out of it unless you want¡­¡±


    The guard couldn¡¯t finish his sentence properly, since merchants and residents from the nearby shopping square had gathered due to the disturbance that urred while he was talking with the old woman.


    The guard¡¯s trembling eyes turned toward the hand on his shoulder. The knife held in his hand was dripping blood and pig fat as if he had been cutting meat until just now.


    The guard quickly read the atmosphere in the surroundings.


    None of the people were looking at the guards favorably. The guards had never been viewed in such a negative light in the past decades. ming discontent and hostility began to engulf the entire square.


    ¡°Get back¡­ Get back, everyone.¡±


    The Captain of the Guards fumbled and grabbed the sword hanging at his waist. However, he could not draw his sword; he could clearly tell what would happen to him if he did. To make matters worse, the guards further away were escaping the square on their horses, since they assumed that the Captain¡¯s words were an order directed toward them.


    There was nothing more the Captain of the Guards could do at this point.


    All the guards withdrew, and then the owner of the butcher shop grabbed the hand of the old woman who was lying on the floor and raised her up.


    The old woman shook off her skirt and stood up, once again shouting toward the Vatican, just like earlier.


    ¡°I demand justice for His Majesty!¡±


    This was followed by the thunderous roar of all the people in the square.


    ¡°We demand justice for His Majesty!¡±


    ***


    ¡°...What the hell is going on? What¡¯s this sound?¡±


    Helmut murmured as he stood in the corridor that overlooked the Vatican square, looking at the scenery outside the window.


    The voices demanding justice for His Majesty were loud enough to resonate throughout the entire city. The protest that had been going on for half a day already drew residents from all over the holy city of Torra to fill the entire square and even other streets. Even the buildings around the square were filled with people that were shouting the slogan.


    ¡°We demand justice for His Majesty!¡±


    ¡°We demand justice for His Majesty!¡±


    ¡°We demand justice for His Majesty!¡±


    ¡°They are demanding justice for His Majesty? Then are they saying that His Majesty¡¯s justice is not here? Who the hell started this whole thing? What kind of apostate instigated this protest!¡± Helmut shouted in anger.


    ¡°As far as I know, it all began when an old woman started shouting alone in the morning. We are trying to figure out who¡¯s behind this whole incident, but we have yet to find out¡­¡± a ck Priest cautiously reported by Helmut¡¯s side.


    Helmut pressed his hand against his head, almost as if he had a headache.


    ¡°...What about the Temrs?¡± Helmut asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡±


    ¡°Were there any Priests or Temrs who came forward to stop the crowd when the apostates were moving so openly like that?¡±


    ¡°...Well, that is¡­¡±


    Then a man¡¯s voice was heard.


    ¡°The Temrs won¡¯t step forward.¡±


    Helmut¡¯s head swung back upon hearing the voice.


    It was Lenly Loen and Ivy Isildin, who had a pale face.


    Seeing them, Helmut¡¯s face distorted in an instant.


    ¡°Are you bastards the ones who instigated this ridiculous protest?¡±


    As Helmut approached them while shaking his fists at them, Lenly stood in front of Ivy to protect her.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t get us wrong, Your Holiness. We know nothing about this incident. In fact, the Order of the ck Lion had hurriedlye to see me to discuss what to do about this situation. So, I just told them to act ording to their own beliefs about justice for His Majesty,¡± Ivy, who was behind Lenly, stuck her head out and said.


    Helmut¡¯s expression hardened. The Order of the ck Lion was a knight order that had the responsibility of ensuring the safety of the Vatican and the Priests with authority.


    ¡®<i>But they asked the Saintess for her opinion and made a policy based on that?</i>¡¯


    Ivy continued speaking as she looked at Helmut¡¯s face.


    ¡°You misunderstood again, Your Holiness. It¡¯s not like the Captain of the Order of the ck Lion is following orders given by me. He only decided on a policy based on his own thoughts and beliefs. He figured that the slogan being shouted by the people of the empire doesn''t go against the will of His Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Why, you bitch¡­¡±


    Helmut couldn¡¯t properly hear Ivy¡¯s words, since the only thought in his mind was that he had left this arrogant thing unattended for too long.


    Lenly felt something unusual from Helmut and ced his hand over his sword.


    Upon seeing Lenly ce his hand over his sword, Helmut grew even angrier.


    Then, Helmut¡¯s head calmed down rather than getting heated due to his extreme anger.


    ¡°Lenly. You being so hostile towards me makes me think that you might kill me.¡±


    A powerful energy started soaring from Helmut¡¯s hand, and the face of the ck Priest watching all this from behind turned pale.


    Helmut was the Pope. Not only was he the only one who could grant the Grace provided by His Majesty to others, but he was also the one who held the strongest Grace within the empire. It was said that one knight order led by Temrs along with one bishop could easily take over an entire city. But the Pope¡¯s power was on an entirely different level.


    ¡°They are demanding justice for His Majesty? I will show them that justice already exists here.¡±


    ¡°Your Holiness.¡±


    Ivy suddenly stood in Helmut¡¯s way.


    Helmut tried to blow Ivy¡¯s head while disregarding her, but she hurriedly raised her hand and pointed to the square outside the window.


    ¡°Your Holiness should listen to their voices too. They aren¡¯t trying to insult or bring down Your Holiness.¡±


    ¡®<i>Of course, there are people who want to do that.</i>¡¯


    Ivy swallowed those words with difficulty.


    ¡°Your Holiness. Do you know where that slogan even originated from?¡±


    Helmut flinched and looked at Ivy with suspicious eyes.


    Then, Ivy took a short deep breath with a trembling heart, and continued speaking.


    ¡°It started with Heretia Helwin at the House of Peers when she told everyone to bring down Barth Baltic. Those people aren¡¯t demanding justice for His Majesty from Your Holiness¡ªthey want to bring down Barth Baltic, a man from a heterogeneous race and the person who holds the real power within the empire. Does Your Holiness intend to go down with Barth Baltic by trying to protect him?¡±


    ***


    The atmosphere of the House of Peers assembly was darker than ever. The reason for this was the protest that broke out inside the holy city of Torra despite three sides of the empire getting ready for war.


    Everyone could see that the empire was on the verge of disaster.


    However, only one person did not think so.


    ¡°What is everyone so concerned about? Are those who are protesting right now a group of evil gods or heterogenous races that are full of hatred? No. Those are our own people who belong to the empire. And what they want is very clear.¡±


    Heretia Helwin raised her hand and pointed toward Helmut, who was standing on the tform.


    ¡°To bring down Barth Baltic and get justice for His Majesty.¡±


    Helmut red at Heretia with bloodshot eyes; he realized that he had left the seeds that she scattered unattended for way too long. Helmut had thought that Heretia¡¯s actions were just a way to gain the attention of the nobles and the citizens, but now, it looked like she genuinely intended to bring down Barth Baltic.


    ¡°One of the knight orders that had been dispatched to check on the rumors about the returning emperor came back in a terrible condition, while the other one never even came back at all. What do you think that means? Does it mean what they encountered was the devil?¡± Heretia shook her head. ¡°No. It¡¯s not the devil that they encountered¡ªit was His Majesty¡¯s wrath. That¡¯s the reason why there are voices demanding justice for His Majesty from the east, north, south, and now even the capital of the empire.¡±


    The murmuring between the nobles slowly grew louder.


    Rhymer, the head of the founding faction, raised his hand with a tired look and asked for everyone¡¯s silence.


    ¡°Miss Helwin seems to have already concluded that the self-proimed emperor is the real emperor who is returning. I heard that you left the Capital for a while. Did you get to meet him in person or what?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I actually did,¡± Heretia said proudly.


    The murmurs grew even louder upon hearing Heretia¡¯s answer. Her remark was one that could be counted as treason if something went wrong.


    However, Heretia continued to speak in a calm manner.


    ¡°And I have also met a lot of people who follow him. Others could say that I fell for the devil¡¯s trick if I was the only one who saw him, but even trustworthy people such as Duke H Henna and General Nienna Nelben have acknowledged him. Are you going to say that they are wrong too?¡±


    Duke H Henna had many admirers among the nobles of the capital. The nobles couldn¡¯t help her out in the open, since she wasn¡¯t well-liked by the officials in high positions, but her struggling on her own in the east was a perfect example for the nobles to follow.


    People¡¯s respect for General Nienna Nelben didn¡¯t even have to be mentioned, since she was the eldest daughter of the emperor.


    One nobleman rose from his seat and shouted.


    ¡°I agree with Miss Helwin. They are noting to start a war¡ªthey are only taking a desperate step to ask the empire for justice.¡±


    ¡°I agree.¡±


    Slowly, voices filled with empathy started toe from everywhere.


    Rhymer looked at Helmut with anxious eyes, while Helmut continued to silently listen to the nobles¡¯ agreements.


    The atmosphere had already tilted in the favor of one side. Helmut had to oust Barth Baltic; otherwise, he too would be ced in a position where he would be dragged down.


    ¡®<i>I did always dream about stabbing him with a knife on his back one day, but¡­</i>¡¯


    Helmut also had just as much hatred for heterogeneous races as ordinary people of the empire. However, back then, the empire couldn¡¯t rely on anything other than the power of Barth Baltic, who tookmand of the Imperial Army at that precarious time.


    But there was nothing Helmut could do at this point. Helmut and Barth had no choice but to remain politically separate for the greater good.


    Helmut quietly raised his hand, causing the interior of the House of Peers to be quiet.


    ¡°If it is justice for His Majesty to bring down the Regent, then¡­¡±


    The moment Helmut tried to dere in a quiet voice, the door of the assembly hall of the House of Peers opened wide with a thud.


    The eyes of the nobles turned toward the door in unison¡ªeveryone¡¯s eyes widened with surprise when they saw the person standing in front of the door.


    ¡°There is no need to put your dirty hands on me; I decided toe here on my own.¡±


    It was the Regent of the empire, Barth Baltic.

 Chapter 151 – Justice for the Emperor (2)

    <h4>Chapter 151 ¨C Justice for the Emperor (2)</h4>


    The first thing that people felt when Barth Baltic entered the assembly hall of the House of Peers was a weird sense of alienation. The assembly hall of the House of Peers was quiterge, with extraordinary splendor; after all, it was where the people who held authority in the empire and were considered the empire¡¯s limbs gathered.


    However, it was a ce that was made for humans.


    The mere presence of Barth Baltic, a four-meter tall giant who had a soaring horn that could almost reach the sky and a white beard that came down to his chest, turned the assembly hall into apletely unfamiliar space for the nobles.


    Even the chairman Rhymer, who had made numerous speeches at the assembly hall for decades felt like he was back in the old mythological era upon seeing Barth Baltic enter the assembly hall.


    Rhymer swallowed a gulp with an ufortable expression.


    ¡°Regent Barth,¡± Helmut opened his mouth with a stiff expression on his face, since he hadn¡¯t expected Barth to show up in person. ¡°When did youe to Torra¡­¡±


    Barth Baltic ignored Helmut and walked toward the tform. It felt as if the entire assembly hall shook every time his thumping footsteps echoed throughout the hall.


    Many nobles had their mouths wide open, since it was their first time seeing Barth Baltic. This was only natural, since Barth rarely showed himself in public. At most of the events, he was represented by Pavan Peltere, the Captain of the Order of the Capital. The only time Barth Baltic made a public appearance was when he asionally trained the army.


    Most people who saw Barth Baltic had simr thoughts.


    ¡®<i>He looks much older than I had thought.</i>¡¯


    He seemed a little different from the rumors about his appearance: he had a long white beard, wrinkled face, age spots, and a slightly bent posture. Many people would say that he looked quite old even if he was a human, not from a different race. However, the muscles wriggling under his exposed skin showed that he was still quite active as a swordsman.


    Following Barth, heavily armed knights entered the assembly hall with expressionless faces. The symbol of sun engraved on the fluttering cloaks behind their backs suggested that they belonged to the Order of the Capital.


    The knights of the Order of the Capital were the most talented people that Barth Baltic had carefully selected from within the empire, regardless of their descent, region or race.


    If the Order of the Capital¡¯s intent behind entering the assembly hall was to take over the House of Peers, the nobles would have no choice but to die at their hands.


    However, rather than being frustrated upon seeing Barth Baltic, Heretia quickly noticed that Captain Pavan Peltere was absent amongst the Order of the Capital.


    ¡®<i>It¡¯s strange that Pavan Peltere isn¡¯t here when Barth Baltic has made a public appearance¡­</i>¡¯


    Barth Baltic stood on the tform, and Helmut quietly stepped down to let him speak. At this point, Helmut¡¯s rtionship with Barth Baltic waspletely over.


    Barth nced at the nobles and opened his mouth.


    ¡°I remember when I once kicked a dog to death.¡±


    The nobles were perplexed by the rather absurd remark made by Barth Baltic. They nkly stared at Barth, since the first thing he said after showing his face in such a serious situation was about him killing a dog.


    But the following words spoken by Barth were enough to make the nobles shut their mouths real quick.


    ¡°That dog was the veryst dog left in the country where I lived. That dog was eating my mother¡¯s face. I knew that it had no choice and that it was desperate, but I still ended up kicking the dog out of anger. The dog soon died while bleeding through its mouth.¡±


    Barth nced around at the nobles with furious eyes.


    ¡°Have I ever mentioned how my parents, my race, and my country were destroyed?¡±


    He had never said it out loud, but it was all recorded in history. Hornsluine was thest race to resist the gods, but failed. There was no other race who challenged the gods and failed after that, since a human seeded in resisting the gods and wiped out all the gods.


    And that man was the emperor.


    ording to the records, the gods destroyed the Hornsluine using rain.


    ¡°Red rain poured all over my country for seven days and nights. Those that were soaked by the red rain turned into monsters as their bodies twisted or new body parts grew. Everyone killed each other, since they couldn¡¯t even recognize their parents or children, and the only thing remaining was an endless desire to kill. That happened all over the country. The mutation began as soon as even a single drop of the red rain touched those of my race.¡±


    Barth, thest surviving member of the Hornsluine race, tilted his head to reveal his neck which was full of indelible tooth marks and scars.


    ¡°Ah, yes¡­ I¡¯ve never told anyone how I survived, have I? The only reason why I didn¡¯t die there along with my own people was to be an entertainer for the amusement of the gods. They wanted to leave at least one witness to watch the price of rebellion¡ªbecause punishment without any witnesses is meaningless.¡±


    Barth calmly talked about the destruction of his own people. Not a single noble could open their mouth in absolute silence.


    ¡°I, and my kind, were dogs that were kicked to death by the gods. We bled to death just because we bared our teeth against the gods. I didn¡¯t think that what we did was worthy of our entire race being destroyed, so I thought about the reason why the gods would destroy us like that. And I came to just one conclusion¡ªit was the same reason why I kicked that dog to death.¡±


    Barth nked around at the nobles once more.


    ¡°Because I was angry, and because I could.¡±


    Barth came down from the tform and began to walk in front of the nobles.


    ¡°Then the emperor appeared. The emperor killed the gods like they were dogs because he could. How could I not admire someone like him? I followed the emperor around and worshiped him like a hero and a king¡ªin exchange for mocking the dying gods. I willingly protected him behind his back, even taught races that had nothing to do with me, and took the position of the Great General of the Imperial Army when he asked me to.¡±


    At that moment, the knights of the Order of the Capital inside the assembly hall stamped their feet in unison. Barth Baltic slowly walked in front of the nobles and came to a standstill right in front of Heretia. Barth Baltic then looked down at Heretia, who was so short that she couldn¡¯t even reach his waistline.


    ¡°I¡¯m old and exhausted, but I still have the power to kick and kill dogs who can¡¯t even acknowledge the favor I have done for them.¡±


    Heretia tried her best to not be overwhelmed by Barth Baltic, but it was not easy to do so.


    ¡°You let the empire fall apart despite your power,¡± Heretia said.


    At that moment, one of the knights from the Order of the Capital took a step forward. It was Ledna Loen, the Deputy of the Order of the Capital. Heretia frowned upon seeing Ledna¡¯s face. Like her brother Lenly Loen, her hair was also a dazzling white color. However, Lenly and Ledna were walking onpletely different paths from each other.


    ¡°Regent Barth Baltic is just a soldier, and it is the rule for the soldiers to not intervene in politics of the empire. That¡¯s why we have left it to the House of Peers and the Church. We don¡¯t think we¡¯ve ever gone against our duty as soldiers. But have you all done your duties?¡± Ledna asked.


    ¡°The Regent Barth Baltic is also the Grand Duke,¡± Heretia answered.


    ¡°And that is not a position the Regent had asked for. It was automatically passed down to the Regent as the next person in the hierarchy, since Harmon Helwin, the Grand Duke at the time, was involved in treason. At that time, the Regent cleared up the mess and severely convicted those who were involved in the treason. Since then, the House of Peers has always had the authority to elect a new Grand Duke at any time.¡±


    But the House of Peers had never done so. Ledna skipped a few words, but Heretia could easily tell what she wanted to say. Ledna¡¯s words were not wrong, but those who were under the slightest suspicion at the time after the emperor¡¯s assassination had no choice but to remain quiet, since they would be swept away like autumn leaves whether they were nobles or not.


    Anyone who dared to mention the election of a new Grand Duke would have already been killed by then. It could be said that the House of Peers had no fault, since such a situation hadsted for forty eight years.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t he spill the blood of the innocents on the imperial soil?¡± Heretia asked.


    ¡°Spilling blood to prevent the division of the empire is something that was done by His Majesty as well. You¡¯re not going to deny the fact that many kingdoms had been overthrown during the founding of the empire, are you?¡±


    ¡°He moved the military in favor of the Church¡¯s private sanctions.¡±


    ¡°The empire serves His Majesty, and everyone who serves His Majesty serves the Church by agreement. Is it wrong to put His Majesty¡¯s will before everything else? Don¡¯t you know what will happen if a soldier makes his own judgment and takes care of things in their favor?¡±


    Ledna Loen¡¯s answer was without any holes.


    Heretia¡¯s face became distorted, since she felt that Ledna¡¯s excuses were all sophistry¡ªLedna was distorting the history of Barth Baltic not doing anything and the Church worshiping false values as if it all had a noble meaning.


    Heretia grit her teeth, since she knew that dirty deeds had been done through the Order of the Capital, who held the second highest amount of power within the empire.


    So, Heretia threw a rather provocative im that was impossible for Barth Barthic to avoid.


    ¡°He tricked the Captain of the Imperial Guards to move the army at the time of His Majesty¡¯s assassination.¡±


    It was a straightforward remark that did not leave any room for Barth to avoid or ignore. The nobles watched with bated breath. Heretia¡¯s remark was a dangerous one, one that might get her killed for being involved in treason.


    ¡°We looked through all the letters that were sent and received at the time. We even looked at the secret letters that had been stamped with His Majesty¡¯s Imperial seal. Written on the letter that only Winoa Weaver could open was Barth Baltic¡¯s order to move the troops for¡­¡±


    ¡°And what¡¯s wrong with that? The Regent had the authority tomand the entire military. The Order of the Capital was moving, and I bet there are more than a hundred stamped lettersmanding the troops to march. But in the end, the direct responsibility for His Majesty¡¯s securityy with Winoa Weaver¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    However, at that moment, Barth Baltic suddenly opened his mouth. Baltic Barthic spoke as he red at Heretia with his decrepit eyes.


    ¡°That was my order. I helped Gerard Gain to enter the Imperial Pce.¡±


    The entire House of Peers fell into silence. Even the sound of hearts beating seemed to have stopped. Not only Heretia, but even Ledna Loen hadn¡¯t expected Barth Baltic to suddenly say such words.


    However, Barth¡¯s expression remainedpletely unchanged.


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying that you were involved with His Majesty¡¯s assassination, and¡­¡±


    ¡°I knew that Gerard Gain, that bastard, would stab the emperor to death. I had been watching him for a long time.¡±


    Heretia looked at Barth Baltic in silence, fear slowly taking root inside her. She couldn¡¯t figure out with what purpose Barth Baltic was saying this. Considering the way he had dealt with those involved in His Majesty¡¯s assassination case so far, Barth Baltic should have nothing to say even if he was killed on the spot.


    ¡°It would have been nice if I could end him with my own hands, but I thought it would be better for him to be stabbed to death at the hands of his own child.¡±


    ¡°How dare you!¡±


    One of the nobles from the meritorious faction stood up and shouted as if he was having a seizure.


    Barth Baltic red at the noble, causing the noble to immediately copse into his seat while breathing heavily.


    That marked the end of the nobles¡¯ resistance.


    With everyone remaining silent, Barth Baltic nced around the House of Peers. The nobles felt as if they were being cut by his sharp eyes.


    Heretia bit her lips when she felt the atmosphere of the Order of the Capital.


    ¡®<i>Barth Baltic insulted His Majesty and confessed his crime of treason, but there is no agitation among them?</i>¡¯


    Only Ledna Loen was calmly cing her hand over the handle of her sword. The Order of the Capital was already showing their loyalty toward the Regent, not the emperor.


    ¡®<i>I guess it¡¯s only natural</i>.¡¯


    Many people went on and on about loyalty to the emperor, but it has already been almost fifty years since the emperor died and turned into a corpse. Most of these people were those who had never even seen the emperor when he was alive. Just like the Temrs, they had only been educated with techniques that were close to brainwashing.


    ¡°I pity you all,¡± Barth Baltic said.


    People were taken aback by Barth¡¯s words.


    ¡®<i>Pity us? All of a sudden?</i>¡¯


    Barth Baltic continued to speak with trembling lips.


    ¡°I wonder if all of you would still be able to worship the emperor like you do now even after his identity is revealed. I want to make all of you suffer by telling you just how meaningless your loyalties are, but it would be quite entertaining for me to see you realize that for yourselves.¡±


    Barth Baltic turned his back on the nobles after only leaving those ambiguous words behind.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Heretia shouted hastily.


    ¡°To do what a soldier has to do. Haven¡¯t you heard that the foreign enemy that is threatening the empire ising?¡±


    ¡®<i>He is nning to stand up against Juan? As the Regent?</i>¡¯


    Barth Baltic¡¯s decision meant that the Order of the Capital would fight the forces of the east, south, and north. It would only be a matter of time before it spread to arge-scale civil war.


    Heretia, who had tried to bring Barth Baltic down politically before such a situation came to be, started bing desperate. Heretia followed after Barth in a hurry. It was not like she had any n, but the only thought she had in her mind was to prevent a civil war.


    However, loud roars and shouts were heard as soon as Barth Baltic opened the door of the assembly hall.


    Heretia flinched and stopped. Outside the assembly hall were the citizens of Torra, who were gathered together to shout a slogan.


    ¡°We demand justice for His Majesty!¡±


    ¡°A bastard from the heterogeneous race who betrayed His Majesty!¡±


    <i>St! Crack!</i>


    Food waste such as tomatoes and eggs flew toward Barth Baltic¡¯s feet. The Order of the Capital seemed to feel that it was unpleasant and ufortable, but no one moved without Barth¡¯s order.


    Barth nced at the crowd and whispered to Heretia who was standing next to him.


    ¡°Do you see anyone amongst them who is truly demanding justice for His Majesty?¡±


    Heretia remained silent.


    ¡°I spent almost fifty years helping the emperor create an empire for the humans and spent yet another fifty years defending it. I¡¯ve been fighting for all of you for a total of one hundred years.¡±


    Barth Baltic picked up a bruised apple that was rolling at his feet and took a bite.


    ¡°But the only thing that I got in return is abel and an insult about me being from a heterogenous race.¡±

 Chapter 152 – First Blood (1)

    <h4>Chapter 152 ¨C First Blood (1)</h4>


    Helmut stepped out of the assembly hall with an exhausted look on his face. The steps he took along the hallway were heavy but busy. He was rather relieved that things had worked out unexpectedly well.


    Barth Baltic and Helmut were rivals who had maintained a hostile, yet symbiotic rtionship ever since the start of the Eternal Rule¡ªHelmut served as the spiritual anchor to unite the empire under the Church, while Barth seeded in uniting and leading the army that could have be a threat to the empire.


    Without either one of them, the empire would have been torn apart with bloodshed. Thus, Helmut acknowledged and admired Barth Baltic¡¯s abilities, despite hating him.


    So, Helmut was d that this incident was resolved quite smoothly, unlike what he had expected. After all, the Barth Baltic that Helmut knew was a man who could have easily turned the Capital into a sea of blood.


    At the same time, Helmut wondered why Barth Baltic acted in such a way.


    ¡®<i>Did he really just do what he had to do as a soldier?</i>¡¯


    Helmut shook his head. Both Helmut and Barth had seen each other¡¯s weaknesses. Helmut was very well aware that he was not an innocent man, and the same was true of Barth Baltic. They were both covered in the same filth.


    Helmut sometimes thought that perhaps the reason why they couldn¡¯t stand each other was that they smelled the same.


    ¡®<i>Whatever he is up to¡­ I wish the returning emperor could just disappear along with Barth Baltic.</i>¡¯


    Barth Baltic was already done for. The people of the empire hadpletely turned their backs on Barth Baltic, and this expedition would be hisst¡ªwhether he killed the returning emperor or rather got killed by the returning emperor.


    ¡°Your Holiness.¡±


    Helmut stopped upon hearing the voiceing from behind him. The voice belonged to Imill Ilde, the head of the Ilde family who had been silently sitting at a corner of the assembly hall the entire time. Not only was he the head of the religious faction, he was also the heir to a wealthy business. However, it was said that he suffered a huge loss recently when Hiveden, hisrgest source of ie, was suddenly overturned.


    ¡°Mr. Ilde,¡± Helmut greeted him briefly. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll put aside theplicated and unnecessary words, considering the situation we are in. What are you going to do with the Church?¡±


    Helmut was wary that Imill might petition to help Barth Baltic out of his desire for revenge. Helmut couldn¡¯t afford to do so now, but Imill Ilde was making too many donations to the Church for Helmut to simply ignore him.


    ¡°...The holy city of Torra is so loud and messy that I¡¯ll have to clean up on the inside first,¡± Helmut said.


    ¡°I think that¡¯s a marvelous idea.¡±


    Helmut became even more wary when he heard Imill say somethingpletely unexpected.


    ¡°But looking at the current situation and how you behaved when the Regent showed up at the assembly hall earlier, you don¡¯t seem to have any specific ns to take care of the situation.¡±


    ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± Helmut¡¯s face became distorted; after all, no one enjoyed their mistakes being pointed out.


    ¡°The Church is being too indulgent, Your Holiness. A mere soldier, a noble from an apostolic background, and even morons are insulting the Church. This is all because the Church has failed to gain enough authority,¡± Imill said with a determined face.


    ¡°...That I can¡¯t deny. I admit that I wascent. But things will be different from now on.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not enough, Your Holiness. We need the powerful authority of the Church that you showed during the early days of the Eternal Rule. Didn¡¯t Your Holiness show us His Majesty¡¯s will through a proxy back then?¡±


    ¡°...We are living in a different timepared to the bloody era when¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not different, Your Holiness. If the Regent is defeated and the rebel¡¯s army reaches Torra, both the authority of His Majesty and the authority of the Church will bepletely destroyed.¡±


    Helmut didn¡¯t think of himself to be a good man. He also knew well that Imill Ilde¡¯s words were crazy. Nevertheless, he couldn¡¯t help but think that Imill Ilde¡¯s crazy words were quite tempting.


    ¡°Are you telling me to show the authority of His Majesty by exerting my power?¡± Helmut asked.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to shed too much blood, is there? Power enough to unite the holy city of Torra is more than enough. If the Regent gets defeated, the army will eventually be nothing but a sword without an owner. Your Holiness needs to show everyone that you¡¯re qualified to wield that sword.¡±


    ¡®<i>A pope who is also themander of the armed forces, huh?</i>¡¯


    Imill Ilde¡¯s suggestion didn¡¯t sound too bad in Helmut¡¯s ears.


    ¡°If you are capable of uniting the power left behind by His Majesty in the form of Grace and the power of the empire into one¡­ then, it won¡¯t be too difficult to defeat the traitors. It would be an honor, almost as if the emperor had returned.¡±


    ¡®<i>The emperor¡­</i>¡¯


    ¡°Don¡¯t say anything that might cause people to misunderstand,¡± Helmut said.


    ¡°I have made a slip of the tongue, Your Holiness. I am just a faithful believer who has dedicated my wealth as well as my youngest son to the Church. Please don¡¯t misunderstand my loyalty.¡±


    Helmut inadvertently remembered that Imill Ilde¡¯s youngest son used to be a Temr, and that he made a huge donation so that he could join the Order of the White Crow, but was then killed by the devil of Tantil.


    The returning emperor who was now running toward the Capital was the same devil of Tantil.


    ¡®<i>Is he seeking revenge?</i>¡¯


    Imill¡¯s words weren¡¯t wrong. What the empire needed at this time of foreign invasion was amander who could unite them all under a single banner. Barth Baltic wasn¡¯t an adequate candidate for that, since he was from a heterogenous race. On the other hand, Helmut himself was able to exert the power of His Majesty in the form of Grace.


    ¡°Mr. Ilde,¡± Helmut whispered to Imill in a low voice. ¡°Do you have anything in mind?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we try to learn from the history of glory that the Church has walked through? Hasn¡¯t Your Holiness shown the non-believers that His Majesty¡¯s power remains undiminished in the western Cabragh?¡±


    ¡®<i>Cabragh.</i>¡¯


    Helmut¡¯s face hardened. But Imill kept whispering to Helmut.


    ¡°Your Holiness, the people are foolish and are constantly looking for targets to me. Your Holiness will be their next target after the Regent gets defeated. That¡¯s when Your Holiness needs to show that His Majesty¡¯s justice lies in <i>your?</i>hands. Then the people will finally know who they should be serving.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Honestly, I feel like I¡¯ll be the person with the least sway on the result among those who have expressed their intention to participate in this war.¡±


    H said to Horhell with a grin. Horhell looked back upon hearing H¡¯s words.


    They were climbing the Yult Mountains, which separated the east and the capital¡ªthe road was crowded with soldiers and mercenaries from the east. They still had to march for two more days before they could reach the Magic Tower. The thin red light now seemed to have gotten quite a lot thicker.


    ¡°We have the Fourth Division of the Imperial Army that has been strengthened through battle, the United Mercenary Unit, the Punishment Unit that was trained by His Majesty himself¡ªno, they are called the Special Duty Guerri Unit, right? Anyway, we also have a dragon on our side.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s better to emphasize only one of our biggest strengths rather than emphasizing several of our small strengths. Well, it¡¯s not like we are going to fight a war to show off our strengths, but¡­¡±


    Horhell calmly brushed the neck of the dragon he was riding, Orca. Orca had already been scouting the surroundings for nearly half a day and hade down to rest its wings. Ever since Juan had removed all the restraints ced on it, Orca has been growing much faster and was now able to travel longer and longer distances day by day.


    ¡°But I don¡¯t think our army will be any weaker than the others.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well¡­ We do have the highest number of soldiers, so we¡¯ll definitely y our part. Though, I¡¯m nning to focus more on politics rather than on the military. It¡¯s stupid to think that we are stronger just because we haverger numbers. But, we might be able to shake things up once the bnce of power gets tilted.¡±


    Only very few among the eastern troops felt uneasy about the fact that they were marching toward the Capital. The rumors about the appearance of the dragon that swept the eastern territory of the empire, the annihtion of the Arbalde rebels, and the ¡®emperor¡¯ who led them were rampant.


    It was rather encouraging and thrilling that they were marching to help His Majesty make history once again¡ªalthough H was happier about the fact that she could finally punch the bastards at the Capital in the nose.


    ¡°To be honest, I bet that there must be some among our men who are against the fact that we are rebelling against the Capital. There will also be some who¡¯ll run away as soon as the battle begins, and that¡¯s inevitable. There might even be a few who think that there¡¯s no need for us to go all the way to the Capital when the north and the south are already pressuring them,¡± H said.


    ¡°Such is a war. We have no choice but to lead even those people,¡± Horhell answered.


    ¡°You idiot. We are doing this to avoid war.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°We need to give the impression that the north, east, and south are going against the Capital all at once. That way, the west will be shaken up as well. I don¡¯t actually think that the fanatics would be shaken by whatever we do, but at least they will get the message.¡±


    Horhell had good swordsmanship skills, butcked the brain needed for strategy and tactics. H always thought that to be quite a shame.


    H chuckled unconsciously before she said onest thing to Horhell.


    ¡°And even if the Capital gets upied, wouldn¡¯t they be more willing to surrender to human-like people rather than the fanatic warriors from the north or the Order of Huginn?¡±


    This was the reason why they gathered as many troops as they could, despite the fact that they ended up looking like a group of riff-raff who was assembled in a hurry.


    ¡°I just hope that our men don¡¯t run into the rest of our allies first and run away due to being scared¡­¡±


    Then H suddenly stopped talking. Her eyes were fixed on the slope of the mountains.


    ¡°Your Grace?¡± Horhell asked with curious eyes.


    ¡°No, it can¡¯t be¡­ The guards patrolling the mountain range have already been bought, and the Capital Army probably hasn¡¯t even left yet¡­¡±


    H hastily ordered Horhell.


    ¡°Horhell! Fly up right now and start scouting around!¡±


    Horhell immediately signaled Orca without asking H what she meant again.


    The moment Orca pped its wings, something glistened on one side of the mountain.


    Crunch!


    At that moment, one of Orca¡¯s legs was pierced by a huge arrow with a terrible crunching sound.


    ¡°Orca!¡±


    Orca¡¯s body convulsed with a painful roar. The arrow pierced its leg urately, but there was no problem for it to fly up into the sky.


    When Orca soared into the sky, a huge ballista was dragged out using the chain. At the same time, the Capital Army soldiers who were hiding in the snow and fallen leaves stood up all at once.


    ¡°It¡¯s an ambush! Everyone, get ready forbat!¡±


    H hurriedly gave her orders, but there was already a screaming from the back. At the same time, an arrow passed right by H¡¯s face. Before she knew it, the adjutant who was walking right beside her screamed and copsed to the ground.


    ¡°Damn it, how did they get here so quickly?¡±


    It was only yesterday that H heard the news of Barth Baltic¡¯s decision to lead the subjugation himself. H couldn¡¯t believe that Barth Baltic had been waiting for her, who was farther away from himpared to the Northern Army or the Order of Huginn, in a meticulous ambush.


    .


    Then H found a familiar silhouette standing on the hillside of the Yult Mountains. H¡¯s eyes burned with rage.


    ¡°Pavan!¡±


    Pavan Peltere, the Captain of the Order of the Capital, was quietly looking down at the Eastern Army as they were being ughtered. Pavan was born in the east, raised in the east, and taught by the lord of the east, but he didn¡¯t have the slightest shred of mercy.


    Instead of answering H¡¯s roar, Pavan silently knocked an arrow on his bow. The arrow narrowly passed by H¡¯s face again.


    H grit her teeth as she saw Orca frustratedly hovering in the air, not knowing what to do. Orca had already breathed out mes toward the hillside several times, but its mes were not very threatening to the soldiers that were hiding under the snow-covered trees.


    H realized that the Capital Army¡¯s ambush attack was not as intense as she had thought. In fact, the screams were mainlying from only the back.


    Then H noticed Pavan¡¯s n¡ªhe hade in and cut the Eastern Army¡¯s line like a snake, since he noticed just how long it was due to the many soldiers. Not only was Pavan¡¯s goal to stop H, but it was also to pause the movement of the Eastern Army itself.


    This was Barth Baltic¡¯s first strategy. He made it seem like he was only going to war because he was pressured by the Capital, but that was a trick¡ªBarth Baltic had sent his troops with Pavan Peltere before anything even happened.


    ¡°Horhell! Head toward the Magic Tower!¡± H shouted, hoping that Horhell could hear her amidst all the chaos. ¡°Damn it, Pavan, that asshole, is nning to stop the Eastern Army from getting to the Magic Tower! If the Eastern Army fails to fill the void, the rest of the allies will be defeated by Barth Baltic one by one! Go ahead and deliver this message!¡±


    Horhell couldn¡¯t leave the scene easily and hovered in the air upon seeing the Eastern Army getting ughtered, but soon got Orca to p its wings, since he couldn¡¯t help but follow H¡¯s order.


    Seeing this, Pavan aimed his bow at Horhell. At that moment, Orca breathed out mes on the chain hanging from the bridge, causing a ballistarger than a human to fall only an arm¡¯s length away from Pavan.


    Despite the loud sound, shock and snow falling over him, Pavan remained focused.


    However, he couldn¡¯t dodge the de that flew into his face.


    A silver sh prated Horhell on Orca¡¯s back.


    Red blood sshed.

 Chapter 153 – First Blood (2)

    <h4>Chapter 153 ¨C First Blood (2)</h4>


    At that moment, Orca roared a long roar and flew toward the west at a high speed. Seeing this, Pavan clicked his tongue, as if he was upset that he couldn¡¯t tell whether he had injured Horhell heavily enough for him to be killed. At the same time, he bounced off the sword being swung toward him with his bow.


    H roared with a voice full of rage.


    ¡°Pavan, you fucking son of a bitch!¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t changed one bit, master.¡±


    H ughtered all the soldiers on the slope with her only hand and ran toward Pavan. The fact that H could handle so many soldiers from the capital was quite unbelievable, considering her age and physical condition.


    However, Pavan drew the sword hanging at his waist in a calm manner.


    ¡°Amander going out of her way to charge against the enemy herself. That¡¯s not quite like you, master.¡±


    ¡°You seem to have changed a lot over the years. I¡¯ll kill you at once!¡±


    H couldn¡¯t do much with the rest of her troops blocked by the Capital Army. The only thing she could do was to stop Pavan.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to fight you, but I guess I have no choice. The enemymander decided to walk right up to me, so how could I miss the perfect opportunity to make contributions to the war, right?¡±


    ¡°Stop talking bullshit ande at me! I can see that your tongue has gotten a lot longer by licking Barth Baltic¡¯s asshole.¡±


    Pavan onlyughed upon hearing H¡¯s words rather than getting angry. He had heard much worse insults when H taught him swordsmanship and tactics in the past.


    ¡°Why would I fight with my master in a direct manner?¡±


    Instead of lifting the sword, Pavan lifted his empty left hand. The many archers from the Capital Army who were targeting H pulled their bowstrings tightly upon seeing Pavan¡¯s gesture.


    ¡°Both you and I have a lot of hands that can do the fighting for us.¡±


    ¡°You son of a¡­!¡±


    ¡°Shoot.¡±


    Along with Pavan¡¯smand, the arrows left the hands of the soldiers.


    ***


    Horhell couldn¡¯t see clearly, but he could feel the movement of Orca fumbling and trying its best to p its wings. Horhell fell unconscious numerous times during their long flight. Upon seeing some trees appear here and there, Horhell realized that their altitude was quite low.


    Horhell braced himself for the uing shock. Orcanded on the in as if it was falling by spreading its wings as wide as possible in order to prevent Horhell, who was hanging on its back from rolling off. A long trench was left in the ground due to Orca¡¯s body being dragged.


    ¡°Well done, Orca¡­ well done.¡±


    It was the second time that they had crashed, but it was still better than the first time they had crashed. Orca wheezed and breathed heavily. It didn¡¯t seem hurt, but looked extremely exhausted due to its injuries and from the long flight. On the other hand, Horhell¡¯s condition was much more critical.


    The arrow that pierced Horhell had injured him so badly that he wouldn¡¯t even be able tost ten minutes due to excessive bleeding if it was pulled out recklessly.


    ¡®<i>How long will it take until we get to the Magic Tower? Will I be able to make it?</i>¡¯


    Horhell forced his head up and looked for the red pir of light. The red pir of light was certainly getting closer, but there was still a considerable amount of distance between it and him.


    At that moment, someone appeared here with a loud thud. Horhell opened his weary eyes to look at the opponent who was approaching him. However, he could neither see his opponent well nor hear the opponent¡¯s buzzing voice. But, he could tell that the opponent had ck hair.


    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± Horhell opened his mouth, trying to stay conscious. ¡°The Eastern Army is¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    It was Juan¡¯s voice.


    The location where the Eastern Army was stopped by the Capital Army was quite far from the Magic Tower. But Hohell felt relieved as soon as he heard Juan¡¯s voice.


    ¡®<i>The Eastern Army and Duke Henna are safe.</i>¡¯


    Horhell had no doubt about his beliefs.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already sent someone there,¡± Juan whispered in Horhell¡¯s ear.


    Horhell finally lost consciousness upon hearing Juan¡¯s words.


    ***


    Even before Pavan ordered his subordinates to aim their bows at H, H knew that the arrows were aimed at her legs rather than her torso.


    ¡®<i>They want to capture me alive and hold me hostage¡­</i>¡¯


    The hostage operation wouldn¡¯t really affect Juan, but it would be more than enough to undermine the Eastern Army¡¯s morale.


    However, H had no intention of being a nuisance to Juan.


    ¡°Go to hell!¡±


    H jumped into the rain of arrows flying toward her with the intention of cutting her own throat with a sword once she was pierced by an arrow.


    However, she couldn¡¯t move as she wanted¡ªthe moment she took a step forward, she felt the view in front of her eyes get distorted.


    The ck darkness spread even faster than the arrows, and then the dozens of arrows flying toward H disappeared into thin air. H found this situation to be quite familiar¡ªit was almost like she was suffering from deja vu.


    Then, hands wrapped in bandages protruded out of the distorted space in the air in front of her. The bandaged hand broke the remaining arrows at once and then pulled itself out of the distorted space.


    The elite soldiers of the Capital Army couldn¡¯t help but be perplexed when they saw a man with bandages wrapped all over his body and wearing a ck hood suddenly appear out of nowhere.


    A toxic smell of tar and an unidentified ck fog also spread out from within the distorted space.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    The question came from H, who was standing behind the man wrapped in bandages and not from Pavan or the Capital Army.


    Haild couldn¡¯t look back or answer her. However, he intended to show H that he was not an enemy with his actions.


    ¡°Miguel, Jose! This way!¡±


    Pavan was the only person who immediately realized just how powerful the newly arrived opponent was. He hastily called over some knights from the Order of the Capital who hade with him.


    At the same time, Haild charged toward the Capital Army.


    Pavan lost track of Haild for a moment and was only able to see the ck light piercing through the Capital Army.


    The sword wielded by Haild wasn¡¯t really sharp, since it was wrapped in bandages. The soldiers from the Capital Army standing nearby were flung into the air as if they had been hit with a club. However, Haild¡¯s attack ruptured all of their internal organs and led to their deaths even before they fell back to the ground.


    Haild moved through the Capital Army like he was stirring up the fog. Pavan immediately realized that Haild was using the fourth stage of the Baltic Sword.


    ¡°All the soldiers, stand back!¡±


    In any case, the main force of the Capital Army was actively holding back the Eastern Army. Pavan knew that a small number of people from the Capital Army would be of no help in a fight against the man wrapped in bandages.


    As soon as Miguel and Jose, the knights from the Order of the Capital, arrived, Pavan formed a squad with them in order to attack Haild in unison. The three, who had worked together thousands of times in closebat training, were able to push back Haild right away.


    Haild frowned at their unexpectedly powerful retaliation. Miguel and Jose were powerful, but Haild had no problem dealing with the two of them. However, Pavan was not an easy opponent by any means.


    ¡®<i>I thought no one would be a match for me other than Barth Baltic or my father¡¯s brothers.</i>¡¯


    Haild could tell that Pavan was either on the same level as him, or even more skilled than him. He considered using the fifth stage of the Baltic Sword, the Instant Impermanent. However, it was too dangerous, considering the aftermath. Instead, he decided to use all the weapons he had, even though he didn¡¯t want to.


    The bandage that wrapped around Haild¡¯s sword was slowly torn by Pavan¡¯s attacks. The bandage fluttered, revealing the ck de of Elkiehl. As soon as he saw the ck de, Pavan could sense that the de was an immense threat.


    ¡°Get back!¡± Pavan shouted at once.


    Haild¡¯s first target was Pavan, but he failed to attack him.


    Pavan managed to roll on the ground and bounce back, dodging Haild¡¯s attack. However, the other two couldn¡¯t run away in time. The tip of Elkiehl narrowly brushed against Miguel¡¯s side and cut the back of Jose¡¯s hand as they tried to avoid suffering from critical injuries.


    But that was all that was needed.


    Miguel and Jose immediately fell t on the spot. Pavan could immediately tell that both Miguel and Jose were dead. Haild had used neither poison nor magic¡ªMiguel and Jose were killed just due to being grazed by Elkiehl once.


    Pavan felt chills running down his spine, but at the same time, he was pleased that he survived despite the weapon¡¯s powerful ability.


    ¡°You must be quite disappointed that you couldn''t kill me immediately.¡±


    Haild didn¡¯t answer Pavan¡ªhe really was disappointed, just as Pavan had said.


    However, Haild wasn¡¯t the type to wallow in regret for his mistakes for a long time. Haild locked swords with Pavan. While it was difficult for Haild to buy time when the Eastern Army was being unterally attacked, Pavan was also in a situation where he couldn¡¯t let his guard down in front of Haild.


    ¡°I would step back if I were you,¡± Haild opened his mouth first as if he was conciliating.


    ¡°So it turns out that you weren¡¯t mute after all, huh?¡± Pavan whistled and derided.


    ¡°I¡¯m not the type to repeat myself.¡±


    ¡°Are you that confident that you can beat me? The sword you are holding is quite unique, but it¡¯s of no use as long as I don¡¯t let it touch me. I don¡¯t even have to attack you. The numbers of the Eastern Army will continue to go down even if I just defend myself against you,¡± Pavan said as he gestured toward H, who had copsed to the ground behind him. ¡°I have no idea what rtionship you have with my master, but I¡¯ll allow you to run away with her. I don¡¯t want to fight someone so ominous like you anyway.¡±


    ¡°Bullshit¡­¡±


    H¡¯s face became distorted as she tried to raise herself up.


    Haild faced a dilemma. He was able toe help H so quickly only because he used magic to connect with and detect whether H was in danger at all times. This was power that he had borrowed from the Crack, but it was worth the risk, since she was his mother.


    If Haild used Instant Impermanent, but failed to kill Pavan at once, H would immediately fall into danger. As such, Pavan was quite a difficult opponent.


    Of course, Haild was a tough opponent for Pavan as well.


    ¡°Let H go¡­¡±


    The moment Haild was about to agree to thepromise, a giant shadow fell over their heads.


    Pavan raised his head, wondering if it had suddenly be the middle of the night.


    It felt as if the clouds were falling down upon them, and the soldiers of the Capital Army broke out into a scream.


    Haild grinned under the bandages.


    ¡°I¡¯ll allow you some time to lead your trifling army and run away. I don¡¯t like to perform massacres anyway.¡±


    A giant dragon was hovering over their heads.


    ***


    ¡°Do you think Entalucia will arrive there on time?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s quite fast to begin with, but she even used magic on top of her speed. She¡¯ll be there soon. It¡¯s just a shame that Haild can¡¯t open the Crack wide enough to let Entalucia get in and out of it. However, I¡¯m sure that he can buy some time.¡±


    Being almost unconscious, Horhell heard two voices¡ªthey belonged to Sina Solvane and Juan. It took some time for Horhell to understand what was going on, but he soon opened his eyes wide upon remembering H¡¯s face.


    The moment Horhell tried to get up, someone pushed him back to lie down again.


    ¡°Lie down.¡±


    It was Juan. Horhell realized that he was in an unusual building with slightly tilted walls. There was only one building like that throughout the entire empire.


    ¡°Is this¡­ the Magic Tower? What happened to the Eastern Army? What about Duke Henna?¡±


    ¡°I sent Haild and Entalucia. You don¡¯t have to worry about them.¡±


    Haild¡¯s name felt familiar to Horhell for some reason, but his consciousness was not clear enough to recall who he was immediately.


    However Horhell was relieved upon hearing Juan telling him not to worry.


    Horhell examined his wounds. His wounds were wrapped in bandages, but he didn¡¯t feel much pain.


    ¡°I used healing magic but I didn¡¯t use too much of it, since treating wounds in a hurry eventually reduces the overall healing ability of the body. The reason why you have a bad headache is probably that you lost too much blood.¡±


    ¡°Pavan Peltere¡­ the Captain of the Order of the Capital led the Capital Army to ambush us on the path of the Yult Mountains,¡± Horhell borated and reported what he was supposed to tell Juan before he fainted.


    Juan frowned.


    ¡°Is that so? I was definitely caught off guard this time. Barth Baltic made it seem like he was being pushed to go to war unwillingly, but had already sent the troops in advance. It seems like he sent the troops based just outside the capital rather than the troops from within the capital.¡±


    In Juan¡¯s opinion, the reason why Pavan attacked the Eastern Army that was the furthest from him was rather simple¡ªnot only was the Eastern Army the weakest of the three forces supporting Juan, but Pavan was quite familiar with the East.


    ¡°He must have considered the dragon as well as his rtionship with H. After all, there are a lot of knights from the Order of the Capital who feel guilty and apologetic toward H.¡±


    ¡°The Eastern Army was a force to make up the numbers anyway¡­ I¡¯m not worried about General Nienna at all, but the Order of Huginn¡­¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ve already been attacked.¡±


    Horhell¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°I received a message from the crows of the Order of Huginn before you arrived. As far as I know, three thousand soldiers from the Eighth Division of the Capital Army attacked you, and five thousand soldiers from the Second Division, including the Deputy of the Order of the Capital headed toward the Order of Huginn,¡± Juan continued.


    ¡°Is the Order of Huginn safe?¡±


    Juan made a strange expression upon hearing Horhell¡¯s question.


    ¡°They¡¯ve been wiped out.¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯m sorry?¡± Horhell asked.


    ¡°The Capital Army has beenpletely wiped out, not the Order of Huginn.¡±

 Chapter 154 – The Imperial Army (1)

    <h4>Chapter 154 ¨C The Imperial Army (1)</h4>


    ¡°Deputy Ledna Loen.¡±


    Anya whispered, looking into the eyes of a woman gritting her teeth.


    ¡°I am well aware of your reputation as the Deputy of the Order of the Capital and the reputation of your brother as well. In fact, I have quite a bit of respect for both of you. But it is very unfortunate that I met you at a time like this. I am sure your brother will be quite proud to hear how you yed an active role on the battlefield.¡±


    The woman didn¡¯t respond.


    ¡°I¡¯m very sorry to say this, but neither do we have enough food to feed the prisoners, nor do we have the time to escort you all. And, it¡¯s not like we can let all of you go either¡­ I¡¯m sure you can understand where I¡¯ming from. The members of our forces tend to eat¡­ very little.¡±


    If any of the members of Anya¡¯s forces needed to eat, they tended to supplement themselves directly from the enemy, rather than eating food on the table. In fact, such was happening all over the battlefield even now. The crows flying over the entire battlefield were particrly enjoying their feast.


    Anya and the Order of Huginn had suddenly encountered the Capital Army during their march. The number of the enemies estimated by the crows was about five thousand¡ªand those were the numbers counted while excluding the supply base there.


    Anya and the Order of Huginn had killed nearly three thousand five hundred of them, after which the rest of them had fled. The result was countless corpses covering the hills, crows hovering over the corpses, and scattered war chariots.


    There was not a single human victim from the Order of Huginn.


    ¡°But don¡¯t you worry. There are ways to solve our issues rted to food, troop escorts, possibilities of insurrection or escape of the enemies. It might bother you a little bit, but there¡¯s no better way than this.¡±


    Anya waited for Ledna¡¯s reaction, but Ledna still gave no reaction other than clenching her teeth.


    ¡°It seems like it¡¯s a bit toote to ask for your opinion. I wish I had met you a little earlier.¡±


    Anya dropped Ledna Loen¡¯s severed head on the floor as if she regretted it. Just like when Anya had first discovered it, Ledna¡¯s head rolled back into the remains of countless Undead.


    One of the knights from the Order of Huginn, who had been watching the whole scene by Anya¡¯s side, asked with a fed-up look.


    ¡°...Why were you seeking an answer from a severed head?¡±


    ¡°I have heard that humans remain somewhat conscious for a while even after their head is severed. I thought about summoning her soul, but I feel like that¡¯s a little too rude. But it¡¯s okay to ask her while she still has her soul, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Um, I guess¡­¡±


    Anya raised one hand, and a crow immediately sat on the back of her hand. As she slowly lifted her hand up, the crow¡¯s eyes shone red, almost as if they were burning. Soon, the entire hill began to vibrate, and the copsed bodies of the soldiers rose up.


    Anya muttered with a satisfied expression.


    ¡°Now we¡¯ve got more soldiers to serve His Majesty.¡±


    ***


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what else to say other than that I am ashamed of myself.¡±


    Haild bowed his head in Juan¡¯s room inside the Magic Tower.


    Haild had seeded in rescuing H, since Entalucia had been able to arrive just in time, but Pavan had already achieved his goal by then¡ªhe had managed to cut off the Eastern Army¡¯s numbers in half, incapacitate Horhell and his dragon, and destroy the path through the Yult Mountains with the help of the soldiers of the Eighth Division.


    As a result, the arrival of the Eastern Army to the Magic Tower was inevitably dyed. Haild felt his face turning red out of embarrassment when he recalled telling Pavan to run away because he didn¡¯t like massacres. Pavan had already strategically won at that point.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. How¡¯s H doing?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°She is resting. She did say that she would like to report to Your Majesty in person, but she is ming herself too much¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to visit her with Horhellter. How long do you think it will take to recover from the damage done by the enemy¡¯s ambush?¡±


    ¡°The number of troops who are able to continue the march are already on their way, but they are just going to increase the numbers. Since it¡¯s impossible to transport supplies at the moment, it will probably take at least a month for them to be able to function like a proper army¡­¡±


    And that was under the assumption that the Eighth Division that had ambushed them in the Yult Mountains did not interfere anymore.


    After all, Pavan had fled while leaving behind the soldiers from the Eighth Division, but even that seemed to be part of his n.


    In reality, the Eastern Army could already be considered incapacitated.


    ¡°I already told you this, but it was inevitable. I guess we exchanged surprise gifts with the enemy.¡± Juan stood up with an expressionless face.


    ¡°But I¡¯m d that the Order of Huginn did well. I heard that the Second Division was exterminated, with their Deputy being killed. The number of Undead has also been replenished on arge scale¡­¡± Haild muttered bitterly.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean much.¡±


    It was a good achievement that the Order of Huginn was able to kill the Deputy, but this was only possible because there were no Temrs among the enemies.


    Juan¡¯s goal was to get everything done as fast as possible while preventing the civil war from spreading too much. But if the Temrs decided to join the Capital Army as a result of the Eastern Army being cut off, there was a high possibility that Anya would not be able to achieve her goal the next time.


    ¡°The bigger problem is Barth Baltic.¡±


    It was the Captain and the Deputy of the Order of the Capital that had attacked the Eastern Army and the Order of Huginn. However, Barth Baltic was nowhere to be seen. ording tomon sense, Juan thought that Barth Baltic would be targeting Nienna, who had not been attacked yet. But he also wondered whether Barth Baltic would really act in such an obvious manner. It was clear that Nienna would be extra wary now, so it was toote for Barth Baltic to ambush her.


    Sina tilted her head and asked a question.


    ¡°Maybe he¡¯s on his way to the Magic Tower?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a possibility. Now that it has be clear that the Magic Tower has be our ally, there would be no one better than Barth Baltic to destroy the Magic Tower if he decided to attack.¡±


    Upon seeing Haild and Sina¡¯s clueless expressions, Juan realized that they had no idea what he was talking about.


    ¡°Does no one know about the abilities of the Hornsluine race?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°Barth Baltic is a greatmander and warrior, but what does that have to do with him attacking the Magic Tower?¡± Sina asked.


    ¡°The horns of the Hornsluine race have strong magic resistance. Magic that would kill anyone else can be dispelled in a second by a Hornsluine. And even among the Hornsluines, Barth Baltic is an exceptionally strong one.¡±


    Juan recalled Barth running wild on the battlefield while directly facing the magicians¡¯ attacks. Magic that was powerful enough to exterminate a whole army poured on to Barth Bartic, but he ughtered the magicians with his bare hands and then walked out of the battlefield drenched in their blood. Juan remembered the way Barth Bartic¡¯s horns were almost burning as they emitted light whenever he was attacked by magic.


    ¡°In return, there are no magicians among the Hornsluines. However, there are schrs¡ªI heard that they use magic through sculptures and architecture in a unique way. I think they called them ¡®magic formations,¡¯ but I¡¯ve never seen it myself.¡±


    ¡°So he might be running directly toward the Magic Tower right now,¡± Haild said.


    ¡°Who knows? Maybe he¡¯s thinking exactly the same things as me.¡±


    ¡°Exactly the same things?¡±


    Juan simply shrugged at Sina¡¯s question.


    ¡°Sitting in the back and waiting for all the traitors to gather in a single ce.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Ledna Loen was killed on the battlefield?¡± Pavan asked back as if he couldn¡¯t believe what he had just heard.


    He had blocked the path in the Yult Mountains using a part of the Eighth Division and was leading the rest of the troops toward the south. It was only when he ran into the defeated soldiers from the Second Division who were retreating that he heard the news.


    ¡°Yes, Captain. Deputy Loen had taken the high ground and fortified it just as nned, but the enemy¡¯s Undead were too strong. Especially the Red Skull Soldiers and the monster that had dozens of heads¡­¡±


    Pavan fell into deep thought upon hearing the report of the defeated soldiers. The original n was for Pavan to use the Eighth Division to strike the enemy from the back while Ledna Loen led the Second Division to stop the Order of Huginn and prevent them from joining the other forces.


    Pavan hadn¡¯t expected her to be so easily beaten.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t expect the Order of Huginn to be that powerful¡­ I thought they would be easy prey now that Ras is gone. But I guess they have gotten themselves a goodmander who is capable of necromancy.¡±


    ¡°Their troops were overwhelming. Not only were their numbers overwhelming, but they had the Knights of the Dead, Red Skull Soldiers, and the countless crows, enough to cover the entire sky¡­¡±


    The defeated soldiers trembled as if they were getting chills even while reporting to Pavan.


    Pavan nodded and instructed the other soldiers, ¡°Feed them well and get them to rest. They fought valiantly.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    The defeated soldiers, who were afraid that they would be disciplined for their failure, followed the soldiers with a sigh of relief.


    As soon as they left, Pavan called Kilt, his Deputy.


    ¡°Take them all out of sight and kill them all without letting anyone else find out,¡± Pavan whispered.


    ¡°I¡¯ll follow your orders, but why? They didn¡¯t run away from the enemy¡­ They just lost.¡±


    ¡°And that is totally fair. Besides, I can understand their defeat if the opponent were the Undead. But they arepletely out of their mind due to fear. We can¡¯t let them spread fear among the other soldiers, not to mention that they can¡¯t be of any help to us in their current state. Our soldiers are suffering from low morale anyway because of the dragon.¡±


    The Capital Army was more powerful and had superior weaponspared to the enemies, except for the Northern Army. However, the huge dragon the soldiers had witnessed at the Yult Mountains was shocking, since they had believed that all dragons were the size of Orca, Horhell¡¯s dragon.


    The only reason why none of the soldiers of the Eighth Division had run away from the battle was that the dragon hadn¡¯t breathed fire.


    ¡°And are there any Temrs nearby? I heard that the Order of the White Crow was destroyed around here. Anyway, find either a Temr or a Bishop who can help. We will need their help if our opponent is a necromancer.¡±


    Kilt nodded in understanding and went outside the barracks.


    Inside the empty barracks, Pavan tapped the table impatiently.


    ¡°I feel like I¡¯m back in the mythological era. The undead, a monster, gods, and even a dragon.¡±


    <i>¡®And the emperor.¡¯</i>


    Pavan wondered how the humans had been able to fight against such beings in the past. History books said that humans had been treated even worse than ves until the existence known as the Emperor appeared.


    ¡®<i>If so, did the humans achieve a victory with just the appearance of the emperor?</i>¡¯


    Pavan couldn¡¯t imagine it. Barth Baltic was also said to have made many great achievements while staying by the emperor¡¯s side, but his own species had gone extinct at the hands of the gods.


    ¡®<i>If it is true that the emperor has returned¡­</i>¡¯


    Victory was no longer the issue. Pavan had to worry about whether he could survive or not.


    ¡®<i>I guess all I can hope for is for the Regent to do well.</i>¡¯


    Pavan wasn¡¯t too worried. Barth Baltic was the Regent and the suprememander of the Imperial Army.


    And Barth Baltic had never once been disloyal to his position.


    ***


    The south was the first to move.


    Since Barth Baltic had made his move long before he dered his expedition, the news had reached the south already. There was a rumor that the whole of south was united and supporting the Order of Huginn, but that was not true.


    The only group against the Capital was the Order of Huginn, and the rest of the south was still loyal to the Capital.


    The sandstorm of the desert began to rise.


    The west had also received a message. Dismas Dilver, the emperor¡¯s third son, who was serving as both a Bishop and a general at the same time, was furious at the rumors about the returning emperor.


    He wrote a short note to the Pope, saying that the emperor sitting on the Eternal Throne was the only real emperor, and everything else was nothing but lies. Of course, he didn¡¯t just send a letter. The Order of Surtr and a considerable number of troops also moved in unison.


    The Capital Army that was carrying out local defense and orders from the Church also responded to the Regent¡¯s call. The local branch of the Church protested and there was a bacsh from the Temrs, but no one from the Capital Army cared¡ªthey prioritized the Regent¡¯s order to defend the empire over anything else.


    A huge number of soldiers flooded in from all over the empire like rivers, smaller groups merging to formrger ones. Then, they merged with other superior forces, and a knight from the Order of the Capital took the lead, making them a huge stream of water. And when they finally got to where they were headed, they had be a massive sea.


    At the center of it all was Barth Baltic.


    ¡°The sword is honest.¡±


    Barth Baltic murmured as he looked at the red light soaring from the Magic Tower from beyond the horizon, where there was a in huge enough to amodate all the Imperial forces of the Capital.


    ¡°It is the rank and discipline that moves the swords and soldiers. Your Majesty, this fact doesn¡¯t change and never will. It is a beautiful system that you and I have created together.¡±


    A total of three hundred thousand Imperial troops were gathering at the Albron Pins.

 Chapter 155 – The Imperial Army (2)

    <h4>Chapter 155 ¨C The Imperial Army (2)</h4>


    ¡°Three hundred thousand?¡± Horhell asked back in disbelief.


    Getting such a reaction from him was quite rare when you considered the fact that he usually showed hardly any emotional agitation.


    ¡°That was the message sent by Miss Heretia. ording to the intelligence she has gathered, Barth Baltic is sending messages throughout the empire to gather troops, and the estimated number of the troops is at least three hundred thousand,¡± Haild nodded and said with aplicated expression, while pressing at his throat to force out a harsh voice instead of his usual voice.


    Horhell was an old man who had been by H¡¯s side even before Haild¡¯s birth. Although such a long time had passed that Horhell probably couldn¡¯t remember him, Haild was still concerned that Horhell might recognize his voice.


    Fortunately, Horhell didn¡¯t seem to notice Haild¡¯s identity.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t the total number of troops in the Imperial Army only about a million? I can¡¯t believe that almost one-third of the Imperial Army agrees with that bastard.¡±


    At that moment, they heard a familiar voice.


    ¡°The military is always conservative and follows a strict system,¡± H Henna said as she approached them.


    ¡°Your Grace! You should be resting!¡± Horhell stood up from his seat and shouted.


    ¡°You have far worse injuries than I do, but you are walking around without any problem. So why should I be stuck in my sickbed when the only injury I have is a sprained ankle? Do you think I¡¯m that weak just because I¡¯m old?¡±


    H limped into the room, prompting Horhell to rush over to help her.


    H had injured her ankle while she was fleeing from the Yult Mountains. It was fortunate that she only received a minor injury, since a lot of people had expected her to die.


    However, H didn¡¯t seem to think so.


    H stood by the table and stared at Haild, whose face was covered in bandages.


    Meanwhile, Haild remained silent, for fear of H realizing who he was through his voice.


    ¡°You¡¯re that young man who saved me. I appreciate what you¡¯ve done for me. Is your face bandaged due to injuries?¡±


    Haild flinched upon hearing H¡¯s question, then lowered his voice just like he did when talking to Horhell.


    ¡°Yes, something like that.¡±


    H tilted her head for a moment when she heard Haild¡¯s answer.


    Seeing this, Haild became nervous, since he thought that H might have recognized him. He was not yet ready to reveal his identity.


    However, H didn¡¯t pay much mind to it and continued speaking right away.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­ do you have leprosy? Even if you don¡¯t, people might feel ufortable. If you have to wear a robe, at least wear a nice one. Someone wearing a ck robe with bandages all over his body standing next to His Majesty¡ªyou might end up being misunderstood, you know.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ yes, Your Grace.¡±


    H took her eyes off of Haild and turned her gaze toward Horhell.


    ¡°If the Regent sends the order to convene, of course the Imperial Army will follow his order. Even so, three hundred thousand is a little too much. That¡¯s almost every reserve except for the soldiers who are guarding the border right now. And that number doesn¡¯t include those from the North and the East, those who are observing the situation and those who agreed to stand by our side. There was even a unit on the Eastern side that received a message.¡±


    ¡°Even the Eastern Army?¡±


    H nodded at Horhell¡¯s question.


    ¡°Part of the Imperial Army guarding the Eastern Orsk said that they received a message from the Regent. That bastard who was in charge there refused to talk to me before he went to war, but he confessed everything when I started interrogating him.¡±


    ¡°Then the Regent must have sent a message to the north as well.¡±


    ¡°Well, we don¡¯t know that. General Nienna is the object of worship within the Northern Army. Even ifmanders who are out of their minds ordered them to follow the Regent, themander would be found dead the next day. I highly doubt that any of themanders there would follow the Regent¡¯s order in the first ce. Barth Baltic probably knows that too, so he might not have sent a message at all.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a great show of loyalty.¡±


    ¡°Loyalty, my ass,¡± H snorted. ¡°I respect General Nienna, but what her subordinate officers do is create a private army¡ªa perfect environment for a rebellion. That will eventuallye back to bite those arrogant bastards in the ass. Anyway, that¡¯s not the point.¡±


    Haild handed over the letter sent by Heretia in a stiff motion, which H received with a heavy expression. Then, she sighed as she read through the letter.


    ¡°There¡¯s no problem with supplies since the harvest season has passed. It looks like only one hundred thousand of those three hundred thousand troops will actually be fighting, while the rest of them are supply units. I guess that even those who responded to the Regent¡¯s call felt quite uneasy about taking an active part in this battle. They probably want to wait and see which way the situation will tilt before choosing which side to join,¡± H said.


    ¡°Even so, their troops outnumber ours. Besides, the members of the supply unit can always draw out their swords and join the battle, since they are trained inbat as well,¡± Horhell said.


    H folded the letter and began to chew on it with her teeth upon hearing Horhell¡¯s words.


    ¡°How many troops do we have on our side?¡± H asked.


    ¡°The Eastern Army has been cut off, so approximately¡­¡± Horhell hesitated for a while, then carefully opened his mouth again. ¡°About thirty thousand, including those of the Capital Army who just recently agreed to join us.¡±


    ¡°Thirty thousand¡­ even if the Eastern Army weren¡¯t cut off by Pavan, we would have only had about seventy thousand. Either way, we would have been outnumbered, so it makes me feel less pressured.¡±


    ¡°But we have General Nienna, the dragon, and the Order of Huginn. Most of all¡­¡±


    Horhell tried to mention Juan carefully, but H stopped him. Her eyes expressed how unpleasant she felt.


    ¡°Of course, their numbers will not matter if His Majesty decides to step forward. But then, the problem we would need to be concerned about would change into a whole new one. How would we deal with the aftermath if we do end up killing all three hundred thousand troops?¡±


    H looked at the Imperial map with a heavy expression and continued speaking.


    ¡°We need to wrap everything up on our own before His Majesty needs to step forward. If that madman, Barth Baltic, really tries to kill all of us using the lives of three hundred thousand men, His Majesty will have no choice but to step forward. But don¡¯t forget. Currently, His Majesty is no longer the person he used to be¡ªhe won¡¯t show any mercy.¡±


    H looked around at the others with cold eyes.


    ¡°Right now, His Majesty has returned for revenge and to give out punishment. To be honest, I am very much in favor of doing just that. But it¡¯s better to spill as little blood as possible when considering the future of the empire.¡±


    ¡°Then what should we do?¡± Horhell asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not too sure yet. We¡¯ll have to safely join the Northern Army and the Order of Huginn first. If the Magic Tower is attacked, then our n will break down. I don¡¯t know if he¡¯s doing it on purpose or not, but I¡¯m d that Barth Baltic is only focusing on gathering more troops. He¡¯s probably doing that because of His Majesty.¡±


    Then Horhell and Haild looked at each other, causing H to feel that something was strange.


    .


    ¡°Now that I think about it, where is His Majesty?¡± H asked.


    Horhell hesitated for a moment, and then opened his mouth.


    ¡°Well¡­¡±


    ***


    Pavan raised his hand.


    His face and hands were coated with charcoal and were barely visible in the dark, but the reddish light at his fingertips moved in a specific shape. A red light shed and moved in a simr shape from the other side of the mountain.


    It was a sign that everything was ready.


    Pavan looked down at the bottom of the mountain.


    The army of the undead did not need a break, but the Order of Huginn who controlled them had to eat and rest in between their march. Pavan decided to take advantage of that.


    The Temrs from the Order of the Blue Moon had decided to cooperate with him and participate in the ambush operation. Unfortunately, some of them were excluded from the mission as they had been dispatched for a different mission already. But Pavan didn¡¯t worry too much, since he was able to get the help of Bishop Ilmero from the Yult Monastery.


    If ordinary soldiers were blessed with a Bishop¡¯s grace, a unteral ughter like the one done by the enemy before this could be avoided.


    ¡°As I said,¡± Bishop Ilmero whispered quietly to Pavan. ¡°I don¡¯t intend to cooperate with you for a long time. I¡¯m only cooperating with the intention of eradicating the group of undead that are acting against His Majesty¡¯s will.¡±


    Ilmero looked at Pavana with a contemptuous look.


    Most of the high-ranking officials were already aware of Barth Baltic¡¯s bombshell remarks at the assembly of the House of Peers¡ªand it was only a matter of time before the ordinary people of the empire became aware of them too.


    Pavan thought that this war needed to end before that could happen. Instead of answering Bishop Ilmero, he put his finger on his lips to remind Ilmero that they were in an ambush operation, causing Bishop Ilmero to exhale loudly in anger and shut his mouth.


    Bishop Ilmero wasn¡¯t happy with the situation he was in. After all, the Imperial Army had always followed orders of the Church until now, but now the Church was following the Imperial Army¡¯s orders.


    Pavan raised his hand high and quickly lowered it.


    The soldiers who received the signal began to walk down the hillside immediately. Their n was a simple feint¡ªthe Temrs would attack the army of the undead when the enemy forces gathered after the Imperial Army¡¯s initiation.


    However, that was the n Pavan told the Temrs. The Order of Huginn would also assume that this was their n, since they knew the only ones who could fight against the army of the undead were the Temrs.


    However, Pavan¡¯s n was different from what he had told the Temrs.


    ¡®<i>That¡¯s not enough¡­</i>¡¯


    The Temrs too, were nothing more than a feint. The real n of attack was different¡ªwhile the army of the undead was engaged by the Temrs, Pavan and a few of his trustworthy subordinates who had been blessed by Bishop Ilmero intended to attack Anya, the Captain of the Order of Huginn.


    At that moment, Pavan heard the sound of his army¡¯s vanguard colliding with the army of the undead. The same signal that was sent by Pavan came from the other side of the mountain as the Temrs began to move as well.


    Pavan did not doubt the sess of the operation for even a second. He bypassed the troops to strike the Order of Huginn.


    However, his movement was blocked even before he managed to reach the bottom of the mountain.


    ¡°Pavan Peltere. I haven¡¯t seen you in a long time.¡±


    It was cksmith Dilmond, the Deputy of the Order of Huginn. Dilmond was looking at Pavan from among the undead while standing in the grasnd.


    At that moment, Pavan realized that the Order of Huginn was already aware of the ambush.


    Pavan couldn¡¯t even wonder how the enemy found out about his n.


    His only thought was that this civil war would be much more terrible than he imagined.


    ***


    Juan was facing the wind on top of the hill.


    The darkness was swept away as the sun rose, and countless bodies hidden in the shadow of the night were revealed.


    The crows swarming the battlefield looked simr to living maggots. Neither was it a pleasant view nor did it have a refreshing smell. Juan felt someplex feelings upon seeing the bodies of those who died fighting valiantly or those who fled in a cowardly manner.


    ¡®<i>I don¡¯t feel sorry for them. Why?</i>¡¯


    The soldiers had no fault¡ªthey only obeyed their superior¡¯s orders. Of course, it wasn¡¯t the first time; Juan killed countless soldiers such as these. Even then, Juan was surprised at the fact that he barely had any emotional agitation.


    ¡®<i>Is it because they are my enemies? No, that¡¯s not true.</i>¡¯


    When Juan had been the emperor, there had been many times when he had no choice but to kill humans because of disagreements or misunderstandings. Juan recalled how he mourned their deaths and prayed that such a thing would never happen again.


    But this time, he felt no emotional exhaustion. There was only a simple arithmetic calction that told him that he had killed five thousand one hundred forty two out of the seven thousand seven hundred sixteen enemies.


    ¡®<i>Will I feel something else if the number increases? Would I be a little shaken up if I killed three hundred thousand of them?</i>¡¯


    Juan shook his head; he didn¡¯t think that the number would matter.


    ¡®<i>If that number is not enough to make me feel something¡­ what about killing everyone except for the few people who understand me?</i>¡¯


    It was just a silly question he asked himself. He knew that those who understood him would never agree with his n to wipe out all of humanity other than the very small number of people that are trusted by him.


    Juan liked such people: those who were affectionate and faithful. Because of that, Juan couldn¡¯t help but think that he might be broken somewhere.


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡±


    Juan saw someone approaching him while waving their arms. It was Anya. She seemed quite excited. Upon seeing Anya approaching him on the back of crow skeletons, he wondered whether it was afortable ride.


    ¡°I won us a great victory by doing exactly what Your Majesty ordered me to do! I had thought that we would suffer great damage when Pavan Peltere led the Temrs and the Eighth Division, but what ae-from-behind victory! We would have never won if Your Majesty hadn¡¯t stopped the Temrs in time!¡±


    Juan smiled bitterly.


    Pavan Peltere, the Captain of the Order of the Capital did a great job. However, he didn¡¯t know that Juan was with the Order of Huginn. The result was a crushing defeat that resulted in the loss of two-thirds of his troops.


    ¡®<i>Although I don¡¯t think the results would have changed even if he knew.</i>¡¯


    ¡°What¡¯s the result of the chase?¡±


    ¡°We were able to kill roughly about six hundred more. Oh, we seeded in capturing Bishop Ilmero as well. Just like Your Majesty said, the undead named Urkel was strangely resistant to the effect of Grace!¡±


    ¡®<i>Because he was created by mixing the corpses of many Temrs.</i>¡¯


    Urkel was recreated with a force close to an entire knight order. It was only natural that he wouldn¡¯t be affected by most types of Grace.


    ¡°Well done, Anya. But Pavan won¡¯t stop the attack. Now that he knows that ambushing us won¡¯t work, watch out for arson and other tactics¡ªespecially the pollution of drinking water. You''re a great necromancer, but you are still human. Tell Dilmond to be careful as well,¡± Juan warned.


    Anya smiled.


    ¡°Destruction and guerri operations are the Order of Huginn¡¯s specialty, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°I guess I gave you unnecessary advice.¡±


    Juan looked at Anya leaving as she was flown away on the crow skeletons with a smile on her face.


    Then someone came close to Juan, causing him to turn his head.


    It was Sina.


    ¡°She¡¯s probably the only person who canugh in this terriblendscape.¡±

 Chapter 156 – The Imperial Army (3)

    <h4>Chapter 156 ¨C The Imperial Army (3)</h4>


    Sina looked down at the bodies from atop the hill, her hand covering her mouth. The sight of the corpses stabbed by the rusty spears and swords used by the undead reminded her of memories from the not-so-distant past. The face of Ossrey, her deputy in the Order of the Blue Rose, came to her mind.


    This situation on this battlefield was more than a hundred times worse than what the Order of the Blue Rose suffered from.


    ¡°...Doesn¡¯t it ur to you that Anya is enjoying this situation a little too much?¡± Sina asked.


    ¡°She said that she will make an army that will never betray her,¡± Juan answered in a calm manner.


    Sina turned pale upon hearing Juan¡¯s answer.


    ¡°She will definitely not be betrayed if she turns all one million Imperial Army soldiers into the undead. Then, there will no longer be a need for provisions, no unnecessary loss of forces nor any vition of military rules,¡± Juan continued.


    ¡°That¡­ that¡¯s not what you want, is it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Juan replied with a smile. ¡°It is true that Anya¡¯s words are quite logical. Getting a powerful army that will forever be loyal to you in return for forgetting your conscience for a moment would be attractive to all rulers. Besides, it also means that I will not have to take any disciplinary actions.¡±


    Seeing Sina¡¯s pale expression, Juan approached her and lifted her hair up to reveal her forehead.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t intend to do all that. But that doesn¡¯t mean that I¡¯m going to stop Anya from doing that. What she¡¯s doing isn¡¯t revenge¡ªit¡¯s war. There¡¯s nothing we can do about the victims resulting from the war.¡±


    Juan stared into Sina¡¯s left eye, which still had clear burn marks that he had engraved with his own hands.


    ¡°I bet that you never imagined the ck-haired kid you saved from being killed in the ve colosseum would turn out to be like this,¡± Juan said as he bent his head to the side and looked at Sina with a smile. ¡°That makes me wonder again. Sina, do you regret what you did back then?¡±


    When Juan had first ughtered the guards at the Tantil Colosseum, Sina stopped him but did not try to kill him. Rather, she even helped him.


    Sina quietly looked up at Juan.


    ¡°Do you want to see me suffer from regret? Do you wish to see me curse you in pain?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not doing this to bother you, Sina. I¡¯m just doing my job. I just wanted to let you know that I have been like this from the very beginning and that there is a huge gap between who you think I am and who I actually am. ¡®His Majesty¡¯ whom you worship and admire only exists inside your head.¡±


    ¡°I know that. I¡¯ve abandoned that fantasy a long time ago,¡± Sina said as she twisted her lips.


    Juan felt curious upon hearing Sina¡¯s answer.


    ¡°Then why are you still following me around? There are a lot of strong people, and there are even more of those who want to be the emperor. I¡¯m sure that there are some among them that fit your ideal definition of the emperor. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to cling on to them instead of me?¡±


    Sina couldn¡¯t answer Juan¡¯s question.


    Of course, it would be impossible for any of those strong people that Juan mentioned to beat him. But neither would it be possible for her to get Juan to change his mind.


    Juan was a massive being that Sina would never be able to move.


    ¡°Or it might be better for you to be the empress. You¡¯re the most ridiculously good person I have ever seen. And to a certain extent, you also have the power needed to aplish your ridiculous ideals. Your aplishments in the Baltic Sword have improved so much that it¡¯s not evenparable to when I first saw you. You are closer to your definition of the emperor than I am¡ªso why are you so obsessed with me?¡±


    Juan¡¯s words rang true, causing Sina¡¯s mind to be shaken.


    However, she still had a stubborn belief that no other than Juan could be the emperor. Sina could clearly see the limit of her own stupid and stubborn belief.


    Suddenly, Sina felt disappointed¡ªrather than being disappointed in Juan, she was disappointed with herself.


    ¡°Why am I so obsessed with you¡­¡±


    A teardrop ran down Sina¡¯s cheek.


    ¡°I wish I knew the answer to that as well.¡±


    ***


    Sina staggered over the countless corpses on the battlefield. The battlefield that had be muddy with blood and body fluids continued to stick to Sina¡¯s ankles, whilerge crows that were big enough to reach her knees stared at her with glowing red eyes.


    The suffocating stench made her dizzy.


    Sina had been following Juan and observing him for a long time.


    Juan showed the qualities of the emperor sometimes, but returned to being the little boy she saw at the Colosseum whenever he was faced with the enemy.


    Sina wondered if she had to give up on him at this point. Juan had already grown to the extent where her help was no longer necessary. His tasks ought to bepleted even if she wasn¡¯t around, and the empire would eventually be reconstructed.


    The process might be very difficult, but Juan would eventually get what he wants in his hand, whether it be broken or intact.


    ¡®<i>Ossrey.</i>¡¯


    Sina wished she had her subordinate to discuss her concerns with. She always thought that she had to convince Juan to walk the right path for the sake of her deadrades.


    But Sina was exhausted. Juan¡¯s strength, as well as his alliance which was getting stronger day by day, were telling Sina that he was on the right path.


    ¡°Perhaps I¡¯m wrong,¡± Sina muttered with trembling lips without even realizing it.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re not wrong.¡±


    At that moment, she heard a familiar voice.


    Sina flinched and looked back in the direction where the voice came from. There was nothing but an old ash tree, causing Sina to be taken aback.


    ¡®<i>Has there always been such a big tree here?</i>¡¯


    Sina was perplexed by the fact that she wasn¡¯t able to recognize such a huge tree even when it had be a habit for her to familiarize herself with the terrain of the battlefield.


    At that moment, the voice was heard once again.


    ¡°You¡¯re not wrong, Sina. The emperor is someone who is kind and full of love.¡±


    A little boy was sitting inside a big hole in the middle of the ash tree. It didn¡¯t take long for Sina to recognize the boy¡¯s face. He was the magician who had dissuaded her when she was looking for a way to get into the Crack from Durgal.


    Sina asked, looking at the face that she still hadn¡¯t gotten used to.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you the master of the Magic Tower?¡±


    ¡°I sure am.¡±


    Dane Dormund, the master of the Magic Tower and the Grand Magician, jumped off of the ash tree and approached Sina.


    ¡°And I am also a magician who is very much interested in you and your emperor.¡±


    ***


    Pavan felt fed up upon seeing the endless array of gs leading all the way up to the horizon. He has been in charge of division-level training of the troops numerous times as the Captain of the Order of the Capital, but it was his first time such arge force that was ready to move.


    Pavan shook his head; he felt that moving this many people was no different than a disaster. The fields would be ruined and the army would eat up everything around them like a swarm of grasshoppers.


    Pavan got a headache just by thinking about the problems of the supply of drinking water, the garbage disposal, the sleeping facilities, and the disturbance caused by vitions ofrge and small military rules.


    But none of the uproar he expected urred. Theyout of the tents was borate and urately divided.


    ¡®<i>He is controlling three hundred thousand people with no problems?</i>¡¯


    Pavan clicked his tongue. Three hundred thousand¡ªthat was a ridiculous amount of people. In fact, it was enough to make up a small city. At the same time, cities built over hundreds of years were usually full of problems, but a small city that was built overnight under Barth Baltic¡¯s call was running just fine. There was no sign of decrease in morale among the soldiers or fatigue.


    ¡®<i>Is the Regent a monster or what?</i>¡¯


    Pavan inadvertently felt fearful of Barth Baltic. He was already well aware that Barth Baltic¡¯s capabilities as the Regent and as a warrior were incredible, but this was even more than he had imagined. Pavan really couldn¡¯t understand why Barth Baltic didn¡¯t try to be the emperor.


    At the heart of all the tents was Barth Baltic¡¯s tent. Pavan opened the p of the tent and entered inside. Barth Baltic, the knights from the Order of the Capital, and all the nobles who responded to Barth Baltic¡¯s call were gathered inside the tent as if they were having a meeting.


    Most of the nobles here consisted of those who used to be knights in the past, as well as the young nobles who wished to establish connections with Barth Baltic. Unlike Pavan who looked quite messy with blood and dirt all over, their appearance was neat and clean.


    Then, they approached Pavan without any hesitation and removed his dirty cloak with their bare hands to help him get dressed into a new one.


    Pavan then saluted Barth Baltic.


    ¡°Glory to the empire. Regent, I have just returned after performing my duties.¡±


    ¡°Well done.¡±


    It was a shortpliment, but Pavan was moderately satisfied, since Barth rarely praised anyone in the first ce.


    However, Barth Baltic didn¡¯t stop there.


    ¡°Everyone. We were able to buy time until all of our troops gathered thanks to Captain Pavan. Let¡¯s give a round of apuse to Captain Pavan Peltere.¡±


    The knights from the Order of the Capital pped as loudly as they could.


    Meanwhile, Pavan was quite surprised at the unexpectedly bigpliment, but bowed his head to express his modesty.


    ¡°And, for a moment, let¡¯s pay a silent tribute to Deputy Ledna Loen, Miguel, Jose, Katrina, Citrine, and Rhinnt who died honorably on the battlefield. I shall remember them forever.¡±


    After the apuse, Pavan and the knights from the Order of the Capital paid a silent tribute. Barth Baltic never forgot about the knights from the Order of the Capital who died. Pavan had a feeling that Barth Baltic probably remembered all the retired knights as well.


    ¡°Let¡¯s begin our meeting in earnest, now that the Captain of the Order of the Capital has returned from his mission. Go ahead and make your reports,¡± Barth Baltic said.


    ¡°The Order of Huginn has just joined the Magic Tower.¡±


    ¡°General Nienna¡¯s Northern Army is also quite close to the Magic Tower. But we received a report saying that Viscount Colter seeded in destroying the bridge in their path.¡±


    ¡°I was worried, since Viscount Colter had left the army quite a long time ago, but it seems like he¡¯s performing the mission just fine. Still, General Nienna ispletely freezing the river right now to cross it. So their expected arrival is either tomorrow or the day after tomorrow at thetest. I personally think that it would be better to attack before General Nienna arrives, but¡­ I don¡¯t know. General Nienna might change her mind about supporting the enemy when she sees our troops.¡±


    Barth Baltic could easily win by simply stomping and pressing down on the enemy using their numbers, considering the fact that they had three hundred thousand troops.


    But there was no way that Barth Baltic would conduct such a simple and ignorant operation.


    Pavan also felt that annihting the enemy using a siege would be optimal when considering their overwhelming number of troops. Just surrounding the enemy with countless soldiers would bring down the enemy¡¯s morale even if they didn¡¯t fight. There were better ways to achieve victory than to fight.


    Most of the knights from the Order of the Capital had simr thoughts. They also seemed a little excited and thrilled, perhaps due to the sense of exaltation that they were leading such a huge number of troops.


    The only one that remained silent was Barth Baltic.


    Meanwhile, Pavan did not miss the sight of Barth Baltic quietly listening to the others speak.


    ¡°Do you have any other thoughts, Regent?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking about what to do if the opponent really turns out to be the emperor.¡±


    The tent fell in silence for a moment. Everyone inside the tent had also heard the rumors about who they were dealing with. Some of them were also those who had attended the assembly at the House of Peers when Barth Baltic made his remarks about the emperor.


    Pavan hadn¡¯t been there at that moment, but he knew that Barth had always held a subtle hostility toward the emperor.


    ¡°If the opponent turns out to be the emperor¡­ but we¡¯re not even sure if he is the emperor or not?¡±


    The Order of the Capital was called ¡®the Sword of the Empire¡¯. However, it was only natural for them to trust Regent Barth Baltic, who had led them for a far longer time than the self-proimed emperor who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere.


    In fact, their allegiance to Barth Baltic originated from something entirely different.


    ¡°So what if the opponent is the emperor? Haven¡¯t you all seen the numerous misdeeds that the Church has been doing under the name of the emperor? Also, are we supposed to worship the emperor who is leading the army to start a civil war?¡±


    ¡°We will not let a mysterious man who suddenly fell from the sky and started performing magic with a burning sword be our object of loyalty. It was, is and always will be the one who served our empire and led us for a long time.¡±


    All these people were thinking of using this situation as an opportunity to blow a new wind into the empire¡ªmany within the empire were already very dissatisfied with the negligence of the evil deeds done by the Church, despite Barth Baltic holding more authority.


    They took Barth Baltic¡¯s deration as a sign that he would be cutting ties with the Church and the emperor.


    ¡°The emperor is already dead. We must stop worshiping a corpse now!¡±


    ¡°The new emperor of the new empire should be Regent Barth Baltic!¡±


    At longst, such words came out of people¡¯s mouths.


    The knights from the Order of the Capital shouted for ¡®the new empire,¡¯ as if they had already reached a consensus among themselves. The desire to build a new empire was already widespread among the young knights.


    The knights thumped on the desk and waited for Barth Baltic¡¯s response.


    Meanwhile, Barth silently made eye contact with the knights one by one. Then finally, his eyes met with Pavan who had remained quiet while sitting at the end of the desk.


    ¡°Pavan Peltere.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Regent.¡±


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Pavan smiled vaguely upon hearing Barth¡¯s question. This civil war was most likely going to get way nastier than what anyone could imagine, especially when considering the people he had met and fought with so far. Above all, the so-called emperor had not even revealed himself yet.


    ¡°It seems to me that the younger knights are being quite hasty. If the opponent really turns out to be the emperor, it is too hasty to think about what we should do next. Even if we win, it is not very likely that General Nienna or General Dismas will ept our views. Everyone¡¯s opinions will be split again.¡±


    The atmosphere inside the tent quickly cooled down. The knights from the Order of the Capital alternatively looked back and forth between Pavan and Barth with perplexed expressions on their faces.


    Then Pavan added a few more words.


    ¡°But I mean, it¡¯s nothing new for humans to fight and destroy each other. So, let¡¯s do it. I suggest ¡®The Baltic Empire¡¯ as the name of our new empire toe.¡±


    All the knights rose to their feet with cheers upon hearing Pavan¡¯s words.


    Pavan simply smiled as he heard their cheers. The uing battle will not be an easy one, but there would be nothing good about lowering the morale of the army when the enemy was just around the corner. Pavan had no doubt about their victory, considering that a legend such as the Regent Barth Baltic was leading three hundred thousand soldiers.


    However, he expected the victory toe at a heavy price.


    ¡°The Baltic Empire!¡±


    ¡°Emperor Barth Baltic!¡±


    Barth quietly rose from his seat.


    At the same time, the knights thumped on the desk and waited for him to open his mouth.


    On the map in front of him was the continent. And in the center of the map was a red dot which symbolized the Magic Tower.


    Barth Baltic looked at the map and slowly opened his mouth.


    ¡°If we win this battle and return to the empire, I will be the emperor.¡±


    The cheers of the knights reached a climax. Pavan also smiled and pped with the other knights.


    ¡®<i>Emperor Barth Baltic.</i>¡¯


    It was the title that Pavan had longed to hear.


    However, Pavan felt quite uneasy about Barth¡¯s eyes, which made reading his emotions quite difficult for some reason.

 Chapter 157 – The Imperial Army (4)

    <h4>Chapter 157 ¨C The Imperial Army (4)</h4>


    The wind was blowing toward the west.


    Juan stood outside the city at the base of the Magic Tower and observed the direction of the wind flow.


    At this point in time, Barth Baltic¡¯s Imperial Army was so close that they could be seen from the Magic Tower. The countless number of gs filled Juan¡¯s sight.


    The Magic Tower was almost as big as a city, but its walls and security forces were only at the level of security service guarding the ordinary public ces.


    Their allies included roughly three thousand soldiers from the Eastern Army, eight thousand undead from the Order of Huginn, and two thousand soldiers from Hiveden; Nienna¡¯s Northern Army had yet to arrive.


    On the other hand, the enemy forces consisted of three hundred thousand Imperial soldiers who were fully armed and had abundant supplies.


    Juan¡¯s troops would be no match for them even if they didn¡¯t draw out their swords. The Magic Tower was likely to copse if the enemy used their siege weapons.


    ¡°But we have Your Majesty on our side¡­ so it will be alright, right?¡±


    Juan smiled upon seeing Anya¡¯s nonchnt attitude.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way we will be able to win. If I had reasonably judged the situation, I would have ordered you to retreat immediately.¡±


    Everyone who gathered at the table grew perplexed at Juan¡¯s words.


    Horhell, H, Anya, Dilmond, and Haild were with Juan, but Sina was nowhere to be seen. They had set up war strategies and formation with only fifteen thousand soldiers outside the city at the base of the Magic Tower, but they all wondered if it would even mean anything against three hundred thousand enemies.


    Horhell asked in a low voice.


    ¡°But I thought Your Majesty might have some kind of a genius strategy to¡­¡±


    ¡°No matter how good my strategy is, there¡¯s no way it will work against a force that is almost thirty timesrger than ours. Such a genius strategy only works if our enemy is either a chick or a puppy. If you have a genius strategy that can take us to victory against three hundred thousand troops, then let me know,¡± Juan answered in a firm voice.


    ¡°...We have the dragons and General Nienna will be arriving soon as well, right? The enemy might not be a chick, but I think we are good enough to¡­¡±


    ¡°Entalucia will not be fighting with us.¡±


    The voice came from Haild this time. Everyone¡¯s gazes turned toward him, since Entalucia was absent.


    ¡°She had made a promise to not get involved in the reckless killing of the empire¡¯s humans. That was the reason why she didn¡¯t kill anyone back in the Yult Mountains. I¡¯ve been keeping it a secret until now, since I thought that it would only bring our morale down if the information was leaked out.¡±


    ¡°But didn¡¯t she attack humans when the Temrs attacked us at the Magic Tower?¡±


    ¡°She had no choice but to attack, since we were the ones who were attacked first. But it¡¯s hard to expect her to actively participate in a full-fledged war. And I do not want the dragons to bebeled as the Evil Beast responsible for mass genocide by the people of the empire.¡±


    Haild was adamant.


    At the same time, Horhell made an expression that showed that he somewhat sympathized with Haild.


    However, most of the allies, especially H, looked quite dissatisfied.


    ¡°None of that would matter if everyone here dies in the war.¡±


    ¡°She said that she is willing to help those who decide to run away.¡±


    But of course, there was no one who intended on running away from the war.


    ¡°I heard that the Northern Army would either arrive tomorrow or the day after tomorrow at thetest. What is taking them so long?¡± H asked with her hand on her forehead.


    ¡°Apparently, one of the nobles that was discharged from the Order of the Capital knows how to fight a pretty messy battle quite well. It is said that they never allowed their enemy to leave despite suffering from terrible damage once they got into a fight.¡±


    Everyonemented words of concern.


    ¡°Nienna is doing well. I don¡¯t want her to join the battle right away when she and her troops are exhausted from the harsh march. I also had no choice but to stay with the Order of Huginn. Everyone is doing well, but it can¡¯t be helped that the enemy we are dealing with is too strong,¡± Juan said.


    ¡°True. I wonder if the Northern Army¡¯s arrival would even have any value, considering the scale of the troops gathered by that horned cow. So our n to pressure the enemy from three directions of the empire has gone down the drain¡­ who would have thought that the Regent would be able to instantly gather almost one-third of the Imperial Army?¡±


    Everyone exchanged nces with a somber look on their faces upon hearing H muttering.


    ¡°What¡¯s the Magic Tower doing anyway? They¡¯re also our allies.¡±


    ¡°Preparation of supplies and providing amodation for soldiers to eat and sleep. There is only one magician who would be able to join the battle, so I rejected their help,¡± Juan replied.


    Juan decided to ept the alliance with the Magic Tower, but he no longer wanted Dane to intervene in whatever he did. However, none of the magicians except Dane Dormund were able to properly demonstrate their magic skills on the battlefield, since they were banned from using magic for forty-eight years.


    H sighed as she had no choice but to follow Juan¡¯s decision.


    ¡°Then I guess we have no choice but to rely on Your Majesty. Do you have any other ns?¡±


    Juan tilted his head toward H.


    ¡°Besides mass massacre?¡±


    ¡°I mean, it will be difficult to exclude mass massacre from our options if we are in a desperate enough situation. No matter what anyone says, the lives of my colleagues and I are the most important to me. But, is mass massacre even possible?¡±


    Juanughed in a low voice.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure that you have heard many stories about the emperor. A question would have naturally urred to all of you after hearing that the emperor was so strong. ¡®If he is such a strong being, does he even need an army?¡¯ Just try and deny it.¡±


    Everyone made an awkward smile, since they had all had that thought at least once. The emperor¡¯s achievements and his powers that they learned about from the epics and the history books were so mighty that it was quite hard to believe. But it was also true that everyone thought that he might really be as strong as described when considering what Juan had shown them so far. They couldn''t help but wonder whether they were even necessary for the battle.


    ¡°To answer your question, the answer is ¡®yes.¡¯ Of course, an ordinary army made up of ordinary soldiers can¡¯t stop me. The formation would immediately copse as soon as they are hit by the heat emitted from my body as I move closer to them. But I can¡¯t stop everyone by myself, since I only have two hands. What would be the point of killing ten thousand enemies while the enemies kill all of my allies? Besides, we can¡¯t let our guard down against one of the opponents among our enemies.¡±


    ¡®<i>Barth Baltic.</i>¡¯


    H frowned.


    ¡°Is that horned giant that strong?¡±


    ¡°Barth Baltic was a difficult opponent to deal with before I waspleted as the emperor. He couldn¡¯t beatplete gods, but he was strong enough to beat half-gods or quasi-gods. His physical abilities were superior to mine as well. I can¡¯t imagine just how much stronger he has gotten by now,¡± Juan said as he nced over everyone¡¯s faces. ¡°If it¡¯s hard for you to imagine just how strong he is, think of him to be as powerful as Nigrato who appeared in Hiveden. Nigrato was a half-god who failed to be aplete god. However, neither fire nor magic work on Barth Baltic.¡±


    ¡°...So we have no choice but to hold out until General Nienna arrives here.¡±


    ¡°From a strategic point of view, we will have no choice but to either retreat or seek aebackter on. But¡­¡± Juan said as he swept his hair. ¡°¡­whether Nienna arrives in time or not, I will move when the Imperial Army starts to move. At that time, everyone should stay back if it seems like we are about to crash into each other. I will take care of it.¡±


    ¡°But Your Majesty¡­¡±


    ¡°Quiet, H,¡± Juan red at H. ¡°I havee here to dish out punishment, not to fight a war. But if I have to go to war, I will no longer show any mercy.¡±


    Everyone fell silent.


    At the same time, H looked around to search for Sina.


    ¡®<i>Sina has always been the one to say something to Juan in situations like this¡­ I kind of miss her.</i>¡¯


    But Sina was nowhere to be seen. H had a hunch that Sina might have left so as not to see what was about to happen.


    Then the Imperial Army began to march around noon.


    ***


    <i>Stomp! Stomp! Stomp!</i>


    The footsteps of the Imperial soldiers slowly advancing were quite loud. It was also the first time for the soldiers to see an army of this size march at once. It looked like the ground was melting down, and the soldiers felt as if they were out of breath for some reason. The soldiers¡¯ hearts were beating fast with overwhelming energy.


    But the soldiers were somehow feeling nervous. They didn¡¯t know why they were so nervous even though their numbers would overwhelm their enemy.


    As they knew that the purpose of their march was battle this time around instead of just the movement of forces, the soldiers began to search for their enemy. They could see a small group ahead of them but couldn¡¯t be sure if it was the enemy or not.


    ¡°The right wing is marching too fast. Slow down.¡±


    The g bearer promptly waved the g in his hand at Barth Baltic¡¯s shortmand. The slightly distorted formation was quickly and neatly organized again.


    Barth looked down at the battlefield with decrepit eyes. He had never thought that he would have such arge-scale battle in his life ever again.


    However, he didn¡¯t think it would be a waste if the opponent really turned out to be the emperor.


    ¡®<i>The emperor¡­ huh?</i>¡¯


    Majority of people were still doubtful about whether the opponent was the real emperor or not, but Barth Baltic had a hunch that his opponent really was the emperor. Barth could tell even though he had not yet met the man¡ªhe had already instinctively felt it several times.


    The huge battlefield in front of him, the smell of the wind, the sensation of his sweaty hand touching the handle of his sword, the sweet taste in his parched mouth, and the loud footsteps of the soldiers all moving toward one thing.


    <i>¡®The emperor. The emperor. The emperor.¡¯</i>


    The soldiers were already terrified by the warm air being carried over by the wind¡ªit was an instinctive fear of going against something that should not be opposed. Meanwhile, the officer-level knights were excited, since they misunderstood the fear of the soldiers as them being excited for the battle.


    Barth Baltic couldn¡¯t tell how many of them would be able to survive until the end.


    ¡®<i>I have no idea why he¡¯s leading an army instead ofing at me directly.</i>¡¯


    Barth Baltic grit his teeth so hard that they almost shattered.


    The g bearer turned back with a perplexed look on his face upon hearing the gruesome sound.


    <i>¡®Today is the day I finally kill the emperor. If I can¡¯t kill him, then I will turn him into a criminal who killed three hundred thousand humans with his own hands.¡¯</i>


    Barth Baltic knew that the people of the empire would never be able to ept a man who was involved in the carnage of three hundred thousand humans as their emperor. Fear may hold them back for a while, but the hatred will not disappear that easily.


    The Imperial Army gradually encircled the Magic Tower. The soldiers could now see the enemy¡¯s troops gathered in front of the Magic Tower. The distance between the soldiers and the enemy was less than four hundred meters.


    The soldiers were perplexed at the sight of the undead, but none of them stopped marching. Marching in such arge group gave them the courage to push through even if they knew that death was right in front of them.


    There were less than two hundred meters left. The soldiers noticed some human soldiers standing in line in between the undead who were giving off a terrible smell. Their figures forming a line with the undead looked somewhat strange and eerie. The soldiers suspected that those might be pale-faced necromancers.


    However, the enemy¡¯s soldiers looked just as frozen and nervous as themselves.


    Then the march came to a sudden halt.


    ¡°Archers!¡±


    The archers walked out in unison from among the soldiers, and knocked an arrow on their bows. The soldiers even felt sorry for their enemies, looking at the countless arrows that would soon fall upon the enemy¡¯s heads.


    ¡°Get ready to shoot when¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop!¡±


    The moment the order to shoot was about to be shouted, a sudden suspension order came out of nowhere. The suspension order was then spread by the soldiers shouting in unison, causing the archers to hastily put down their bows.


    At first, the knights were perplexed; they thought the suspension order hade from Barth Baltic or Pavan Peltere. But it didn¡¯t take too long for them to find out that no one from their side had given such an order.


    ¡°Who was it? Who ordered the suspension!?¡±


    One of the knights angrily shouted from atop his horse. He wondered if the enemy was ying a prank on them.


    However, for some reason, the voice that gave the suspension order was hard to resist.


    ¡®<i>It was almost like following the order was the right thing to do¡­</i>¡¯


    The knights couldn¡¯t waste more time looking for the culprit. As soon as they were about to order the archers to shoot again, a voice was heard once again.


    ¡°Stop! Stop the battle!¡±


    It was a knight who was holding a blue g and riding a horse toward the soldiers. The knight was approaching at a furious pace from the right side of the Imperial Army while shouting.


    ¡°What the hell? Who even is that lunatic¡­?¡±


    The knights from the Order of the Capital were perplexed by the sudden intrusion, but they could see why their soldiers didn¡¯t try to stop the knight. The knight was wearing neat armor and held a neatly embroidered g. The knight was perfectly following the standards of an Imperial Knight.


    However, the symbol engraved on the g was unfamiliar to the knights from the Order of the Capital.


    ¡°Who are you!?¡±


    The knights from the Order of the Capital immediately stepped up to block the approaching knight¡¯s way. But the opponent ignored them and drove their horse straight toward Barth Baltic. The knights from the Order of the Capital almost bumped into the knight and almost seeded in making the knight fall off the horse. Nevertheless, the knight desperately crawled and tried to approach Barth Baltic.


    ¡°Stop the battle, Regent! You are breaking the Imperial Army system right now!¡±


    Pavan felt no need to put up with the knight anymore. He immediately drew his sword and swung it twice to split the opponent¡¯s helmet.


    The face of a blonde woman was revealed through the split helmet.


    Pavan frowned upon seeing her face.


    ¡°Who even are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Sina Solvane, the Captain of the Order of the Blue Rose. Please stop the battle! Your opponent is His Majesty, the Emperor of this empire. I ask you to stop this unjust battle, return the army to where they came from, and return your right tomand to His Majesty!¡±


    Sina Solvane shouted while tightly clutching a g embroidered with blue roses. Her eye was not directed at the knights holding her arms and legs, or at Pavan who was holding a sword in front of her. Her eye was only directed toward Barth Baltic, who opened his eyes wide behind the knights.


    Pavan felt that he shouldn''t keep this female knight alive for a long time. However, the moment he hastily raised his sword to end her life, he heard Barth Baltic¡¯s voice from behind.


    ¡°Pavan.¡±


    Pavan closed his eyes tightly; he realized that it was toote.


    ¡°Bring that knight to me.¡±

 Chapter 158 – Horn and Fire (1)

    <h4>Chapter 158 ¨C Horn and Fire (1)</h4>


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    Sina was dragged in front of Barth Baltic with her arms tied behind her back. The knights seemed to be full of dissatisfaction, since they were suddenly stopped just when they were excited and ready for the war. But no one could resist Barth Baltic¡¯s order.


    ¡°I am Sina Solvane, the Captain of the Order of the Blue Rose. Regent, I am¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m asking you.¡±


    Sina looked at Barth Baltic. She felt an unbearable pressure just by facing Barth Baltic¡¯s cold eyes. Being an early graduate from the knight school, Sina had seen Barth Baltic¡¯s face several times in the past. Of course, it was the first time for her to see him this close.


    ¡°I am asking about your rtionship to the emperor.¡±


    Sina couldn¡¯t understand what Barth Baltic meant.


    The Imperial Army and the emperor¡¯s army were so close that they could see each other¡¯s faces now. They were at such a short distance that no one would be surprised if they began to shoot arrows and charge toward each other.


    Such a situation was only stopped because of one person¡ªSina Solvane. The resumption of the battle was up to her, just as it was when it was stopped.


    Sina clenched her teeth and raised her head.


    ¡°I am Sina Solvane, His Majesty¡¯s watchdog.¡±


    Laughs of absurdity broke out among the knights. Several knights made scornfulments and expressions in the midst of an uproar. The knights¡¯ pride was already hurt due to the advance of the Imperial Army being stopped by an intruder, but the fact that the intruder was a mad woman made everything even worse. Some of the knights were clearly showing murderous intent toward Sina.


    Pavan quickly approached Barth Baltic and urgently whispered into his ear.


    ¡°Regent, the soldiers are getting anxious, since they don¡¯t know when the battle will begin. Why don¡¯t you decide on the disposition and questioning of this knightter and deal with what¡¯s more important first?¡±


    Barth Baltic did not answer; he just continued to stare at Sina.


    Then, at that moment, he suddenly stood up and walked forward toward Sina.


    ¡°You¡¯re the emperor¡¯s watchdog?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am. His Majesty has entrusted me with the job himself,¡± Sina answered.


    ¡°Why would the emperor need a watchdog? After all, he has imed himself to be a perfect being.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because¡­¡±


    When Sina hesitated to answer, Pavan immediately stepped up.


    ¡°Regent, there¡¯s nothing more to hear. It¡¯s just the crazy nonsense spoken by a lunatic.¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t nonsense!¡± Sina sharply shouted.


    Pavan red at Sina like he wanted to kill her.


    If Sina was still a knight trainee from the knight school, she wouldn¡¯t even have been able to make eye contact with Pavan, who was sitting at a high position. But now she was not intimidated at all.


    ¡°His Majesty asked me to watch him and judge whether he is a mad murderer or the emperor that I believe in. I think he made me his watchdog in that context.¡±


    ¡°So, you believe that the person I am about to have a war with is the emperor in your view?¡±


    ¡°...Yes, I do. You don¡¯t have to start an unnecessary war and shed blood. War isn¡¯t necessary; after all, it¡¯s just that the real owner of the empire has returned.¡±


    Barth Baltic did not answer Sina.


    Sina knew that what she was doing was incredibly stupid. If problems could be solved simply bying forward and shouting for legitimate rights and justice, no one in the world would have had to shed blood.


    However, she couldn¡¯t help but step forward. She couldn¡¯t understand why the empire had to bleed so much from the civil war. Sina wondered if she coulde forward and convince at least a small part of the Imperial Army¡ªand if that included the knights or the deputies, the victims of this war could be reduced even a little.


    Barth Baltic reached out his hand toward Sina¡¯s forehead. A slight flick of his finger could easily smash her head.


    Sina clenched her teeth and looked at Barth Baltic¡¯s fingertips.


    Then, Barth¡¯s fingertip tapped her left eye which was distorted by burns.


    ¡°You are lying.¡±


    Sina¡¯s pupils shook.


    ¡°You have no certainty in your own words, Sina. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any reason for me to believe in something that you¡¯re not even sure about yourself.¡±


    Sina hastily stood up and tried to speak, but Barth tightly grabbed her cheeks with his two fingers to press her down. Sina couldn¡¯t even budge.


    Then Barth brought his face close to Sina¡¯s ear and whispered.


    ¡°But I can see that you have the emperor¡¯s essence.¡±


    Sina¡¯s shoulders trembled.


    ¡°I have the emperor¡¯s essence?¡±


    Sina couldn¡¯t understand what Barth Baltic was talking about. It was a known fact that only the children of the emperor, like Gerard Gain, had the emperor¡¯s essence.


    But Barth Baltic¡¯s words were strange.


    ¡°I have no idea what your identity is, but you certainly seem to be an important person to the emperor. And that¡¯s all I need.¡±


    Barth Baltic took his fingers off of Sina¡¯s face and raised her up.


    Sina and the knights surrounding her seemed perplexed.


    Then, Barth turned Sina around toward the direction of the Magic Tower and slightly pushed her back.


    ¡°Go.¡±


    ¡°But Regent, this war is¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. There is no need to shed so much blood.¡±


    Barth continued to speak without any expression.


    ¡°Shedding the blood of only one person is good enough. I will let you go back alive, so go and tell the man you believe to be the emperor toe out here.¡±


    ***


    The knights from the Order of the Capital remained silent for a long time after Sina left.


    They trusted and followed Barth Baltic until this time, and their loyalty for him remained unchanged.


    However, Barth Baltic¡¯s current behavior was hard for them to understand.


    Barth was a soldier and amander¡ªa person who avoided being a good man on the battlefield. But not only did he stop the battle, but he also let the suspicious intruder go without asking any further questions.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it have been better to take her hostage?¡±


    Pavan asked Barth Baltic. He already knew who Sina was from the reports he had received several times before. Although it was his first time seeing her face, he could immediately tell that she was the female knight who was known to be either tracking or apanying the ck-haired young man.


    Most people around the ck-haired young man died, but the fact that she was still alive and even imed herself to be his watchdog meant that she was an important being to him.


    ¡®<i>Then it would have been wise to hold her hostage.</i>¡¯


    Barth Baltic¡¯s answer was short.


    ¡°The opponent is not a man who would care about the hostage.¡±


    ¡°...So you trust what that knight said¡ªthat the opponent is the emperor.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Pavan didn¡¯t answer. He was aware that there was someone powerful behind H, Nienna, and the Order of Huginn. He had never met the opponent before, but he knew that the opponent¡¯s presence was just as huge as Barth Baltic.


    It was still hard to be sure whether the opponent was the real emperor or not, but it was also hard to imagine him to be someone else at this point.


    ¡°Do you believe that the opponent wille out? That would be likemitting suicide.¡±


    ¡°He will,¡± Barth answered.


    ¡®<i>He will show himself in front of three hundred thousand Imperial soldiers on his own and face the enemy?</i>¡¯


    Pavan thought about whether he could do that himself, and then shook his head; he didn¡¯t think that he could do so. Even a person who had decided to die would have a hard timeing forward in the face of three hundred thousand enemies.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you just see someone who did?¡± Barth muttered upon seeing Pavan¡¯s face.


    Pavan closed his mouth as he recalled the young female knight.


    At that moment, the line formed by the soldiers standing in front of the Magic Tower began to split apart, revealing a person.


    Seeing this, Pavan looked at the man who walked out¡ªhis eyes wide open as if he could not believe it.


    A ck-haired young man was trudging forward without a single piece of armor or protection. He did not show any hostility or tension, almost as if the three hundred thousand swords pointed toward him were toys.


    ¡°So he really dide out. Then I¡¯ll go ahead andmand the archers to¡­¡±


    At that moment, Barth Baltic jumped up from his seat.


    Pavan was perplexed upon seeing Barth Baltic¡¯s expression.


    ¡°The emperor,¡± Barth Baltic muttered in a quiet voice.


    ¡°Um, sorry? The emperor? That young man is the emperor?¡±


    Barth Baltic ignored Pavan¡¯s question and began to stride forward.


    Seeing this, Pavan panicked and tried to stop him, but couldn¡¯t slow him down at all. Instead, he lost his bnce and stumbled. The other knights quickly stepped forward to stop Barth as well.


    ¡°Regent! There is no need for you to step forward yourself! We can face him first, then¡­¡±


    But Barth didn¡¯t even bother to listen to the knights. The knights tried to grab Barth Baltic by the hem of his clothes in a hurry, but they rather ended up being dragged with him.


    Pavan knew that it was no use trying to stop Barth at times like this.


    ¡°Back off! Don¡¯t disturb the Regent!¡±


    Eventually, Pavan ordered the knights to step back. But he was also very anxious.


    He quickly hopped on his horse and shouted as he ran along the lines of the soldiers.


    ¡°All troops, get ready for battle!¡±


    The soldiers tightened their grip on their swords and spears once again as they prepared to advance.


    At the same time, Pavan bit his lips and looked at Barth¡¯s back.


    ¡®<i>If I read any strange signs, I will order the soldiers to charge immediately.</i>¡¯


    Pavan muttered to himself quietly.


    ***


    Juan stood in the middle of the battlefield.


    Barth got close enough to Juan that he could see Juan¡¯s fluttering hair being blown by the wind.


    Juan¡¯s somewhat long hair, ck eyes which had an unknown depth, and his loose posture even right before going to war was the same as the day Barth Baltic first met the emperor.


    ¡°You¡­ haven¡¯t changed a bit, emperor.¡±


    Barth Baltic opened his mouth first.


    At the same time, Juan smiled at Barth.


    ¡°You¡¯ve gotten quite old, Barth.¡±


    Barth realized just how old he was upon hearing Juan¡¯s words. Barth recalled his long beard, stretched wrinkles and bent waist. He felt as if he had aged, something he had hardly felt until now.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you about halfway through your life in terms of Hornsluine¡¯s age? Why do you look so old?¡± Juan asked curiously.


    ¡°I see that you¡¯re still talking nonsense. What does my age have to do with anything?¡± Barth replied as if he was annoyed.


    ¡°I guess it really doesn¡¯t matter. Then let¡¯s talk about something that we all know.¡±


    Juan drew the sword he was wearing around his waist. As soon as the sword came into sunlight, it began to glow red and burn softly.


    Barth recognized that the sword was Sutra, the sword Juan had used when he was the emperor. Sutra had never been burning when Barth was dueling against Juan for training purposes.


    ¡°Gared Gain killed me.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°Were you involved in that?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    At that moment, a red trajectory cut through the air toward Barth Baltic.


    In response, Barth swung the greatsword that he carried on his back as hard as he could. Dust blew in all directions with a shock that shook the ground.


    Seeing this, the Imperial soldiers stepped forward in unison, causing a loud sound of footsteps to echo through the battlefield.


    ¡°Stop!¡±


    But, at that moment, Barth shouted in a voice so loud that it was even louder than the sound of the soldiers¡¯ footsteps.


    The Imperial Army came to a stop at once.


    Barth¡¯s greatsword was pressing down upon Juan¡¯s Sutra. Barth, who was four meters tall, was handling his two-handed greatsword quite freely with just one hand.


    Meanwhile, Juan was holding out against Barth¡¯s sword, but couldn¡¯t push it away.


    ¡°I thought I¡¯d be able to handle you since you have gotten old. But I guess I still can¡¯t beat you in terms of physical strength.¡±


    ¡°I see that you are still shameless enough to say such weak things.¡±


    Juan and Barth slowly brought down their swords. A murderous tension could be felt between the two, as if they were both ready to once again swing their swords at each other at any moment.


    ¡°You killed me and then shamelessly took over the position of the Regent. Why didn¡¯t you just steal the throne instead? Why are you still sitting in the position of the Regent and getting old like that?¡±


    ¡°I have no interest in the residue that you left behind. I am content with living the rest of my life as a warrior.¡±


    ¡°A warrior? You call yourself a warrior after instigating Gerard¡ªinstigating my own son to stab me in the back?¡±


    At that moment, Barth¡¯s eyes shook.

 Chapter 159 – Horn and Fire (2)

    <h4>Chapter 159 ¨C Horn and Fire (2)</h4>


    Juan realized that his words had touched a sore spot for Barth.


    ¡°I used to trust you enough to leave my back to you, Barth. You were my very firstrade and a friend. I had even helped you avenge your race, and you had thrown yourself in the way of danger to save me several times. So, why did you betray me like that?¡±


    Juan lowered his sword and approached Barth.


    But Barth took a step back, frowning.


    ¡°If you were dissatisfied with me, you should have just directlye at me with a sword instead of getting my son to stab me in the back! Just like now!¡± Juan shouted angrily.


    ¡°You know nothing about me!¡± Barth shouted as he swung his sword at Juan.


    At the same time, Juan quickly turned around and dodged Barth¡¯s attack.


    At that moment, Barth¡¯s sword bent at a strange angle¡ªBarth used the fourth stage of the Baltic Sword, Fog Solution and pressed down upon Juan.


    A powerful attack that could split Juan in half as soon as it touched him continued to move toward him.


    Seeing this, Juan drew his sword and directly faced Barth and dug into his gaps.


    Juan¡¯s face became distorted as he mmed Barth¡¯s sword as hard as he could.


    <i>ng!</i>


    With a sharp sound of swords meeting in the air, Barth staggered back.


    ¡°Barth, what the hell are you doing right now? Are you messing with me?¡±


    Barth remained silent at Juan¡¯s question.


    ¡°Why are you using the Baltic Sword? It seems like you are confident enough to think that you can beat me quite easily without even using your own skills.¡±


    These words caused Barth to re at Juan with clenched teeth.


    On the other hand, everyone who heard Juan¡¯s words had puzzled looks on their faces.


    ¡®<i>Why is he asking Barth Baltic ¡®why are you using the Baltic Sword?¡¯ Isn¡¯t that only natural?</i>¡¯


    Barth Baltic was practically a master in the Baltic Sword performed by the Imperial Army. Those who knew that the inventor of the Baltic Sword was the emperor thought that Juan was being sarcastic.


    However, Juan was pointing out apletely different part.


    ¡°The Baltic Sword was made for humans. In fact, the Baltic Sword doesn¡¯t suit you in the first ce. After all, as far as I know, Hornsluines have their own swordsmanship.¡±


    And Juan was right about that. Hornsluine had their own swordsmanship that was created based on the characteristics of their strength and size. That swordsmanship used by Hornsluines waspletely different from that of humans.


    Barth Baltic has been using the Hornsluine¡¯s swordsmanship techniques when fighting against countless numbers of strong enemies until now.


    This caused Juan to frown. Although Barth was extremely skilled with the Baltic Sword, he was no match for Juan, who was the creator of the Baltic Sword.


    Barth just stood silently and repositioned himself.


    ¡°...I must have spent way too much time among the humans,¡±


    ¡®<i>Hornsluine¡¯s swordsmanship techniques, huh?</i>¡¯


    Barth clicked his tongue; he thought that he would have to rummage through his memories to recall how to perform Hornsluine¡¯s swordsmanship techniques. After all, he never had to fight with all his might in the past forty-eight years. The only swordsmanship he performed during that time was the Baltic Sword, since he had to teach his knights.


    Barth Baltic inhaled a heavy breath, then raised one hand to send a signal to Pavan.


    The knights who recognized Barth¡¯s signal turned toward Pavan with perplexed expressions. At the same time, Pavan was frowning as well.


    ¡°Captain, what should we do? That signal is¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you mean what should we do? It is the order from the Regent.¡±


    Pavan was not convinced of Barth¡¯s order, but he couldn¡¯t resist it either. Pavan shouted at the Imperial Army in a loud voice.


    ¡°Imperial Army! Take one hundred fifty steps back!¡±


    The knights repeated Pavan¡¯s orders and gave instructions to the subordinate soldiers with unconvinced looks on their faces.


    Pavan looked at Barth with worried eyes. He had several opportunities to see the Regent¡¯s power in the past. Even though Pavan had never seen Barth fight with all his might, he learned what a great hero who had fought against gods looked like¡ªand also learned that he would never be able to reach Barth¡¯s level even if he trained for the rest of his whole life.


    Pavan knew that the vast in would be too small of a stage for Barth to use his full strength. He knew that Barth¡¯s order to make the troops step back was to ensure that the troops didn¡¯t get caught up in the uing battle. He felt his shoulders getting tense without realizing.


    ¡®<i>Is that ck-haired young man that strong of an opponent?</i>¡¯


    ***


    When the Imperial stepped back, Juan also signaled his army to retreat. His army had to watch Juan and Barth¡¯s battle from between the buildings because the Magic Tower did not have outer walls.


    Juan tilted his head from side to side.


    ¡°I think we still need more space.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just settle for this, since it would be hard to find a different ce now. If you don¡¯t want your men to get involved, you should¡­¡±


    ¡°Be extra cautious. I know,¡± Juan smiled and continued to speak. ¡°I won¡¯t use magic. Magic won¡¯t work against you anyway.¡±


    ¡°I will kill you with all my might, even if you say that you will fight using only one hand and one leg.¡±


    Juan nodded upon hearing Barth¡¯s answer; he already knew that Barth would say something like that.


    When they thought that enough space had been created, Barth and Juan made eye contact. Before they even finished taking a short breath, the two shed again in the air.


    The members of both armies tried to keep their eyes on Juan and Barth as they fought, but ended up closing their eyes and turning their heads due to the shockwaves caused by their collision¡ªat that moment, even the ground was shaking, as if an earthquake had struck the area.


    Barth¡¯s sword, which had been struck first, split the muddy ground at once. His attack was so strong that his sword was stuck in the ground.


    Most ordinary knights would consider this to be quite a big mistake, since it would take time and force to pull the sword out of the ground again.


    However, this wasn¡¯t the case for Barth.


    With the sword still stuck in the ground, Barth tilted and raised the sword over Juan¡¯s head, taking some of the ground with it.


    Hard ground poured upon Juan, almost as if it were water or air. The sand and gravel that was pouring down on him along with Barth¡¯s charge were so harsh that he was bruised by them even if they just slightly brushed against him.


    Juan curled his body up to minimize the damage, but then, a shockwave powerful enough to push him back repeatedly struck him.


    However, he immediately jumped off the ground and charged toward Barth through the dust and the wind.


    At the same time, Barth quickly swung his sword to push Juan off, almost as if he already knew how Juan would act.


    Then, Juan threw himself into the air to widen his distance between him and Barth.


    Juan clicked his tongue.


    ¡®<i>Well, he is making me feel like a kid again.</i>¡¯


    Juan felt like a little child whenever he dealt with Barth Baltic¡¯s enormous size, sword, and strength that even most other Hornsluines couldn¡¯t handle. Fortunately, he had been experiencing something just like this up until very recently.


    But at this moment, it wasn¡¯t Barth¡¯s strength or ability that bothered Juan.


    ¡®<i>Why, Barth?</i>¡¯


    Barth growled with murderous intent, but he waited until Juan repositioned himself, almost as if he was waiting for Juan to approach him again.


    Juan was quite bothered by Barth¡¯s attitude, since it hasn¡¯t changed even the slightest bitpared to when they used to duel with each other for training purposes. His attitude was as if he was being generous toward Juan.


    ¡®<i>Why did a fair and dignified warrior like you betray me in such a dirty way?</i>¡¯


    Juan fixed his position, then raised Sutra as he charged toward Barth once again, while Sutra¡¯s mes heated up the surroundings. The heat could even be felt from hundreds of meters away, and it was so hot that the dead trees on the other side of the in suddenly burst into mes. The snow that covered the in was beyond the point of melting and bing muddy, and had now dried up and be crusty under the fierce heat.


    Directly faced with this intense heat, Barth roared loudly. His short roar swept through the entire in and dissipated the heat in all directions¡ªBarth had just shaken off Sutra¡¯s energy using a short roar and his own momentum.


    Juan felt dumbfounded upon seeing Barth¡¯s ability, but soon raised the corners of his mouth as he recalled the old days. The reason why Juan had always been fond of Barth was because of his crazy warrior-like spirit, which was the same even now.


    The moment Barth¡¯s huge sword and Sutra met in the air, Sutra¡¯s mes shook to the point that they were almost blown out.


    The sword that Barth was holding in his hand was made with a lump of iron, and had no special ability. Nevertheless, his energy alone was enough to make it seem like a magic sword with countless special abilities.


    ¡°Come at me!¡±


    Directly facing Barth¡¯s loud roar that could rip one¡¯s face apart, Juan jumped toward him.


    A shockwave continuously shook the ground and the air. The heat of soaring mes and the shockwaves from the swords being struck against each other made the people around the in tremble. The soldiers looked at the sight with breathless expressions.


    ¡°Oh my goodness¡­ His Majesty the Emperor¡­¡±


    ¡°What the hell even is that¡­¡±


    The knights from the Order of the Capital watched the fight while muttering the emperor¡¯s name without even realizing it. Not only was the opponent fighting on the same level as Barth Baltic, but his spirit and energy felt like they were far beyond that of humans.


    Despite the fact that no one could take their eyes off of the battle, the soldiers couldn¡¯t keep up with Juan and Barth¡¯s movements as the mes soared up from one side and then to the opposite side in just a second.


    None of the soldiers could see their attacks, but shing marks were suddenly engraved on the ground and mes were soaring into the air. Swords, violence, death, and mes were all swirling in a narrow space.


    The knights shuddered and truly came to understand why Barth had ordered the soldiers to step back. This battlefield was far too small for Juan and Barth. Even taking a single step toward their battlefield could easily cause hundreds of them to be cut into pieces simply from their sword swings.


    ¡®<i>Regent Barth Baltic¡­</i>¡¯


    Pavan watched the scene with clenched teeth. None of the knights had ever seen Barth fight with all his might. Even Pavan, the strongest one among the knights, had only seen his skills during a duel for training purposes. Pavan had never been ashamed to call himself Barth¡¯s student, though he felt that it was hard to catch up to Barth.


    However, Pavan realized that he had been under quite a huge illusion. Both Barth Baltic and his opponent in front of him were already far beyond human beings. In fact, it was impossible topare them with humans or to gauge their skills in the first ce.


    The two men were those who had ended the mythological era that had continued for thousands of years.


    Barth and Juan were showing them what the truly desperate battles were like at that time.


    <i>Bang!</i>


    Juan tried his best to dodge Barth¡¯s attacks instead of confronting them directly. Barth¡¯s attacks were so powerful that his feet almost got stuck to the ground when he had to directly block a blow from above, and his body would be thrown into the air whenever he was blocking the attack from sideways.


    Juan began to sweat even before he knew it. He couldn¡¯t remember how long it had been since he had fought using only his sword, without any magic or strategies.


    However, such a thing was normal for Barth.


    He had killed demons and gods alike with no magic or deception¡ªwith only his power and skills. He could use any of the weapons, since he was good at handling all of them. If there were no weapons, he used his fists to punch his opponents and then used his horns to trample upon them. He always stood on the front line of the battlefield, leading the troops.


    Although Barth Baltic had confessed that he was involved in the emperor¡¯s assassination, Juan couldn¡¯t understand why such a man was involved in such a plot. If what Barth said really was true, then Juan wanted to hear the reason why Barth did what he did and what his reason to betray Juan was.


    ¡°Barth.¡±


    Juan looked into Barth¡¯s eyes, then he briefly muttered Barth¡¯s name as he stuck Sutra into the ground.


    Seeing this, Barth was startled for a second, but then he struck his sword toward Juan¡¯s head, since he was in the midst of a fierce attack already.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    A scream broke out from the soldiers standing around the Magic Tower upon hearing a grotesque cracking sound.


    ¡°You had the perfect opportunity to kill me, but ended up failing. You really have gotten old.¡±


    Juan had raised his arm to block Barth¡¯s sword. If Barth hadn¡¯t tilted his sword to the side, Juan¡¯s arm would have been cut off at once. It was a close call, but Juan was confident that Barth didn¡¯t really intend to kill Juan.


    ¡°Did you really want to die that badly? If that¡¯s what you want, then stay still. I¡¯ll end your worthless life for good this time.¡±


    Barth raised his sword with a growl, while Juan just stared at Barth.


    ¡°Barth, O Barth¡­ just tell me. How did you get so old?¡±


    ¡°Are you making fun of me? I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d end up looking so trivial in your eyes.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not as strong, as agile, or as good as you used to be in the past. But I know that you¡¯re not the type to bezy to stop training. You have literally be too old. No matter how much you train yourself, you can¡¯t help but run out of energy as you age. But you are a Hornsluine, a being that doesn¡¯t age that fast. What really bothers me is your bizarre aging.¡±


    Barth red at Juan in silence and slowly lowered his sword.


    Juan stared into Barth¡¯s eyes for a long time.


    ¡°Are you feeling guilty?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°I did expect you to say some bullshit, but this is even worse than I thought.¡±


    ¡°Then tell me with your own mouth. Go ahead and convince me. The Barth Baltic that I know is a man who would use his own hands to kill me rather than borrowing someone else¡¯s hands. I wondered if I had been mistaken about you or if you had be a different person over time. But no¡­ I am certain about my thoughts now that I have fought with you. What the hell are you hiding from me?¡±


    Barth bit his lips at Juan¡¯s question. He looked conflicted as to whether or not he should wield his sword against Juan.


    However, he couldn¡¯t bear to raise his sword as he looked at Juan¡¯s firm and honest eyes.


    Barth muttered, almost as if he was in pain after a long period of silence.


    ¡°Either just die or kill me.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t be doing either until I hear your answer.¡±


    Barth red at Juan with murderous intent in his eyes.


    ¡°You are mistaken if you think that I didn¡¯t intend to kill you. My desire to kill you is more real than anything. If youe back to life, I¡¯ll kill you as many times as needed, over and over again. But¡­¡±


    Barth gritted his teeth.


    .


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t determined enough to do so back then, because I didn¡¯t know if my desire to kill you was sincere or not.¡±

 Chapter 160 – Horn and Fire (3)

    <h4>Chapter 160 ¨C Horn and Fire (3)</h4>


    Juan realized that ¡®that time¡¯ referred to when Gerard Gain had stabbed the emperor.


    ¡°So you weren¡¯t certain, but still wanted to kill me. Why? Is it because I was worshiped like a god among the humans? That¡¯s what Nienna told me¡ªthat your hatred of gods led to you developing a hatred for me as well.¡±


    Juan recalled Nienna telling him about the theory that Barth is fine with dead gods, but not a living god.


    In fact, Barth didn¡¯t really care whether the people of the empire worshiped dead gods with indigenous faith. His hatred was only focused on living gods.


    Barth snorted.


    ¡°I can¡¯t say that it¡¯spletely unrted to that. However, if that was all, I might have just left your side in the first ce, since there are still many gods to kill beyond the boundary and in the Crack. But¡­¡±


    At that moment, Barth stopped¡ªhe seemed quite hesitant to continue answering.


    ¡°If Imitted an injustice against you, don¡¯t hide it and just tell me. Doesn¡¯t a sinner deserve to know his sins?¡± Juan asked as if he was rushing Barth.


    ¡°...The biggest problem is that you didn¡¯t do any injustice against me. You are innocent.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I guess you can be considered a sinner if being born into this world itself is counted as a sin. Your sin wasn¡¯tmitted by you¡ªjust like Gerard Gain.¡±


    Juan couldn¡¯t understand why Barth mentioned Gerard Gain¡¯s name in this situation. He looked at Barth, expecting an answer, but Barth just shook his head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about it anymore. I respected and admired you, emperor. You¡¯ve done me a great favor that I will never be able to repay you. But¡­ you also gave me a reason that forced me to kill you. It¡¯s probably for the best that you don¡¯t know. Consider it myst act of loyalty toward you. I do want to kill you, but the loyalty I had given you wasn¡¯t fake. Hah¡­ It¡¯splicated to exin.¡±


    Juan felt frustrated, since he couldn¡¯t tell why an honest warrior like Barth had no choice but to feelplicated and hide the reason for his actions.


    ¡°I opened up the door for Gerard to enter the Imperial pce because I had no way of organizing myplicated mind back then. I guess that¡¯s how I made up my mind. After all, I had known for a long time that Gerard was looking for an opportunity to kill you,¡± Barth said as he looked into Juan¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°You knew that Gerard was trying to kill me? What was his reason?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s simr to my reason, but at the same time, it''spletely different as well.¡±


    ¡°I have no intention of ying games with you!¡±


    Barthughed out in a low voice when Juan shouted in an angry voice.


    ¡°Anyway, I thought I had made up my mind by killing you through Gerard. But I guess I was wrong. Day by day, I grew older as I watched your worshippers ruin the empire that was established by you. And here I am, looking so old today. I actually didn¡¯t have to live this long anyway.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re nning to hide why you did what you did until the end?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, emperor. Do you want me to give you a hint if you are really that desperate? You would deny it, but you¡¯re a god. You are a human god that humans have never had before in their history. That¡¯s the reason why you¡¯re cursed and that¡¯s the reason why I want to kill you. Isn¡¯t that enough?¡±


    Juan sighed. It seemed like scolding Barth wouldn¡¯t help to open his mouth. Instead, Juan chose another way to get an answer out of him.


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll give you a chance you didn¡¯t have forty-eight years ago.¡±


    ¡°A chance?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you a chance to kill me today.¡±


    Barth frowned, almost as if he couldn¡¯t understand what Juan was talking about.


    Juan twisted his lips and continued to speak.


    ¡°But, if you are unable to kill me, you lose. Then, you¡¯ll have to tell me the whole truth.¡±


    ¡°Hah.¡±


    Barth burst intoughter as if he was dumbfounded by Juan¡¯s offer. A smile slowly spread over his face, and then eventually heughed augh so loud that it echoed throughout the entire battlefield.


    ¡°What a ridiculous bet. I¡¯ve already dered that I¡¯m going to kill you. But you think you can just ask for something in return?¡±


    Barth mmed his sword into the ground.


    ¡°Alright. I guess there¡¯s really no reason for me to refuse your offer.¡±


    Barth snapped his fingers and strode toward Juan.


    For a moment, Juan felt like Barth had gotten much younger. His beard and the wrinkles on his face were still there, but his eyes were shining brightly like those of younger warriors.


    Juan looked at Barth as if he was curious.


    ¡°I just told you that I will give you a chance to kill me. Why would you put down your weapon when¡­¡±


    Juan couldn¡¯t even finish his words.


    Instead of answering Juan¡¯s question, Barth Baltic just swung his fist as hard as he could. The moment Juan blocked Barth¡¯s fist that wasing toward him, it felt like the thing he blocked wasn¡¯t a fist but an iron club.


    Juan quickly staggered back, his vision blurring for a moment. He realized that Barth really meant it when he said ¡®I will kill you.¡¯ Barth had swung his fist with all his might with the intention of killing Juan for real.


    ¡°Damn it. Why the hell were you even using a sword in the first ce?¡±


    .


    ¡°Just because I had it with me,¡± Barth answered joyfully.


    Barth once again swung his fist as Juan faltered and failed to reposition himself properly.


    At that moment, Juan suddenly took a posture to dodge Barth¡¯s attack and dug into the gap revealed by him to punch his chest, causing Barth to gasp for air and curl up in pain.


    ¡°I might be much smaller than you, but¡­¡±


    Juan smirked.


    ¡°I had never been bigger or stronger even when I fought with gods.¡±


    ***


    <i>Bang!</i>


    Pavan remembered hearing this sound when he once destroyed the gates of a castle gate with the help of a siege weapon. However, there were no castle walls or siege weapons around¡ªonly a wide in, countless soldiers, and two men who were shing into each other with their flesh and blood body. Pavan couldn¡¯t really figure out how such a sound could be made by the collision of bare fists.


    It had been a long time since the sun went down. However, Pavan lit up the torch and instructed the soldiers to watch out so that they could be prepared to join the battle at any time. And the same was true of the emperor¡¯s army.


    However, the area around Juan and Barth was already bright even without a single torch around them.


    <i>Crack! Crack!</i>


    ¡°I have no idea how that sound can even be made from two people bumping into each other¡­ but I¡¯m scared even more by the fact that they don¡¯t seem to be the slightest bit tired even after facing each other¡¯s attacks since earlier in the day,¡± Raul Riort, the elite knight of the Order of the Capital, muttered to himself.


    ¡°They might end up fighting forever if they are left alone,¡± Pavan answered with a sigh.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the Regent? I understand him charging at the front line, since everyone knows that no one can stop him, but dueling before the battle? With his bare hands, too?¡±


    ¡°The enemies are chasing the illusion called the emperor. Those people are only united under that illusion, so their unity might copse quite easily if that illusion is destroyed. This whole thing won¡¯t end with us just killing the army gathered around the Magic Tower¡ªwe might even have to deal with Nienna.¡±


    Pavan came up with a reasonable answer, one which he had thought about for a long time on his own.


    ¡°Do you really think so?¡± Raul asked back with a frown.


    ¡°No. To be honest, it just seems like the Regent has gone crazy.¡±


    ¡°If the opponent has shaken the Regent in such a way and is powerful enough to be able to hold out against him¡­ Hmm¡­¡±


    Pavan knew what Raul meant to say. Most of the soldiers and knights probably had simr thoughts as well.


    The legend of the emperor was often mentioned along with the legend of Barth Baltic. It was said that Barth Baltic was on par with the emperor when it came to strength, and was the most trustedrade of the emperor.


    There was only one person who could fight on the same level as Barth Baltic.


    ¡°Do you think the Regent will win?¡±


    Raul asked as he tried to pretend to be calm.


    However, Pavan didn¡¯t know the answer to this question either.


    Raul looked back at Pavan when he didn¡¯t get an answer.


    ¡°If the Regent ends up being killed in action, you will naturally be assigned the nextmander, Captain. If the timees, you will have tomand three hundred thousand Imperial troops, as well as one hundred sixty knights of the Order of the Capital. You should probably think about what decision you¡¯re going to make in advance.¡±


    Once again, Pavan didn¡¯t answer Raul.


    At that moment, raindrops started to fall from the sky. Pavan raised his hand as he looked up at the sky. The heat emanating from Juan and Barth¡¯s fight was creating clouds in the sky. The clouds waved every time Juan wielded his sword, while a small cloud was wrapped around Barth whenever he swung his fist.


    Pavan had a hunch that they were in for heavy rain.


    ***


    Sutra¡¯s fiery mes followed a chaotic trajectory in the dark.


    Juan dug into Barth¡¯s gap by performing the fourth stage of the Baltic Sword. Sutra¡¯s mes spread around the surroundings like a fog made up of mes. The ruthless trajectory left by Fog Solution that prated the opponent was well-suited for the heat.


    Barth looked as if he was about to be engulfed by a ball of mes. However, the fierce mes that had been pressuring Barth were blocked in just an instant.


    <i>Crash!</i>


    With a loud crashing sound, Juan realized that Sutra had been blocked by Barth¡¯s counterattack.


    Then, Barth swung his fist toward a small gap in Juan¡¯s defenses created by him retrieving Sutra.


    Juan blocked Barth¡¯s attack with Sutra, but the shock of the attack prated Sutra and mmed against Juan.


    ¡°<i>Keuk¡­</i>¡±


    It was said that among the martial arts of Hornsluine, there was a technique that prated the opponent¡¯s outer defense and attacked their insides. Barth was using this technique with ease, almost as if he was simply breathing.


    Hornsluine¡¯s martial arts, which had a history of thousands of years, were holding out quite well against the Baltic Sword.


    ¡®<i>Even if I ignore his martial arts, I still can¡¯t believe that he is blocking Sutra with just a bare fist.</i>¡¯


    Juan almost felt as if he was shing against a sword that was as powerful as Sutra, rather than bone and flesh.


    Usually, the person holding a weapon was at an advantage over a person using their bare fists due to the distance between the two. However, Juan couldn¡¯t get any of the advantages of using a sword, considering Barth¡¯s huge size that was unique to the Hornsluine.


    Juan inadvertently recalled ¡®Magic Formations,¡¯ a type of magic unique to the Hornsluine. Hornsluines were naturally a magic-resistant race that couldn¡¯t directly use magic. Instead, they created a method to bring out magical effects through sculptures or architecture.


    It was a dangerous magic because ordinary people might be caught up in the power, but it wasn¡¯t a big deal to Hornsluines who had such a high magic resistance.


    ¡®<i>What if his body and skeleton have naturally be suitable for magic formations through more than one hundred years of training?</i>¡¯


    Juan had never thought that such a thing was possible, but Barth¡¯s strong body couldn¡¯t really be exined otherwise. Juan also thought that perhaps his innate traits have helped the development of his body to some extent, since Barth was an unrivaled figure even among the Hornsluines.


    ¡®<i>He isn¡¯t giving me the time to perform Instant Impermanent.</i>¡¯


    Instant Impermanent, the fifth stage of the Baltic Sword, would still be a threat to Barth Baltic despite his power. However, its precursor movements were necessary in order to produce a magical effect with the Baltic Sword. Barth¡¯s attacks were cleverly preventing Juan from making those precursor movements.


    Barth Baltic was fighting like a fair-hearted simple warrior, but he was also a clever strategist at the same time.


    ¡°Are you nning to fight all night?¡±


    Barth asked in a quiet voice as Juan stood in front of him as if he was measuring something.


    It was true that Juan was injured by Barth¡¯s attack which prated through Sutra. However, it wasn¡¯t enough to bring him down.


    ¡°It is quite a bad look for me, since I¡¯m fighting with a weapon, while you¡¯re fighting with your bare fists.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a little toote to say that? I prefer using bare hands to weapons. It¡¯s better to use my bare hands to use all my skills anyway. And¡­¡± Barth continued to speak as he pointed to Sutra. ¡°It seems that you haven¡¯t even fully drawn out all the power from Sutra yet. As far as I know, Sutra doesn¡¯t give off such red mes when you¡¯re using it to fight. It seems like I¡¯m not the only one who has gotten old, am I?¡±


    Juan smiled bitterly. Sutra normally burned with white mes, just like it did when Juan sessfully tamed it in front of Dane Dormund.


    However, the current Sutra was only giving off a calm red me.


    ¡°It¡¯s such a difficult weapon to tame. It seems like my current condition is still insufficient to be able to properly use it,¡± Juan answered.


    ¡°That¡¯s no better than me using my bare fists then.¡±


    ¡°Then I don¡¯t have to feel guilty about using it.¡±


    ¡°You speak as if you¡¯ve been going easy on me all this time.¡±


    Juan smiled bitterly as he looked down at Sutra in his hand.


    ¡°You¡¯re fighting with the intent to kill me, but I¡¯m fighting to keep you alive and hear your answer.¡±


    Barth lifted up the corners of his lips.


    Suddenly, Juan felt as if Barth was moving faster than he was during the day.


    And this wasn¡¯t just an illusion. Some of Barth¡¯s white hair had turned ck here and there, and his wrinkles had shrunk as well.


    ¡°It seems like I¡¯m at an advantage now. Keep in mind that you won¡¯t be able to hear my answer if you end up dying.¡±

 Chapter 161 – Horn and Fire (4)

    <h4>Chapter 161 ¨C Horn and Fire (4)</h4>


    Barth Baltic grinned and disappeared from Juan¡¯s sight.


    Barth quickly threw his left fist directly toward Juan.


    At the same time, instead of facing his fast but weak fist, Juan decided to dodge the attack under the assumption that Barth would use his right fist for an even stronger attack the moment Juan took on his left fist.


    As expected, Barth pushed himself close to Juan as soon as he dodged the attack.


    Juan clicked his tongue, since Barth¡¯s movements were unbelievably fast for his huge size.


    Barth¡¯s fist, which was the size of Juan¡¯s chest, passed by with the sound of air being torn apart. The mere wind caused by Barth¡¯s attack passing by someone would be enough to destroy any ordinary person''s upper body.


    It was not easy for Juan to attack or counterattack, since his movements were bound to be bigger than Barth¡¯s given the fact that he was holding a sword.


    The moment Juan tried to widen the distance between them to search for a gap in Barth¡¯s defenses, Barth¡¯s stride changed and started following a strange pattern.


    Despite Juan widening his distance from him, Barth reached out his hand in a calm manner. His arm moved so fast that it seemed to have disappeared for a second.


    Juan tried to twist the direction he was falling toward as soon as he realized his mistake, but his feet had not yet touched the ground.


    A loud roar rang out.


    Upon hearing the sudden loud sound, the people who were watching the fight covered their ears without even realizing it. Some of those who were standing closest to the fight copsed to the floor, with the sound still ringing their ears.


    The shockwave from the collision also prated Barth¡¯s body, leaving behind many torn wounds on his arms.


    The same was also true for Juan, since he also received the shock from the very front. He hadn¡¯t suffered any major injuries, but that was not the problem.


    ¡®<i>I can¡¯t hear anything.</i>¡¯


    Juan¡¯s sense of bnce became distorted and he felt extremely nauseous. While he recovered from the shock quite quickly, he was inevitably exposed to Barth¡¯s attack in the short second he took to reposition himself.


    And just as he had expected, Juan could see Barth quickly running toward him through blurry vision. He figured that he was left with no other choice.


    ¡®<i>He¡¯s not an opponent I can fight without bing serious.</i>¡¯


    Juan ced Sutra on his shoulder and waited for the right interval as Barth approached him.


    Then, it happened.


    It was only a short moment, but it felt terribly long. All of Juan¡¯s muscles spasmed and his heart thumped, pumping blood throughout his body.


    Juan blocked out all his senses that had been destroyed by the battle¡ªhis sight, hearing, and sense of smell were gone.


    Juan was in an extremely dangerous state¡ªthus his remaining senses were more sensitive than ever. His extremely sensitive senses allowed him to even feel the rain clouds in the sky that seemed ready to start pouring rain at any moment.


    The hot air then condensed into the clouds and gathered them into one, then finally the first droplet of water began to form. At the same time, Juan could also feel Barth¡¯s muscles beginning to tighten up.


    ¡®<i>Now.</i>¡¯


    Juan immediately performed Fleeting Moment, the fifth stage of Baltic Sword, while dealing with the shock that could almost break all his bones. He kept his eyes closed, since he felt that it would be better for him to picture Barth¡¯s movements in his head when none of his senses could be trusted.


    At that moment, Barth¡¯s fist was right in front of Juan¡¯s nose, but was stopped without being able to touch Juan in the world of Fleeting Moment.


    Juan quickly swung Sutra in a way that almost looked like he was dragging it. He could hear all his muscles being torn apart and felt his heart spasming as it demanded oxygen.


    He could also hear the sound of Barth¡¯sughter.


    Barth had already expected Juan to use Fleeting Moment. In fact, he had lured Juan into doing so.


    Barth¡¯s fist began to slowly move in a world that had gone still¡ªin a world where even the shadows were paused.


    At that moment, Juan realized that Barth¡¯s fist wouldnd his sword. Hornsluine¡¯s Magic Formations, their magic resistance, and their martial arts were breaking the strange magical effect of the Baltic Sword.


    The thousands of years of Hornsluine¡¯s history was about to crash upon Juan, who had only lived for decades.


    Barth¡¯s fist then struck Juan¡¯s head.


    ***


    Neither Juan nor Barth could pay any attention to the surrounding situation.


    As soon as Barth tore up time and space that Juan had stopped with the help of Fleeting Moment, the ground moved along with the movements of Barth¡¯s fist. An earthquake that shook the entire in caused the Imperial Army¡¯s tents to copse.


    Heavy rain began to pour down at the same time as screams broke out everywhere. Pavan quickly gave out an order to take care of the situation, but his voice was drowned in the sound of rain and his order could not be properly delivered to the troops.


    The emperor¡¯s army standing by the Magic Tower were also perplexed at the situation unfolding in front of them.


    Juan and Barth could not be seen properly due to the sudden rain. On the extremely chaotic battlefield, they both stood facing each other.


    Juan looked at Barth with bloodshot eyes while bleeding from both ears.


    The mes released by Sutra had been extinguished before anyone knew it.


    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± Barth muttered as he looked down at Juan. ¡°Did you know this would happen?¡±


    Juan barely managed to make a voice after puffing his lips.


    ¡°I just guessed. But, I got lucky.¡±


    Barth looked down at his right hand, which had been split from between his middle finger and ring finger all the way up to his wrist. His fingers were broken here and there as if they had been smashed with a hammer.


    While Juan¡¯s condition was terrible as well, Barth¡¯s right hand was much worse.


    Barth reflected on what had just happened a moment ago, since he couldn¡¯t easily understand it. Barth had clearly foreseen his victory when he managed to punch through Juan¡¯s Fleeting Moment.


    However, absurdly, what he failed to take into ount of were the raindrops.


    Barth could also use Fleeting Moment if he used the Baltic Sword. Swinging a sword while in the state of Fleeting Moment caused the body of the one swinging the sword to burst into mes due to atmospheric friction. If the performer¡¯s body is unable to resist the mes and fails to hold out, they are bound to get full-body burns as soon as they swing their sword.


    Barth had swung his fist just as fast as the sword, and thus received a devastating shock when his fist hit one of the raindrops that were fixed in time. Of course, his fist hadn¡¯t been stopped by that small raindrop. However, his fist had been terribly damaged when he prated the raindrop to hit Juan¡¯s head.


    Nevertheless, Barth was confident that he had broken Juan¡¯s neck.


    ¡°I know that your sword did not touch my body. But, then how¡­ when did you cut me?¡± Barth asked.


    ¡°I knew that I wouldn¡¯t be able to beat you by simply using Fleeting Moment,¡± Juan murmured, while examining Sutra which was now ck and no longer usable. ¡°So I had to try performing the sixth stage¡­ no, the seventh stage of the Baltic Sword. Actually, my n had been to cut off your arm. But I failed to perform the seventh stage, since I still can¡¯t handle Sutra to the required level.¡±


    The Baltic Sword became more and more dangerous as the stages went up, and high-quality equipment was necessary to use them properly. Juan¡¯s failure to use the seventh stage of the Baltic Sword was natural to some extent, and so he was satisfied enough with the fact that he was still alive.


    Juan¡¯s current condition was also terrible. He might have a chance to achieve victory if he brought out the power of the me crown again, but he would just feel like he had lost if he relied on its power.


    ¡°The sixth stage, huh?¡± Barth Baltic muttered briefly.


    Barth was certain that Sutra was still far away from his body right when his fist touched Juan¡¯s head. However, then he suddenly saw his fist, which had beenpletely intact other than a few small cuts even after being shed by Sutra, split apart by just passing through space where there was nothing.


    ¡°It¡¯s the sixth stage of the Baltic Sword, Negating Causality,¡± Juan replied with a pale face.


    ¡°It seems like you need to train more.¡±


    Barth tore his top with his teeth and began to wrap it around his right hand. The temporary bandage made with his clothes quickly turned blood red under the pouring rain and blood, but he didn¡¯t seem to mind at all.


    Seeing this, Juan looked at Barth as if he was dumbfounded.


    ¡°You still want to keep going?¡±


    ¡°Neither of us is dead yet. We can still fight.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t be able to fight properly with your fist looking like that. While I can¡¯t use Sutra anymore, you should know that I¡¯m still in decent condition.¡±


    ¡°That just means that I am at an advantage. Hurry up and get into the position. I can¡¯t wait to use some of my new skills.¡±


    Barth acted as if he was ready to fight again at any moment.


    This caused Juan to smile, dumbfounded. However, his smile soon turned fierce and cold.


    ¡°Fine. Then let¡¯s fight again, using what we learned from each other.¡±


    Juan stabbed Sutra into the ground and clenched his fist. Then, instead of facing Barth¡¯s fist using his own left fist, Juan mmed his forehead against Barth¡¯s fist.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    The collision instantly caused Barth¡¯s middle finger to be bent in the wrong direction.


    The shock from the collision pushed Juan back as well, but Barth suddenly reached out his hand to grab Juan¡¯s head. Then Barth put strength into his hand with all his might, as if he wanted to crush Juan¡¯s head.


    Barth didn¡¯t stop there¡ªhe also mmed Juan¡¯s face with his right hand. The temporary bandage that was made with his top in order to prevent further bleeding was of no use. Despite the fact that his right hand had been split in half, Barth continued to m Juan as hard as he could. The bones in Barth¡¯s hand ruthlessly shed Juan¡¯s skin.


    Juan held back a scream, clinging to Barth¡¯s arm and trying to bend his hand in the wrong direction with all his might.


    In just an instant, Barth¡¯s left arm was twisted in the wrong direction along with a terrible cracking sound.


    Thus, Barth had no choice but to let go of Juan¡¯s head.


    As soon as he fell to the ground, Juan quickly rolled away to widen the distance between him and Barth.


    Barth chased after Juan and stomped on the ground, but Juan, who was swiftly rolling around on the ground, was not caught easily.


    Juan curled up and then quickly bounced back, kicking Barth¡¯s shinbone.


    The force of this kick was enough to break the bones of any ordinary person, but it only caused Barth to stumble for a short moment.


    After regaining his bnce, Barth threw himself at Juan, intending to press down on Juan with his right hand. Then Barth began to crush Juan¡¯s thin neck with his thumb.


    While Juan couldn¡¯t breathe, his body didn¡¯t need to breathe in the first ce. Then, Juan grabbed Barth¡¯s thumb and bent itpletely in the wrong direction. Even though Barth had tremendous power and was unbelievably strong, the power of his thumb alone was notparable to the power of Juan¡¯s whole body.


    Barth had no choice but to step back, since both of his hands were injured.


    At the same time, Juan started gasping due to his poor physical condition.


    ¡®<i>I feel dizzy.</i>¡¯


    Juan realized that he had gotten a concussion due to Barth¡¯s fist attack. Not only was Juan¡¯s neck bone damaged, it might have ended up beingpletely crushed if Juan had not bent Barth¡¯s thumb just in time.


    However, the most severe wound was on Juan¡¯s face, which had been grabbed and mmed down by Barth numerous times. His right eye was blurry, almost looking like it waspletely crushed, while his left eye was filled with blood.


    Above all, his failed attempt at using the seventh stage of the Baltic Sword, which was immediately followed by the use of Fleeting Moment and Negating Causality caused him to suffer from massive internal injuries.


    ¡°It seems like your eyes have been damaged pretty badly,¡± Barth murmured in a low voice.


    ¡°Speak for yourself. Can you even fight with your hands looking like that?¡± Juan snapped at Barth, deriding him.


    Their fight was getting more and more intense. Both Barth and Juan were walking on a tightrope.


    Although Juan¡¯s stature was small, his strength and speed resembled a sharp de. Barth¡¯s body was now full of cuts, muscles that had be necrosed, as well as scorched wounds. Furthermore, his hands that had been broken and split apart made fighting normally almost impossible for him.


    Both Barth and Juan looked chaotic as they were covered in mud and rainwater.


    Barth quietly assessed the condition of his broken left arm and then put as much strength into it as he could. Then, with a grotesque cracking sound, his bones were forced back into ce.


    ¡°Hah, what the hell is that nonsense¡­ how is that even possible¡­¡± Juan murmured as if he was dumbfounded.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you would also be able to do it once you learn to freely control the muscles of your entire body. Bones being broken is no big deal.¡±


    Even though Barth was being cocky, Juan knew that he must be suffering from unbearable pain.


    Barth strode toward Juan as if he didn¡¯t care about pain.


    At the same time, Juan quickly entered a fighting posture while still covering his right eye that was bleeding.


    However, Barth didn¡¯t seem to care to aim for Juan¡¯s weakness at all. At the same time that Barth threw himself to m against Juan, he aimed for the blindspot created by Juan¡¯s right eye to fire a fatal attack.


    However, as soon as Juan took his hand off his right eye, Barth could see that Juan¡¯s eye was perfectly normal. Only then did he realize that he had made a mistake.


    Juan blocked Barth¡¯s attack and then jumped close to his face, taking advantage of the gap that had just been created.


    He grabbed Barth¡¯s beard, and then started punching his face non-stop. His fist was so strongpared to his small size that from Barth¡¯s point of view, it was no different than a sharp awl stabbing against his face.


    Flesh and blood sttered everywhere as Barth¡¯s cheeks were ripped apart and his teeth were exposed.


    On the other hand, Barth didn¡¯t mind getting his beard being ripped off, and grabbed Juan and threw him to the floor.


    This caused Juan to back away while coughing blood.


    ¡°You¡¯re the one doing nonsensical things here,¡± Barth snarled at Juan.


    <i>¡®How the hell did his crushed eyes recover in such a short time?¡¯</i>


    Barth felt that Juan¡¯s ability to recover so quickly was quite unfair.


    ¡°You should already know that I am built like this,¡± Juan shrugged.


    Barthughed furiously. Then he leaned his arm back and swung it at Juan¡¯s head as hard as he could.


    Juan faced Barth¡¯s fist just like that, and then kicked Barth in the stomach with all his might.


    The two repeatedly exchanged attacks several times and fell back.


    Juan felt like his skull had already been crushed at multiple ces. However, he didn¡¯t feel too bad when he saw Barth, who was vomiting blood.


    Juan and Barth gasped for air as they widened the distance between each other. The mud around them had already turned red due to their blood.


    ¡°We might really end up staying up all night at this rate¡­ there are a lot of people watching us too,¡± Barth muttered with a sigh.


    Juan nodded as he agreed with Barth. Their battle had been going on for hours. It would be no exaggeration that both of them might end up dying if the battle continued at this rate.


    Juan would have an advantage if the battle turned into a long-term battle of attrition, since he had the ability to recover his body.


    However, Juan¡¯s goal was to get an answer out of Barth rather than killing him.


    ¡®<i>It wouldn¡¯t be toote to kill him after I hear his answer.</i>¡¯


    Both Juan and Barth¡¯s breathing began to slow down.


    Barth murmured in a quiet voice.


    ¡°Let¡¯s finish this at once.¡±

 Chapter 162 – Horn and Fire (5)

    <h4>Chapter 162 ¨C Horn and Fire (5)</h4>


    Juan was puzzled by Barth¡¯s words; he wondered if it had really been necessary for Barth to take a short break and let his breath be stabilized just to say that.


    In fact, Juan was the one who would be at an advantage after taking a short break rather than Barth; after all, while Barth¡¯s recovery speed was far beyond a human¡¯s, his recovery speed was nowhere close to Juan¡¯s.


    ¡°Fine. If you¡¯re still alive after this, that means I win and¡­¡±


    Barth kicked off the ground and jumped even before Juan could finish speaking. For a moment, Barth disappeared from Juan¡¯s sight.


    Juan inadvertently turned his head toward the sky; he had be ustomed to Barth¡¯s attack pattern of pressing down on him from above.


    The very next moment, a heavy blow struck Juan¡¯s body. Barth had lowered his body, almost as if to lie t on the ground and then mmed Juan with the horns on his head. Barth¡¯s horns, which were usually high enough to pierce the sky, prated Juan¡¯s stomach and protruded all the way to his back.


    ¡°Ahhhhhhh!¡±


    Barth vigorously shook his head like an angry cow, scattering Juan¡¯s blood in all directions.


    As the wounds from their previous battle were further aggravated, blood spewed out of Juan¡¯s mouth. He bit his lips as he btedly realized what had just happened.


    Barth had been pushing for this situation for a long time. Due to their previous battles, Juan had be used to looking up, since he was so much smaller than Barth. The fact that Barth kept approaching him from above also helped with making Juan be ustomed to such an attack pattern¡ªso Juan missed it when Barth lowered his body all the way to the ground and charged at him from below.


    Barth had been gathering strength for this final charge at the risk of letting Juan recover from his injuries.


    ¡°Keuk¡­!¡±


    Juan opened his eyes wide and tightly grabbed Barth¡¯s horns that were digging through his wounds. This attack was fatal, since the magic restraining property of the horns of Hornsluine were hindering his recovery. He was bound to really die at this rate.


    ¡°Keuk, ugh¡­ Ahhhhhhhh!¡±


    At that moment, Juan grabbed Barth¡¯s horns and pushed them deeper into his stomach. Only then was he able to wrap his legs around Barth¡¯s neck.


    Meanwhile, Barth continued to shake his head with all his might, but Juan refused to let go of his horns.


    Juan knew that due to his exhausted state he would only be ruthlessly trampled to death once he fell off.


    <i>Crack! Crunch!</i>


    Juan tightly held on to Barth¡¯s horns and began to twist them to the side. Doing this also meant that he was digging through his own wounds, but Barth¡¯s head slowly started to turn to the side. Juan intended to twist Barth¡¯s neck, since his desire to hear Barth¡¯s answer or his desire to win had left his mind a long time ago.


    The only desire controlling Juan right now was his desire to survive.


    ¡°Arghhhhhhhhhhh!¡±


    Barth grabbed Juan¡¯s head and tried to forcibly tear it off when his own neck began to turn.


    However, the moment they were both trying their best topletely end each other¡¯s lives, Juan felt as if he heard a voice inside his head.


    ¡®<i>Wear the crown.</i>¡¯


    ¡®<i>Bring out the primal fire.</i>¡¯


    ¡®<i>Show this arrogant man the power of the king.</i>¡¯


    Upon hearing the voices that were trying to mess up his head, Juan screamed¡ªit almost looked like he was convulsing.


    ¡°Fuck offfffffff!¡±


    <i>Crack!</i>


    .


    At that moment, Juan was thrown into the air with a loud and grotesque noise. He rolled around for a while and barely managed to stop himself after spraying blood all over the ground.


    After that, Juan staggered to his feet with difficulty.


    Both of Barth Baltic¡¯s broken horns were sped inside Juan¡¯s pale hands. He looked at majestic crown-like horns that symbolized the Hornsluines, and then he looked up at Barth.


    Meanwhile, Barth was staring at Juan with an expressionless face.


    ¡®<i>I failed.</i>¡¯


    Juan had tried to break Barth¡¯s neck, but his attempt had only allowed him to break Barth¡¯s horns. Juan no longer had any strength left.


    He knew that he would have been able to make aeback if he had decided to use the power of the me crown. However, he had decided not to use magic or other kinds of sorcery before he started fighting Barth.


    If Juan used the power of the me crown now, there would be no meaning in his victory over Barth.


    ¡°You won¡­¡±


    At that moment, Barth suddenly stumbled and copsed to the side.


    A loud roar rang throughout the ins. The three hundred thousand Imperial troops sprang to their feet as they witnessed their Regent falling. The knights from the Order of the Capital, including Pavan, clenched their fists in astonishment.


    While everyone was holding their breath, Juan nkly stared at Barth and stood up to approach him.


    ¡°Are you dead?¡±


    Barth did not answer, but Juan could see that Barth¡¯s body was still moving faintly. Juan once again looked at Barth¡¯s horns that were held in his hand. Juan didn¡¯t know what these horns meant to the Hornsluines, but it didn¡¯t seem like Barth was dead yet.


    Juan recalled the fact that animals with horns would feel an enormous amount of pain when their horns were recklessly cut or broken, since they were connected to the skulls.


    But that wasn¡¯t important.


    The important thing was that Barth had copsed while Juan was still standing on his feet.


    Juan lifted up Barth¡¯s broken horns. At that moment, loud cheers came from the Magic Tower, while heavy silence engulfed the Imperial army.


    At the same time, Juan slowly copsed to the ground while thinking that it was fortunate that Barth was still alive.


    ***


    As soon as the battle was over, people rushed out from both sides.


    The Imperial Army¡¯s line fluctuated¡ªit looked like they were ready to charge at any moment when people came out of the magic tower, but soon came to a stop as if they were given amand.


    Five knights, including Pavan, then rode their horse to approach Barth from the Imperial Army¡¯s side.


    At the same time, the first ones toe out of the Magic Tower were H, Horhell, Sina, and Haild.


    Both sides maintained a brief period of silence, then agreed to remain peaceful for the time being.


    Pavan hurriedly examined Barth Baltic¡¯s condition and came to the conclusion that he was still alive and had not suffered any fatal wounds. The five knights then hastily carried Barth onto the cart they had brought with them.


    ¡°Your Majesty, are you all right?¡±


    H examined Juan¡¯s condition, but got no response from him. Anyone could tell at just a nce that Juan¡¯s injuries were very severe; after all, the hole in his stomach was as big as H¡¯s palm.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. His Majesty won¡¯t die from a wound like this one. I¡¯ve seen him recover from even worse injuries,¡± Haild whispered from beside H.


    Hearing this, people sighed in relief.


    However, Sina grabbed Juan¡¯s wrist and then shook her head with a pale face.


    ¡°His body temperature is too low. I¡¯ve never seen Juan¡¯s body get this cold before¡­¡±


    Juan¡¯s body temperature only ever grew hotter when he was injured, never colder before.


    Sina¡¯s words caused agitation to spread quickly, but Juan could not be left as he was. Horhell hurriedly wrapped Juan¡¯s wound with a cloak that he was wearing around his shoulder and then carried Juan on his back.


    When Sina was just about to quickly follow Horhell, she found Barth Baltic¡¯s horns rolling around on the ground near where Juan had been. She picked them up and put them inside her pockets just in case.


    ¡°Contact the Magic Tower right now and tell them to send everyone who has the ability to treat injuries!¡±


    ***


    ¡°Someone ising.¡±


    The sun had once again risen after the passage of the strange night.


    When he heard the report from the guards, Pavan looked at the person running toward them from the Magic Tower. Although he had expected someone from the emperor¡¯s side to visit him, he frowned upon seeing that it was the person he wanted to avoid the most.


    H Henna was riding a horse while holding a g with the sun in her hand¡ªthe sun was the symbol of the emperor. She then stopped right in front of the Imperial Army¡¯s line. She hade alone, almost as if she was confident that no one here could harm her. She was facing three hundred thousand Imperial soldiers all by herself, but she showed no signs of despondency.


    It was not long before the Imperial soldiers quietly opened a path for her.


    Then, H got off her horse and walked forward without hesitation.


    Seeing the oldmander of the East, some of the people hadplicated emotions in their eyes. Some knights from the Order of the Capital avoided eye contact with her with a guilty look on their faces, while some of them red at her as if they wanted to kill her. Those who were avoiding eye contact with H were the ones who had once been trained to be a knight in the East under her patronage.


    However, H didn¡¯t even bother to take a nce at them.


    When H arrived at Barth Baltic¡¯s tent, Pavan quickly stood in her way to stop her. He then politely greeted H with a bitter smile on his face.


    ¡°Master.¡±


    H smiled, revealing her teeth.


    ¡°Long time no see, Pavan. It¡¯s my first time seeing you after what happened at the Yult Mountains, huh?¡±


    Pavan knew that H was purposely acting like she had forgotten about their brief encounterst night. What she wanted to say was already clear anyway.


    ¡°I¡¯m d that you look healthy. Is your injured leg okay?¡± Pavan asked.


    ¡°Ah, yes. In fact, it will only get stronger as long as it isn¡¯t chopped off. Thanks to you, I feel like my neck has gotten stronger and thicker as well.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t say that. You know that I had not meant to hurt you. I was just trying to escort you, since I was worried that you might get in trouble.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re getting better and better at talking bullshit day by day. You should tell Barth Baltic to stop feeding you greasy food. I¡¯m gonna slip on your tongue and fall to my death before I have a heart attack.¡±


    Pavan smiled bitterly and tried to lead H to a different ce other than Barth¡¯s tent.


    However, H stood still and refused to move.


    ¡°Barth Baltic!¡± H shouted at the top of her lungs.


    When the loud voice echoed throughout the silent Imperial Army tents, dumbfounded eyes of the troops turned toward H in an instant. At the same time, Pavan¡¯s face turned pale.


    ¡°Don¡¯t y tricks with me ande on out! You know that we have unfinished business!¡±


    ¡°Master, let¡¯s not make such a fuss here. How about we go to my tent for a cup of tea and¡­¡±


    ¡°Master, my ass. Since when have you ever treated me like your master anyway? You only call me your master when you need to. Do you have a death wish? Have you ever been pped by someone with a single arm before?¡±


    Pavan backed away with a perplexed look when H pushed on his chest with her short left arm.


    H¡¯s arrogant and entric actions were all calcted¡ªshe knew that Pavan and the Imperial Army would be against using violence against her.


    ¡°Barth Baltic! Did you go deaf when your horns broke? If you continue to keep quiet like that, I will¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    The question came from behind H¡¯s back rather than from inside Barth¡¯s tent.


    When H turned back, she saw Barth there standing shirtless, with only a towel wrapped around his neck; it looked like he had just washed his face.


    His torn and scorched beard had been cleanly shaved, and his exposed skin was full of scars and bruises. Above all, his arms which suffered from the fierce battle had been tightly wrapped with a thick bandage. His horns, which symbolized his identity, were broken off disproportionately.


    Barth immediately noticed what was going on upon seeing the faces of H and Pavan.


    ¡°Are you a messenger sent here by the emperor? You came earlier than I thought you would. I had to clean up a little because of the messy fight we had yesterday. After all, I couldn¡¯t greet an envoy looking like that. Give me a second while I get dressed.¡±


    Barth quietly disappeared into the tent.


    At the same time, Pavan bit his lips.


    ***


    After having a brief conversation with Barth, H smiled derisively at Pavan and returned to the Magic Tower.


    Pavan felt quite anxious upon seeing H¡¯s smile.


    When Pavan walked into the tent, he found Barth sitting still while rubbing his forehead.


    ¡°Regent.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Pavan. I was just about to call you in.¡±


    Pavan¡¯s eyes shook nervously. Barth¡¯s strangely calm appearance after his defeatst night made Pavan utterly anxious.


    ¡°Do you have any orders?¡±


    ¡°Command the Imperial Army to go back to the home base. Tell them that I appreciate their hard work, but it¡¯s all over. As for the nobles, I will talk to them myself. And¡­ get ready to head back to Torra.¡±

 Chapter 163 – The Ones Who Started Everything (1)

    <h4>Chapter 163 ¨C The Ones Who Started Everything (1)</h4>


    Pavan felt like his entire world was copsing.


    ¡®He brought together a third of the Imperial Army, but is now going to disperse them without even trying to do anything?¡¯


    With a force of three hundred thousand troops, it was possible to even overthrow the current empire and establish a new country. However, Barth was now saying that he wanted the troops to return to their home base just because he lost a duel. Such a thing had never been seen before.


    ¡°Regent!¡±


    Pavan clenched his teeth and knelt down before Barth.


    ¡°Please, you cannot give up like this! Everything happened too quicklyst night, in just an instant. You were unconscious for just a short moment. Aren¡¯t you still alive and well now?¡±


    Barth Baltic¡¯s decision would be no different than a deration of political suicide. Barth Baltic¡¯s position in Torra had already be extremely unstable. Not only were the people hostile toward him, but he had turned the Church into his enemy by insulting the emperor right in front of them.


    Pavan closed his eyes; it was clear to him that Barth wouldn¡¯t be able to hold out for even a minute if he didn¡¯t return with the army. The Pope or the Temrs who held grudges against Barth may immediately point their swords toward him.


    ¡°It¡¯s not only your own destruction, Regent! What are you going to do with those who have trusted and followed you until now, and what about your knights? Are you going to abandon your desire to make a new country and a new system just because you lost a duel?¡±


    ¡°Pavan,¡± Barth quietly replied upon hearing Pavan¡¯s words that were filled with frustration. ¡°I¡¯ve already abandoned all of you once.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°You must have felt it too¡ªthis civil war could have gotten much more disastrous than anyone expected. The empire could have lost three hundred thousand soldiers, a huge number of military officers, and even the emperor. I tried to drive the emperor to his destruction even at the risk of losing you all.¡±


    Pavan did not answer, only his lips continued trembling.


    ¡°You guys were nothing more than a weight I was going to tie to the emperor to sink him to the bottom of the sea.¡±


    ¡°...I don¡¯t care even if that¡¯s true! Don¡¯t you already know that humans are so terribly stupid no matter how many of them gather? Numbers are meaningless. The only thing that matters is the one person who can lead them all. We chose you as that one person! If the emperor sinks and you are able to rise in return, we are willing to¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say anything that you don¡¯t truly mean, Pavan. You just don¡¯t want your political ambitions to end here like this.¡±


    Pavan looked directly at Barth with his trembling eyes.


    ¡°And is that really so wrong? I abandoned my master and my hometown to achieve sess. Are you going to tell me that it is bad for you to abandon the emperor and three hundred thousand Imperial troops now? Those people are loyal to you, just like I am. If this was an ordinary army, they would have already charged at the enemyst night.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant, Pavan. In fact, I quite like how ambitious you are. You remind me of myself when I used to be young¡ªwhen I was a young officer among the Hornsluines.¡±


    Pavan remained silent upon hearing Barth¡¯s words.


    ¡°And that¡¯s why I¡¯m doing this¡ªnot just for myself, but for you as well. I know of at least one man who is in a terrible situation due to pointing his sword toward the wrong opponent, someone who shouldn¡¯t be messed with, only for the sake of pursuing ambition.¡±


    Barth Baltic, thest survivor of the Hornsluines, continued to speak with a face more lonely than ever.


    ¡°I asked H to take care of you and the Order of the Capital. Her answer to my request was ambiguous, but no one is as good as her at recognizing talents. The purge will not be as severe as you think.¡±


    ¡°Then why are you going back to Torra? If your purpose is just to surrender, joining the enemy¡¯s army will be enough. Why would you go out of your way to go back to Torra and be humiliated¡­?¡±


    Barth smiled bitterly.


    ¡°I unfairly stole this empire from the emperor.¡±


    Pavan closed his mouth.


    ¡°So I want to try as hard as I can to return it to him in its original state. The emperor will return amidst the cheers of the people of the empire, and he will make the vicious leader of the heterogenous races kneel down and then take back the throne. I think it will be quite a sight.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ but why would you¡­¡±


    Barth stared at Pavan without answering. Pavan felt chills running down his spine upon seeing Barth¡¯s calm gaze.


    ¡°Is it for all of us?¡±


    ¡°Pavan.¡±


    ¡°Are you nning to sacrifice yourself in the most humiliating way just in order to protect the Order of the Capital and the Imperial Army from the purge?¡±


    Barth did not answer.


    ***


    Half an hour ago.


    H was ring at Barth Baltic. She tried to figure out if Barth was lying or joking, but all she could see from him was the confidence and the modesty of a loser.


    ¡°Is that all? Just exining why you wanted to kill His Majesty?¡±


    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s what our bet was.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t about sending back the Imperial Army or you crawling in front of His Majesty if you lost?¡±


    ¡°No. There were no such things. Besides, it was a private duel. We can¡¯t make bets on such public matters.¡±


    ¡°...That¡¯s true. But¡­¡±


    H clicked her tongue as if she didn¡¯t know what to say. Originally, she had no doubt that Juan and Barth were fighting that fierce duel for something very important, and assumed that the duel was the reason why the Imperial Army didn¡¯t make a move even when Barth and Juan copsed almost at the same time.


    ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous of His Majesty. Did he not know just how high the stakes were in this war?¡±


    ¡°He had no choice but to obsess over it. And don¡¯t worry about the troops. The Imperial Army will disband.¡±


    H opened her eyes wide.


    ¡°Are you serious? Why?¡±


    ¡°I thought about the reason why I started that duel yesterday.¡±


    Barth Baltic was silent for a moment.


    Meanwhile, H was bothered by the prolonged silence, but patiently waited for Barth to open his mouth again.


    The silence continued for a long time, but Barth soon opened his mouth.


    ¡°I like you damn things, and I don¡¯t want all of you to die.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ do you mean our army?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m talking about humans. There¡¯s no reason for three hundred thousand soldiers to bleed on thisnd. I think that was why I was relieved when the emperor decided to step forward.¡±


    ¡°...Why? You aren¡¯t a human, and there are so many humans that hate you. So why?¡± H asked.


    ¡°Hornsluines have already been destroyed, and it¡¯s not like I can have children either. All I have are the knights that I¡¯ve taught, as well as the loyal army they have nurtured. I made a ridiculous deration yesterday¡ªthat I will be the new emperor of the new empire with them, when all I am doing is pushing them toward their deaths.¡±


    H snorted with a distorted expression upon hearing Barth Baltic¡¯s words.


    ¡°That really is quite a ridiculous deration.¡±


    ¡°I felt good when I made the deration. But I think that was my mistake. After all, I could never abandon my knights and the army. Here I am, thinking that it would be nice for them to live a little longer.¡±


    H leaned her back against the chair and tapped her fingers on the table, annoyed. Soon, she grumbled as if she was bothered.


    ¡°If you¡¯d constantly been shaving to get rid of your horns, I might have wanted you to be the new emperor from this war. Ah, and if you hadn¡¯t destroyed my family, stolen the knights I trained, or driven countless people from the Eastern territory to their deaths by tantly isting the East.¡±


    ¡°What sarcasm.¡±


    H leaned over and red at Barth.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you some conditions. After all, just the dissolution of the Imperial Army is not enough. Last night, you showed everyone that you can fight on an equal footing with His Majesty. Of course, I highly doubt that anyone who saw yesterday¡¯s duel would dare to raise their voice against His Majesty even as a mistake, but the fact itself may spread in the form of rumors¡ªthat there was a man who is just as strong as His Majesty. The existence of such a strong man itself is a threat to the empire.¡±


    H¡¯s words and intentions were clear.


    ¡°You want me to give my head to the emperor?¡±


    ¡°...And that¡¯s what the public opinion wants. The return of His Majesty after he kills the monster from the heterogeneous race. It¡¯s messy, but that¡¯s just politics.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already lived long enough, so I don¡¯t care if I die. But I¡¯d like to limit the bloodshed to myself. If that is possible, then I¡¯ll ept your offer.¡±


    ¡°...I will request His Majesty to have mercy on your knights and the army under the condition that the Imperial Army is disbanded immediately. But keep in mind that His Majesty will be the one to make the decision in the end.¡±


    ¡°We have a deal. The emperor that I know will make a wise decision.¡±


    Barth leaned his back against the chair with a calm expression.


    On the other hand, H stared at him for a while, then opened her mouth.


    ¡°So why did you want to kill His Majesty anyway?¡±


    ¡°Tell the emperor toe and listen to my reason in person. There¡¯s no reason for me to tell such things to a trifling envoy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I¡¯m nothing but a trifling envoy. I would also like to know if you still want to harm His Majesty?¡±


    ¡°I want to kill him,¡± Barth answered without the slightest hesitation. ¡°But I couldn¡¯t beat him. I regretted that back then, I couldn''t kill him with my own hands, but I once again failed to do so even though I had the opportunity. The emperor was not at his peak strength physically. He didn¡¯t make use of magic, and he didn¡¯t have Telgramm. He couldn¡¯t even use Sutra properly. Even so, I still failed to beat him. Now, the only thing I can do is surrender in order to protect my knights and the army.¡±


    ¡°How ridiculous. However, I can rte to you in a sense that I desperately want to kill you, but don¡¯t have the power to do so. It¡¯s pretty frustrating when you can¡¯t kill someone when you really want to. Hey, wait. Did you say that His Majesty was not at his peak physically?¡±


    ¡°Yes. And it¡¯s not rted to the fact that he doesn¡¯t have Mananen McLeir¡¯s heart right now. He was not even as good as he was before he got Mananen McLeir¡¯s mana heart¡ªand I¡¯m talking about his peak, right before the empire was just found.¡±


    At that moment, H frowned as if she had just made a mistake. While she immediately restored her calm expression, Barth realized that H was hiding something.


    Barth bent down toward H.


    ¡°What is it? Did something happen to the emperor?¡±


    ¡°No, everything¡¯s fine. I¡¯m just concerned that he is still sleeping when the Imperial Army is about to be disbanded at any minute. I¡¯m afraid that we will be scolded by His Majesty if you decide to run away while he is asleep.¡±


    ¡®<i>She¡¯s definitely hiding something.</i>¡¯


    Barth could immediately notice that Juan was in bad condition. H¡¯s acting was perfect, but she couldn¡¯t fool Barth. Knowing Juan, he would have been the one to run and visit Barth to demand an answer on his own instead of sending an envoy.


    H stood up from her seat as she realized that Barth had noticed that something was going on. She refused to release any more information.


    ¡°Then hurry up and disband your army. Go home, wash yourself, and sleep.¡±


    ¡°Tell the emperor that I hope he gets well soon¡ªand that I will be looking forward to meeting him in Torra, alive and well.¡±


    H¡¯s face distorted, but she left the tent without looking back.


    ***


    Opert opened the door of the ward.


    Seeing him, the people who had been waiting impatiently jumped up from their seats and tried to approach Opert.


    However, Nienna¡¯s shout stopped all of them immediately.


    ¡°Sit back right now!¡±


    There was no one who could move an inch after Nienna¡¯s harsh order.


    Nienna had arrived early in the morning with the Northern Army, and was told about Juan and Barth¡¯s duel. The news that Juan beat Barth, but was in critical condition made Nienna nervous.


    Nienna asked the question that people were the most curious about.


    ¡°Is His Majesty all right?¡±


    Opert shook his head with a heavy expression.


    ¡°The bleeding is not stopping, and the wound itself is too big.¡±


    ¡°Is it that serious?¡±


    ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s a wound that would have instantly killed any ordinary person just from the shock. But not only is His Majesty holding out, but he also seems to be trying to recover his own wounds. Nevertheless, he is still bleeding too much. I wonder where all that blood is evening from.¡±


    Nienna bit her finger with a nervous look on her face.


    ¡°His Majesty has the ability to recover his body. I¡¯ve seen him recover from even worse wounds before. Furthermore, he has other abilities on top of that which help him recover in critical situations. So why isn¡¯t he getting better?¡±


    All those who had joined Juan¡¯s side, including Sina, Dilmond, Anya, Haild, and H were gathered in front of the ward. They too had seen Juan¡¯s incredible ability to recover before. This situation was utterly frustrating and unexpected, since they all thought he would recover easily just like the other times.


    At that moment, Anya quietly murmured.


    ¡°Barth Baltic¡¯s horns.¡±

 Chapter 164 – The Ones Who Started Everything (2)

    <h4>Chapter 164 ¨C The Ones Who Started Everything (2)</h4>


    ¡°His Majesty once said that Barth Baltic¡¯s horns were able to restrain magic. The wound was caused by Barth¡¯s Baltic¡¯s horns piercing through, so wouldn¡¯t it have something to do with that?¡±


    ¡°Even if that is the reason, he has been unconscious for way too long¡­ Hm, but who knows. Maybe you¡¯re right. After all, Barth Baltic is quite exceptional even amongst Hornsluines, so his horns might be particrly more powerful as well. It would be best if we could take a look at Barth Baltic¡¯s horns to examine their abilities¡­ However, I don¡¯t think we can. For now, let me look into other simr cases.¡±


    However, at that moment, Sina suddenly took out one of Barth Baltic¡¯s two horns from her bag.


    ¡°Would this be enough?¡±


    ¡°Wait, when did you¡­ This is perfect. I¡¯ll examine it immediately.¡±


    Nienna pushed Opert¡¯s back and encouraged him.


    ¡°Yes, examine it right away. No, wait¡ªbefore that, is there anything we can do to help His Majesty?¡±


    ¡°There isn¡¯t.¡±


    The answer came from behind Nienna, not from Opert. A young boy, who held a cane, was standing in a corner of the room where there had been no one up until just a moment ago.


    ¡°There is absolutely nothing you guys can do for the emperor. Wait¡­ I guess you can pray for him and cry, but I don¡¯t think either of those would be of much help.¡±


    Opert quickly bowed upon recognizing the young boy.


    ¡°Master.¡±


    ¡°Well done, Opert. While you¡¯ve tried your best, this situation is beyond your capabilities.¡±


    Hearing this, Opert made a solemn expression. However, he had no choice but to admit that there was nothing he could do to help in this situation.


    Meanwhile, just as the boy took a step toward the room where Juan was, Nienna stood in the boy¡¯s way to block him.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°The only person in the world who can help the emperor recover.¡±


    Nienna frowned.


    ¡®<i>Master, huh? That means that he is the head of all the magicians here.</i>¡¯


    Nienna had to wonder whether he would even be able to perform magic properly, since he was a magician who had been locked inside the Magic Tower for decades.


    ¡°And how am I supposed to trust you?¡±


    The boy smiled at Nienna¡¯s question.


    ¡°Because I¡¯m Dane Dormund. If <i>I?</i>can¡¯t help the emperor, then no one in the world can help him.¡±


    Everyone looked at each other with perplexed expressions upon hearing the name; after all, Dane Dormund was a legendary name in the empire. Everyone in the empire knew the name of the legendary great magician who discovered and raised the emperor.


    However, Nienna fiercely drew her sword.


    ¡°Not only have you gotten younger, but you have also be more shameless. Magician, I¡¯ve heard that you were the one who handed over Elkiehl to Gared Gain. Is that correct?¡± Nienna asked.


    Dane looked at Nienna as if she was pathetic.


    ¡°How pathetic of you to say exactly the same words that Barth Baltic said when he was trying to instigate people. I know what Elkiehl is, but how am I supposed to get that thing in my possession and hand it over to Gared? You can only get Elkiehl by going into the Crack as far as I know. Do I look like I¡¯ve been encroached upon by the Crack in the slightest?¡±


    Nienna was the most sensitive to the energy of the Crack among everyone here. But even she couldn¡¯t find any signs of Dane being encroached upon by the Crack.


    Dane continued to speak.


    ¡°What would I even gain by doing that in the first ce? I can see that one of the subordinates of one of the six apostates is here right now. You are Ras¡¯ subordinate, right? So she¡¯s allowed to be here, but I¡¯m not? What about Winoa Weaver, then? Or do you think Barth Baltic is loyal enough and want to bring him in here to cure the emperor?¡±


    Nienna gritted her teeth and red at him upon hearing Dane¡¯s sarcasm. The only one who was confirmed to have been involved in the treason among the so-called six apostates was Gerard¡ªand even that wasn¡¯t fully clear after considering Haild¡¯s story.


    When Nienna hesitated to answer his questions, Dane snapped as if he was annoyed.


    ¡°Fine, you don¡¯t need to trust me. We can just let the emperor die then.¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡±


    Nienna bit her lips and lowered her sword. However, she continued to fiercely re at Dane Dormund.


    Feeling that hecked persuasion, Dane added a few more words.


    ¡°Look. I offered to form an alliance with the emperor, and he epted my offer. Well, it was more like we became his subordinates, but that¡¯s not important. The point is, if the Magic Tower intended to harm the emperor, we would have ambushed him rather than to offer to form an alliance. In fact, I would have joined the battle myself if the emperor hadn¡¯t told me to not intervene. If I had decided to join the battle, being outnumbered wouldn¡¯t really have been an issue. I alone would be enough to handle one hundred thousand troops if I decided to summon all the monsters that are in a contract with me.¡±


    Nienna frowned; she already knew that there was nothing wrong about Dane¡¯s words. However, she still found it difficult to believe him, since everything that she had heard about Dane was negative.


    ¡°How are you going to help His Majesty?¡±


    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t do it on my own. I¡¯ll need some things. Aruntal will help me with that.¡±


    Nienna¡¯s eyes widened, while the people who were listening to their conversation were perplexed upon hearing a name that they had never heard of before.


    ¡°Wait a second. Who¡¯s Aruntal?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a person¡­ It''s a group. The members of Aruntal are the teachers of His Majesty,¡± Nienna frowned as she answered H¡¯s question.


    ¡°His Majesty¡¯s teachers? Does that mean that Dane Dormund isn¡¯t the only one who imparted his knowledge and skill to His Majesty?¡±


    ¡°There had been people who were preparing for the threats and disasters created by the gods in their own ways long before the emperor was even born. There were ancient sorcerers, powerful magicians, warriors, and schrs¡ªthey all gathered, regardless of their race. Only those who had reached the very peak in any field could join this secretive group.¡±


    It was Dane who exined what Aruntal was instead of Nienna.


    Meanwhile, Nienna continued to re at him with a disapproving gaze.


    ¡°They are the ones who discovered the emperor who was originally nothing but an orphan wandering around in the remote areas, and then helped him be the emperor that we know. Aruntal knows the emperor better than anyone else. This kind of wound that the emperor has suffered is, of course not a problem.¡±


    Dane continued to exin, but Nienna still hadn¡¯t let her guard down.


    ¡°His Majesty wouldn¡¯t have been assassinated if you bastards hadn¡¯t suddenly disappeared. You should have been loyal until the very end once you¡¯ve pledged your allegiance. Why are you sticking your head out now? Particrly when the emperor has just returned and is right at the gates of Torra?¡± Nienna snapped.


    ¡°We had our own reasons for what we did at that time. Besides, even if I am a littlete, I did tell the emperor that I would help him. It was the emperor who rejected my offer,¡± Dane frowned as if he was annoyed. ¡°Look. The emperor is on the verge of death, even at this very moment. Are you going to keep asking for an exnation? You should know that the emperor¡¯s death wouldn¡¯t be good for me either. The Magic Tower decided to stand on the emperor¡¯s side, but we would be at risk if the emperor were to die now. If you really can¡¯t trust me, you can get someone to keep an eye on me while I help the emperor. Oh, but make sure that there is only one. I hate it when things can beplicated.¡±


    Everyone immediately stood up from their seats, offering to be the one to keep an eye on Dane. No one knew where they would be going or how they would get there. They didn¡¯t consider whether they were being dragged into theb of a suspicious magician¡­ However, none of them showed any hesitation.


    Nienne was about to say that she would go, but then decided against it; she had to stay and maintain order in the absence of His Majesty.


    Then, at that moment Dane pointed toward a person.


    ¡°What about that female knight? Out of everyone here, she has been watching the current emperor for the longest time. Not only did she prevent further conflict in this war, but there is no doubt about her loyalty toward the emperor.¡±


    People quickly turned their attention toward the person in question.


    Sina, who had been quietly standing in the back, was perplexed by the sudden attention.


    Dane smiled.


    ¡°Thatdy, who imed to be the emperor¡¯s watchdog.¡±


    ***


    There was quite a bit of discussion about whether Sina was suitable to keep an eye on Dane. However, she was the only one whose disappearance wouldn¡¯t cause any issues for the group.


    Sina was a woman who had once tried to kill the emperor, but then became his ally. She held no title, but she was clearly working for the emperor. Such was her position.


    On the other hand, Sina found her position to be quite ironic.


    ¡®I¡¯m an Imperial Knight who rebelled against the empire, and also the Elite Knight of a knight order that no longer exists.¡¯


    Sina and Dane arrived at a pitch-ck room. It almost felt like a floating space rather than a room, since you almost couldn¡¯t feel the three dimensions. However, the floor was dry and crispy, and had the texture of soil. There were no lights, but Dane and Sina could be clearly seen, almost as if it was a bright and sunny day.


    Dane slowly walked past Sina and advanced forward. Sina followed him, and then soon found something huge that was sitting still not too far away from them.


    ¡°What¡¯s your intention?¡± SIna asked Dane.


    Sina did not forget about the time when she ran into Dane after Anya¡¯s recent massacre. At that time, Dane had told her that she was right when she was skeptical about Juan¡ªand that the emperor was a kind and loving man.


    ¡°I appreciate you for trusting me, Dane. But I have no idea why you keeping to me or why you¡¯re showing so much interest in me.¡±


    Dane nced back. His two eyes, which each held a different color, were smiling at Sina.


    ¡°Because your ideologies and mine are ultimately the same. Wouldn¡¯t you like it if you were to meet someone who had the same thoughts as you?¡±


    ¡°...Any one of the citizens of the empire would believe that His Majesty is a loving man.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s quite a funny joke. You almost made meugh out loud. Listen¡ªpeople don¡¯t believe in the emperor who is full of love for everyone. The emperor that they trust is the emperor who only loves himself. The problem is that there are so many humans who desperately want to kill their fellow humans. And they all hope that the emperor doesn¡¯t love those humans they want to kill. Humans are very foolish, aren¡¯t they?¡± Dane chuckled and continued to walk forward.


    Before Sina knew it, she began to see a huge figure from far away. Sina blinked as she was perplexed by the bizarre figure that she had never seen before.


    What was ahead of them was a huge statue made of branches, charcoal and mud. The statue had the skull of an eagle, but the body of a human. The statue which seemed like it could copse at any moment was seated in a cross-legged position and was slowly releasing fog flowing out of its body.


    ¡°What¡­ what is this?¡± Sina asked.


    ¡°This is the body of Mananen McLeir. It¡¯s pretty rotten, but I¡¯ve been making good use of it. I¡¯m sure that I can use it for another fifteen years.¡±


    Juan was lying right in front of Mananen McLeir¡¯s body. Sina stepped back in surprise, since she didn¡¯t see Dane bring Juan with them while they were walking, nor had she seen Juan before this moment.


    Dane looked back at Sina.


    ¡°You should get used to the sudden appearance of things if you want to be around me in the future.¡±


    ¡°Pardon me? Why would I be around you in the future?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll answer that questionter.¡±


    Dane sighed.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get ready to fix the emperor.¡±


    ***


    Sina carefully approached Juan and examined his condition. She had never seen Juan in such a weak condition¡ªhis skin was so pale that his veins were visible and cold sweat was running down his face. She had not seen him look like this even when he fought in the Colosseum at Tantil with the body of a child or when he lost consciousness in his fight against the Priest from the Thornbush Priest Organization in Durgal.


    ¡°How do you start the treatment? Is there anything I can do to help?¡±


    Sina turned her head and asked Dane, but soon closed her mouth. The dark space they had been in had long disappeared and a deste teau could be seen around them. Sina looked around at the surroundings in bewilderment. The ck space seemed to have been erased and a new space had appeared on the border of her vision.


    Juan, as well as Mananen McLeir¡¯s body were also gone, but Dane was still standing right beside SIna.


    Then, Dane gently patted Sina¡¯s back with his cane.


    ¡°The treatment has already begun. Stay focused.¡±


    Suddenly, a boy with ck hair, and wearing a thick fur cloak rose up from the teau. He looked quite messy with blood and dust all over; it almost looked like he had just been in a battle.


    However, Sina could recognize him at just a nce.


    It was Juan. But he looked very young, quite simr to the first time Sina saw him back in Tantil.


    Sina tried to approach Juan with a perplexed expression, but Juan didn¡¯t even spare her a single nce. Only then did Sina realize that Juan couldn¡¯t see her.


    Juan crawled on the teau with an exhausted look on his face and then soon lied down.


    Sina looked back at Dane.


    ¡°What is going on? Why is this necessary for the treatment?¡±


    ¡°Because sometimes it¡¯s important to focus on the more fundamental part that makes one¡¯s self rather than the physically injured part when treating someone.¡±


    At that moment, an old man appeared behind Juan. Upon seeing the old man¡¯s pointy ears, SIna realized that he was an elf.


    The old man roared some iprehensible words as soon as he saw Juan lying on the ground.


    ¡°It¡¯s the northeastern Elf dialect¡ªhe is telling the emperor to get up and raise his sword,¡± Dane spoke to Sina as if he was exining. ¡°That old Elf was also a member of Aruntal. His name is Kelifa Kaliduk. He¡¯s an elf, but he barely has any ability tomunicate with the spirits. So, he didn¡¯t learn anything but swordsmanship in his hometown. He doesn¡¯t even know how to speak the standardnguage of the elves.¡±


    Juan managed to stand up with a tired look on his face, but his arm that was holding the sword was still trembling. Meanwhile, the old elf raised his sword and charged toward Juan with no mercy.


    Juan stumbled every time his sword shed with the old elf¡¯s sword, but he never let go of his sword. However, he couldn¡¯t prevent the old elf from aiming for the gaps in his form.


    The old elf didn¡¯t miss the short moment when Juan made a huge movement in order to attack and stabbed him under the armpit. Juan ended up dropping his sword due to his muscles getting cut.


    Sina¡¯s mouth dropped open in shock, but then Juan rolled around and grabbed his sword with his other hand almost as if he was used to it.


    At the same time, the wound under Juan¡¯s armpit was still bleeding without healing for some reason.


    ¡°The emperor has been fighting against monsters for a week. He has been fighting all day and night, without eating or sleeping. He climbed up to this mountain to train with restricted use of mana.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ why? Why to that extent¡­?¡±


    ¡°Think about the opponents the emperor has to fight against. Those who are resistant to magic, those who are resistant to in swordsmanship, and even those who are both alive and dead at the same time. Aruntal consists of people who had reached the peak in their own fields, but they are still no match for the emperor¡¯s opponents. That¡¯s why they have to drive the emperor to this extent and train him.¡±


    Even so, Sina was not convinced that it was right to push a child who was less than ten years old to such an extent. Come to think of it, the emperor had only been twelve years old when he killed Talter, the god of madness.


    Sina had thought that it was just a great achievement of the emperor when she was taught history, but she realized that reality was very different from what she had imagined now that she saw how hard Juan had trained.


    ¡°Look carefully, Sina. Look at the reason why the emperor had to go through all this.¡±

 Chapter 165 – The Ones Who Started Everything (3)

    <h4>Chapter 165 ¨C The Ones Who Started Everything (3)</h4>


    The shrill sounds of iron shing against could be heard constantly.


    Despite looking like he was already unconscious, Juan was still moving. While Juan was no different from ordinary human beings once his use of mana was restricted, he was blocking the old elf¡¯s sword with his left hand, the hand which he was not familiar with using.


    At that moment, Sina doubted her eyes upon seeing Juan¡¯s sword limply bending. For the first time, Juan managed to stop being defensive and attempted to attack the old elf.


    Then, the old elf frowned and shouted something in a loud voice.


    ¡°Alhke! Alhke!¡±


    ¡°It means ¡®well done¡¯ and ¡®keep going¡¯,¡± Dane exined.


    ¡®His expression seems to be saying otherwise, almost as if he wants to kill Juan.¡¯


    Sina managed to swallow the words.


    Juan continued to move fiercely. His sword was swung toward the old elf¡¯s sword in an borate and urate pattern.


    Among his crude yet borate movements, Sina was able to find the traces of the Baltic Sword¡ªin fact, Juan¡¯s movements were the prototype of the Baltic Sword.


    Then Juan¡¯s sword suddenly began to emit translucent fog.


    Seeing this, the old elf made a perplexed expression, and soon shouted something as he grabbed his sword and charged firmly into the inside of the fog.


    Innread dot".


    <i>Bang!</i>


    With a dull sound, Juan copsed to the floor.


    ¡°That¡¯s the end of it,¡± Dane said as he stared at Juan.


    The old elf wiped the sweat off of his forehead and then examined Juan¡¯s condition. He looked quite concerned, but Juan was only lightly snoring as he fell asleep. The old elf, who had been frowning throughout their training, smiled as if he was dumbfounded upon realizing that Juan was just sleeping.


    ¡°Well. Shall we move on?¡±


    Dane lifted his cane and scanned the empty space as if he was turning the page of a book.


    ***


    This time, Juan looked like he was about fifteen years old. He was older than thest time, but he was still quite young.


    Sina realized that this was Juan¡¯s appearance from when he was just beginning to move in earnest.


    ¡°A little kid like you want to be our king?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about the title, whether it¡¯s the king or the chief. I just need you guys.¡±


    Countless refugees stared at Juan with anxious eyes.


    Juan slowly looked around at the damp and destend. The majority of thend here had been poisoned, making it impossible for crops to grow on it.


    However, the young children were surviving by drinking the rotten water and eating the bark of the trees.


    Thergest man among the refugees growled at Juan.


    ¡°Do you even know where we are? What are you even trying to achieve by bing the king of beggars?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not saying that I want to be the king of beggars. You guys will be my army,¡± Juan answered.


    ¡°Army? Hah! This bastard also seems to be trying to take advantage of the mess that''s happening these days.¡± The man said as he mmed the ax that he was carrying on his shoulder to the ground.


    ¡°I hate to break it to you, but the people here are the ones who ran away because they were sick of war. Most of them are children or women, since almost all the men are dead. We would be no help¡ªif anything, we would be a burden. If you want to fight, either pray to god or go find the weirdo who¡¯s been babbling about killing gods these days. I¡¯m sure you will get along quite well with him.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s me.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m that weirdo who killed a god.¡±


    These words caused a stir among the refugees. The man looked perplexed at first, but soon his face became distorted.


    ¡°Damn it, you¡¯re driving me nuts. A kid like <i>you,?</i>killed a god? Are you serious? Do you even know how many hunters and demons are after you, trying to kill you? What are you trying to achieve by running all the way out here anyway?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t run away. I came here for you guys.¡±


    The man was speechless¡ªhe was too dumbfounded to say anything. However, Juan¡¯s confidence and an unknown energy intimidated him quite a bit. These things, along with the various rumors about Juan were enough to make the man feel quite uneasy.


    The rumors about the one who murdered a god and liberated the ves were already quite famous everywhere. Some of the refugees even imed that they had actually seen him.


    ¡°Hmph, fine¡­ If you really are the so-called god killer, the task should be pretty simple.¡±


    The man got the refugees to step aside. In the middle of the refugees¡¯ vige was a rock. Embedded in the center of the rock was a rusty sword.


    ¡°It¡¯s a rock we took out of the swamp, but it happened to have a sword stuck within it. We will serve you as our king or whatever you want if you can pull this sword out.¡±


    Juan looked at the man as if he was dumbfounded and then strode over to the rock.


    Juan asked one more time as if he wanted to confirm.


    ¡°That¡¯s all you need me to do? You¡¯re going to ept me that easily? I had heard from my teachers that the position of a king is obtained by sharing power with everyone through treaties, negotiations and promises between the majority and the organizational leaders.¡±


    ¡°What the hell are you talking about? Isn¡¯t it enough by pulling out the sword stuck in that rock?¡±


    ¡°Alright. If that¡¯s all you want, then¡­¡±


    Juan approached the rock. He tightly clenched his fist, and then mmed the handle of the sword that was stuck in the rock at once.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    The rock instantly broke down with a loud noise. Then, Juan slowly picked up the sword, that was now ruined, from the ground where only the fragments of the original rock remained.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like you will be able to use this sword. However, I don¡¯t think it would have mattered anyway, since it is already in such a rusty state to begin with. Are you okay with that?¡±


    The man looked at Juan with a dumbfounded look on his face.


    When Juan repeated his question, the man stuttered and opened his mouth.


    ¡°Wh-why do you even ne-need an army when you¡¯re already so strong?¡±


    ¡°I am short on hands, since the gods have begun to form their own army. Now, I won¡¯t be able to kill them on my own. Besides, I don¡¯t want all of you to think that you were granted peace and freedom for nothing,¡± Juan reached out his hand. ¡°Join me on my journey. After all, peace that was gained without any effort is easily lost. I want to give all of you a solid rock-like fence that won¡¯t easily copse.¡±


    The man¡¯s eyes shook. He did not understand much of the difficult words spoken by Juan, nor did he know whether it was the right thing to serve a boy who looked like he was only about fifteen years old. However, he could clearly see that Juan was sincere and had the power to make his wordse true. Above all, he felt strongly attracted to Juan¡¯s confidence.


    Nevertheless, there was one thing that made the man feel apprehensive about Juan¡¯s offer.


    ¡°There are members of the heterogenous races among us. They are the ones who lost their gods because of you and lost the power granted by their gods¡¯ blessings. Although some of the refugees hate the members of the heterogenous races, I think they aren¡¯t any different from the other victims of war. But, it will only be natural for them to hate you. So, are you willing to ept heterogeneous races as well?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Juan nodded. ¡°There are Elves, Arles, and Orcs among my teachers. They too have also agreed that gods should be killed. I will ept as many refugees as I can, as long as they agree to treat even the people at the lowest levels equally,¡± Juan answered.


    ¡°Alright,¡± The man held out his hand. ¡°My name is Winoa Weaver. I¡¯ll go inside this fence you are building.¡±


    Sina nkly stared at Juan and Winoa Weaver holding hands. She had heard of Winoa Weaver¡¯s name before¡ªhe was the former captain of the Imperial Guards and the first of the Six Apostates to be executed after His Majesty¡¯s assassination.


    Dane twisted his lips and opened his mouth.


    ¡°Juan didn¡¯t hold the title of the emperor just yet, but it was at this time that he began to realize his power and the weight of his actions. We tried very hard to teach the emperor why he had to be ¡®the emperor¡¯ rather than a hero. That¡¯s not something you can just learn naturally, you know? I¡¯m sure you know how the two are different from each other.¡±


    ¡°...Heroes catch fish for the people, but the emperor makess for them.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. Us¡ªthe Aruntal, tried our absolute best to make the emperor keep that in his mind.¡±


    ***


    The alpine region that Sina had seen earlier had reappeared. However, this time, the season had changed and snow was piled up.


    Juan climbed up the mountain with ease, despite the snowstorm. This time, Juan looked much older than before¡ªabout thirty years old. He didn¡¯t have a beard on his face, but he looked much bigger, and had broader shoulders.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think that the ¡®him¡¯ here looks much more like an emperor than what he is now?¡± Dane asked joyfully.


    Juan trudged over and stabbed a blue trident and a burning sword in the middle of the teau.


    Sina immediately recognized the identity of the two weapons: they were Telgramm and Sutra, the famous weapons that belonged to the emperor.


    ¡°Aruntal,¡± Juan muttered toward the empty space, almost as if he was reciting. ¡°The task you have assigned to me has beenpleted.¡±


    Dane quietly watched the scene.


    ¡°Today, thest of the gods on thisnd has died. The rest are those who have escaped beyond the boundaries and to the Crack. Those who have crossed beyond the boundaries and entered the Crack won¡¯t be able toe back¡ªMananen McLeir assured me.¡±


    No one answered Juan amidst the quiet alpine region.


    Sina realized from Juan¡¯s expression that he wasn¡¯t even expecting an answer. In fact, there was no one listening to him from the very beginning.


    ¡°It¡¯s quite unfortunate that you guys didn¡¯t get to see all this. I have ordered Barth Baltic to investigate the disaster that struck all of you. If there is someone who perpetrated it, I¡¯ll make sure to have them take responsibility. If they too have escaped to the Crack, I will chase after them and end their lives for good. I wish I could investigate the case myself, but¡­¡±


    Juan barely continued to speak while his lips started trembling.


    ¡°There¡­ there is too much work that needs to be done. Harmon is helping me with most of it, but there is still a lot. It almost seems like there¡¯s more work that needs to be done than even when I went around killing gods. I¡¯d have asked you all for a lot of advice if you guys were still alive. I don¡¯t know if Dane Dormund is dead or not, but if possible, I want to ask him toe back.¡±


    Sina covered her mouth with her hand upon hearing Juan¡¯s words¡ªhis words meant that all of the members of Aruntal were dead. It was unknown as to what had happened, but many of the members of Aruntal seemed to be dead. However, it was only natural that no one would know about their deaths, since it was a secret organization to begin with.


    ¡°Yes. Around this time, we were attacked and most of us ended up dying. Some survived, but escaped to a dimension that they could never return from. At that time, I was critically injured as well, and so I had to change parts of my body from here and there¡­ that¡¯s when I got this body that I have now,¡± Dane exined to Sina.


    However, Sina couldn¡¯t be bothered to pay attention to Dane; she was focused on listening to Juan.


    ¡°Of course I won¡¯t call for Dane again. I know that I shouldn¡¯t speak nonsense just because I¡¯m exhausted. But¡­ to be honest, I¡¯ve only lived for thirty years,¡± Juan spoke as he looked up at the sky nkly.


    ¡°In just thirty years, I have killed all the gods and am leading humans to the apex of mankind. But I feel skeptical¡ªis this normal? So far, I¡¯ve only had to beat all the enemies to death. But I no longer have to do that. Now, I need to teach, lead and get involved in politics. Harmon has been doing well so far, but what would happen if Harmon wasn¡¯t by my side? You guys aren¡¯t here anymore either.¡±


    Juan mumbled as he kicked the stone on the floor.


    ¡°Dane said that I will bepleted as the emperor the moment I get Mananen McLeir¡¯s heart. But that¡¯s not the right condition to make the emperor¡ªthirty years is too short to make me an emperor. Maybe fifty years? Would fifty years be enough? No¡­ hundred years? Would I be the true emperor of mankind in one thousand years?¡±


    The words were low and full of pain.


    ¡°Is it even possible to lead mankind?¡±


    Juan remained silent for a long time after murmuring thest sentence.


    Sina was utterly perplexed by Juan¡¯s weak appearance which she had never seen before. Juan had always shown the utmost confidence and seemed to be able to solve any problem with ease. However, at this moment, upon seeing him suffer and be confused due to the deaths of his teachers, Sina realized that he too had a weak point hidden inside of him.


    After a while, Juan once again opened his mouth.


    ¡°I ended up saying such weak things again. But bear with me¡ªwhere else would I be able to say these things? If I told these things to Harmon, he would hit me on the head with a bottle of alcohol and tell me that he would smack my head if I went somewhere else and said such nonsense.¡±


    Juan sighed, and quietly pulled out Telgramm and Sutra from the ground and turned around. At that moment, Juan, who was stepping back on his footprints to return, looked like a lonely tree in the middle of the wastnd.


    Dane once again waved his cane.


    After that, the official history of Juan¡ªthe official history of the Emperor, that was well-known throughout the empire, passed by like a film. The scenes included the corruption caused by the Crack beyond the boundary, the disaster of Arbalde, the disturbance caused by the dragons, the empire pressing down on the chaos everywhere, and Juan struggling to stop all of that.


    Then, in the end, Juan was stabbed in the back by his own child, Gerard Gain.


    Dane stopped the scene at the sight of Juan being stabbed in the back by Gerard Gain.


    ¡°Sina Solvane,¡± Dane quietly asked Sina. ¡°What do you think is the emperor¡¯s weakness?¡±


    Sina tried quite hard before gulping. It was difficult for her to even open her mouth, since the inside of her mouth was so dry after watching the whole scene.


    Soon, an answer came out of Sina¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Human.¡±

 Chapter 166 – The Ones Who Started Everything (4)

    <h4>Chapter 166 ¨C The Ones Who Started Everything (4)</h4>


    Dane slowly walked around Sina with a smile. It was as if he was satisfied with her answer.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, Sina. The emperor loved humans terribly. The reason why the emperor suffers is because of humans, and the reason why he died is because of humans as well. Everything he loved ended up betraying him, and everything he made destroyed itself. All of that was done by humans that the emperor loves so dearly.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no ¡®but,¡¯ Sina. His love for humans is sublime and beautiful.¡±


    Dane forced Sina¡¯s arm down. He didn¡¯t put much strength into his hand, but Sina dropped down on one knee and met eyes with Dane.


    ¡°Such sublime love is worth protecting.¡±


    ¡°...Worth protecting? What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Look at the current emperor, Sina.¡±


    Dane waved his cane and summoned Juan, who was lying there with a pale face just like a corpse.


    Sina was once again agitated to see his pale expression, but Dane changed the scene around them once again.


    Juan cut down the guards at the burning Tantil Colosseum and released the monsters in a crowded stadium. The next scene showed the time when Juan exterminated the Order of the Blue Rose in the Laus Mountains. It also showed the image of Sina, who was drenched in blood as she fought against the demonic ves. Then the scene changed to show Juan putting the Temrs into a fire pit and then burning them to death, as well as the scene of him fighting against the warriors of Arbalde.


    Finally, the scene of Juan giving a warning to his enemies, but then smiling and saying that he hopes that they ignore his warning and resist with all their might so that he could kill them all shed in front of Sina¡¯s eyes.


    Only a madness for violence and revenge remained within Juan, and it was hard to find the nobility he once had as the emperor. He was so different, that it was to the extent that Sina had to wonder if it was the same person.


    ¡°The reason why so many people who encountered the emperor weren¡¯t able to recognize him immediately after seeing him is not only because of his appearance that has changed,¡± Dane whispered in Sina¡¯s ear. ¡°The current emperor is a ruined emperor, Sina. Only you can bring him back to who he used to be in the past.¡±


    Sina flinched and turned her head in surprise, only to see Dane pointing his cane toward Juan who was lying on the ground.


    ¡°He wasn¡¯t born to be the emperor, but was made to be the emperor. However, we missed the opportunity to do so this time. It¡¯s not toote yet though¡ªwe can start all over again and create the new emperor.¡±


    Sina backed away with a perplexed look on her face.


    However, Dane stared at Sina and yelled at her upon noticing the strong sign of repulsion on her face.


    ¡°Just think about what would happen if Juan was allowed to sit on the throne as he is now!¡±


    Sina flinched. Juan was desperate for revenge, and he would be able to achieve anything he wanted with his overwhelming power and ability. Considering how the empire had built a deep-rooted evil under the name of the emperor, it would only be natural for a storm of blood to sweep through the empire even if only the bare minimum part of the empire was cleaned up.


    Sina also agreed that the deep-rooted evils needed to be cut out, even if some blood needed to be shed. But, it was hard to imagine the scale of bloodshed that Juan would cause¡ªand there was also the issue of how Juan would rule the empire after he became ustomed to ruling with the help of the sword and using bloodshed.


    ¡°Right now, I¡¯m not only leaving the emperor to you, but I¡¯m entrusting you with the future of the entirety of mankind,¡± Dane said as he drew a circle on the ground.


    The circle soon became ck like muddy ink. Then Dane pulled something up from the circle as if he was scooping something out.


    ¡°There is no need to think too much. I will give back to you the emperor you have long since wanted¡ªthe original emperor who was full of love and benevolence. You will then be leading the return of such an emperor with your own hands.¡±


    The object that Dane scooped out from the circle quickly hardened into a pointed shape after dripping some ck water. The object looked like a dagger with a rough texture and had the shape of a palm-length tile. As soon as she saw it, Sina felt an unknown fear from the ck object.


    ¡°Take this, Sina.¡±


    ¡°Wh-what is this?¡± Sina asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s Elkiehl,¡± Dane answered briefly. ¡°It''s pretty hard to get my hands on it. With this, we can take out the crown from the emperor and then remake him into a proper emperor. You can eliminate anything from him if you stab him with this.¡±


    ¡®<i>Elkiehl? The crown?</i>¡¯


    Sina was confused, since she had never heard of either of the two before.


    However, Dane pushed Elkiehl into Sina¡¯s hand as if he was forcing her to grab onto it. Sina looked at the dagger with a strange texture as if she was possessed.


    ¡°Use that, and stab the emperor as if you¡¯re trying to take his life, and that will make the emperor you want. You will be able to ept the emperor of love and benevolence rather than the current emperor of revenge and blood with your own hands,¡± Dane said as he pushed Sina toward Juan.


    He then added, ¡°Or you could choose to be the emperor yourself. To be honest, I really think that you deserve the title. No matter what, let¡¯s return to everyone with the true emperor. And I¡¯m talking about His Majesty of back then, who killed the gods and led mankind.¡±


    It was true that Dane¡¯s offer sounded quite sweet to Sina¡¯s ears. Sina was deeply skeptical about Juan, but nevertheless, she could not deny the fact that Juan was the emperor. Because of this, her skepticism was bound to be directed at herself.


    If she just closed her eyes and stabbed Juan just this once, the emperor that everyone in the empire, including Sina, were waiting for will return.


    However, despite knowing that, Sina couldn¡¯t move at all.


    Then, she opened her mouth in pain.


    ¡°Why me? Why can¡¯t you do it yourself¡­?¡±


    ¡°I wish I could say that it¡¯s because only you have the most ideal heart and mind to do it¡­ but that is not the case. Due to some vows I made in the past, I can¡¯t get too deeply involved with everything except to steer the situation in the right direction,¡± Dane answered with a sigh.


    ¡°Moreover, the only people that can touch the crown after stabbing the emperor are those who have been granted the essence of the emperor. None of the remaining descendants of the emperor would be willing to cooperate with this. But you¡ªyou are the only other person with the emperor¡¯s essence who would agree with my thoughts.¡±


    ¡®<i>The emperor¡¯s essence.</i>¡¯


    Sina had already heard about the fact that she had the emperor¡¯s essence within herself. But something still didn¡¯t make any sense to her.


    ¡®<i>Since when did I have the emperor¡¯s essence and how did I end up getting it?</i>¡¯


    But based on the way Dane was speaking, she was sure that she had the essence of the emperor within her.


    ¡®<i>Was it on the night when the Order of the Blue Rose was wiped out in the Laus Mountains?</i>¡¯


    Sina suddenly felt the tattoo on her left eye beginning to burn with an unknown pain.


    ¡®<i>Did Juan give it to me at that time?</i>¡±


    At that time, Sina had desperately wanted to kill Juan.


    But then, Sina became even more confused¡ªshe wondered why Juan would give her his essence when she had been so hostile toward him.


    ¡®<i>Giving the greatest power that he had only ever given to his children to someone who wanted to kill him¡­ what did he mean by that?</i>¡¯


    Sina inadvertently recalled what Juan had told her at that time in the Laus Mountains.


    ***


    ¡°You are definitely not the emperor they are anticipating. Of course, there¡¯s no way you really are His Majesty and I will never acknowledge it, but if you still im yourself to be the emperor¡­ I can¡¯t leave you alone.¡± Sina red at Juan. She only had one eye left, but her re was even stronger than when she had both eyes. ¡°I will have no choice but to kill you to protect them from the despair you will bring.¡±


    ¡°I guess it can¡¯t be helped when you gain the ability to kill me,¡± Juan smiled in satisfaction.


    ***


    And now, Juan was just lying there like a corpse. Sina had the means to kill him, and she even had the right to kill him.


    Sina thought over and over.


    ¡®<i>Did Juan predict this situation? Was he trying to make me feel indebted to him by saving my life? Or was he¡­</i>¡¯


    ¡°Don¡¯t think too much, Sina,¡± Dane said as he thumped the ground with this cane. ¡°Close your eyes and just do it. After that, everything else will proceed on its own.¡±


    Sina felt her arms slowly pointing downward, almost as if she was being manipted by something. The tip of the dagger in her hand aimed toward Juan¡¯s chest.


    At that moment, Sina fixed her eyes on Juan¡¯s face. She wanted Juan to say something to her, as if she would feelfortable if she heard him tell her that everything is okay.


    The next moment, Juan was looking at Sina with his eyes open. This caused Sina to flinch and shudder in surprise.


    However, Juan was still lying there with his eyes closed when Sina blinked her eyes; she had just seen an illusion.


    Sina remembered how Juan was always aloof in the face of death. He was afraid of being alive, but he was never afraid of dying.


    ¡®<i>Taking his life is nothing. What he feared the most was¡­</i>¡¯


    Then Sina stabbed Elkiel deep into Juan¡¯s chest.


    At the same time, Dane¡¯s face brightened with joy.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it! Now¡­¡±


    Dane suppressed his pounding heart and prepared to proceed with the next step.


    ¡°Now a crown will appear above the emperor¡¯s head at any moment. Once it does, lift the crown and then transfer it to the bowl I have prepared. Then the biggest step will be over. We can then get ready to make the new emperor that¡­¡±


    Dane chattered with excitement, but his words gradually died down. Soon, the joy on his face disappeared, and he made a perplexed expression.


    ¡°Why isn¡¯t the crown showing up?¡±


    ¡°You said Elkiehl can eliminate anything, right?¡±


    Sina looked back at Dane with an expressionless face.


    ¡°You were right. It seems like it can even remove the magic restraints left behind by Barth Baltic¡¯s horns.¡±


    ***


    Dane face hardened with frustration.


    As soon as Sina pulled Elkiehl out from Juan¡¯s chest, his wounds began to quickly heal. The recovery began as soon as the magic restraints that had been interfering with the flow of mana disappeared from inside his body. Therge hole in Juan¡¯s stomach had already stopped bleeding, and new flesh and muscles filled in the gap.


    ¡°Do you realize what you have just done?¡± Dane red at Sina as if he was ready to stab her to death. ¡°To save him means that the empire will lose its true emperor. I believed you to be a true knight that was loyal to the real emperor. But how dare you betray my faith?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s funny how you say that I betrayed you when no one even told you to believe in me,¡± SIna drew the sword from her waist and pointed it toward Dane. ¡°You know nothing about Juan. You also know nothing about what kind of a being the emperor is, nor what a human being is¡ªbecause you¡¯re nothing but a monster.¡±


    ¡°I¡ª!¡±


    Dane approached Sina with an angry look on his face. Every time he took a step forward, the darkness would recede a bit more and reveal their surroundings¡ªMananen McLeir¡¯s body, nted walls, and people wearing robes emerged from within the darkness.


    ¡°It was I who created the emperor.¡±


    A dozen or so men pulled out their swords and canes in unison.


    Sina could tell that each and every one of them was a formidable opponent.


    ¡°I¡¯m the one who protected the humans long before the emperor was even born. I was the one who gathered and led the members of Aruntal. I gave directions to the hero, and I gave advice to the foolish king. I did! That was all me!¡±


    Sina looked back to see if there was any sign of Juan waking up. His wounds had healed considerably, but his eyes were still firmly closed.


    .


    At that moment, Dane aimed his cane at Sina.


    ¡°And you say that I know nothing?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Sina got tired just trying to answer Dane. She strained all her muscles as she braced herself for the moment of the sh.


    Then, Dane, who looked furious, suddenly lowered his cane and smiled a fresh smile.


    ¡°I see. I guess you and I are done here. I thought we would make great partners, but it¡¯s too bad,¡± Dane quietly continued speaking. ¡°Aruntal, kill her and retrieve Elkiehl.¡±


    The men surrounding Sina began to approach her. From the very first blow that was aimed at her stomach, Sina immediately felt that her life was in danger.


    The man who had attacked Sina first was considerably powerful, and she had a feeling that he was more skilled than she was. She thought that her skills had grown quite a bit by following around Juan, but these opponents were unexpectedly strong.


    Sina had no choice but to go on the defensive; however, she still had to struggle to keep Juan from being attacked by them.


    ¡°Keuk¡­¡±


    Three men pointed their swords at Sina, while the rest of them surrounded her with their canes aimed at her. There was no doubt that Sina wouldn¡¯t be able to hold out if the remaining magicians decided to use magic when she was already busy dealing with the people wielding the swords.


    All of the opponents were wearing a robe and had a mask on their faces. All that could be known about them was that they all had humanoid body. Neither their gender nor their race could be identified.


    Amidst the tension, Sina frowned when she recalled Dane¡¯s words.


    ¡®<i>Aruntal? I thought all of the members of Aruntal were dead.</i>¡¯

 Chapter 167 – The Ones Who Started Everything (5)

    <h4>Chapter 167 ¨C The Ones Who Started Everything (5)</h4>


    Dane had definitely said that all of the members of Aruntal were dead with his own mouth. It may have been a trick, but Sina had thought that he might have recruited a new crew.


    Sina could sense that the opponents were people from the empire. Among them, Sina was more concerned about those wielding a sword rather than the magicians. The magicians must be Dane¡¯s disciples, but there was no way that Dane had taught the prosecutors as well.


    Sina was barely dodging the attacks. The opponents¡¯ skills were clearly superiorpared to Sina¡¯s, but they were patiently driving Sina into the corner in a calm manner. They were using the Baltic Sword just like Sina, but were at a considerably better level.


    ¡®Such skilled swordsmen using the Baltic Sword certainly must be some of the Imperial knights.¡¯


    Sina looked at one of the opponent¡¯s eyes, the only exposed part of their face. Unique-colored amber eyes were staring directly at her, but Sina couldn¡¯t recall anyone with a simr eye color as her opponent¡¯s. Sina wondered whether he was the Captain of the Order of the Capital, but Pavan had green eyes.


    At that moment, Sina flinched and turned her waist upon feeling the murderous intent directed toward her. The other two opponents that were wielding a sword suddenly began to intervene and attack her together while she was focused on the opponent with amber eyes who was standing in front of her.


    The other two opponents pushed Sina toward each other¡¯s attacks again and again, almost as if they were twins working in perfect harmony. Sina realized that both of their skills were on par with her.


    Acknowledging that she could not hold out for much longer, Sina bit her lips and used Dispersing Fog, the fourth stage of the Baltic Sword, which she was not yet ustomed to using.


    Sina¡¯s sword instantly rushed toward the back of the two opponents'' like a fog.


    The two opponents who had been attacking Sina with ease were a littlete in responding to Sina¡¯s sudden attack. However, Sina¡¯s sword wasn¡¯t fast enough to make them suffer any critical injuries either. The Dispersing Fog that Sina used was an ability that she was not fully ustomed to yet, and thus it failed to leave any fatal wounds on the opponents and narrowly grazed against them.


    One of the opponents was wounded on the cheek, while the other on the forehead. The opponents quickly stepped back when their robes were cut.


    Sina felt her whole body suddenly bing stiff within seconds of using Dispersing Fog. The performance of Dispersing Fog was forced to a halt as Sina¡¯s movements slowed down.


    Then, at that moment, Sina stopped moving due to the sudden intense pain in her thigh.


    The man with amber eyes had stabbed his sword into Sina¡¯s thigh when she let her guard down for a short second.


    Sina held back a painful groan and stepped back as the opponent twisted his sword to widen her wound.


    Sina was helpless after losing her tempo. She felt as if she could copse at any time, but she couldn¡¯t bear to do so, since Juan had yet to wake up.


    Then, the opponent with amber eyes quickly approached Sina and her in the chest. The moment Sina flinched, Elkiehl was held in the opponent¡¯s hand.


    Sina dropped her sword due to the opponent¡¯s attack that struck the back of her hand.


    Then, as if to make a clean final blow, the opponent grabbed Sina by the cor and aimed the tip of his sword at her neck.


    It was then.


    ¡°If you move just a little bit from that position, I will kill you.¡±


    The light but heavy voice that echoed stopped everyone¡¯s movement in their tracks.


    ***


    Before anyone knew it, Juan had raised himself up with an exhausted face. His face was still pale and it looked like moving was ufortable for him, but the murderous intent and energy emanating from him felt so sharp that it felt as if it could cut skin.


    Juan no longer had Sutra with him, let alone any other weapons, but everyone here felt as if the tip of a sword was touching their throats. The opponents realized that Juan¡¯s deration to kill everyone if they killed Sina was the real deal. No matter how long it took, he would keep his word.


    ¡°I know that I look like I could die at any moment, but I still have enough energy to kill all the people here before I die. However, I¡¯ll let you go if you lower your swords.¡±


    The man with amber eyes remained still with his sword still pointed at Sina. He was calmly waiting for Dane¡¯s order.


    ¡°There¡¯s no point in holding her hostage. Especially you, the one who is pointing your sword at her.¡±


    Dane, who had remained silent until then, slowly opened his mouth.


    ¡°That woman is worthless. Let her go.¡±


    The man with amber eyes immediately let Sina go upon hearing Dane¡¯s order.


    Sina stumbled and copsed to the ground right away due to the wound on her thigh.


    Juan quietly looked at Sina and then turned his head toward Dane.


    ¡°I could clearly hear you even when I wasn¡¯t able to move an inch, Dane.¡±


    Dane grinned, while Juan continued to speak.


    ¡°I can see just how sincerely you have served me until now. Now, piss off. I know that you¡¯ll show up before me even if I tell you to never appear in front of me again. So, if you do, I¡¯ll kill you right away without even giving you any time to make an excuse.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll look forward to it, emperor. I hope that you try your best to do so.¡±


    The members of Aruntal stood around Dane, almost as if they were surrounding him.


    ¡°Progress is a result of repeated failures. Everything including yourself and what has happened today is just one of my many failures,¡± Dane said.


    Dane put the tip of his cane on the ground and drew a circle. Then glittering chunks of darkness crept up from it and instantly wrapped around Dane and the members of Aruntal.


    Then, the lumpy darkness melted and disappeared as if it had never existed.


    ***


    As soon as Dane disappeared with the members of Aruntal, the remnants of the darkness that filled the surrounding area also disappeared.


    Juan could sense that Dane¡¯s presence had fully disappeared when Mananen McLeir¡¯s body, the tilted walls that were unique to the Magic Tower, as well as the floor full of dust and soil appeared before them.


    As soon as Juan let his guard down, he stumbled.


    Sina quickly approached him and helped him up.


    ¡°Are you okay? How is your wound?¡± Sina asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. It will get better after a short break. You should take care of your own wound first.¡±


    Juan examined the wound on Sina¡¯s thigh. Fortunately, the bleeding was not that bad, since the sword hadn¡¯t touched any arteries.


    Juan watched Sina press down on her wound, and then opened his mouth.


    ¡°I have a question.¡±


    Sina looked at Juan. She could see from his face that he had heard the entire conversation between herself and Dane.


    Juan could sensitively read all the signs, and so, he had been able to feel all of the hesitation and agitation in Sina¡¯s trembling hands, as well as the temptation caused by Dane¡¯s urging.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you kill me?¡±


    Sina smiled bitterly upon hearing Juan¡¯s question.


    ¡°Should I have killed you?¡±


    ¡°I thought that there was nothing I could do even if you did decide to kill me. After all, I¡¯m definitely not the emperor of your ideals,¡± Juan shrugged.


    Hearing that, Sina swept her hair. She still couldn¡¯t tell if she had made the right decision. In fact, she felt that she mighte to regret her choice. Nevertheless, she would have made the same decision even if she was put in the same situation again.


    Sina slowly opened her mouth and spoke in a quiet voice.


    ¡°On the night when you exterminated the Order of the Blue Rose at Laus Mountain, you took care of me when I was on the verge of death. At that time, you saved my life. I often wondered why you saved me back then; was it because you wanted to threaten me with my weakness? Or was it because you like me? No¡ªit was neither.¡±


    Juan remained silent.


    ¡°I think you did that because you wanted me to follow you around and watch you, nag you, and hold you whenever you start going down the wrong path. You wanted me to be your counterbnce, an anchor that you could hold on to when you are about to go too far, and be a watchdog meant to see if you¡¯re going in the right direction or not.¡±


    Juan lifted the corner of his lips and turned his eyes away.


    ¡°That¡¯s an overstatement. I just decided to have mercy on you because you were in terrible shape.¡±


    ¡°Is that why you gave me your essence?¡±


    Juan did not answer. If he had saved Sina just because he felt sorry for her, then helping her recover would have been enough, since he had the ability to do so. However, he had given Sina his essence, something that he had only given to his adopted children. Thus, Sina was able to follow Juan¡¯s journey based on the power that was granted to her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you gave me your essence because I had enormous power or potential like Gerard, Nienna, Dismas, and Ras. You probably expected me to y a different role than them. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ve been faithful to that role so far¡­¡± Sina murmured as if she was reciting despite Juan¡¯s silence. ¡°¡­but I am still able to feel some hope from the way you wanted someone to watch over you. I can still hope that you will be able to love humans even without Dane¡¯s dirty tricks, and that you could be the true emperor on your own.¡±


    Juan remained silent for a long time, but soon opened his mouth.


    ¡°I might end up disappointing you¡­ and there could be a better path. You could have chosen someone with much more kindness in their heart and made him the emperor of your ideals. But¡­¡±


    ¡°But why does it have to be you? Why can¡¯t I choose one of the many strong men who are like the many stars in the sky and serve him as the emperor?¡±


    Sina recited what Juan was about to say. In fact, this was the same question Juan had asked Sina on the deste hill of the battlefield where Anya massacred the Imperial Army. Sina had not been able to answer his question at the time, but now she could answer with confidence.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, Juan. There are many stars in the sky¡­¡±


    Sina was given a chance to choose from as many options as the stars in the sky today. It was only after facing the vast and myriad options that Sina realized the most important truth¡­


    ¡°¡­but there is only one sun. It may be dark now because it¡¯s covered by the clouds, but the fact that there is only one sun doesn¡¯t change and it never will. You are my only sun, Juan.¡±


    ***


    The ce where Mananen McLeir¡¯s body was enshrined was located at a significantly lower level in the basement of the huge Magic Tower. It was so far away that it wasn¡¯t a distance that a person could travel on foot in a single day.


    Sina had been able to enter this ce with the help of Dane¡¯s magic on her way down, but she couldn¡¯t do so on her way back.


    ¡°How did you go back and forth when you used to be the emperor?¡± Sina asked.


    ¡°I used to run,¡± Juan answered briefly to Sina¡¯s question. ¡°We could have made use of teleportation magic if we had made some necessary preparation before entering. But we haven¡¯t done that, have we? So, I can carry you on my back and run if you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°No thanks. Let¡¯s just walk slowly.¡±


    ¡°No matter how well trained you are, it will take at least a week if you walk.¡±


    Sina fell silent; she wanted to avoid walking for a week without food or water, especially when Jaun had not even fully recovered just yet.


    Meanwhile, Juan was checking something near Mananen McLeir¡¯s body as if he was awaiting Sina¡¯s decision.


    Sina took a while to seriously consider whether she should get on Juan¡¯s back, but then she inadvertently noticed Juan leaning down with a frown.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I may have be more dependent on mana than I used to be when I was the emperor, but Barth Baltic¡¯s horns alone aren¡¯t enough to make me fall into such a mess for this long. It seems like Dane has yed some dirty tricks on me.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the problem? Can I at least change your bandage for you?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a funny question. My mana circuit has be distorted, causing the physical recovery to progress poorly. The distorted mana circuit has caused my cells to be in an unusual state, which has resulted in the formation of several malignancies. It¡¯s not a big deal though. All the damaged parts will burn away as soon as my mana circuit starts to work properly again.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I have no idea what any of that meant, but you¡¯re basically saying that your condition is not normal, right?¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    Sina felt incredulous upon seeing Juan give her such an honest answer. If you looked at it in another way, Juan was telling her that he was currently in a weak state. Such a response was quite surprising to her, since, until now Juan rarely ever showed his weak sides. Sina wondered if she was beginning to gain Juan¡¯s trust.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid of spiders.¡±


    Juan looked at Sina as if he was dumbfounded by her sudden words.


    Seeing this, Sina also made a perplexed expression, since she had just opened her mouth unknowingly.


    ¡°I¡­ I felt like I should tell you my weakness, since you showed me your weak side.¡±


    ¡°What am I supposed to do with your weakness anyway? Do you seriously think that it would be necessary for me to take advantage of your weakness if I¡¯m put in a situation where I have to deal with you?¡±


    ¡°My fear is not just limited to letting out a simple scream; I¡¯m scared of spiders to the extent that I can¡¯t even move until the spider disappears from my field of view. Don¡¯t speak of it as if it¡¯s not a big deal. If you ever have to threaten me, make sure to use spiders. The more colorful they are, the more they scare me. I don¡¯t even know what I would have done had Dane brought out a spider and used it to threaten me.¡±


    At this point, Sina didn¡¯t even know what she was talking about herself.


    Juan continued to look at her with dumbfounded eyes for a while, and then shook his head and began to check Mananen McLeir¡¯s body again.


    An awkward silence fell between the two.


    Soon, Juan opened his mouth as if he couldn¡¯t stand the silence.


    ¡°I¡¯m not particrly afraid of anything, so don¡¯t expect a reply from me.¡±


    Sina didn¡¯t answer.

 Chapter 168 – The Ones Who Started Everything (6)

    <h4>Chapter 168 ¨C The Ones Who Started Everything (6)</h4>


    Sina tried to imagine Juan being afraid of spiders, ghosts, or clowns. However, she immediately got rid of that image; it did not suit Juan at all.


    Then, Sina inadvertently felt uneasy. There was no doubt that Juan was not afraid of anything, but that didn¡¯t mean he had no weaknesses.


    ¡®<i>Juan¡¯s weakness, huh?</i>¡¯


    Sina tried her best not to think about it, but she couldn¡¯t help being curious.


    At that moment, Juan found something from behind Mananen McLeir¡¯s body.


    ¡°I found it.¡±


    ¡°What is that?¡±


    ¡°A catalyst that will help us move instantaneously when we go outside. I remembered hiding one around here before.¡±


    ¡®<i>Teleportation¡­ Thank goodness.</i>¡¯


    Sina was relieved as she didn¡¯t have to worry about being carried on Juan¡¯s back.


    On the other hand, Juan didn¡¯t seem to be ready to leave just yet.


    ¡°Hold on a second. I¡¯m going to need to clean this ce up before we leave.¡±


    ¡°Clean it up?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just going to get rid of Mananen McLeir¡¯s body for good this time, so that Dane, that trash, can¡¯t mess with it anymore. Mananen¡¯s remains have been useful in too many ways. I do owe him quite a lot, but I think it¡¯s time to let a friend go now.¡±


    Sina tilted her head in wonder upon hearing Juan¡¯s words.


    ¡°But isn¡¯t the boundary of the empire made with the help of Mananen McLeir¡¯s body? Won¡¯t the boundary disappear if you get rid of his body?¡±


    If the boundary disappeared, the mythical beings who fled out of the empire may appear yet again. Of course, Sina didn¡¯t think that such a thing would happen as long as Juan was in the empire, but she couldn¡¯t be certain that Juan would be in the empire forever.


    ¡°Yes, it will disappear,¡± Juan answered.


    ¡°Then¡­¡±


    ¡°But it won¡¯t be the same as before. Back then, humans were powerless and scattered everywhere. It was also a time when powerful gods were wandering around. But all the terribly strong gods are dead now, so it might actually be better to get rid of the boundary. The current boundary almost feels like it is locking up the humans.¡±


    Sina looked at Juan with anxious eyes; it was hard for her to imagine the empire without the boundary. This was because she grew up hearing stories of uncivilized humans and monsters living beyond the boundary.


    ¡°I¡¯m notpletely sure about this either. But I think that it needs to be done, considering the harm that leaving Mananen McLeir¡¯s body will cause. Besides, it¡¯s not like there¡¯s no alternative if it doesn¡¯t work out well,¡± Juan said as if he could read Sina¡¯s anxiety.


    ¡°Okay. Then do it,¡± Sina answered briefly.


    While she was anxious about the future that she had never once expected in her life, she decided to believe in Juan.


    ¡°You are the emperor.¡±


    Juan stared at Sina upon hearing her answer. He tried to say something, but soon sighed and looked back at Mananen McLeir¡¯s body in silence. He then began to mutter something while cing his hand on it.


    Not long after Juan finished reciting, the remains of the dried-up, ck body started wriggling. An intense heat started rising from its arm which had already been turned into a lump of charcoal, and the mud around them instantly dried up and cracked. Furthermore, the thick bones that had been lumped together started shrinking with a rattling sound.


    Sina managed to see the flow of nature on Mananen McLeir¡¯s body. Fresh leaves sprouted, grew, flourished, burned, froze, flew away, and scattered, but the cycle soon started once again after that. Things that would usually take decades to happen quickly passed before Sina¡¯s eyes. At the same time, Mananen McLeir¡¯s giant-like body was slowly beingpressed.


    The traces of the body quickly disappeared, and then only something that looked like skeletal remains that were about the size of an ordinary person remained. While the head was still shaped like the skull of an eagle, the overall figure was clearly humanoid.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Sina asked.


    ¡°This is¡­ I have no idea. This should have disappeared as well.¡±


    Juan looked curiously at the remains that looked like bones. Ordinary skeletal remains should be dry and white, but these remains had a metallic texture that gave a subtle glow. Juan stared at the remains for a while and then touched it.


    At that moment, a bright white light shed before Juan¡¯s eyes.


    ***


    Juan opened his eyes in the white world with absolutely nothing around him.


    Juan instantly realized that he had been pulled into an imaginary world¡ªsomething inside the remains had forcefully summoned him.


    Considering that it hadn¡¯t even given Juan a chance to resist, it was clear that it was a magical creature that was just as powerful as Mananen McLeir or Juan himself.


    [Who are you?]


    Juan turned his head toward the voice. However, the surroundings were stillpletely white.


    At that moment, Juan suddenly saw something cke down and then quickly disappear back up. The surroundings slowly started to look like a series of patterns spread in all directions as it created waves.


    Juan blinked his eyes upon realizing that his surroundings were no longer white, and then thought of a ridiculous possibility.


    This white thing all around Juan was the eye of some creature¡ªa creature whose size alone was likely to be enough to reach the horizon.


    ¡°Show yourselfpletely.¡±


    Compared to the gigantic existence that was the creature, Juan¡¯s voice was so small that it was unknown as to whether or not Juan¡¯s voice would even be heard.


    But, the power of his voice definitely reached the creature. When the huge creature blinked, apletely differentndscape unfolded before Juan¡¯s eyes.


    This time, something huge with a face could be seen¡ªit was a creature with skin that had a texture simr to the metallic texture that Juan saw earlier on the remains. It looked more like a well-made statue rather than a creature.


    The creature had four wings extending in all directions, and had feminine and elegant curves. The unrealistic beauty made it feel more like an elegant beast than an intellectual creature.


    [I couldn¡¯t see you properly because you were too small. So I shrunk my size. Who are you?]


    ¡°Thanks for doing that. My name is Juan Calberg.¡±


    The opponent remained silent for a moment. After a short moment of silence, a voice was heard again.


    [The emperor?]


    Juan tilted his head upon hearing the creature¡¯s words that made it seem like it knew about him.


    ¡°Do you know who I am?¡±


    [You should also know who I am as well if you knew Mananen McLeir. I am Kelegrenon.]


    Juan momentarily felt perplexed upon hearing an unexpected name. This beast that was called Mananen McLeir¡¯s dog was also known as the beast of destruction and disaster.


    Once it physically manifested itself, it sucked in all of the surrounding mana like crazy, so destroying a whole city was easily possible for it just by appearing there.


    Juan recalled the attempts of his enemies to forcefully summon this beast and have it physically manifest itself back at Hiveden and outside the Magic Tower for ast-ditch suicidal attack.


    ¡°You look¡­ a little different from what I know. I remember you having a wolf-like form. Besides, you had no intelligence and had a much smaller body than you do now.¡±


    [Well, there are many limitations I must abide by in order to adapt to thews of physics in that world. Mananen McLeir created me in a free and peaceful world, but that world just copsed. Do you know anything about that?]


    Juan realized that the destruction of Kelegrenon¡¯s world was rted to him trying to get rid of Mananen McLeir¡¯s remains. He felt that he had made a mistake, but then remembered that Mananen McLeir¡¯s remains were already decaying and disappearing; it was only a matter of time before Kgranon¡¯s world also copsed eventually.


    ¡°I think it has something to do with Mananen McLeir¡¯s remains getting smaller. His remains are now only about the same size as me.¡±


    [Is that so?]


    Juan thought that Kelegranon would either be angry or sad, but there was not much emotion in her tone. She seemed to ept the destruction in a calm manner.


    ¡°So what are you going to do now, Kelegrenon? Our world is not powerful enough for you to manifest there.¡±


    [I don¡¯t want to go there even if you ask me toe, emperor. I hated how my form would be distorted and how I would act like a beast every time I was summoned to your world. That went against the reason why Mananen McLeir created me. If I go to your world without Mananen McLeir, I¡¯ll slowly shrink after turning everything around me into desert. I don¡¯t want that.]


    ¡°Then do you have anything else in mind?¡±


    Kelegranon remained silent for a long time. Her body only glistened brilliantly from ce to ce in silence.


    Juan had a feeling that the glistening of her body was the manifestation of her thinking.


    Kelegranon slowly opened her mouth after a long period of silence.


    [You said that Mananen McLeir¡¯s skeletal remains are still there, right?]


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    [It looks like Mananen McLeir left a ce inside his skeletal remains for me to continue staying in even if my world ended up copsing. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t die even though the world copsed. I guess those skeletal remains represent another form of ¡®me¡¯ that Mananen McLeir left behind for me to exist in.]


    Mananen McLeir seemed to have cared a lot about his creation, Kgranon. Juan felt that such a thing was quite unexpected, since he only remembered Kelegrenon to have been a beast of destruction that had no intelligence. However, it was only natural for Juan to think so, since only war existed in the time he lived.


    [Emperor, I¡¯d like to entrust it to you if you don¡¯t mind. I don¡¯t want to be trapped inside a cave again now that my world has copsed.]


    ¡°Entrust it to me? I don¡¯t really care, but you¡¯re not going to suck all of the mana around you, right?¡±


    [I can do that if that is what you want. The opposite is also possible. I can also do most of the work that Mananen McLeir used to do. Just make sure to keep his remains safe for me.]


    ¡°All right.¡±


    Juan agreed to do so; it would only be more trouble for Juan if Kelegranon fell into the wrong hands.


    Kelegranon stared at Juan for a moment, then suddenly disappeared.


    Then, Juan¡¯s eyes instantly darkened and he returned to the ce where Mananen McLeir¡¯s remains were.


    Juan flinched and pulled his hand back from Mananen McLeir¡¯s remains. He could feel Sina staring at him in wonder. Only then did he realize that only an instant had passed during the time he entered Kelegrenon¡¯s inner world.


    ¡°Is there a problem?¡± Sina asked.


    ¡°...No, there isn¡¯t. I was just thinking for a second.¡±


    Juan gave an ambiguous answer and then reached his hand out toward Mananen McLeir¡¯s remains. At that moment, Mananen McLeir¡¯s remains began to rise up with a ttering sound and then they started winding around Juan¡¯s hand.


    Sina reached out with a perplexed expression, but Juan quickly stopped her.


    The tinum-colored remains then wrapped around Juan¡¯s body and quickly blended with the original clothes that were worn by Juan. Finally, they wrapped Juan all the way up to his head.


    Sina looked at Juan from top to bottom with a perplexed look in her eyes and muttered in a quiet voice.


    ¡°An armor?¡±


    It was full-body armor that seemed to be splendidly decorated with bones.


    Juan touched the helmet of the armor. He had expected an eagle¡¯s skull to be there, but it waspletely different than he had expected. He realized that it was in the same shape as Kelegrenon¡¯s unrealistic head that he saw in her inner world.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not armor.¡±


    Juan shook his head at Sina.


    ¡°It¡¯s Kelegrenon.¡±


    ***


    After Juan and Sina left the Magic Tower using the teleport catalyst, Kelegrenon granted Juan an unexpected surprise.


    Kelelgrenon seemed to examine Juan¡¯s physical condition for a while, then she quickly began to restore the flow of mana that had been ruined by Barth Baltic¡¯s horns. In the process, Kelegrenon improved Juan¡¯s mana that had gotten used to moving inefficiently and also released the mana that was contaminated during the battle.


    Juan felt his physical condition quickly getting better with just that alone. Kelegrenon quickly released all the bad energy from inside Juan and then burned it. In turn, Juan¡¯s body responded to Kelegrenon¡¯s heat and started heating up as well, thus burning all of the malignant tumors and scars in his body, and leaving behind only new flesh.


    Juan felt that his body had be much lighter than even before he fought with Barth Baltic.


    ¡°What did you do to me?¡± Juan asked.


    [Well, I can¡¯t live in an unpleasant environment like this, right?]


    Juan didn¡¯t like how Kelegrenon called his body an ¡®unpleasant environment,¡¯ but he decided to let it slide, since he was quite satisfied with the effects.


    Then, Kelegrenon cleaned up Juan¡¯s body and slowly began to cool down again.


    ¡°What an unexpected surprise.¡±


    Being the creation of the Mana God Mananen McLeir, Kelegrenon seemed to be much better at handling mana than Juan.


    While Juan was enjoying the unexpected effect, H came to pay him a visit.

 Chapter 169 – To the Magicians (1)

    <h4>Chapter 169 ¨C To the Magicians (1)</h4>


    ¡°Your Majesty! Are you all right?¡±


    H screamed and approached Juan as soon as she saw him.


    ¡°Lower your voice, H. You must have been perplexed to hear that I called for you without anyone letting anyone else know.¡±


    ¡°I did have a feeling that Your Majesty must havee out when Sina came to visit me. But I don¡¯t know why you only called for me rather than calling a meeting with all of us right away. How are your injuries? You do look much healthier than before.¡±


    ¡°As you can see.¡±


    Juan raised his hand and lit a small me at the tip of his fingertips. His me, which had originally been a mix of red and yellow, was almost white now.


    H shook her head.


    ¡°I have no idea what that means¡­ but I¡¯m d Your Majesty is healthy anyway. I see that you¡¯re wearing¡­ an unusual armor.¡±


    H looked up and down at the tinum-colored armor that Juan was wearing. The armor was decorated in a weird way, was without any joints or seams unlike other ordinary armor, and gave off a strange feeling. If Juan hadn¡¯t been wearing the armor, H would have thought that it was an armor made for decoration rather than actual use.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t it look good on me?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°To be honest, so far Your Majesty didn¡¯t wear whatever you wore for the sake of appearance; you just picked up whatever appeared in front of you and was useful. But that armor¡­ it seems to have been made only for Your Majesty. In fact, I don¡¯t know if anyone else other than Your Majesty would even be able to wear it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take that as apliment. Anyway¡­¡± Juan cleared his throat as he skipped the small talk and moved on to talk about what happened after he lost consciousness. ¡°I heard that Barth Baltic has stepped down.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. Hemanded all the Imperial Troops that he had gathered to head back to their original home bases. There were some nobles who had brought their own soldiers to help Barth Baltic, but they don¡¯t seem to be understanding the situation. They ended up heading back to the holy city of Torra as well.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about those nobles. What¡¯s important is the fact that Barth Baltic went back to Torra. Did he leave any other messages for me?¡±


    ¡°You mean the answer to your question, right? The one about the bet Your Majesty made without asking for any of our opinions?¡±


    ¡°Yes, about the bet I made without asking for any of your opinions.¡±


    H smiled at Juan¡¯s brazen attitude.


    ¡°Come to think of it, you never asked us to join you; we just followed Your Majesty¡¯s journey at will. We¡¯re not upset that Your Majesty didn¡¯t ask for our opinions. As for Barth Baltic¡¯s answer, he said that his answer is not something that someone as trivial as me was allowed to hear. He said that Your Majesty shoulde to the holy city of Torra to hear his answer.¡±


    Juan frowned; he felt that making a bet and then leaving without answering waspletely unlike Barth Baltic. However, Juan didn¡¯t think that Barth Baltic simply ran away because he didn¡¯t want to answer, given his attitude on the battlefield.


    ¡®<i>Or maybe it was something that he couldn¡¯t talk about on the spot.¡¯</i>


    Juan¡¯s schedule had been dyed by a little bit, but it wouldn¡¯t take too long to get to Torra. He clicked his tongue, since he didn¡¯t know whether he should be happy or sad after learning about Dane¡¯s betrayal and his attempts to get him killed.


    Juan was quite bothered by the method Dane used to try and assassinate him.


    ¡®<i>I don¡¯t know if it was a coincidence or not, but he tried to use Barth Baltic to neutralize me and then assassinate me through the hands of someone close to me. Both Barth Baltic and Sina have received my essence¡­ all of this is way too simr to what happened on the night Gerard stabbed me.</i>¡¯


    There was a high possibility that Gerard had received Elkiehl from Dane, just as Sina was handed Elkiehl by Dane. The exact details would need to be investigated, but Juan came to the conclusion that Dane was likely to have been involved in his assassination back then.


    ¡®<i>I guess at least one of the six known apostates really was a traitor.</i>¡¯


    If this was true, Gerard, who carried out the assassination himself, might have also been used, just like Sina. Juan started to hope that Gerard might not have actually betrayed him, given that his son, Haild was actively cooperating with Juan.


    ¡°Your Majesty?¡±


    H considered leaving Juan alone as he sank into his thoughts, but she had not yet heard the reason why he had called for her alone.


    Juan decided to stop thinking further and focus on the matter in front of him.


    ¡°I was thinking about something for a moment.¡±


    ¡°I see. By the way, I wanted to ask Your Majesty something.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°About the man named Haild who helped Your Majesty in the Crack.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been keeping my eye on him, and I noticed that, for some reason, he lowers his voice only when I¡¯m around him.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    ¡°He has the ability to tame a dragon, can deal with the Crack, and also uses the Baltic Sword quite proficiently.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm¡­¡±


    .


    ¡°More than anything, he has the same name as my son.¡±


    ¡°Lots of people have the same names.¡±


    ¡°Is that the only excuse you¡¯vee up with? Just let me know how long I have to pretend like I don¡¯t know anything. I feel stupid pretending to be fooled.¡±


    Juan held his forehead and closed his eyes. It was entirely up to Haild when he decided to reveal his identity. However, Haild was still hiding his identity, whether it was due to the guilt that he felt for hiding the fact that he was alive all this time or due to being scared that he would bring dishonor to H due to having been encroached upon by the Crack.


    It seemed like it was impossible for Haild, who was still young to deceive Duke H Henna, a war veteran. Juan clicked his tongue upon realizing that H had long since noticed Haild¡¯s identity.


    ¡°I apologize. I didn¡¯t want to disturb you with something personal when you have bigger things to worry about. I¡¯ve been keeping my concerns to myself because I believed it was Your Majesty¡¯s will, but please understand how I would have felt a few days ago when I learned that my son, who I thought had been dead for a long time, was actually alive all this time.¡±


    ¡°I salute you for your patience. I¡¯m sorry that I wasn¡¯t able to be more considerate.¡±


    Juan decided to give H what she wanted without much thought.


    ¡°Scold and beat that stupid jerk as much as you want and then ask him what happened. I was putting it off because he insisted on telling you himself when the time came, but I ended up making you suffer. I hope you¡¯ll forgive me.¡±


    ¡°Of course I forgive you, Your Majesty. He already had two chances for a touching family reunion with his mother who he hadn¡¯t seen in decades, since he saved me twice. It¡¯s a shame that everything has be so awkward, but I¡¯ll meet him and talk to him about it since Your Majesty has allowed me to do so.¡±


    Just when H was about to leave after bowing to Juan, she suddenly came to a stop.


    ¡°By the way, there are still many people anxiously waiting for Your Majesty toe back. Should I let them know that you are doing well?¡±


    ¡°Sina¡¯s already working on that. I¡¯d like you to call in the people of the Magic Tower instead.¡±


    ¡°Pardon me? You want me to deliver a separate message?¡±


    Juan grinned and muttered.


    ¡°I realized that there¡¯s a traitor among us. We¡¯ll have to get rid of the traitors before going back to Torra.¡±


    ***


    Juan nced at the magicians from the Magic Tower as well as his subordinates that were gathered in Dane¡¯s room. There were a little over a hundred people, but this number definitely couldn¡¯t be considered big, given that all the magicians belonging to the Magic Tower had been gathered here. Dane¡¯s room was spacious enough to amodate them all.


    ¡°Is this everyone?¡±


    Opert nodded upon hearing Juan¡¯s question.


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. There are probably less magicians here than the heyday of the Magic Tower from your memory, but a lot of them quit due to the oppression of the empire, while some of them ended up bing illegal magicians¡­ But, we still have lots of magicians who are strong enough to be a helpful force.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine as long as everyone is gathered here.¡±


    Opert looked at Juan with a puzzled look on his face; he had thought that the reason Juan gathered all these magicians was to get them to join the army.


    Juan slowly scanned the magicians causing them to feel a mysterious chill.


    At that moment, the door suddenly burst open.


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡±


    It was Nienna who had just stormed into the room. She tried to joyfully run toward Juan as soon as she saw him, but then she saw Juan ce his finger on his lips and shake his head. Upon realizing the heavy atmosphere of the room, Nienna¡¯s expression hardened and she immediately came to a stop.


    The magicians felt even more suffocated with Nienna emanating a cold air and blocking their only exit.


    ¡°I like magic,¡± Juan opened his mouth as he looked at the magicians. ¡°When the sword reaches the peak, it creates a magical effect. But when magic reaches the peak, it creates a miracle itself. My foundation as the emperor is magic, and what flows through my body is also magic. Thus I have always respected the Magic Tower.¡±


    At any other time, Juan¡¯s words would have definitely made the magicians feel proud of themselves. But hearing him say such words in such an intense and heavy atmosphere only served to make them feel even more pressured. Even the old and cranky magicians who had been cut off from the rest of the world were unable to open their mouths under this unknown pressure.


    ¡°I¡¯ll skip the useless words. The master of the Magic Tower, Dane Dormund, betrayed me and tried to kill me.¡±


    Everyone in the room was shocked, as discussions started among the magicians.


    ¡°The master?¡±


    ¡°Dane Dormund?¡±


    ¡°The Grand Magician Dane Dormund?¡±


    ¡°He was the master of the Magic Tower?¡±


    ¡°Dane Dormund tried to kill His Majesty?¡±


    ¡°Obviously. He¡¯s one of the Six Apostates after all.¡±


    Nienna didn¡¯t allow this uproar tost long. She raised her foot and stamped it on the floor with a loud thud. The floor instantly became covered in cracks along with a sharp noise, while a cold wind swept through the entire room.


    Seeing the cracked floor instantly being covered in frost, everyone closed their mouths.


    ¡°His Majesty is speaking,¡± Nienna spoke briefly.


    The uproar quickie died down, but Nienna was also getting impatient; she had many questions she wanted to ask as well. Although she had heard the news of Juan returning in a good condition, just like the others, she too didn¡¯t know about anything else.


    All of Juan¡¯s subordinates, except for Sina, quietly waited for him to continue speaking.


    ¡°Opert. Come on out.¡±


    ¡°Pardon me? Oh, yes. Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    Opert, who had been standing there with a frozen expression, rushed to step out. His face was full of nervousness and anxiety.


    ¡°Dane tried to kill me under the guise of treatment. It would have been very dangerous if my friend, Sina Solvane, hadn¡¯t saved me.¡±


    Once again, everyone in the room was shocked and then all of Juan¡¯s subordinates looked toward Sina with surprised eyes. There were many people who held doubts about Sina and were wary of her due to her ambiguous position. However, Juan had just publicly dered Sina to be his friend.


    Juan continued to speak.


    ¡°Dane was the master of the Magic Tower, and you were his vice tower master. Can you prove you were not involved with this case?¡±


    Opert¡¯s face immediately turned pale. Meanwhile, the magicians that were watching the scene stiffened due to anxiety, but they were smart enough to grasp the situation. The position of the vice master was actually just cleaning up after the mess created by the senior magicians and the schrs of the Magic Tower rather than some honorable title, and it was true that Opert had often carried out Dane¡¯s orders.


    If Dane had tried to harm Juan, it was only natural for Opert to have a hard time proving his innocence.


    ¡°You-Your Majesty.¡±


    Opert knelt in front of Juan and lowered his head.


    ¡°I¡­ I swear that I didn¡¯t know anything about the master¡¯s evil plot. My job was limited to smuggling in the materials that are used for magic and are hard to find within the empire from beyond the boundary. I¡¯m sure Your Majesty is aware of that. The Captain of the Order of Huginn can testify about my loyalty as well as my whereabouts.¡±


    Hearing this, Anya, the Captain of the Order of Huginn, who had been quietly listening to the story so far, took a step forward.


    ¡°Opert is not only a sincere and faithful magician, but also a member of the Order of Huginn. Thanks to his services, the Order of Huginn was able to get a lot of help. However¡­¡± Anya stared at Opert for a while and then continued to speak.


    ¡°He was also the one who had suspected His Majesty until the veryst minute among the members of the Order of Huginn. There¡¯s a chance he might have been involved with Dane Dormund¡¯s plot, either intentionally or unintentionally, during the period of time he held doubts about His Majesty.¡±


    Opert didn¡¯t say anything and just kept his head down, while the other magicians watched Opert in silence.


    Then Juan opened his mouth and talked to the magicians.


    ¡°Other than the Captain of the Order of Huginn, it can be said that the magicians belonging to the Magic Tower are the one who have seen the vice tower master the most, and had the most interactions with him. If anyone has anything they would like to say to prove his innocence or to prove his guilt, do so now.¡±

 Chapter 170 – To the Magicians (2)

    <h4>Chapter 170 ¨C To the Magicians (2)</h4>


    Despite Juan¡¯s words, the magicians remained quite hesitant and refused to move. Not only were they overwhelmed by the heavy atmosphere, but they were also concerned that they might also be deemed to be involved in Dane¡¯s plot if they recklessly tried standing up for Opert.


    Only Opert¡¯s loud breath could be heard amidst the silence.


    Seeing that no one came forward to defend Opert even after a long time, Juan finally opened his mouth first.


    ¡°As far as I know, Opert has served you all for quite a long time, but none of you is going to step up for him? Looks like all the hard work you did for all of them so far has been in vain, Opert.¡±


    At that moment, a white-haired old woman stepped up to defend Opert. She moved forward with an upright gait despite how old she looked.


    ¡°Your Majesty, conspiracies don¡¯t happen with just one or two parties. It is true that the vice master had been working diligently for the Magic Tower, but it is also true that he has worked almost as if he was Dane¡¯s own hands and feet. Being diligent is not the same as being good. Being diligently evil is worse than anything else. There is no evidence that Opert is involved in Dane¡¯s plot, but it¡¯s also undesirable to keep him around.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Then what do you think we should do about him?¡±


    The old woman looked down at Opert for a while and then opened her mouth.


    ¡°I think we should destroy his mana heart, cut off both his hands and then confine him in some remote area. And that¡¯s what should be done before he is proved to be directly involved in the conspiracy. If it is proven that he was directly involved in the conspiracy, then the death penalty would, of course, be appropriate.¡±


    ¡°I see. What¡¯s your name?¡±


    The old woman bowed to Juan and opened her mouth.


    ¡°My name is Arhan Allerly, Your Majesty. I am the head of the Red Tribe.¡±


    The Red Tribe was a group that studied the magic used in wars, and it used to be thergest group within the Magic Tower when Juan had been the emperor. Magicians who learned practical magic were always in demand; hence, it was even easy to find them in the private sector.


    Meanwhile, Opert trembled but remained silent.


    Juan seemed to be contemting what he should do, but the magicians seemed to have already epted Arhan¡¯s rmendation.


    Opert bit his lips; it looked like it would be difficult for him to avoid heavy punishment.


    ¡°Your Majesty.¡±


    Eventually, a magician who couldn¡¯t bear the silence stepped forward. It was a magician with half a head of white hair. He gave quite the sharp impression.


    ¡°Mr. Opert has served the Magic Tower for a long time. Even many of us didn¡¯t know that the master of the Magic Tower was Dane Dormund. There is no way that he would have revealed his identity to anyone when he was hiding from the Church to avoid getting caught. I think Mr. Opert is also someone who fell for his crafty tricks.¡±


    ¡°Do you think that ignorance can be used as an excuse?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°Of course not, Your Majesty. But I believe in Mr. Opert¡¯s kind nature. He has long sought to protect the Magic Tower from the Church and has helped us all continue our research despite the Church¡¯s oppression. Many of the magicians in the Magic Tower owe him quite a lot. While there is a chance that he was used by Dane, he is a young man with a lot of potential. It¡¯s not fair to convict him just based on presumption.¡±


    ¡°All right. So you believe in Opert, huh? What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°I am Milekis Maltard, Your Majesty. I am the head of the Gray Tribe.¡±


    The Gray Tribe was a group of schrs who studied ancient magic systems instead of modern magic. They rarely used any type of practical magic, but their work was what helped prevent the destruction of the legacies left behind by fallen states or races.


    ¡°I see. Then¡­¡±


    Juan did not hesitate.


    Just as Arhan was about to suggest giving an extreme punishment to Opert once again, Juan grabbed her neck. In an instant, her feet were dangling in the air as she scratched at Juan¡¯s arm while suffocating.


    Juan opened his mouth amidst the perplexed gazes of the magicians.


    ¡°There was one more thing I didn¡¯t tell all of you. Besides Dane, the members of Aruntal have also betrayed me.¡±


    Arhan struggled as she tried to escape from Juan¡¯s arms, but Juan¡¯s arm did not budge. His arm, which was protected by Kelegrenon, could not be wounded by her sharp nails scratching him.


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s a stretch to actually call them Aruntal. After all, all the original members except for Dane have already died, and their spots seem to have been filled by new people. They were helping Dane with a very idealistic belief, but I never told you guys about that part.¡±


    Juan grinned and red at Arhan.


    ¡°But this woman talked almost as if she believed it was natural for people besides Opert to be involved. And there¡¯s one more interesting fact¡­ I remember the energy of all the opponents from when I confronted Aruntal.¡±


    Arhan opened her eyes wide and looked at Juan.


    ¡°What is it? Is there anything you want to say? I can sense and grasp the signs and energy around me. Ah, yes. I recall you guys wearing a robe that helped you all to hide your presence. But did you really think you could fool me with that? I am the embodiment of magic itself.¡±


    Juan red at Arhan and put more strength into his grip.


    Arhan trembled in intense pain, but there was nothing she could do. As ast resort, she tried to use magic to attack Juan, but for some reason, her mana would scatter and disappear every time she tried to gather it.


    ¡°You keep trying to use magic. But what you need to keep in mind is that the opponent you¡¯re trying to use magic against is a natural enemy of magicians.¡±


    Juan scattered the mana flowing through Arhan¡¯s body with the help of Kelegrenon. The slight shock from this messed up the mana flow inside Arhan¡¯s body and caused her to start bleeding from all seven of her orifices.


    All the magicians that were sensitive to the flow of mana instantly noticed what had happened to Arhan. Some of the magicians even copsed to the floor in fear.


    Arhan shuddered for a while and then dropped to the floor as Juan released her neck. Then, she suddenly coughed up blood as if she had regained consciousness from the shock of being thrown to the floor.


    Juan looked down at Arhan and muttered in a quiet voice.


    ¡°Other magicians won¡¯t be able to understand what¡¯s going on if I kill you like this. At least try to make an excuse.¡±


    Arhan looked back at the other magicians with a pale expression. The ce where the magicians had gathered to denounce Opert had now be the site of her death. Arhan looked confused and tried her best to understand what was going on.


    It was true that she was a member of Aruntal. However, she had made sure to hide her identity before joining the conspiracy¡ªshe had made sure to wear the robe that Dane had given her. The robe not only covered her face, it also made it difficult for others to recognize her presence.


    ¡®<i>But he managed to read my energy through it? It can¡¯t be¡­ it¡¯s a magical item that was produced by Dane himself.</i>¡¯


    However, Arhan began to doubt Dane from the bottom of her heart. After all, the opponent was none other than the emperor.


    ¡®<i>Is it even possible for Dane to stop him?</i>¡¯


    ¡°Y-Your Majesty¡­ I¡­ I just¡­¡±


    ¡°You just¡­ what?¡±


    Arhan froze just by facing Juan¡¯s emotionless eyes. Her doubts soon became reality. There was no way that the emperor would treat her, the head of thergest tribe in the Magic Tower, like this in front of everyone without actually having proof that she was a member of Aruntal.


    There was only one way for her to live¡ªbegging for her life.


    ¡°Your Majesty! Please forgive me. I, too, have been deceived! I¡¯ve been deceived by the illusion that helping Dane Dormund was the only way to revive mankind. So I ended up¡­!¡±


    ¡°Okay. So you¡¯re saying that you are a member of Aruntal, right?¡±


    Arhan¡¯s eyes shook upon hearing Juan¡¯s question.


    ¡®<i>Wait. He didn¡¯t know for sure that I was a member of Aruntal?</i>¡¯


    ¡°Dane did a good job making that robe. It seems pretty convenient. I wasn¡¯t too sure about you being a member of Aruntal, but I should thank you for confirming it. Now, shall we destroy your mana heart and cut off your hands before we continue to talk, just as you had suggested?¡±


    Arhan jumped up and tried to shout something toward the magicians, but her waist suddenly bent back before she could say anything. Then, a loud scream broke out along with a terrible noise.


    Everything happened in just a sh. Arhan¡¯s back was bent in the wrong direction, while all of her joints were broken and dislocated with a ttering sound.


    In just an instant, Arhan had died, and she now looked like a squeezed rag.


    Juan frowned at what had just happened and examined her corpse.


    ¡®<i>Someone must have been watching and they cast a magic spell to kill her.</i>¡¯


    The enemy was still inside the Magic Tower. Juan red at the magicians with cold eyes and then turned his gaze toward Opert.


    ¡°It seems like Aruntal was hoping that I would either kill my subordinate with my own hands or at least keep their mouths shut. Either way, you¡¯re notpletely cleared of your charges, Opert. I will be keeping my eyes on you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you! Thank you, Your Majesty!¡±


    Operet banged his head on the floor to show his appreciation.


    After that, Juan exited Dane''s room without a word, and his subordinates followed him.


    In the ce where only the magicians were left, only a frustrated atmosphere and some quiet whispers remained. None of the magicians spared even a single nce toward Opert.


    At that moment, only one person approached Opert¡ªMilekis, the one who had defended him.


    ***


    The mansion, once home to a man who impersonated the emperor alongside an expelled Priest, had now be nothing more than a ruin.


    There was no one who would visit the ominous mansion from where the followers and supporters of the fake emperor had fled and dozens of Temrs were killed¡ªexcept for the very man who had made the mess.


    ¡°Well done, Opert.¡±


    Juan was sitting alone in the room that was still full of burnt and broken items on the second floor of the mansion.


    Opert approached Juan with an exhausted look on his face. There was a bandage on his forehead.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you needed to bang your head against the floor like that,¡± Juan said


    ¡°To be honest, I was a little scared,¡± Opert answered.


    Juan rubbed the wound on Opert¡¯s forehead with his thumb. His fingers had only lightly brushed past Opert¡¯s forehead for a short second, but Opert¡¯s wound was already gone.


    ¡°What do the magicians think of this situation?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. Some of the magicians think that it was Your Majesty who killed Arhan. They areining, but most of them are scared. They lowered their heads due to fear, but I think that they will continue toin, since they are all so full of themselves.¡± Opert sighed. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if it was necessary to put on a show like this. It would be great if the Magic Tower could be truly loyal to Your Majesty¡­¡±


    ¡°Dealing with Dane is more important than obtaining the loyalty of the magicians. I needed your help to figure out what he was up to. Were there any magicians who approached you after I left?¡±


    ¡°Milekis Maltard approached me. He offered me to stay with him until everything settled down. Of course, I said yes.¡±


    ¡°Just as I expected.¡±


    ¡°Do you think he¡¯s a member of Aruntal as well?¡±


    Juan nodded.


    ¡°There was only one person who I could be sure about being a member of Aruntal, and that was Arhan. I barely managed to recognize her by concentrating my five senses to the maximum. I¡¯m sure that there are few more, and they will approach you when you are left all alone and are weak-minded.¡±


    Juan tapped Opert on the shoulder as he spoke.


    ¡°As I already told you, I¡¯m going to try and take advantage of that. They won¡¯t drag you into joining Aruntal right away. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll just be keeping their eyes on you for a while. Your job is to stay loyal to Dane and find out more about Aruntal. Milekis is probably thinking that he has gained your trust since Arhan is dead.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. But why do you think Arhan tried to kill me?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because she wanted her words to have an influence on me regardless of which side I choose to listen to. She knew that I would trust at least one of you two once a contradictory opinion was presented,¡± Juan exined.


    ¡°Ah, I see. She probably didn¡¯t think that Your Majesty would actually kill her. Hmm. Then I¡¯ll be on my way back; they might start suspecting me if I stay here for too long. I¡¯ll refrain from seeing Your Majesty until Aruntales into contact with me.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good. I appreciate it.¡±


    Opere bowed to Juan and took a step back. Just as Opert was about to leave the room, he inadvertently stopped and looked back at Juan.


    ¡°Your Majesty, if you don¡¯t mind, I have one more thing I would like to ask¡­¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°What made you think that I wasn¡¯t a member of Aruntal? I was one of the people who helped to hand over Your Majesty to Dane, and it is also true that I was manipted by Dane. so, why¡­?¡±


    Juan looked at Opert with a dumbfounded look. He considered telling Opert that there was no way that a spy would ask such a question in the first ce, but then he decided to give him an honest answer.


    ¡°You are a brilliant magician, but you are more of a schr than a magician, Opert. The difference between them is that the schrs try to find the truth while magicians try to take advantage of the truth.¡±


    ¡°Is¡­ that so?¡±


    ¡°You had suspected me for a very long time, and only after a long time did you acknowledge me as the emperor. Schrs don¡¯t change the result just because they don¡¯t like the truth. But magicians or a swindler would¡ªjust like Dane Dormund.¡±

 Chapter 171 – Treason (1)

    <h4>Chapter 171 ¨C Treason (1)</h4>


    ¡°He lost?¡±


    Helmut anxiously wandered around his office inside the Vatican and murmured the same words over and over. He felt his own words to be unfamiliar¡ªhe couldn¡¯t believe what had just been reported.


    ¡®<i>Barth Baltic lost? He really lost?</i>¡¯


    Today was the day when the Order of the Capital and Barth Baltic returned to the holy city of Torra. It had only been a few days ago that Barth Baltic convened and led the army to the battlefield without consent from the Church, using his authority as the Regent. The number of troops he had managed to gather numbered three hundred thousand men¡ªalmost one third of the Imperial Army.


    The fact that Barth Baltic was able to gather that many troops despite his deteriorating public opinion meant that he could have overturned the empire at any time had he wanted.


    However, Barth hade back after being defeated. Such a fact was already hard to believe and understand, but there was something else that was even more difficult to understand¡ªthe three hundred thousand Imperial troops that Barth Baltic had convened came back with so few losses that it would be more urate to call Barth Baltic¡¯s return a withdrawal rather than defeat.


    ¡°Barth Baltic lost?¡±


    ¡°...The soldiers who witnessed everything reported that the Regent and the self-proimed emperor had a confrontation. The Regent decided to return after losing their confrontation.¡±


    Helmut was dumbfounded and then burst outughing upon hearing the ck Priest¡¯s answer.


    ¡°But I heard that the enemies numbered less than thirty thousand? Besides, General Nienna hadn¡¯t even arrived in time. Barth Baltic was leading a force over ten times bigger than the enemy, but he withdrew without even fighting? Then why did he even gather that many troops in the first ce? That¡¯s¡­ no, no. There¡¯s no point talking about what¡¯s already done. Where is that bastard now?¡±


    ¡°It is said that the Regent has locked himself in the Citadel of Sun. I heard that the crowd is protesting in front of the Citadel.¡±


    ¡°Damn it.¡±


    Helmut slumped onto the sofa. It wasn¡¯t like Helmut had never considered Barth Baltic¡¯s defeat. However, the possibility of him losing was infinitely smallpared to the possibility of him returning in victory.


    Above all, it would have been best for Barth Baltic to return victorious, since that would allow Helmut to have more time to anticipate and prepare what he needed to do in the future.


    But now, the only future he could see was filled with chaos.


    ¡°What shall we do, Your Holiness?¡± the ck Priest asked anxiously with eyes filled with concern.


    Helmut looked at the ck Priest with cloudy eyes. It was only natural for him to worry, since the self-proimed emperor who was now on his way to Torra was known to have killed quite a few Priests and Temrs. It was clear that he was not favorable toward the Church.


    Helmut pondered in silence, and then slowly opened his mouth.


    ¡°First of all, tell all the knight orders scattered all over the empire to return to the holy city of Torra as soon as possible. Also, order all clergymen above the rank of Priest to stay in the Vatican and prevent them from going out. And¡­¡±


    Helmut made a long thought-out decision¡ªit was not something he wanted to do, since it was not favorable for him. However, he had no other choice.


    ¡°And the Regent has already confessed that hemitted treason against His Majesty. He is no longer the Regent. I am using my authority as the Pope to deprive him of his position as the Regent and delegate the authority tomand the Imperial Army to the Order of the Gold Lion that is currently guarding Torra. From this moment on, themand of the Imperial Army is held firmly by the Church. Go and detain Captain Pavan Peltere before the Order of the Capital can cause a bacsh to this decision.¡±


    The Pope gave instructions non-stop; he had to act quickly after hearing about everything that had happened.


    The ck Priest gasped upon hearing Helmut¡¯s orders. For the Church to hold the authority tomand the Imperial Army was not something that could be taken lightly. The Church already had the power and authority of the emperor. Having the force of the Imperial Army on top of that would simply mean that the Church would hold the same amount of power as the emperor himself.


    ¡°Y-your Holiness. Would it be okay to do so without getting the consent of the House of Peers? Bacsh would be inevitable since¡­.¡±


    It was then.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to rush, Helmut.¡±


    ***


    The door of the office was slowly opened along with a heavy voice. A figure so huge that even the high office ceiling felt small walked into the office.


    It was Barth Baltic.


    Helmut clenched his teeth and red at Barth Baltic¡ªhe lookedpletely fine for someone who had just returned from a life-or-death duel, except that he had shorter horns now.


    ¡°Regent. No, Barth Baltic. You insulted HIs Majesty, and so, you will never be weed nor forgiven anywhere within the empire. We had maintained a hostile coexistence rtionship until now, but we can no longer continue to¡­¡±


    ¡°I remember the day that you were kicked out of the Imperial Army, Helmut.¡±


    Helmut closed his mouth.


    The ck Priest was perplexed upon hearing the unexpected story and pretended to be deaf.


    The story that Helmut had once been a member of the emperor¡¯s army was famous throughout the empire. However, the story of him being kicked out was unknown.


    ¡°Of course, I also remember when you were only an annoying young child who begged day and night just to join the army. I can see that you have not changed the slightest bit even though you¡¯ve grown so old with wrinkles on your face.¡±


    ¡°Are you implying that I¡¯m acting like an annoying child?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Barth Baltic picked up an apple that was ced on the table in the middle of the office and took a big bite.


    ¡°I¡¯m talking about the way you are begging for your own destruction.¡±


    Helmut was still ring at Barth¡ªthere was no change in his expression.


    ¡°You had always been a troublemaker, even after you joined the army. You weren¡¯t allowed to participate in the battles because you were too young, and so, you were given the duty of watching over the unarmed prisoners. But not only did you recklessly kill the prisoners, you also murdered an officer by arbitrarily holding a military trial just because he had missed the training.¡±


    ¡°What are you trying to say?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the one who has been protecting you from back then all the way until now. The emperor often felt uneasy about you, but I was quite fond of your insane hatred toward people, your loyalty to His Majesty, as well as your dirty desire to rise to a higher status. We needed people like you back then. If it wasn¡¯t for me protecting you, you would have been kicked out a long time ago.¡±


    Helmut red at Barth as if he wanted to kill him. His worship for His Majesty back when he used to be in the army had never been superficial. But just as Barth said, the emperor never liked him very much despite the fact that he had been shown more loyalty to the emperor than anyone else in the Imperial Army.


    ¡°I should have been the one next to His Majesty instead of an arrogant bastard like you. I have devoted my whole life to realize the values of His Majesty and protecting the empire that is his legacy! I am the representative of His Majesty!¡±


    ¡°You still think it was loyalty?¡±


    Barth did not despise Helmut, nor was he annoyed by him. The only thing Barth felt for Helmut waspassion.


    ¡°What you did was nothing but blind obedience, Helmut. When a domestic dog kills a mouse or a bird, the owner is annoyed but can tolerate it. But when that dog kills the neighbor''s livestock or a baby, the owner has to kill the dog. That¡¯s why you were kicked out of the army, Helmut.¡±


    ¡°So what? The army didn¡¯t mean anything to me in the first ce! My life only began after getting kicked out of the army! It began with people who worshiped His Majesty and had the same thoughts as me. Even if His Majesty rejected me, I¡­¡±


    Helmut gritted his teeth and snapped at Barth.


    ¡°...If I¡¯ve always brought destruction upon myself, how did I rise from the position of a beggar to the Pope? I had no magic, no divine power, nor any glorious destiny. But you were able to maintain the empire and your position as the Regent only because of me. If you want to insult the boat I¡¯m on, you should know that you¡¯re on the same boat as well.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong about what you just said. It is true that I didn¡¯t have the power to unite the empire on my own. I acknowledge your ability to seize the power and authority of the emperor to rule the empire. It wasn¡¯t something that just anyone could have done.¡±


    Barth Baltic nodded and admitted. However, he did not put away a sympathetic look on his face.


    ¡°But that¡¯s also the reason for your self-destruction.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your point?¡±


    ¡°I know your secret about the emperor¡¯s assassination, Helmut.¡±


    Helmut closed his mouth and red at Barth.


    Meanwhile, Barth was still standing there in a calm state.


    ¡°If you think that I didn¡¯t investigate the case at all just because I myself was involved in the emperor¡¯s assassination and cooperated with you to bring the empire under your control, you are mistaken. Helmut, I knew most of the situation all along,¡± Barth murmured as the corners of his lips curved up in a bitter smile.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, Helmut. You and I are on the same boat¡ªand we will sink together. After all, the person who is on his way to Torra right now is the real emperor.¡±


    ¡°What¡­ How¡­ No, I don¡¯t believe you. His Majesty is sitting on the Eternal Throne within the Imperial Castle.¡±


    ¡°He will definitelye to Torra whether you want to believe it or not.¡±


    Barth turned his back and headed out of the office. Before exiting, Barth opened his mouth as if he remembered something he had forgotten. ¡°I will give up my position as the Regent on my own. I don¡¯t know if you will be able to assign a new Regent before the emperor arrives, but there¡¯s no need for you to kick Pavan out as well. He will eventually end up obeying themand system.¡±


    ¡°Why are you giving up so easily? Didn¡¯t you want to kill His Majesty?¡±


    ¡°I sure did. There is no doubt that he is the real emperor, but he is apletely different man from before. He put his personal feelings and questions first before dealing with three hundred thousand Imperial soldiers. The emperor we knew wouldn¡¯t have done that.¡±


    ¡°What the hell are you saying? Is he the emperor or is he not?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m saying that he is neither the emperor I remember nor you remember. I have already lost my reason to kill him at that point. I¡¯ve only realized that after almost dying at his hands. The emperor I wanted to kill already died at the hands of Gerard Gain. The man on his way to Torra now is the ¡®new emperor.¡¯ Some people may not like that, but they¡¯ll have to ept it.¡±


    ***


    <i>The emperor ising.</i>


    Rumors swept throughout the holy city of Torra, the capital of the empire. The people were anxiously waiting for the return of the emperor with equal parts fear and excitement.


    Meanwhile, the news of Barth Baltic¡¯s defeat was enough to send many people who had been holding their breaths into motion all at once.


    Heretia was the fastest to move. She has been preparing for this situation for a long time.


    In the middle of the night, Heretia wore a deep hood over her face and entered a building. Inside the building, people from all walks of life were gathered¡ªshe had already contacted them in advance.


    Heretia took out a map depicting the structure of the holy city of Torra from her pocket and unfolded it. Then she brought a ssmp over it and covered the map with a red cloth.


    Everyone¡¯s mouth dropped wide open as the red color instantly disappeared on the map and apletely different map appeared.


    Among those who were gathered, especially those with military knowledge, had a perplexed look on their faces.


    ¡°...This is¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes. This is a prediction of the type of n Barth Baltic would have to use to take control of the holy city of Torra that was drafted by the Church.¡±


    People looked at Heretia with shocked eyes, but Heretia simply shrugged her shoulders.


    ¡°The Church would always have had to be prepared for such a situation. It is only natural for them to be concerned about Barth Baltic trying to use the Imperial Army and the Order of the Capital to take control of the empire. I¡¯m sure that there is no document more specific and urate than this one since the Church would¡¯ve drafted it with a good understanding of their own weaknesses.¡±


    ¡°But wouldn¡¯t that mean that they are perfectly prepared for anything?¡±


    ¡°That would be true if the Regent had stayed the same. But now that the Regent is out of the picture, the Pope will definitely try to take control of the Imperial Army. I highly doubt he will care about this document.¡±


    The uproar among the people began to grow. One could clearly see that the document was top secret¡ªafter all, it showed the secret passages connecting the Vatican to the Imperial Castle. There was no way that the Church would have handled such a document carelessly.


    ¡°How and where did you even¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t ask about that part.¡±


    Then, one of the people carefully opened his mouth with a concerned look.


    ¡°The important question is, how to make use of this and implement our n. We don¡¯t have Barth Baltic¡¯s power, the Order of the Capital, or the Imperial Army.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    At that moment, two people who were standing in the dark took off their hoods.


    ¡°The Imperial Guards are with you all, and so am I.¡±


    The two who revealed their faces were Ivy, the Saintess of the Church, and Lenly, the Captain of the Imperial Guards.

 Chapter 172 – Treason (2)

    <h4>Chapter 172 ¨C Treason (2)</h4>


    People were surprised once again by the unexpected appearance of the two.


    There had been a rumor that the Saintess and the Captain of the Imperial Guards were helping them. However, no one really believed the rumor to be true, since the people who were called up and gathered by Heretia had been thoroughly hiding their own identities.


    One of the men was visibly perplexed upon seeing Ivy, then soon dropped down on one knee.


    ¡°Saintess¡­ I am a trivial man who personally respects you. But if the n seeds, we cannot guarantee the safety of the Church. That includes you too, Saintess.¡±


    Ivy nodded.


    ¡°Returning to the days when His Majesty directly ruled the empire. I agree with that too. My status as a Saintess was nothing but a bluff. I just think that it was an honor for me to have had several opportunities to convey His Majesty¡¯s voice due to the times being chaotic.¡±


    The man who was kneeling before Ivy bowed his head deeply, and soon took off his hood.


    ¡°I am Gareon Geled, the Captain of the Order of the Gold Lion. Your message has opened my eyes and I have decided to quit being loyal to the Pope. I only serve the empire and His Majesty. I promise to do my best to help you with this n.¡±


    The copse was already happening from within the Church. People began to take off their hoods one by one, almost as if they were encouraged by the fact that even the Captain of the Order of the Gold Lion turned against the Church.


    The people here varied from the representatives of themoners to the nobles from the House of Peers, as well as military officers and merchants. The anti-Church figures gathered by Heretia included influential people from all walks of life.


    Then someone opened their mouth,


    ¡°It won¡¯t be too difficult to get the Imperial Army on our side with Miss Heretia¡¯s n. Besides, we have knight orders and the Imperial Guards helping us as well. Perhaps it might be possible to return the throne to His Majesty even before he arrives in Torra.¡±


    ¡°In that case, he will recognize our contribution. We need to at least avoid being branded as aplices of the Pope. Some of themoners have already started fleeing in anticipation of war.¡±


    Heretia shook her head at the people¡¯s conversation.


    ¡°It is impossible for us to drive the Pope out with just our power. The opponent is <i>the?</i>Pope. He wields the power of His Majesty that he stole. Do you really think we will be able to face off against His Majesty¡¯s power?¡±


    ¡°But Miss Heretia. We can¡¯t just sit back and wait until His Majesty delivers peace to us once again. Now is the best time to shake up the Pope, since His Majesty is on his way. The discontent of the people of the empire is already on the verge of an explosion. It¡¯s been getting hard to keep them under control.¡±


    ¡°Stop it. We are doing enough by informing HIs Majesty of this n, and informing His Majesty that people of all walks of life agree with him. We might end up causing unexpected damage if we went further to¡­¡±


    ¡°The Pope will try to confront His Majesty! Then Torra will turn into ruins. Doing nothing could cause much more damage. The Pope is a man who will take citizens hostage and push them into the battlefield!¡±


    There was amotion among the people over how to deal with the Pope. Their fear was directed at the Pope, and at the same time was directed at the emperor.


    People¡¯s opinions were divided into two for the same reason¡ªto either stay still until the emperor returned or to step up before the emperor returned.


    ¡°Themon people are only trying to take this opportunity to make a contribution so that they might end up being recognized! You are hoping that His Majesty will grant you a good status if you contribute to His Majesty¡¯s conquest of the holy city of Torra!¡±


    ¡°What kind of nonsense are you talking about? Aren¡¯t the nobles the one still contemting whether to be on the Pope¡¯s side or not? I bet you¡¯re nning to wait until there¡¯s a clear winner before deciding to serve them!¡±


    As the debate began to turn into a heated argument, Heretia rose from her seat. Seeing this, everyone quickly shut their mouth.


    Heretia looked annoyed, but she didn¡¯t want to me the people. This was a road that no one had ever walked on before them, and she didn¡¯t know the exact answer either.


    ¡°It is true that the Pope is out of his mind, but at least he¡¯s not ipetent,¡± Heretia said.


    ¡°But he has only one neck. If we can figure something out¡­¡±


    Someone tried to intervene in Heretia¡¯s words, but quickly closed his mouth upon noticing the gazes of the other people.


    Heretia continued to speak.


    ¡°Not a lot of people remember the Pope¡¯s reign of terror now, but I understand that he did quite a lot of crazy things in the early days of Eternal Rule. He stopped directly ruling the empire when the Church was established, the Bishops who were granted His Majesty¡¯s Grace appeared, and the knight orders were created. But¡­ there is no guarantee that something like the Red Footprints or the Emperor¡¯s March won¡¯t happen in Torra once again.¡±


    The crowd shuddered in fear. Both the ¡®Red Footprints¡¯ as well as the ¡®Emperor¡¯s March¡¯ were massive purges that urred in the early days of Eternal Rule.


    At that moment, one person carefully broke the silence brought about by fear and opened his mouth.


    ¡°The Pope is old. Not only do we have the Saintess and the Captain of the Imperial Guards, but we also have many prominent figures in the holy city of Torra who support the empire. The Pope alone cannot take responsibility of the empire. There¡¯s no way history will repeat itself.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just hope that the Pope is a reasonable man.¡±


    Heretia sighed and looked around at the people. The people¡¯s opinions still seemed to be divided in two. Heretia could not push her opinion in such a situation, since there was a high likelihood that there would be a bacsh that would result in an even greater uproar, whether it be good or bad.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take a vote. Whatever the result of the vote, the losing side has to follow it unconditionally.¡±


    Heretia approached the pir and drew out a dagger. Then she made a small horizontal scratch on the pir.


    ¡°Mark a horizontal line if you wish to maintain the current situation, and mark a vertical line if you wish for us to take action. There will be no secret ballot.¡±


    People looked at each other; no one wanted to be the first to vote publicly.


    At that moment, Ivy stepped up and made a scratch on the pir¡ªit was a vertical mark.


    Heretia sighed unconsciously. However, Ivy bowed toward Heretia without any other exnation and returned to her seat.


    With Ivy having taken the lead, the people began to approach the pir one by one and leave a mark.


    After seeing the results of the vote, Heretia fell silent. She remained silent for a very long time until she gained the courage to speak again, then finally opened her mouth.


    ¡®<i>Eight versus seven. Taking action it is.</i>¡¯


    ¡°Then let¡¯s carry out the n to oust Pope Helmut early in the morning tomorrow.¡±


    People seemed perplexed by Heretia¡¯s words.


    ¡°Wait, that soon? Don¡¯t you think that''s a bit too fast?¡±


    ¡°It would be better to hurry as much as we can, since our n might be leaked. It doesn¡¯t really matter, since this n was designed to be implemented unexpectedly anyway. There¡¯s no need for a lot of people to move either. Just don¡¯t try to run away at a critical moment.¡±


    Heretia bit her lips after uttering in a quiet voice.


    ¡°I just hope that the Pope is not crazy enough to try to kill everyone in the holy city of Torra.¡±


    ***


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna kill you all.¡±


    Helmut grumbled as he watched the protesters outside the Vatican from his window. He was awakened by the slogans that were being shouted by the protesters who had unexpectedlye to the Vatican since early in the morning. His nerves were more sensitive than usual, since he had barely fallen asleep.


    ¡°We demand justice for His Majesty!¡±


    The high and thick walls of the Vatican could block the stones and rotten fruits, but they could not block the shouts from the protesters. The protest had been going on for a while now, but it was the first time that it started so early in the morning.


    Helmut ordered the Temrs to arrest and lock up all those who were in the square.


    ¡®<i>Looks like I might have to lock down the entire holy city of Torra.</i>¡¯


    The protest, which had been directed toward only Barth Baltic in the beginning, had already spread and be a protest against the system itself. Helmut was bothered about such a series of events¡ªhe had a feeling that someone was controlling everything from behind the scenes.


    Heretia Helwin immediately came to Helmut¡¯s mind, but there was no conclusive evidence to hold her ountable.


    At that moment, screams and loud noises could suddenly be heard outside. The Temrs seemed to have begun a crackdown, forcing the chant to finally be stopped within a short time.


    ¡®<i>They demand justice for the emperor? Bullshit. There would be no justice for the emperor on thisnd if it wasn¡¯t for me.</i>¡¯


    Helmut had done all sorts of terrible things in order to keep the emperor¡¯s will. Not only had he struggled to protect humanity and the empire, but he recklessly drove out the members of the heterogenous races who demanded for their rights after bing losers for the first time, unlike when they enjoyed all kinds of benefits parasitizing under their gods.


    Helmut has done many shameful things and made many mistakes, but it was all nothingpared to everything that he had achieved.


    ¡°I was His Majesty¡¯s justice itself,¡± Helmut muttered, sitting alone in a dark room.


    Helmut inadvertently realized that his own voice sounded quite old and lonely. He has lived his whole life without a family in order to maintain His Majesty¡¯s will. The idea that he was the most loyal of His Majesty¡¯s servants had not changed.


    ¡®<i>But he is going toe back to punish me?</i>¡¯


    The emperor was returning. In fact, he was already on his way. Public gossip, as well as Barth Baltic¡¯s warning¡ªthese were constantly driving him to a corner.


    Helmut couldn¡¯t proudly say that he kept everything left behind by the emperor, but he thought that no one else could have done as much as he had. He had built temples and statues everywhere to worship and praise the emperor, and had taught the entire empire about the emperor¡¯s will.


    ¡®<i>I am His Majesty¡¯s justice. Wasn¡¯t the definition of His Majesty¡¯s justice to defeat the enemies of humanity, punish the disloyal, and earnestly strive for the prosperity and stability of the empire?</i>¡¯


    Helmut lifted his empty eyes. At the end of his sight was a portrait of the emperor. He nkly stared at the painting and muttered.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t be as perfect as you were. Was that a sin? I did the best I could¡ªas the trivial boy that admired you and wished to resemble you and continue your legacy. But weren¡¯t you the one who tried to abandon us first? You are the one who betrayed us first.¡±


    At that moment, a sudden loud roar was heard from across the square. Helmut, who was sitting on the bed as if he had lost his mind, instantly jumped from his seat.


    Unlike the small protest from earlier, arge-scale protest began to surge in the square. There were so many protesters that the torches held by them could be seen even from the Vatican.


    Helmut sensed that something had gone terribly wrong.


    ¡°Your Holiness!¡±


    Gareon Geled, the Captain of the Order of the Gold Lion, rushed into Helmut¡¯s bedroom with a pale face.


    ¡°The apostates areing, Your Holiness. The knight order has blocked the entrance, but I don¡¯t think it will be possible to disband them!¡±


    ¡°What about the Imperial Army?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see any movement from them right now. However, many of the Imperial soldiers protecting the holy city of Torra have families in Torra. There¡¯s no way that they would point their swords inwards.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that to begin with. It¡¯s fine as long as they¡¯re not siding with the protesters. It seems like Pavan Peltere wasn¡¯t behind all of this. Gather all the Temrs guarding the entrance to the Vatican¡¯s audience chamber. You follow me and protect me.¡±


    ¡°Pardon me? But Your Holiness¡­¡±


    At Helmut¡¯s ring gaze, Gareon hurriedlymanded the attendant standing next to him.


    Helmut stepped out in simple clothing and hastily moved toward the audience chamber through a secret passage. However, what he encountered when he entered the audience chamber were the Temrs who had been tied and forced to kneel.


    Seeing the situation, Helmut¡¯s expression hardened.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Your Holiness.¡±


    A sharp object touched Helmut¡¯s back¡ªthe tip of a sword was aimed precisely at his heart. Helmut suddenly had a bitter taste in his mouth.


    ¡°Gareon. Even you, the Captain of the Temple order, have betrayed me. I guess I¡¯ve really hit rock bottom.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Your Holiness. But it¡¯s no longer a matter of whether the person who¡¯sing to Torra now is the emperor or not. We had no choice but to do this to prevent a massacre.¡±


    Gareon pushed Helmut¡¯s back and sent him to the podium in the audience chamber. Above the podium were Heretia, Ivy, and Lenly Loen, who were standing there and waiting for him.


    Helmut red closely at Heretia and Ivy.


    Meanwhile, Heretia looked anxiously at Helmut and opened her mouth.


    ¡°You would better not move too carelessly, Your Holiness. Captain Gareon will stab you right away if we suspect that you are trying to use your Grace.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re so anxious, why don¡¯t you just stab me to death right now?¡± Helmut derided.


    ¡°I wish I could, but there are many reasons why I can¡¯t. You should not be assassinated and killed as the Pope¡ªyou should face a trial and be killed as a prisoner. And you must tell us how you were able to draw onto and wield the power of His Majesty.¡±


    The corner of Helmut¡¯s lips went up.


    ¡°<i>That?</i>was your purpose? The source of the Grace? You criticized me for imitating the emperor, but now you want to imitate me?¡±


    ¡°It is necessary in order to return the stolen power to His Majesty. That power will be useless anyway once His Majesty returns.¡±


    Heretia gave a calm response upon hearing Helmut¡¯s provocation.


    Helmut straightened his back and slowly looked around. The people who had captured and pointed their swords toward the Temrs and Priests were also Temrs and Priests. A few of the Imperial soldiers could also be seen among them.


    Helmut figured that simr things must be happening all over the Vatican.


    ¡°I certainly haven¡¯t made a move for way too long. It seems that there are too many people who really don''t understand His Majesty¡¯s will, since there were so many more people who were born after the Red Footprints and the Emperor¡¯s March.¡±


    The Emperor¡¯s March was the incident in which Barth Baltic carried the body of the emperor to the Capital immediately after his assassination, and then purged all the people suspected to have been involved with the assassination.


    The Red Footprints was arge-scale purification led by the Pope, and was conducted in cities that showed resistance toward the rule of the Church or insisted on local folk beliefs even after the Church was established.


    The Red Footprints was also the origin of the name the ¡®Emperor¡¯s Foot,¡¯ the Grace which allows the Temrs to surround an entire city with a spherical barrier that was impossible to escape from. It was a ridiculous name, but it literally meant that only blood could be found in the emperor¡¯s footprints.


    Tens of thousands of people had died back then.


    However, everyone gathered here in the Vatican were young people. None of them remembered the olden days.


    Then at that moment, Ivy quietly opened her mouth.


    ¡°Do you think His Majesty would have acknowledged and approved of such ughter had he been alive?¡±


    Helmut was suddenly left speechless at Ivy¡¯s sharp criticism. Helmut has seen the emperor in his lifetime and served under him as a soldier. He also knew that the things he had done so far were against the emperor¡¯s values.


    However, he had plenty of excuses to exin himself. He had something to back himself up even if the emperor was revived right in front of his eyes at this very moment.


    But the moment he met Ivy¡¯s eyes, he became speechless without even realizing it.


    Ivy¡¯s young eyes which looked like they were on the verge of tears made her look like she was scared and nervous, but she seemed to represent the emperor¡¯s will with all her heart.


    ¡®<i>I¡¯ve been doubting myself, but this little girl ispletely certain of the emperor¡¯s will? What the hell did I do wrong? Why does this little girl out of everyone seem to have the will of the emperor?</i>¡¯


    ¡°Why not me when I took the lead in serving HIs Majesty!¡± Helmut suddenly shouted loudly.


    Everyone gathered in the audience chamber looked at Helmut in unison.


    Heretia signaled Gareon with a nervous look to make sure that he was ready to stab Helmut at any time.


    Helmut quickly covered his mouth with his hand to stop the words that he uttered without realizing it. But then he inadvertently smelled blood¡ªit was a smell that he had not smelled in a long time.


    .


    He was reminded of the blood the former Saintess vomited on his face¡ªno, it was like the endless amount of blood that he had seen so far seemed to be surging in waves. Helmut felt like he was going to drown in the smell of blood. It was the sea of blood that was the result of his efforts to protect the empire and the Church. Helmut couldn¡¯t let all of that go to waste.


    ¡®<i>Few more drops won¡¯t make the sea.</i>¡¯


    Helmut reached his hand out toward the sky.


    Heretia immediately ordered Gareon to kill Helmut, while Gareon swung his sword even before she gave themand.


    The sword prated through Helmut¡¯s chest. Gereon did not stop there¡ªhe continuously wielded his sword to further injure Helmut.


    But Helmut did not copse.


    His eyes burned with a blue light.


    ¡°Come to me, Telgramm.¡±

 Chapter 173 – Treason (3)

    <h4>Chapter 173 ¨C Treason (3)</h4>


    A thunderbolt struck down through the ceiling of the Vatican, and a tremendous roar rang out¡ªone which made the entire holy city of Torra to fall silent for a moment.


    The lightning directly struck Helmut, and all those standing around him were electrocuted and then pushed away from him in an instant.


    However, Gareon¡ªthe person who had stabbed his sword into Helmut¡¯s chest, did not get pushed back like the others.


    As soon as the lightning struck Helmut, Gareon was turned into a lump of white charcoal. Even his holy sword was helplessly shattered. His body soon turned into a fine, ash-white power and scattered in the air as it was hit by a broken piece of his holy sword.


    ¡°Apostates. All of them are apostates.¡±


    Electricity sparked out of Helmut¡¯s mouth every time he opened his mouth to mutter.


    Meanwhile, Heretia barely managed toe to her senses and opened her eyes with difficulty. She couldn¡¯t move her body properly due to the aftereffects of the electric shock. The feeling of lightning sweeping through her entire body for a moment left her with an intense pain that she never wanted to experience again.


    Then, she saw Helmut standing in front of her.


    Helmut was wrapped entirely in lightning. The lightning constantly leaked out from his fingertips, mouth, and eyes causing the surroundings to burn here and there.


    Heretia recalled the words Helmut had muttered just before she lost her consciousness.


    ¡®<i>Did he say Telgramm?</i>¡¯


    Telgramm was a weapon that was well known to be the Emperor¡¯s weapon alongside Sutra.


    Heretia had heard that the Church was keeping it under their possession, but she let her guard down because she had never seen a record of the Church actually making use of it.


    Heretia bit her lips; she med herself for thinking that the Pope wouldn¡¯t use Telgramm as he had many other ways to protect himself.


    ¡®<i>It seems like he had a strong countern¡­</i>¡¯


    Heretia had certainly seen Gareon stabbing Helmut in the chest with her own eyes.


    However, Helmut then calmly summoned Telgramm without showing any signs of being heavily injured.


    Heretia knew quite a few people who could continue without much effect even after being stabbed several times with a sword.


    ¡®<i>The Temrs.</i>¡¯


    Heretia wondered if the Pope had undergone the same procedure as the Temrs. The Church allowed the Bishops or the Priests to use many types of Grace, but did not perform physical reinforcement procedures on them. On the other hand, the Church restricted the Grace that could be used by the Temrs, but performed physical reinforcement procedures on them.


    ¡®<i>...It¡¯s only an implicit rule, but it wouldn¡¯t be so strange if the Pope himself didn¡¯t follow the rule.</i>¡¯


    Many people had pointed out and criticized the physical reinforcement procedures on the Temrs for imitating the emperor.


    Heretia had once thought that perhaps the Temrs¡¯ physical reinforcement procedures were a series of experimental processes to make the most perfect Temr.


    Thus, it urred to Heretia that Helmut was not only stealing the emperor¡¯s Grace, but was also coveting the emperor¡¯s body.


    ¡°Keuk, Garghhh.¡±


    At that moment, Helmut let out a strange groan, while his left arm trembled. A bolt of lightning suddenly burst, and then at the same time, his left arm fell to the floor in the form of white ash.


    Lightning leaked out of Helmut¡¯s severed arm. Heretia hoped for Helmut to copse on his own upon seeing his severed arm, but then a new arm slowly grew from the stub of his wound.


    Helmut breathed heavily and began to mutter something as he clutched both his hands¡ªit was a prayer to draw forth Grace.


    Not long after Helmut began to recite the prayer, the lightning that was being released from his body began to gather in his hands instead.


    Soon, Helmut was covered in cold sweat, while clutching dozens of thin lightning bolts in his hands.


    ¡®<i>That¡¯s not what Telgramm looked like from the records I saw.</i>¡¯


    Heretia remembered the figure of Telgramm being described as a long blue spear. But the ¡®Telgramm¡¯ held in Helmut¡¯s hands lookedpletely unstable at first nce. It was clear that Helmut couldn¡¯t perfectly control it, and it seemed like he was barely controlling it with the power of Grace.


    ¡°Apostates, heretics, traitors¡­¡±


    Helmut muttered a growl and looked around. Then, his eyes stopped on one side of the room¡ªit was where Ivy had copsed.


    Cold sweat began to run down Heretia¡¯s spine. She quickly tried to get up, but all she could do was twitch her fingers. She desperately looked around to find someone that could help Ivy, but many of the people were still fainted or had already been burned to ashes.


    However, there was one person still standing other than Helmut.


    ¡°That is His Majesty¡¯s weapon. It¡¯s certainly not something that should be allowed to be dirtied by you cing your hands on it.¡±


    Lenly Loen was blocking Helmut from approaching Ivy.


    For a moment, Heretia had some hopes, but it was obvious that Lenly was also in a state where it was difficult for him to even stand. Lenly may be a powerful man, but there was no way he could beat the Pope who had strengthened his physical power to the level of Temrs. Besides, Helmut was even wielding Telgramm, thus making the situation worse.


    ¡®<i>Run, you idiot.</i>¡¯


    Heretia puffed her lips and muttered at Lenly. At least one person had to flee, since the n to oust the Pope had failed.


    However, Lenly didn¡¯t seem to be willing to do that.


    Heretia could understand why Lenly couldn¡¯t easily run away. If he left Helmut unattended now, then there would be a massacre. There was no way that Lenly could allow himself to run away to save his own life after putting the lives of everyone else at risk.


    Helmut growled and then swung Telgramm like a whip.


    Just when Heretia thought that Lenly would be turned into a lump of ashes, he drew his sword and stabbed it into the pir.


    The stem of Telgramm¡¯s thunderbolt was once again scattered throughout the building due to the sword. It was a clever idea, but that was it. Lenly¡¯s sword was immediately shattered, while the pir crumbled down.


    ¡®<i>...The Vatican.</i>¡¯


    Heretia noticed that the condition of the Vatican building had be quite unstable. The Telgramm had already given it a tremendous impact when it struck the building with lightning, but the ceiling was now on the verge of copsing after the pir crumbled down.


    Heretia wondered if Lenly¡¯s n was to bury the Pope inside the copsed Vatican building, but then she shook her head, since that would also kill both himself and the Saintess.


    Heretia bit her lips to the extent of bleeding and managed to make herself stand up. The thought that she would die if she didn¡¯t move motivated her to do so.


    ¡°What a mess¡­¡±


    Heretia¡¯s whole body was covered with burns, since she had been standing rtively close to Helmut in order to talk to him. She was afraid to look at her current self in the mirror, but then shook off such thoughts.


    Helmut swung Telgramm at Lenly once again.


    In response, Lenly picked up a random sword rolling on the floor and tried to repeat what he had done earlier, but he wasn¡¯t so lucky this time¡ªthe thunderbolt destroyed the sword Lenly threw into the air and then struck Lenly on the head.


    ¡°You son of a bitch!¡±


    At that moment, Heretia threw herself and rolled around while grabbing onto Helmut¡¯s waist, causing him to miss. The lightning that narrowly passed by Lenly left a long cut across his face.


    His entire face was left charred, and a scream broke out from somewhere at such a sight¡ªit was Ivy who just regained her consciousness.


    ¡°Captain Lenly! No!¡±


    Lenly managed to stay standing without copsing even though his eye had suffered a serious injury. However, it was very clear that he had shouldered an incurable wound.


    ¡°Run! Ivy! Go and find the emperor!¡± Heretia shouted.


    Ivy looked at Heretia with a devastated look on her face.


    Meanwhile, all Heretia could do was struggle while holding onto Helmut. She seeded in making him lose his bnce for a short moment, but she couldn¡¯t do much, since his physical strength far exceeded her¡¯s.


    ¡°What are you waiting for? Go! Hurry!¡±


    Ivy squirmed and got up, then soon grabbed Lenly and hurriedly tried to leave.


    Helmut roared and stabbed Telgramm into Heretia¡¯s thigh.


    Heretia once again felt a burning sensation that could almost melt her brain, but surprisingly, she felt no pain in her leg.


    Helmut shook off Heretia as if he was shaking off some annoying flies.


    Heretia tried to grab hold of Helmut once more, but she lost her bnce. Only then did she realize that both of her legs had disappeared¡ªher legs had long since turned into white ashes. However, she felt that she could stick them back together if she quickly held on to them.


    But instead of holding on to the legs she could never regain, she once again grabbed Helmut by the ankle.


    ¡°You asshole¡­ where do you think you¡¯re going after you ruined the body of ady in such a manner?¡±


    Helmutpletely ignored Heretia and aimed Telgramm at Ivy¡¯s back.


    Seeing this, Heretia shouted loudly.


    However, Helmut didn¡¯t even spare her a single nce.


    Telegram flew toward Ivy¡¯s back and a bright sh of light covered her for a moment.


    Seeing this, Helmut had a cruel smile on his face, while Heretia screamed.


    However, nothing happened.


    Ivy flinched, but she managed to leave the room without being injured¡ªeven though she was helping Lenly up.


    Helmut looked at the unbelievable sight with a dumbfounded look on his face and once again swung Telgramm, but the thunderbolt just dodged Ivy and smashed into the door.


    Ivy turned back and looked at Heretia with sad eyes, before hurriedly leaving through the broken door.


    ¡°No!¡±


    Heretia could not figure out what had just happened. However, seeing Helmut¡¯s rage made her feel like she was tasting sweet candy.


    Helmut tried to chase Ivy, but Heretia was still holding onto his ankle and being dragged around.


    Heretia was grinning even after losing her legs.


    ¡°I have no idea what the Saintess means to you, but based on the look on your face, it seems like it was worth risking my life to save her.¡±


    At that moment, a few people rushed in from the door. They were the ones who had been ordered to wait outside to stop the others from intervening. Upon entering the room, they were appalled to see the horrific situation in front of their eyes.


    ¡°No¡­ what the hell is going on¡­?¡±


    Helmut then turned to look at Heretia. He ended up missing the Saintess, but at least he found a target to vent his anger.


    Helmut lifted Telgramm while muttering in a rough voice.


    ¡°There are apostates everywhere.¡±


    ***


    The main gate of the Vatican exploded, and the debris scattered over the citizens. At the same time, some pieces of flesh were also mixed among the pieces of stone and wood flying everywhere.


    The Temrs, who were preventing the citizens from entering the Vatican, looked back at the door with perplexed faces.


    Behind them stood the Pope with an evil look on his face and something that looked like a thunderbolt in his hand.


    Seeing Helmut covered with white-colored powdery ash, the Temrs instinctively noticed that the ash had once been bone and flesh of humans. It didn¡¯t take them too long for them to realize that, since they had a lot of experience burning bodies of humans as well.


    ¡°Your¡­ Your Holiness¡­¡±


    One of the Bishops fumbled up to Helmut.


    But Helmut simply ignored him and looked at the protesting citizens with thunderous eyes.


    For a moment, the citizens felt overwhelmed in the face of the eyes of a madman in power.


    ¡°I thought I had already killed enough, but I see that I still have quite a lot left.¡±


    Helmut revealed his teeth as he grinned, and began to climb down the stairs.


    At this point, the Temrs were already starting to doubt whether the man walking down the stairs really was the Pope that they knew.


    Helmut lifted a bunch of crackling lightning rays and muttered.


    ¡°Kill them all. You are His Majesty¡¯s sword.¡±


    For a moment, the Temrs doubted their ears¡ªthey doubted whether the order they heard was correct.


    But their doubts didn¡¯tst long.


    Suddenly, the Grace engraved all over their bodies began to overflow with vitality. If the power they had been using as the Temrs until now was counted as one, the power coursing through them now could be counted as more than ten. At the same time, their emotions were also elevated to the extreme, so much so that they couldn¡¯t stand it without releasing this power on anything.


    ¡°Keuk¡­ Kehak!¡±


    The Temrs felt like their heads would explode if they didn¡¯t release the energy coursing through their bodies right away.


    At that moment, Helmut shouted in a loud voice that resonated throughout the entire holy city of Torra.


    ¡°Torra is a sacred city dedicated to serving His Majesty! However, it has been corrupted and polluted by the will of the vulgar! From now on, I will purify this city with fire and iron as the agent of His Majesty!¡±


    The Temrs roared and stormed toward the citizens.


    The citizens quickly tried to run away in a hurry upon realizing that something had gone wrong, but two or three people were immediately torn apart as the fist of a Temr thrust toward them.


    The bodies of the citizens who were running away were crushed by the Temrs, causing their blood to color the road red.


    Meanwhile, just as some of the people thought that they had avoided the Temrs, lightning struck down upon them from the sky and began to turn everyone into ashes.


    In just a second dozens of bolts of lightning crackled down from the Telgramm held in Helmut¡¯s hand and struck down all over the holy city of Torra¡ªthe lightning dodged the allies, and aimed only for the enemies, leaving behind ash all over Torra.


    Helmut once again cried out in a loud voice so that the entire holy city of Torra could hear.


    ¡°Those who are loyal to His Majesty will be granted strength, while those who are unfaithful will be purified by fire!¡±

 Chapter 174 – The Holy City of Torra (1)

    <h4>Chapter 174 ¨C The Holy City of Torra (1)</h4>


    The sky seemed to be copsing.


    The clouds and wind that were rushing toward the holy city of Torra released an unusual energy.


    Upon sensing that something ominous was happening, Juan rode his horse and went out to the field to observe the sky.


    Sina followed him as well


    ¡°Is it a storm? There have been a few unusual weather changes this year, but this is just¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a storm.¡±


    Static electricity sparked up when Juan lifted his finger and slightly rubbed it. His face began to harden.


    ¡°It¡¯s Telgramm. Someone is ying around with Telgramm right now.¡±


    ¡°Telgramm? You mean the weapon that creates thunderbolts? But I heard that it was sealed by the Church¡­¡±


    At that moment, Sina closed her mouth; she thought of one person who had ess to any and all the items kept in the Church.


    ¡°The Pope¡­?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t think of anyone else. I can¡¯t imagine Barth Baltic using Telgramm, since he probably doesn¡¯t even know how to use it,¡± Juan answered.


    Clouds from all over the continent frantically rushed toward Torra, beforeing to a stop and breaking down. The broken clouds, as well as the wind poured down upon Torra as lightning and raindrops.


    Considering that Torra looked like it was getting bathed with lightning from even the horizon, Sina couldn¡¯t even imagine what the internal situation would be like.


    Sina¡¯s expression hardened at the hellish sight.


    ¡°Why is the Pope attacking his own allies? Is there any reason for him to do that¡­?¡± Sina asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on. But I guess I¡¯ll have to wait and see if the Pope is the onemitting the sin, or saving me from the trouble of having to kill the one who is messing around with Telgramm,¡± Juan replied coldly. ¡°Either way, the fact that he will die won¡¯t change.¡±


    ***


    H couldn¡¯t figure out how to report the news that was just delivered to her by an agent. She didn¡¯t know whether she should tell Juan the news as it is, and at the same time, she wasn¡¯t confident about handling what would happen after she reported the news.


    Due to her misgivings, H decided to first call General Nienna, the head of the Northern Army, and Anya, the Captain of the Order of Huginn, to her tent.


    ¡°Okay. I have bad news, worse news, and the worst news,¡± H said.


    ¡°I feel like all three are rted to each other anyway. Just tell us everything,¡± Nienna frowned.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what happened in chronological order. The bad news is that someone tried to oust the Pope andmit treason in the holy city of Torra. But the treason attempt has failed, and many of the figures that led the treason are either dead or missing. Among them are Heretia Helwin, Ivy Isildin, and Lenly Leon¡ªthe Captain of the Imperial Guards.¡±


    The three people mentioned by H were the people who had personal connections with Juan. H didn¡¯t know the exact situation either, but her understanding was just as bad as the situation in the Capital.


    Anya¡¯s expression hardened as well.


    ¡°Miss Heretia is involved in treason? But she isn¡¯t the type to do such a reckless thing when sess is right around the corner. I¡¯m sure she had a reason.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not too sure what she was up to, but I feel like no longer being able to suppress the citizen¡¯sints yed a huge part in the current situation. One wrong move could group them with the Pope, you know? Perhaps Barth Baltic¡¯s defeat was also a huge part of their decision.¡±


    Innread dot".


    It was not umon for a country on the brink of destruction to copse due to internal strife. H figured that Heretia could no longer suppress the major undercurrents, since the discontent with the Church had already been umting for fifty years. The return of the emperor just acted as a catalyst to speed up that destruction.


    ¡°The worse news is that the Pope went crazy after being betrayed. He is massacring the residents of Torra. I guess this also coincides with the worst news,¡± H looked at Nienna and continued speaking.


    ¡°The Pope has taken the residents of Torra hostage. He has also taken full control of the Church and the Order of the Capital. He was able to do so by threatening everyone that he will kill them if they don¡¯t listen to his orders. An army will not be particrly motivated with only threats, but we are still absolutely inferior in terms of equipment and number of troopspared to the Imperial Army. Thus, it would be ridiculous for us to besiege Torra.¡±


    Nienna could tell what criteria H had to determine what was worse than something else. It was unfortunate that important figures like Heretia and Ivy were gone, but their absence would not have a big effect on the overall n.


    On the other hand, it was shockingly unfortunate that the citizens of Torra were being ughtered.


    But the fact that Helmut had taken control of the Church and locked down all of Torra was a difficulty as huge as Barth Baltic. It was certainly worth calling the worst news.


    H¡¯s judgment was correct from a strategic point of view, but at the same time, it was also incorrect.


    Anya frowned and clicked her tongue. ¡°Did the Pope finally go insane?¡±


    H shook her head. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that he finally went insane, but he just showed his true colors. Simr things have already happened in the early days of the empire, after the foundation of the Church. Helmut turned into azy pig after the Church had settled down and he had a group to enact violence on his behalf, but he came back to his original self now that he has been driven into a corner.¡±


    ¡°H¡¯s right. I once had to warn him because he was making a mess in the north,¡± Nienna red at the table with her hands sped with a serious look on her face. ¡°But I agree with you¡ªhe is crazy. What he is doing is both strategically and morally ridiculous. This incident will push everyone who is on the fence to our side. Unlike the early days of the Eternal Rule, now that His Majesty has returned, there¡¯s no way anyone would choose to be controlled by such a madman.¡±


    Anya was about to nod, but suddenly tilted her head in wonder.


    ¡°So this incident can be considered to be the Pope¡¯s mistake, right? Our return now will give the image of His Majesty defeating the viin and thus gain him the support of the entire empire.¡±


    H looked at Anya with a bitter smile on her face.


    ¡°If you think about it simply, then yes. The current situation will allow us to win by simply standing still and not doing anything. But His Majesty isn¡¯t someone who would do that. That is also why I haven¡¯t told His Majesty about this news yet.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being too arrogant, H?¡±


    H¡¯s face stiffened, while Nienna continued speaking in a gentle tone.


    ¡°We are a militaristic force that is following His Majesty. You should know what happens to subordinates who try to hide information from their monarch.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to hide it. I¡¯m just suggesting to dy the news a little. The noble¡¯s insurrection will fall, and Torra will eventually copse on its own, even without us having to do anything. There¡¯s no need for us to go out of our way to add more trouble, when the capital is already suffering from so much internal stress. But when His Majesty finds out that the fate of his acquaintances is unclear, then¡­¡±


    ¡°His Majesty will advance toward the capital right away. He will do so even on his own if the rest of his forces don¡¯t follow him.¡±


    ¡°Then what do you think will happen next?¡±


    Nienna looked at H without a word.


    Meanwhile, H continued to persuade Nienna in a nervous voice while biting her lips.


    ¡°The Imperial Army will have no choice but to confront His Majesty, and the Pope will use Torra as a battlefield while using the power of Grace. You¡¯ve seen what he managed to do with Telgramm, haven¡¯t you? I don¡¯t know how many people have died in Torra, but at least twice as many will end up dying in and out of the Great Wall. Yes. Above all, the Great Wall. I¡¯m talking about the Great Wall of the holy city of Torra¡ªthe wall that was built by His Majesty himself. Our army will follow His Majesty¡¯smand to break ourselves against the wall that is known to be impossible to break even if His Majesty himself tried to break it. Unless His Majesty intends to climb up the Great Wall by making a ramp with endless corpses, it is right to slow down our march.¡±


    ¡°Even if that is the case, His Majesty should be the one to make the decision. You shouldn¡¯t try to make that decision on your own, H.¡±


    Nienna stood up from her seat.


    ¡°If His Majesty asks for bloodshed, it is because it¡¯s necessary.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s something His Majesty already did when he founded the empire. But His Majesty now is¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop.¡±


    Nienna tightly grabbed H¡¯s face with one hand. A cold atmosphere suddenly filled the tent.


    H felt a chilling wind that could freeze and explode her face at any moment. Nevertheless, H continued to re at Nienna with a fierce look in her eyes.


    ¡°I know that His Majesty now is apletely different person from His Majesty I have in my memory. Nevertheless, you should leave all your moral ideals and philosophies behind if you have decided to follow him,¡± Nienna said.


    ¡°Does His Majesty only want tools, and not people?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you also need His Majesty''s power rather than His Majesty¡¯s philosophy for themon purpose of destroying the Church? Besides, as far as I know, His Majesty has already warned you that he might exhaust you and the Fourth Division for his own purposes.¡±


    H opened her eyes wide with a perplexed expression upon hearing Nienna¡¯s words. What Nienna just mentioned was Juan¡¯s answer to H¡¯s attempt to get him under her control back when she didn¡¯t know that he was the emperor. There was no way that Nienna could have known about it.


    At that moment, Juan entered the tent.


    Seeing this, Nienna released her grip on H, causing her to slump to her seat.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to have overheard all of you, but I had to wonder what you all had to discuss without me at a time like this¡ªand I must say, it didn¡¯t go too far beyond my expectations.¡±


    H realized that Juan had beenmunicating with Nienna directly through her mind. It was only natural that Juan could use such a power, since even the Temrs were capable of using it.


    ¡°We can win without doing anything, and we can also stop the massacre as long as I stand still. H, is that what you think?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°Well, isn¡¯t that true? Your Majesty has already warned me many times that you wouldmit a ughter if you have to. I¡¯m just trying to avoid the worst situation.¡±


    ¡°H, you poordy.¡±


    Juan approached H and knelt on one knee to look at her.


    When Juan¡¯s hand touched H¡¯s wrinkled face, H flinched and shuddered.


    ¡°If I really wanted to kill all humans, do you think you would have the time to do anything about it? You¡¯ll see what true helplessness is in Torra.¡±


    Juan turned his head and looked back at Nienna and Anya.


    The two waited for Juan¡¯s order with nervous looks on their faces.


    There was no expression on Juan¡¯s face as he gave out orders.


    ***


    Pavan increased his speed.


    The raindrops and lightning that had been wantonly striking down upon all of Torra had stopped, but fires and wailing could be heard from everywhere. Urban administration was paralyzed, and even the Imperial Army which should be controlling a disaster like this was busy searching for the rebels. The city felt like it had already been defeated even before the war began. Pavan was convinced that it wouldn¡¯t be long before the city really was defeated.


    The Imperial Pce, where His Majesty¡¯s body is enshrined, appeared before Pavan¡¯s eyes. For a moment, he hesitated in front of the golden scaffolding that marked the boundary of the Imperial Pce. Soon after, he decided to set foot inside.


    In ordinary times, only those with permission from His Majesty could pass through the veil of benevolence that surrounded the entire pce. However, there was nothing blocking him right now.


    Besides Pavan, the Priests, the Bishops, as well as the Temrs of the Church were wandering back and forth in the Imperial Pce with anxious expressions.


    Pavan passed them and headed toward the center of the Imperial Pce.


    The atmosphere inside the pce was imbued with madness and gloom. At this point, Priests trembling in fear or bursting into hystericalughter seemed to be rather ordinary sights.


    The sight of the Priests constantly shouting unintelligible words reminded Pavan of Bishop Rietto, the mad Bishop whose mind was shattered. Pavan thought that most of the people from the Church had gone insane.


    ¡°Your Holiness.¡±


    Before long, Pavan arrived before a huge door. In front of the door, Pavan found Helmut sitting on the sofa he had brought from somewhere. Helmut looked like he had aged quite a bit in just one day¡ªall his hair had turned white and there were a lot more wrinkles on his face.


    Helmut red at Pavan with a wary look on his face.


    ¡°The Captain of the Order of the Capital? How did you get here?¡±


    ¡°I was able toe thanks to Your Holiness lifting the veil of benevolence. As you ordered, the Capital Army is on high alert and blocking the city, while the search for the rebels is also underway.¡±


    Of course, the Pope could not pass through the veil of benevolence. Instead, he chose to destroy the veil of benevolence with the help of the power of Grace.


    ¡°What about the Saintess? Did you find the Saintess?¡±

 Chapter 175 – The Holy City of Torra (2)

    <h4>Chapter 175 ¨C The Holy City of Torra (2)</h4>


    Helmut repeated the question over and over again while his head continued to bob, almost as if he was convulsing. It was clear that his condition was quite bad.


    Pavan could instantly see that Helmut had been seriously injured when he tried to control Telgramm, despite it being beyond his ability. No matter how perfectly he could make use of the emperor¡¯s powers, Helmut¡¯s body was still that of an ordinary human. It was already quite surprising that he was able to imitate a fraction of the emperor¡¯s ability with his body which had undergone the Temrs¡¯ physical strengthening procedure.


    ¡°We were able to find a few of the officials who participated in the treason, but we have yet to find the Saintess,¡± Pavan answered.


    ¡°Then why are you here?¡±


    Pavan let out an exhausted sigh.


    Meanwhile, Helmut stammered around his seat even before Pavan gave him an answer. Then, he soon found some incense and lit it up. This prompted Helmut¡¯s hands to stop trembling¡ªhe made afortable expression as the scent of the incense filled the room. However, his head was still bobbing around constantly.


    ¡°There is a terribly strong smell of blood. It¡¯s so disgusting that I almost want to vomit¡­ Pavan, did you kill someone on your way here?¡±


    Pavan replied with a puzzled expression on his face, ¡°No, Your Holiness. I didn¡¯t even unsheath my sword today.¡±


    ¡°...I see.¡±


    Helmut nodded and then stared elsewhere nkly.


    Pavan inadvertently recalled the intelligence report he had heard about Helmut suffering from olfactory hallucinations ever since the former Saintess bit her own tongue and sprayed blood all over his face. Ever since then, Helmut had started to rely on the use of incense, but it looked like his symptoms had gotten worse.


    Pavan had to wonder whether it was okay to burn narcotic incense in the sacred ce where the emperor¡¯s body was enshrined. However, the sacredness of the Imperial Pce was nowhere to be found at the moment, and it had already be the den of madmen.


    ¡®<i>And from the look of it, the most insane of them all is this rat.</i>¡¯


    Of course, Pavan only kept his thoughts to himself, and did not do anything stupid like showing them on the outside. After all, this insane rat was the suprememander of the empire right now.


    ¡°Your Holiness, the mostplicated issue that must be dealt with right now is sorting out themand system. Do you n to set up the Imperial Pce as the central base of operations in Torra?¡± Pavan asked.


    ¡°The Vatican has copsed, so we need to rely on His Majesty¡¯s shoulders for protection, given that the current situation is as bad as it is. I¡¯m sure His Majesty will protect us now that we are here in the Imperial Pce. His grace is still with us, Pavan.¡±


    In Pavan''s view, it looked like the Pope was the only person who still believed those words. After all, everyone in the city of Torra had witnessed what Helmut had done. The picture of the evil Temrs who drenched themselves in the blood of the innocent, as well as the Pope who burned all of Torra won¡¯t easily be forgotten.


    Torra, which once shone brilliantly as the center of the empire, had now turned into a terrible hell. The power bestowed by the emperor was used on a scale greater than ever, but his <i>grace?</i>was nowhere to be found.


    ¡°Damn it, my headache is getting worse¡­¡±


    Helmut shoved a whole pack of incense into the ashtray and lit them all up at once. A heavy and suffocating scent that clouded one¡¯s mind rose, causing Pavan to take a step back while covering his nose and mouth with his sleeve.


    As someone who had multiple experiences of wiping out dens of drug dealers, Pavan could immediately recognize that Helmut was already severely addicted.


    ¡°This terrible smell of blood won¡¯t go away until I tear apart that bitch, Ivy, and kill her. We need to find her as soon as possible. Then we must show everyone that His Majesty¡¯s justice still exists in thisnd and stand strong against the fake emperor who is on his way to invade thisnd¡­¡±


    ¡°About that fake emperor,¡± Pavan spoke with great difficulty. ¡°I understand that he is already close enough to Torra to reach us in a day. But the Imperial Army is still busy with searching for the rebels rather than preparing for the war. We also need to help with disaster recovery in order for Torra to be able to properly withstand the enemy¡¯s attack. But in our current state, Torra is¡­¡±


    ¡°What do we even have to worry about when we have the Great Walls?¡±


    Pavan clenched his teeth. ording to the legends, the Great Walls surrounding the city of Torra were built by the emperor in a single night. It was only natural that such a legend existed, since the Great Walls were so borate and huge that it was nigh impossible to believe that they were built by humans.


    Since it was a fortress prepared for the sake of war, and since it had never been attacked, many people believed the legend that it was built by the emperor. Hence, it was obvious to assume that rebels without any decent siege equipment would never be able to break through the Great Walls.


    However, the enemy this time was not an ordinary army¡ªthis time, it was the army of the emperor.


    ¡°If the Great Walls were enough to protect us, there would have been no need for the Imperial Army to go through all the hard training and buy expensive weapons and armors. The enemy is someone who managed to beat the Regent, someone who was thought to be invincible. I think it would be right to be wary of them.¡± Pavan said, thinking that it was thest warning he could give Helmut.


    Pavan had no reason to be loyal to Helmut, nor did he want to. The only reason he was giving a warning to Helmut was due to his responsibility as the militarymander¡ªa position that was passed on to him after Barth Baltic¡¯s dismissal and the betrayal of the Captain of the Order of the Gold Lion.


    ¡°Please, Your Holiness. I implore you tomand the army to focus only on the enemy at our doorstep at such a time.¡±


    However, the only answer Pavan got for his pleas was a growl.


    ¡°If that bitch escapes, your neck will be the next thing rolling outside the Great Walls.¡±


    ¡°...Yes, Your Holiness.¡±


    It looked like Helmut hadn¡¯t even listened to Pavan¡¯s warning properly. Instead, he was focused solely on inhaling the scent of the incense.


    Pavan stared into Helmut¡¯s dimming eyes and then turned around to leave.


    ***


    The gathered clouds that couldn¡¯t disperse were hovering ominously in the sky. It did not rain. The dreary and wet wind made everyone¡¯s hearts flutter strangely in anxiety.


    Sina looked at the city in front of her while feeling ufortable and uneasy.


    ¡°...That¡¯s Torra,¡± Sina murmured in a whisper.


    Before all of this happened, there was no city that could make her heart flutter as much as the holy city of Torra; after all, Sina wished to be a Temr.


    Torra was a city where the history carved at the hands of the emperor was engraved everywhere, and where living heroes resided¡ªit was a city overlooked by His Majesty himself, as he looked down from his Eternal Throne. Such was the public perception of Torra, and the same used to be Sina¡¯s perception.


    ¡°I used to think that Torra was the most beautiful city in the world, but I¡¯m not sure if I still think so.¡±


    ¡°...I don¡¯t think it¡¯s just due to the time that has passed.¡± H clicked her tongue and replied while standing beside Sina.


    mes and smoke were soaring throughout the vast city, while corpses were scattered everywhere. Ashes, rainwater, and blood were mixed with the mud, while the people were all looking around them with empty eyes.


    In the center of all this devastation, one could see the Great Walls of Torra surrounding the Vatican and the Imperial Pce. The Great Walls themselves boasted a huge size that could amodate hundreds of thousands of people. They were built like an borate puzzle, and showed no gaps that an enemy could dig through¡ªits surface was so smooth that it was impossible to climb above it.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never thought of targeting Torra before, but I can tell it¡¯s happening for real now. Yet I still can¡¯t think of any way to attack Torra. How the heck are we going to climb that wall?¡± Sina muttered with a fed-up expression as she looked at the Great Walls of Torra.


    In response H looked at Juan, who was standing at the forefront of the army, with her mouth tightly closed.


    Juan was calmly approaching the Great Walls without even contemting stopping or slowing down, even with Torra right in front of his eyes.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t he be able to use a secret passage since the Great Walls were built by him?¡± H asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know much about Torra, but as far as I know, there is no secret passage leading into the Great Walls as far as I know.¡± Nienna approached them before anyone knew it and joined the conversation.


    ¡°Besides, there is no way that His Majesty would crawl through a drain or a rat hole to get in there.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never liked saying this, but I guess all I can say at this moment is ¡®His Majesty must have a n.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Why do you hate saying that, H?¡± Nienna asked H with a soft smile.


    H frowned and opened her mouth.


    ¡°His Majesty did not <i>give us?</i>peace and freedom for free¡ªinstead, he helped us win them. I don¡¯t think what His Majesty did was wrong, since humans are not babies that His Majesty should have to feed forever.¡±


    ¡°Then what if His Majesty tells you to charge right through the Great Walls?¡±


    ¡°While I do not want to be a baby, neither do I want to be an egg thrown against a rock. We just want to be His Majesty¡¯s loyal army¡ªsimrly, His Majesty should also be <i>our?</i>emperor.¡±


    Niennaughed in a low voice at H¡¯s answer, and then she kicked her horse to take the lead.


    ¡°You worry too much, H. But I want you to think from a slightly different angle. His Majesty waged wars killed gods not because he hated them¡ªhe did that for the sake of humans.¡±


    ¡°...I know.¡±


    ¡°But this war is different. It¡¯s not a war for the sake of humans, but for convicting sinners. One could say that it¡¯s just revenge, but in a way, it¡¯s very personal. Why would His Majesty borrow someone else¡¯s hands when he is dealing with his personal vengeance?¡±


    H frowned. She didn¡¯t doubt the emperor¡¯s omnipotence; she just didn¡¯t want to rely on it too much. But Nienna was speaking almost as if the emperor was going to attack the Great Walls all by himself.


    ¡°If that was possible, why would His Majesty even call for such an army?¡±


    ¡°Who knows?¡± Nienna shrugged and answered.


    ¡°Maybe he brought us here just to catch the guys running away from him.¡±


    ***


    Soon after, they reached close enough to Torra that the gate of the Great Walls could be seen. They were still quite some distance away, but they just had to lift their heads up to look at the Great Walls.


    When Juan stepped on the long slope leading toward the gate of the Great Walls, the gate suddenly began to open. The army stopped all at once when Juan came to a stop.


    Then, a man walked out of the gate and took a long time to approach Juan. The person who arrived in front of Juan was none other than Pavan Peltere, the Captain of the Order of the Capital.


    ¡°Your Majesty.¡±


    Pavan got off his horse and saluted Juan. The army behind Juan looked at Pavan with a shocked expression, since the fact that the Captain of the Order of the Capital called Juan ¡®His Majesty¡¯ was not something that could be taken lightly.


    ¡°I am Pavan Peltere, the Captain of the Order of the Capital. First of all, I would like to thank you for making the long journey to return.¡±


    Juan stared at Pavan for a while and then opened his mouth.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need your greetings or your gratitude. I have juste to take back what is mine from a thief.¡±


    Pavan smiled bitterly.


    ¡°With all due respect, that ¡®thief¡¯ is now the one ruling the empire. The House of Peers has already acknowledged the Church¡¯s reign, and the citizens have long since been tolerating it. There is no doubt that His Majesty is the true owner of the empire, but Your Majesty¡¯s actions now may set a bad precedent.¡±


    Basically, Pavan was suggesting that Juan could grasp the power without doing anything, and just stepping aside.


    Juanughed, almost as if he was dumbfounded at Pavan¡¯s attitude.


    ¡°You are still going to fight even when you know that I¡¯m the emperor?¡±


    ¡°This is the reality of the army. You can¡¯t just surrender because you know that you will lose. I¡¯ve already lost enough self-respect by changing the subject of my loyalty once.¡±


    Juan felt strange upon hearing Pavan¡¯s words. He was speaking like Barth Baltic, but he was using a subtle tone to change the subject. Juan already knew that Pavan was more of a politician than a soldier. There was no reason for Pavan to be forcibly attached to a force that would soon copse.


    ¡°However, the army would naturally stand by Your Majesty if Your Majesty showed the people that you are the true emperor without a doubt, and if you make them realize that the true owner of the empire has returned.¡±


    Juanughed once again. He had been wondering what Pavan wanted, but then realized that Pavan was suggesting that ¡®the army would stand on your side if you prove that you are the true emperor.¡¯


    Pavan, who had already been betrayed by Barth Baltic, seemed like he wanted to choose the safe path even if he had to die.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like to be tested,¡± Juan said.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I sounded rude, Your Majesty. But I¡­¡±


    ¡°However, I think this test will be necessary to do what I was nning to do anyway. So forget about what you said and go back to your original station. I will soon let you know that you were one of the people under me even before you held a sword in your hand.¡±


    Pavan was taken aback by Juan¡¯s words.


    ¡°But since you came all the way out here at the risk of your life, I¡¯ll give you a small reward. Go and get your army off the walls,¡± Juan said coldly.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry? Your Majesty, that is¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all I have to say.¡±


    Pavan felt a sharp pain in his heart when his eyes met Juan¡¯s eyes.


    Shortly after, Pavan was running toward the gate. He ran like crazy, even abandoning his horse. Pavan gasped and looked around while holding his chest, almost as if his heart was about to burst. The soldiers were looking at him with surprised looks on their faces.


    Pavan didn¡¯t even know how he managed toe back.


    The knights who had been anxiously waiting for Pavan¡¯s return from atop the walls quickly approached Pavan.


    ¡°Captain! Are you okay? What happened?¡±


    All Pavan could remember was the look in Juan¡¯s eyes, as well as hisst order.


    ¡°Get the soldiers off of the walls right now.¡±


    ¡°Pardon me?¡±


    ¡°I said get the soldiers off of the walls! Now!¡± Pavan screamed.


    It was a cry filled with fear and desperation.

 Chapter 176 – The Holy City of Torra (3)

    <h4>Chapter 176 ¨C The Holy City of Torra (3)</h4>


    The damp winter wind shook Juan¡¯s hair and blew away his foggy breath.


    Juan stood alone on the slope leading toward Torra and faced the Great Walls. He looked terribly small and precariouspared to the Great Walls. Both the inside and outside of Torra were so quiet that even Juan¡¯s footsteps as he walked on the slope sounded loud.


    Sina realized that she was just staring at Juan as she forgot to breathe. However, upon looking around, she could see that she wasn¡¯t the only one holding her breath. Everyone, including the refugees from Torra, the soldiers, and even Nienna, was watching Juan while holding their breaths.


    No one could speak a word ever since Pavan had visited. An unknown energy was carried by the wind, forcing them into a suffocating silence. It felt as if the entire universe was watching only Juan.


    ¡®<i>What is he nning to do?</i>¡¯


    Sina thought as she looked at Juan walking toward the Great Walls in silence. Everyone had the same question in mind.


    H was worried about the siege from the walls, and Pavan even expressed his willingness to surrender.


    However, Juan epted neither.


    Then Sina inadvertently recalled the joke someone made, that the Great Walls would copse if the emperor said ¡®copse,¡¯ since they were built by the emperor. She thought that it was a ridiculous joke; there was no way that the emperor would have built a wall in the capital city that would easily copse with just one word.


    However, Sina realized that her expectations werepletely out of line upon seeing what happened soon after. That was not just a ridiculous joke.


    While it wasn¡¯tpletely urate, it wasn¡¯t far from reality either.


    ***


    Juan looked up at the Great Walls.


    Compared to the time when he used to be the emperor, the traces left by the passage of time were evident, due to the moss and rainwater wearing down upon it. In addition, there were some burn marks left after being recently struck by lightning.


    However, the walls still remained thick and firm on the spot, just as they used to be.


    ¡°Everything in the world has changed, but you are still the same.¡±


    The Great Walls were built by Juan himself. Ever since he built those walls, he had never once thought that one day, humans would be his enemies. He had built them while considering the gods that might someday return after he was gone, the unpredictable enemies from beyond the Crack, or something unknown he had never seen.


    Juan had made the Great Walls such that it was an army in itself¡ªone that would prevent disasters and be thest bastion of humanity for thousands of years toe.


    Unfortunately, Juan had died before he could tell everyone about it.


    But now he had returned.


    ¡®<i>I have returned.</i>¡¯


    Juan felt that the end of his long journey was near. Beyond these walls were the secrets rted to his assassination, his original body, as well as a man who had destroyed the empire he built.


    The white foggy breath flew away in the cold wind. Compared to his life as the emperor, his journey was quite short. He met a lot of people and shed a lot of blood with his hands. Even though it was a short time, Juan felt that he had changed more than when he became the emperor.


    Juan felt that he was more distant from the title of ¡®emperor¡¯ than ever before. Juan had a feeling that perhaps he couldn¡¯t be the emperor just by simply iming himself to be¡ªit was just like Sina said. Even Juan had to agree to that when he recalled the difference between himself as the emperor and his current self.


    When he thought up to this point, he suddenly felt that maybe it was only natural for Dane, who was his teacher, to ¡®fix¡¯ him. He also understood why H was so worried about him. She may not be aware of it herself, but she already thought of Juan and the emperor of the past as two separate existences.


    In a sense, H could be said to be right, since Juan also felt that he waspletely different from his past self now. Perhaps the emperor really did die on the day Gerard stabbed him in the back.


    ¡®<i>But what does that matter?</i>¡¯


    He didn¡¯t know about the emperor, but Juan himself was here right now.


    He took a deep breath, and air filled his lungs.


    Then, Juan shouted, imbuing his powerful will into the voice.


    ¡°<strong>I have returned!</strong>¡±


    The Great Walls trembled at the cry, shaking all of Torra. All those who were watching Juan fell to the ground with their hands covering their ears. At the same time, everyone inside Torra had also heard his voice. Even all those who had locked themselves inside their houses with their windows closed due to the Pope and the Temrs also looked outside, wondering what was going on.


    ¡°<strong>I have returned!</strong>¡±


    The walls trembled once more.


    The Temrs and Priests from the Church looked toward the East as if they were possessed. There were a few Temrs who knelt down and began to recite a prayer as soon as they heard the first cry. The Temrs, who were wandering around due to the ughters they havemitted against their wills, also copsed, nkly muttering the name of the emperor.


    Helmut hurriedly ran out of the Imperial Pce and looked toward the eastern walls. A cry that almost made his head explode echoed inside his head. At the same time, all the Priests were either crying or praying while lying on their stomachs.


    Upon seeing such a sight, Helmut muttered even before realizing it.


    ¡°Your Majesty, have you truly returned¡­?¡±


    Juan took in another breath and shouted at the top of his lungs once more.


    ¡°<strong>Get up and wee your master!</strong>¡±


    Paven Peltere saw the Walls quivering every time Juan shouted and had to wonder if they would copse just like that. The walls were now shaking as if there was an earthquake. The houses built atop the walls copsed, while all the moss fell off at once. The war equipment and bricks piled up on the walls began to fall down helplessly.


    ¡°Th-the walls are copsing! Everyone back off!¡±


    Pavan doubted whether it was even possible to break down the huge walls with just voice alone. However, his doubts were cleared soon enough. It was not only the eastern wall that would tremble whenever Juan shouted. The entirety of the Great Walls that surrounded Torra would shake and vibrate with his voice.


    Pavan shut his mouth; he didn¡¯t know how to warn the people. Instead, it was the soldiers who were screaming and warning the people with perplexed expressions.


    ¡°The walls are cops¡ª it¡¯s¡­ rising?¡±


    The walls did not copse; they only broke the long silence and raised themselves up ording to Juan¡¯s order.


    The Great Walls, which were managed by humans for a long time, were covered with many different equipment and constructed buildings.


    However, everything covering the Great Walls had fallen off as the Great Walls raised themselves up, and only the <i>true?</i>walls themselves were revealed. Huge human-shaped stone statues that measured more than a hundred meters tall were surrounding Torra. Even beyond the vast clouds of dust, their silhouette was clearly visible.


    Anya trembled with her hand covering her mouth.


    ¡°Golems¡­ the arms that support the empire¡­¡±


    Anya still clearly remembered the first time she met Juan. Anya had tried to figure out how to control the Golems by watching Juan control one at the Ash Tower. This was because she thought it would be easy to destroy the empire if she could find and control the Golems who actively fought against the gods during the Founding Era.


    However, Anya had thought that the Golems would be either hidden in the mountains or somewhere underground, since no one knew where they were.


    Only now did she realize that her expectations had beenpletely wrong. The Golems had be the walls of humankind after they drove out the gods and lost their purpose.


    More than three hundred Golems, the most powerful allies of humanity in the Mythological Era, were now surrounding Torra. All the residents of Torra could also see them as the dust cloud subsided. It was andscape where everyone could feel the majesty of the golems.


    Anya couldn¡¯t tell whether the reason why she was shaking was that she was deeply touched or she was scared. Juan probably didn¡¯t even remember their first encounter, but in the end, Golems had be the decisive factor in destroying the empire.


    It was almost as if someone was telling Anya that the path she chose wasn¡¯t wrong.


    ***


    The soldiers of the Imperial Capital Army who were surrounded by the Golemspletely lost their will to fight.


    Their motivations had already hit rock bottom in the first ce, but now, even the weapons they held in their hands felt burdensome. They had been living in Torra for decades and had always been proud of the Great Walls that were protecting them. However, never once did they think that one day they would be a threat to them.


    There would be no way to resist if the surrounding ¡®Walls¡¯ stood up, turned around, and began to attack them. Even the ground where the soldiers were stepping on seemed as if it was about to stand up at any moment.


    The Golems surrounding Torra were silently looking down at Torra with their shining red eyes, but did not move¡ªthe same was also true of the soldiers and knights.


    However, unlike the Golems, they were thinking that they would be recognized as enemies by the Golems and trampled to death if they took even a single wrong step.


    At that moment, some of the Golems suddenly turned and made a movement. Screams immediately broke out among the soldiers, but the Golems did nothing other than move a little bit.


    A man emerged from among the Golems.


    It was Juan.


    Juan walked amidst the Golems in a calm manner and approached the Imperial Army that was on standby. Only the sound of Juan¡¯s footsteps could be heard in the center of silent Torra. Where the Imperial Army stood was a boulevard that extended toward the Imperial Pce. If the soldiers backed down, it would directly open up the path toward the Pce.


    While the soldiers were hesitating because they didn¡¯t know what to do, Juan was getting closer and closer.


    Then, at that moment, a cry came from somewhere.


    ¡°All¡ªattention!¡±


    The soldiers reflexively followed the order. The Imperial Army turned toward Juan in unison and took a stand. However, the voice that gave the order was one they had never heard before. The soldiers soon realized that it was neither Pavan or another Temr who uttered the cry, but one of the newbie officers whose name was unknown.


    The officer shouted once again in a trembling voice.


    ¡°Salute to His Majesty!¡±


    It was an order from an officer who did not even have a direct subordinate, let alone the authority tomand anyone, but all the soldiers felt rather relieved in a situation where both the knights and the captains of the knight orders maintained silence.


    The soldiers shouted in salute without anyint.


    Juan stopped for a while upon seeing the loud salute. He briefly epted the salute and continued to step forward.


    Then, the Pce entered Juan¡¯s eyes amidst the soldiers who had split up to open the way for him.


    There was no one stopping Juan.


    ***


    Helmut looked at the long road from the east entrance to the Imperial Pce open up without a word.


    Without shedding a single drop of blood, Juan had gained full control of the Imperial Army. No one seemed to be daring enough to stand up to Juan.


    None of the people from the Church seemed to be in their right mind either. All the Bishops, Priests, and Temrs were lying on the floor and constantly reciting prayers.


    Helmut felt like the floor was falling apart.


    ¡°Stolen goods must be returned when their owneres back to get them.¡±


    When Helmut turned toward the voice he heard from behind, he saw Barth Baltic stroking a pir of the Imperial Pce.


    ¡°Your expression seems to ask me when I entered the Imperial Pce. You probably only know of the main gate since you rarely have the chance to visit the Imperial Pce, but at one point in time, I used to almost live here. I know of many doors and roads. I decided to pay a visit since the veil of benevolence was lifted. I also have something to talk about with someone who will be arriving here soon,¡± Barth said.


    ¡°You bastard¡­ you are betraying me too?¡±


    ¡°Betray? You are being ridiculous, Helmut.¡±


    Barth Baltic spat as if he was disgusted by the mere fact that he had to speak Helmut¡¯s name.


    ¡°We only used each other for amon purpose. I find it utterly unpleasant that I was involved with someone like you, but I still don¡¯t think what I¡¯ve done is wrong. But a sin is a sin. I am ready to pay the price for my sins. I hope that¡¯s true of you as well.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I am the representative of His Majesty! His Majesty is the only emperor, and only His Majesty who is sitting on the Eternal Throne is the true emperor of the empire! The rest are all nothing but fakes!¡±


    ¡°You sound like a parrot, repeating the same words over and over again.¡±


    Upon hearing Barth¡¯s ridicule, Helmut shouted and summoned a strand of Telgramm¡¯s lightning and swung it at Barth.


    Powerful lightning immediately stuck Barth, but he simply stamped his foot and directly faced the lightning with his head.


    The lightning bounced off just like that and then hit the ceiling of the Imperial Pce before scattering away.


    Meanwhile, Helmut looked at the sight as if he could not believe it.


    ¡°I¡¯m not as strong as I used to be, perhaps because my horns have been broken. But wielding the power of Telgramm toward a member of the Hornsluine is utterly foolish. After all, it was Hornsluine who created Telgramm in the first ce to¡­¡±


    Barth couldn¡¯t finish his sentence and quickly turned around. A spear that suddenly flew toward him obliquely pierced the right side of his chest.


    <i>St!</i>


    With a terrible ripping sound, Barth¡¯s tough flesh was torn apart, and blood spurted up from the wound. It was a dangerous attack that would have been fatal if Barth hadn¡¯t been able to respond in time. However, he was already hurt so badly that he couldn¡¯t even move properly.


    ¡®<i>Damn it, I let my guard down.</i>¡¯


    Barth was out of shape due to his recent fight with Juan, but he still felt himself to be pathetic for being injured by Helmut.


    ¡°Your Holiness!¡¯


    ¡°Who, who is it?¡±


    At that moment, someone showed up at the end of the corridor. They, too, seemed to have entered the Imperial Pce through the back door, just like Barth Baltic.


    The first one running toward Helmut in lead was Imil Ilde, the head of the Ilde family. But Barth Baltic was focused on those standing behind him.


    Knights in crimson-colored armor with the symbol of a bloody hammer were approaching. One of those knights was so huge that one would question whether there was another Hornsluine still alive within the empire.


    Barth Baltic groaned upon seeing their armor. They, who were reluctant to intervene even after hearing the news of the emperor¡¯s return, had finally arrived in Torra.


    The giant knight ignored Barth and walked past him after checking that it would be difficult for him to move. Then he bowed his head toward the Pope and opened his mouth.


    ¡°I cannot allow the hands of the apostates to stain His Majesty¡¯s body. We will protect you, Your Holiness.¡±

 Chapter 177 – Barth Baltic

    <h4>Chapter 177 ¨C Barth Baltic</h4>


    There was no one getting in Juan¡¯s way, until he arrived in front of the Imperial Pce.


    Juan frowned upon sensing that the veil of benevolence had been destroyed. The veil of benevolence was always kept turned off when Juan used to be the emperor so that anyone could freely enter and exit the Imperial Pce, since the Imperial Pce served as an administrative headquarter.


    However, the true reason why the veil of benevolence was originally created was to prepare for enemy invasion during a war. It was quite ironic that the veil of benevolence had disappeared when such a situation actually happened.


    Juan walked into the Imperial Pce and found blood stains scattered at the entrance of the Imperial Pce. Considering the amount of blood, the victim seemed to have suffered from severe injuries.


    The bloodstains extended quite far into the Imperial Pce, and Juan could tell at just a nce that blood had fallen from a fairly high location upon looking at the bloodstains.


    Juan knew only one person who was that tall.


    ¡°Barth Baltic.¡±


    Juan didn¡¯t know what had happened, but there seemed to have been a person skilled and powerful enough to wound Barth Baltic. Juan continued to walk along the bloodstains. The bloodstains continued to the deepest parts of the Imperial Pce, and it wasn¡¯t long before Juan saw a huge door.


    It was a huge steel gate with all of Juan¡¯s history, from his birth, all the way to his assassination carved on it¡ªJuan had already seen it before when he had taken over Ivy¡¯s body. Juan recalled feeling a huge power that had almost swept him away even though he had just taken a look.


    However, he felt nothing this time.


    He was sure that he hadn¡¯t gotten strong enough to not be swept up away by that power, so he could only think of other possibilities.


    Innread dot".


    Juan opened the door and entered. Soon, a huge space appeared in front of his eyes. Each of the majestic pirs in this ce were carved into statues depicting beheaded gods and legendary monsters. On the ceiling supported by the pirs was a delicately drawn map of the empire with many details, including every single city.


    And at the end of the row of pirs was a throne.


    As Juan had expected, the throne was empty.


    Barth Baltic was waiting for Juan on the stairs leading up to the throne. The blood from the wound on his right chest was wetting the stairs.


    ¡°You¡¯re here,¡± Barth opened his mouth in a calm manner. ¡°The others stole your body. It wasn¡¯t me.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    Juan could already tell from the traces left behind that the body was moved quite delicately, with no rush, showing their religious piety. He couldn¡¯t tell how they were able to move his body so fast, but the opponents seemed to have already left Torra.


    Although the throne had been left unattended for a long time, not a single grain of dust could be found anywhere. Rather, it was delicately oiled such that it looked shiny. Juan couldn¡¯t imagine what his body would have looked like, considering that even the throne was managed so carefully.


    ¡°Who took my body?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°Your son.¡±


    Juan frowned upon hearing Barth¡¯s answer. The first son that came to mind was Gerard, since Juan still didn¡¯t know where he was.


    But Juan soon thought of someone else.


    ¡°Dismas?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Dismas Dilver. The Bishop General of the west and your third adopted son. He stormed in with the Order of Surtr and took your body away along with the Pope. I don¡¯t think he was interested in seeing your face.¡±


    Juan looked at the empty throne without saying a word. He had been both excited and afraid of the moment when he finally got to face his body. He felt as if an old concern that had been postponed might explode the moment he saw his own body.


    Now that the moment was unexpectedly dyed, Juan could not tell whether he was feeling relieved or disappointed.


    ¡°But the throne still remains here. The throne is all yours,¡± Barth grinned and tapped on the stairs.


    ¡®<i>So this is how I return.</i>¡¯


    Torra had fallen and the Pope had fled. There were no more forces left to oppose Juan, since all of the Imperial forces obeyed him. The rest of the forces would soon be reported of the Pope¡¯s misdeeds and then they too would announce their surrender at the news of Juan¡¯s return.


    Except for the west, the empire could be said to be back in Juan¡¯s hands.


    ¡®<i>I have returned.</i>¡¯


    ¡°Hah¡­¡±


    Juanughed despondently without even realizing it. It was a moment that he had longed for, but it had a despondent ending. He managed to eventually return, but there was not much he found out about.


    ¡®<i>Why did I have to die? Why did Gerard stab me? Why was I revived?</i>¡¯


    None of his questions were answered.


    Barth smiled as if he could read Juan¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Are you disappointed?¡±


    ¡°How can I not be disappointed? The bastard that I nned to tear apart ran away and in the end, I found out nothing.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean you found out nothing? I told you that I would answer your questions. Remember?¡±


    Juan turned his head toward Barth.


    ¡°Are you talking about the reason why you wanted to kill me? Didn¡¯t you already say it¡¯s because I''m a human god? Unfortunately, you are wrong. I¡¯m not a god. Wasn¡¯t it you and the Pope who turned me into god?¡±


    ¡°It seems like you didn¡¯t pay too much attention to what I had said.¡±


    Barth raised himself up with difficulty and turned toward Juan.


    ¡°You were indeed a human god. To be precise, you were made to be a human god¡ªby Dane Dormund.¡±


    ***


    Juan remained silent for a long time and then finally opened his mouth.


    ¡°What do you mean? Are you suggesting that I was made by Dane, just like Gerard?¡±


    ¡°No. Gerard is nothing but a clone. He was only able to be born because you existed. But you are different. You were a lump of y that waspletely designed, created, and shaped to be a perfect weapon to defeat the gods from beginning to end,¡± Barth said whileughing in a low voice as if something was funny.


    ¡°Dane has that much power? No. I don¡¯t know how much stronger he has gotten now, but I was very well aware of Dane¡¯s abilities at that time. Dane was indeed a great magician, but not to that extent. He was just a long-lived magician when I first met him. He was my teacher, but he even said that he had achieved true growth only by meeting me, to the point where he felt like he had be apletely different person after he met me,¡± Juan said with a distorted expression.


    ¡°Of course he wasn¡¯t strong enough. To be exact, it was Aruntal that made you.¡±


    ¡°Aruntal? My teachers?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Aruntal and Hornsluines struggled to find a way to kill the gods. But Hornsluine wanted a weapon, while Aruntal wanted a hero. We ended up going our separate ways due to the differences in our goals. As a result, the Hornsluine were destroyed and the hero created by Aruntal survived.¡±


    Juan looked at his own hands.


    ¡®<i>I was made by Aruntal?</i>¡¯


    Juan had believed that the reason why he didn¡¯t know of his parents was just that he was an orphan.


    ¡°I was an orphan. I didn¡¯t meet Aruntal until I got much older. So, how¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course, Aruntal¡¯s process of making you was not easy. They had to hide from all kinds of checks and attacks, then hide you in a vige inside a remote valley. Then they showed up in front of you when they judged that you were old enough to achieve their goal. Everything was thoroughly nned.¡±


    Juan recalled the first time he met Aruntal and Dane¡ªthe time when a strange magician and an old elf came to look up and down at Juan. They said that Juan was the chosen one, and that he must stand up to the gods for the good of all.


    ¡°Aruntal was satisfied by their achievements of designing and creating you. They believed that their n to create a hero that would allow all races to be independent of gods was sessful. But their n had failed from the ground up.¡±


    Juan stared nkly at Barth.


    ¡°Aruntal was perplexed when you became the emperor and led the humans, but they understood. After all, humans didn¡¯t have a god, and they had deliberately modeled you to have a human form precisely because of their independence. So, it was no wonder that humans were attracted to you, who looked exactly like them. However, Aruntal was surprised and perplexed to see the humans led by you ostracize the other races and even ughter them,¡± Barth said as if he was chewing on his words.


    At that moment Juan remembered that some of the members of Aruntal had warned him about such conduct. Juan severely punished the humans involved in such crimes, but he thought different races had to endure it to a certain extent, since they had been at an advantage by relying on the authority of the gods before his emergence.


    ¡°This is obvious, but Aruntal did not make you a human god. You had to be a hero for all the weak who were oppressed by the gods. But when you absorbed Mananen McLier¡¯s heart and becamepleted as the true emperor, Aruntal realized that there was a reason they failed¡ªone among them was ying tricks.¡±


    ¡°Dane¡­¡± Juan muttered to himself.


    Barth nodded.


    ¡°Yes, Dane. Dane Dormund. He secretly transformed you, who should have been born as a hero for all races, into a god only for the humans. He wasn¡¯t strong enough to make you on his own, but strong enough to transform you without letting anyone know. By the time Aruntal realized what was happening, it was toote. When the members of Aruntal gathered to correct the situation, Dane set them all up and killed them all.¡±


    Juan had a clear memory of the extermination of Aruntal. At that time, Juan believed that the incident was clearly the work of the beings from the Crack or of the gods who fled.


    However, the culprit who killed all of the members of Aruntal was actually someone from Aruntal itself.


    ¡°You are an artificial god, Juan. You were created by your enemy.¡±


    Juan felt his legs wobble. He wanted to deny Barth¡¯s words, but all the scattered puzzle pieces fit with each other perfectly¡ªincluding the part about Dane¡¯s obsession with the ¡®human god¡¯ and his constant efforts to ¡®revise.¡¯


    Dane even tried to kill Juan and recreate him after realizing that he no longer loved humans.


    ¡°How¡­ how do you know all this, Barth?¡±


    ¡°You left the investigation to me when Aruntal was exterminated. These were the facts obtained after the investigation. The process of finding these facts was difficult, but I didn¡¯t even want to tell you about it when I found out, because¡­ I came to hate you,¡± Barth twisted his lips.


    ¡°Hate? Me?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t hate you simply because you¡¯re a human god,¡± Barth said while staring coldly at Juan. ¡°You could have been everyone¡¯s hero. No, you could have been everyone¡¯s god. You could have been the salvation of all the races that were ughtered and all the weaklings. Perhaps you could have revived my extinct species with that power,¡± Barth gritted his teeth and shouted at Juan.


    ¡°YOU HAD INFINITE POSSIBILITIES! But all of those possibilities disappeared when Dane turned you into a human god! The only reason why I didn¡¯t go insane after finding out such a fact was due to my motivation to kill you and Dane!¡±


    ¡°But I¡­ I didn¡¯t even want that for myself.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter! I tried to understand you at first too. I knew that it was Dane who was the bad guy here! But just looking at you constantly reminded me of an opportunity that my race was deprived of! Just listening to you breathing made me feel like I was hearing the painful screams of my people!¡±


    Barth breathed heavily after he poured out his words. The wound on his chest seemed to have pierced his lungs. Barth moaned painfully for a long time, then quietly muttered again.


    ¡°You must think I¡¯m pathetic.¡±


    ¡°Barth.¡±


    ¡°But you will never understand the way I feel unless all of the members of your kind disappear from the world. My hatred wouldn¡¯t have been directed at you if I didn¡¯t find out about the truth in the first ce. So there¡¯s no need for you to empathize with or understand me. After all, I wanted you to die.¡±


    Barth slowly raised himself up. Hisplexion was pale because he had already lost too much blood. Such a big wound seemed critical even with his ability to tighten his muscles to stop bleeding.


    ¡°Barth. I can see why you want to kill me. But first, let¡¯s get you treated. We¡¯ll talk more after that,¡± Juan said.


    ¡°No,¡± Barth answered briefly. ¡°I no longer have to feel guilty anymore, and I also confessed to you the reason for my hatred toward you. I have already put everything down. There is nothing left in my hands now, and neither do I have anything I want to hold onto,¡± Barth said and slowly looked at Juan.


    ¡°It¡¯s a perfect day to end everything. This is enough for me.¡±


    Barth¡¯s eyes were calm.


    Upon realizing what Barth was about to do, Juan quickly tried to hold Barth down.


    However, Barth immediately punched his own chest with all his might, crushing his own heart. His heart was shattered in a single blow. He coughed up blood and copsed to the floor.


    ¡°No, damn it. Barth!¡±


    Juan hastily rushed to Barth. But at that moment, Barth grabbed Juan¡¯s neck with a force that should be impossible for a dying man.


    Juan noticed from the amount of power in Barth¡¯s grip as he held onto Juan¡¯s neck that he sincerely wanted to kill Juan.


    Barth strangled Juan¡¯s neck with a fierce look in his eyes.


    ¡°Stop giving me that sympathetic look, emperor,¡± Barth muttered in a quiet voice. ¡°I am thest survivor of the Hornsluines, the ones who confronted the gods. I was an officer of the honorable Palma Kingdom. Imitted my soul to war in order to avenge my race and my king. Countless monsters and enemies rolled around under my feet. The world praised and looked up to me.¡±


    Barth¡¯s growling voice sounded like that of a beast, making Juan wonder if Barth really was dying.


    ¡°Some have said that I was nothing but a dirty heterogeneous traitor. But that¡¯s not who I am. Even the great emperor of the empire trusted me to the extent of leaving his back to me. I was the best warrior, and I tried to be the best teacher for my disciples.¡±


    Barth Baltic¡¯s words soon began to slow down. Bubbles of blood flowed down his lips, and his fierce eyes that had been burning fiercely slowly began to fade into a gray like cold coal.


    ¡°I am Barth Baltic.¡±


    Barth¡¯s hands that were tightly squeezing Juan¡¯s neck lost strength and opened as if a lock was slowly being unlocked.


    Barth quietly whispered hisst words.


    ¡°I am the Regent of the empire¡­¡±

 Chapter 178 – Searching for the Enemy (1)

    <h4>Chapter 178 ¨C Searching for the Enemy (1)</h4>


    Barth Baltic fell as quietly as a piece of burnt wood.


    Juan looked silently at Barth Baltic¡¯s body.


    Barth hated Juan until the veryst minute of his life, but he was also the Regent who was fiercely loyal to the empire. Juan foresaw that he would never find another Regent like Barth Baltic ever again¡ªat the very least he wouldn''t be able to ept anyone else.


    This was a different matter from loyalty. It only seemed right to leave the position of the Regent empty forever as a sign of respect.


    Juan sighed and looked around the audience chamber of the Imperial Pce in silence. It seemed to have been managed fairly well, with every corner being cleaned thoroughly. But now, the front of the throne was dirtied with blood and dirt.


    In the end, Juan failed to use the Pope of his sins and failed to regain his original body. But the fact that Juan had taken over the empire did not change.


    Juan climbed up the stairs and examined the throne. The golden throne was decorated even more splendidly than when he was alive, but for some reason, it felt like he could still smell his original body.


    At that moment, a voice suddenly came from behind Juan.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to take a seat?¡±


    Juan stroked the throne without even looking back.


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking about it.¡±


    Sina quietly stepped inside. Her ttering footsteps broke the silence in the audience chamber.


    ¡°Duke Henna is disarming the Imperial Army, and General Nienna is meeting with civic representatives to discuss urban restoration. Anya couldn¡¯t evene inside because of the Undeads, but I guess it doesn¡¯t really matter, since she was busy looking at the Golems anyway. It seems like those little things were more important to them than entering the Imperial Pce. They are good people, Juan.¡±


    Instead of answering, Juan looked down at the throne.


    ¡°You must have heard Barth Baltic¡¯s story. What Dane said about me was not a metaphor, but a literal expression. Aruntal made me, and Dane transformed me. It means that the emperor you praised so much is the result of a dirty trick,¡± Juan said.


    SIna did not answer.


    ¡°I can see why Dane wanted to ¡®recreate¡¯ me again so badly. His precious work has been ruined, so it¡¯s only natural for him to be annoyed, to see me pretending to be fine,¡± Juan murmured with a sigh. ¡°I thought the only thing Dane ruined were ns rted to my first child.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it really matters that much.¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s irrelevant. To be honest, I sometimes wonder if it¡¯s okay to just leave me alone without any restrictions. That¡¯s why I adopted Nienna, Dismas, and Ras. They are already great children, but I wanted to keep them by my side and keep my eyes on them,¡± Juan sighed once again.


    ¡°Perhaps that¡¯s what Dane thought as well. He probably wished there was a god who could protect humanity and love them. I¡¯m sure everyone who lived in the Mythological Era had the same thought. The Pope was probably one of them as well. And if there was such a being, he probably wanted to put a leash on it¡ªjust like I did. I don¡¯t think that¡¯s necessarily bad.¡±


    ¡°...Maybe,¡± Sina answered.


    ¡°But¡­ I don¡¯t like being his puppet either.¡±


    Dane created an emperor to protect and lead humanity. If that was the sole purpose of Juan as the emperor, there was no reason for him to follow it now that he has been freed from his restraints. Rather, he might even go against them out of resentment.


    Come to think of it, the hatred and disgust Juan felt toward humans right after his resurrection may have been the result of a bacsh against the restraints that Dane has ced inside him.


    Sina bit her lips. She tried multiple times to say something, but felt uneasy for some reason. After a long time, she finally opened her mouth.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. No one can force that on you.¡±


    Juan looked at Sina.


    ¡°None of us needs or even wants a god. Was it really love that gods showed to their races? No. It was nothing but an affection for one¡¯s toys. Are humans so weak that they need a god''s endless care? I deny that as well. In the end, it is humans who survived after all the gods died.¡±


    ¡°However it was the product of a twisted sense of affection of a magician named Dane Dormund.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t intend to deny that. But¡­ Nevertheless, I think you are still capable of loving humans.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Juan lifted his eyebrows and turned his head toward Sina.


    Sina slowly walked past Barth Baltic¡¯s body and approached Juan just below the stairs.


    She then looked up at Juan and opened her mouth again.


    ¡°The emperor that you were before the start of the Eternal Rule is only a small part of you. You became free of Dane¡¯s restraints when you died and were revived. You may or may not love humanity, since you have be a being greater than the result of Dane¡¯s crude fraud.¡±


    ¡°What if I don¡¯t ¡®nevertheless¡¯ love humanity? You¡¯ve already seen the possibility of me going crazy and killing them all.¡±


    ¡°There may be some people who think you would do that. There may be people who get angry and curse over the decisions you make, just like what happened with Arbalde. There might even be people calling you a monster rather than the emperor. But you will eventually make the right decision.¡±


    ¡°Why? Just because I¡¯m the emperor?¡±


    Sina did not avoid Juan¡¯s cold eyes that were staring directly at her.


    ¡°No. Because¡­ you¡¯re Juan.¡±


    Juan remained silent.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone has watched you for as long as I did after you were resurrected. Knowing you from what I saw, I think we can still hold hope. You were just being you, but good people like H, Nienna, Anya, Haild, Opert, Dilmond, and Horhell willingly decided to follow you. You were always like that¡ªyou continued to grow whenever you overcame the crisis of death. I have changed my thoughts about the emperor. Both you¡­ and the emperor can change.¡±


    Juan was silent for a long time and then opened his mouth with difficulty.


    ¡°I don¡¯t love humanity blindly.¡±


    ¡°As a matter of fact, neither do I.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not perfect either.¡±


    ¡°Neither am I.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about you, but others will be disappointed in me and curse me.¡±


    ¡°I also have people that are disappointed in me and curse me. But¡­¡± Sina continued to speak in a calm manner. ¡°¡­I will always believe that you can eventually love humanity even if the timees when everyone in the world calls you a monster. There should be at least one person like that, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡®<i>Is this blind obedience she is showing?</i>¡¯


    Juan looked into Sina¡¯s eyes. However, there were no signs of blind loyalty or madness in her eyes. Rather, her eyes were clear and full of conviction. Juan felt like he had seen such eyes somewhere else before. Juan stared at Sina for a long time and smiled.


    ¡°It is true that I was born as a product of sin.¡±


    ¡°Juan¡­¡±


    ¡°But thanks to you, I think I know what I have to do.¡±


    There will be at least one person who will tell Juan that whatever he does is okay until the end of the world. Knowing that, Juan was able to lift his head up and open up his heart.


    He thought it wouldn¡¯t matter if he left the throne as it was now, since he had finished what he had to do. Dane¡¯s fraud, Barth¡¯s resentment, as well as humankind¡¯s expectations all felt too burdensome for Juan to sit back on the throne once again.


    However, Juan now knew what he had to do.


    Juan sat on the throne and buried himself deeply in it. It was not afortable seat, and Juan couldn¡¯t believe that his body has been sitting on it for over forty years. He was worried that his spine might have broken, despite it being a corpse.


    Juan turned his head to look forward. He could see the familiar, yet not-so-familiar scenery of the audience chamber. Nienna and her subordinates were beginning to enter the room.


    ¡®<i>Here we go.</i>¡¯


    Getting the empire back in his hands was not the end of his journey. Rather, Juan was finally standing at the starting point once again¡ªthe ce where he was stopped while running. But there were many obstacles ahead.


    Above all, the opponent he had to fight from now on might be the emperor himself.


    ***


    The first thing Juan did on the day he took the Imperial Pce back was to search for the missing rather than holding a triumphant coronation ceremony or dere his return.


    Numerous buildings were burned by the Telgramm¡¯s attacks on the holy city of Torra, and many people were harmed. Among them were quite a few nobles and civic representatives. The Imperial Pce which had been unused for the longest time had now be the center of medical care and reconstruction; the Imperial Pce which no one other than the Imperial Guards used to be able to enter was suddenly overflowing with people.


    ¡°How¡¯s the recovery processing along?¡± Juan asked in a temporary office on one side of the Imperial Pce.


    H, who had buried her head in the documents for a long time, raised her head with a tired look.


    ¡°I have tasked all the Imperial troops with the reconstruction efforts. I think the recovery will be quite a lot faster than expected. They are also in the middle of finding bodies in copsed buildings. For now, we are finding missing people through a resident investigation. But I think it will take some time. By the way, thank you for dying the disposition of the Priests.¡±


    ¡°Well, they are necessary for the treatment of the people.¡±


    After the Pope fled, all the remaining Priests in Torra were tasked with helping with the treatment of the people. Of course, the Bishops were under strict surveince, but no one dared to confront Juan when they saw him enter the Imperial Pce.


    H smiled awkwardly and opened her mouth.


    ¡°I¡¯m embarrassed about trying to do whatever I want without knowing Your Majesty¡¯s generosity.¡±


    ¡°To tell you the truth, I don¡¯t know how to take back the Grace they have. I could just kill them all, but I am keeping them around because we still need them. It¡¯s not like I can get my strength back from them by killing them anyway. Perhaps I need to do something to my original body¡­¡±


    H, who seemed to be thinking about something upon hearing Juan¡¯s words, then opened her mouth again.


    ¡°I¡¯ll torture a Bishop, no¡­ I mean I will interrogate him to find out about the process of getting a Grace. The Bishops can grant Grace, and the emunication Priests can even remove Grace. So they must know something. Still, I will tell the others that they are alive thanks to His Majesty¡¯s generosity.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Juan answered briefly and turned around.


    At that moment, H stopped him.


    ¡°Is that all? I think you had something else you really wanted to ask me about.¡±


    ¡°...I was going to skip that question because you looked busy. Or I could have just found out about it myself.¡±


    ¡°The person you are looking for is in the patient camp. There should be a Priest beside that person¡­ Wait, Your Majesty!¡±


    Juan immediately headed toward the patient camp without looking back after hearing H¡¯s answer. At the same time, variousplicated thoughts passed through Juan¡¯s head.


    The patient camp that was built on the right side of the Imperial Pce was crowded with patients from all over Torra. Patients who had suffered injuries ranging from minor bruises to burns, and even amputations.


    The smell of death and pain was getting stronger as Juan approached the patient camp. At the same time, none of the patients seemed to think that Juan was the emperor because he was dressed inly.


    Juan¡¯s expression gradually hardened. Priests from all over Torra were gathered to treat the people, but there were too many patients, especially when considering that the Grace that could be used was limited. If Juan had been a littlete to enter the Imperial Pce, the epidemic might have gone around Torra.


    Juan focused on his senses and captured Heretia¡¯s presence among therge crowd.


    Soon after, Juan found Heretia under one of the tents.


    Heretia and Juan immediately made eye contact.


    ¡°Hey, Your¡­ I mean, Juan.¡±


    Heretia was about to call Juan ¡®Your Majesty,¡¯ but quickly called him by his name instead upon being conscious of the people around them.


    Juan looked at Heretia for a long time and finally opened his mouth with difficulty.


    ¡°What are you doing? I thought you were dead because they said you were missing.¡±

 Chapter 179 – Searching for the Enemy (2)

    <h4>Chapter 179 ¨C Searching for the Enemy (2)</h4>


    Heretia was reading the documents stacked in front of the desk in the tent; she was working on contrasting the list of missing people of Torra with all the patient¡¯s personal details.


    A lot of patients had been brought here while they were unconscious; therefore there were many cases where they remained unidentified. Patients with burns were lying down and groaning from here and there inside the tents.


    ¡°Come on. While I¡¯m not dying, I still got quite an ouchie. It hurts pretty bad,¡± Heretia grinned and lightly shook her skirt.


    The movement of her skirt which felt abnormally light and empty was indicative of the fact that there was no longer anything under her thighs. Juan looked at Heretia¡¯s skirt with a stiff expression.


    ¡°I got lucky. The part that was directly struck by the lightningpletely turned into ashes and fell off immediately, but thanks to that, there was no bleeding. I couldn''t even feel that much pain.¡±


    Heretia was speaking nonchntly as if it was nothing, but Juan could tell that she was lying. After all, Juan had also swung Telgramm at other people. She was acting like nothing happened, but he could easily guess just how severe the wounds which remained under her clothes were.


    ¡°Why are you working when you¡¯re injured so badly? You are also a patient, you know,¡± Juan said.


    ¡°Haha. I might lookzy at times, but I¡¯m the type to feel more ill if I lie down on my sickbed and do nothing. Don¡¯t worry. I was already treated much earlier than other people; the Priests were generous enough to still consider me a great noble. Everyone¡¯s busy right now, so this is the least I could do to help,¡± Heretia answered.


    Juan turned his head and looked at the other patients and the Priests. All the members of the Church hade to the tents to do first aid work, but it was clear that they were exhausted andcked hands, since the number of Priests who were granted healing Grace was limited.


    Considering that the Priests weren¡¯t even allowed to walk around freely on the day when Telgramm struck Torra, Juan could imagine that the situation would have been much worse than now.


    At that moment, Herettia suddenly mumbled while frowning as if she was bothered by something.


    ¡°Come to think of it, we need more medication since most of the patients are burn victims. I¡¯ve been holding out with milk mixed with melted incense, but it¡¯s hard to get, since it¡¯s prohibited in the empire.¡±


    ¡°Incense? Are you talking about that thing made out of grass that makes people go stupid?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°Yes. It bes great medicine if you use it in moderation. I got the Priests to bring it from the Church, since I knew that they had quite a bit in their possession, but it isn¡¯t enough for everyone. If you don¡¯t mind, can you get us some more? And also¡­¡±


    ¡°Just write down everything you need and give it to me. I¡¯ll help you with everything I can.¡±


    ¡°See? This is why you need powerful friends,¡± Heretia smiled.


    ¡°Come to think of it, how did you even survive? I heard you were among the people that directly attacked the Pope.¡±


    ¡°I got very lucky on that part as well. Gareon Geled was¡­ oh, you probably don¡¯t know his name. The Captain of the Order of the Gold Lion was turned into a pile of dust as soon as he was directly struck by Telgramm from the very front. Then the Pope began to swing Telgramm around like a madman. Everyone, regardless of their status¡ªnobles, knights, andmoners, was blown away by Telgramm¡¯s power. I hung on to the Pope to stop myself from being flung away, but¡­¡±


    Heretia¡¯splexion suddenly turned pale. She was pretending to be fine, yet she couldn¡¯t hide the fear she felt on that day.


    ¡°But I ended up losing my legs. As I said, I couldn¡¯t even feel any pain when it happened. All I had in mind was that I must let the Saintess and the Captain of the Imperial Guards escape.¡±


    ¡°Did those two escape? Their whereabouts are still unknown.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure that they¡¯re just hiding somewhere and are fine. Perhaps they are hiding so well that they don¡¯t even know that you¡¯re back. But I guess there¡¯s no way they could have missed your voice if they were still in Torra. Anyway, I saw something strange back then. The Pope was swinging Telgramm at the Saintess like his heart was broken by her, but the Saintess was just fine.¡±


    ¡°Just fine? What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Telgramm had no effect on her. As far as I remember, even the Captain of the Imperial Guard¡¯s upper nose waspletely shattered when Telgramm brushed his face. But the Saintess just whizzed through the lightning like there was nothing in front of her.¡±


    Upon hearing Heretia¡¯s words, Juan rubbed his chin and fell into deep thought. The description of what happened to the Saintess resembled how Juan remained unaffected by the attacks made using Grace.


    Juan was left unharmed and remained unaffected even if he was struck directly by the Grace, ¡°Spear of Wrath.¡± He was cut and injured when someone cut him with a sword bestowed with a Grace, but any magic made with Juan¡¯s pure mana itself had no effect on him at all.


    Of course, that was not an ordinary case, since there were plenty of magicians who died from their own magic by mistake. But in the case of the Saintess, something seemed strange.


    In fact, from the very beginning, Juan had too many questions about the existence known as the Saintess¡ªand that included Juan getting his consciousness caught in the body of the Saintess whenever he attempted spirit transfer to send his spirit to the emperor¡¯s body.


    But now she was even unaffected by magic, just like Juan himself.


    ¡®<i>I¡¯ll have to meet her for sure.</i>¡¯


    Juan figured that his questions would only be answered after meeting her in person.


    ¡°Whatever, that¡¯s not important right now. So how did you survive?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°The Pope almost became a lunatic after the Saintess ran away. I thought I was going to die, but the Vatican began to copse at that moment. The Pope didn¡¯t even look back and just ran outside. He didn¡¯t even seem to be interested in me. He probably thought that I¡¯d be crushed to death anyway,¡± Heretia shrugged.


    ¡°Did someone save you?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Heretia nodded at Juan¡¯s question, but looked as if she was hesitant to tell him anymore.


    Juan pressed her for an answer upon seeing her avoid his question.


    ¡°Who was it? Is there any reason for you to not tell me? If that person saved my friend, then that person is also my savior.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ as you already know, the citizens and the nobles weren¡¯t the only people who led the rebellion against the Pope. Some of the Church members were also in favor of the rebellion. For example, the Order of the Gold Lion was their representative. But there were a few more from the other knight orders.¡±


    ¡°I see. And?¡±


    ¡°Apparently they are people who have met you before.¡±


    Juan closed his mouth. As far as he knew, none of the Temrs he had encountered returned in good shape. Even those who survived and managed to get back wouldn¡¯t be able to live a normal life. Juan recalled all the Temrs in his memory one by one.


    ¡°What were their names?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to kill them, are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already killed the ones I should¡ªat least among those I have met,¡± Juan shrugged.


    ¡°Hm, is that so? Well¡­ I guess they didn¡¯t ask me not to tell you. One of them looked much more like a patient than me¡­ they¡¯re over there among the people looking after the patients.¡±


    Juan turned his head, and there was a man and woman standing rigidly in the direction pointed by Heretia.


    Juan muttered quietly as if he was dumbfounded at the sudden unexpected reunion.


    ¡°Velkre.¡±


    ***


    ¡°I fled to the west on the same day that the Order of the Evil Snake was annihted. But there wasn¡¯t anything left for me to do when I came back to Torra. I had failed my mission, all my men except for Nora were dead, and I had even lost the power of the Snake. So I was just nning on living quietly in hiding.¡±


    Velkre exined everything to Juan in a courteous manner while standing in a quiet street next to the patient camp. However, he was still shaking so much that he couldn¡¯t even look Juan in the eye.


    Juan sized up Velkre for a long time and then opened his mouth.


    ¡°It seems like you still have some Grace left in you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. I would have asked you to take it back if it was possible. I have not been able to use this power recklessly ever since I found out that it was a power that was stolen from Your Majesty.¡±


    The emotion in Velkre¡¯s voice wasn¡¯t awe or loyalty, but fear. It was the fear of being caught by the emperor and being interrogated for his sins if he misused the power again.


    ¡°I might have already died somewhere if Sister Nora wasn¡¯t here to take care of me, since I didn¡¯t even dare to use my healing Grace. Then I heard that Your Majesty was going to march toward Torra. I considered leaving Torra after hearing the news, but I decided that I couldn¡¯t continue living like this¡ªI didn¡¯t want to burden Sister Nora.¡±


    Nora quietly bowed her head. A fierce knight who had dared to raise her sword against Juan several times back in Durgal and Beldeve now looked like an ordinary woman from the slums. Come to think of it, Velkre and Nora¡¯s were some of the rare cases where Juan missed his chance to kill them due to ovepping coincidences.


    However, holding them ountable now was pointless¡ªespecially when they had saved Heretia¡¯s life.


    ¡°How did you end up helping Heretia?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°We were secretly getting help from Gareon, the Captain of the Order of the Gold Lion. Then we heard about Miss Heretia¡¯s n from Gareon. Although we had sinned, we still had the power stolen from Your Majesty. We thought we could correct our mistakes if we used that power to do the right thing. But¡­¡±


    ¡°The n failed.¡±


    Velkre nodded.


    ¡°It was a situation that no one had expected. We were on the lookout outside to prevent the other knight orders froming to rescue the Pope, so we only btedly realized the situation. That¡¯s when we managed to save Miss Heretia while the Vatican was copsing.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    If Juan were to be honest, he was not interested in how Velkre and Nora survived after their encounter with him. It didn''t matter to Juan whether Velkre was dead or not as long as he didn¡¯t show himself in front of Juan.


    What did matter was the fact that they had saved Heretia¡¯s life.


    ¡°Thanks anyway. There¡¯s no need for you to live the rest of your life while being conscious of your mistakes anymore. Don¡¯t worry about the Grace, since I¡¯m nning to take them all back soon.¡±


    ¡°T-thank you! Thank you, Your Majesty!¡±


    It wasn¡¯t a huge favor, but Velkre showed his appreciation by mming his head against the ground and kowtowing.


    Juan wondered if it really was something to be so grateful about, but it seemed to be particrly important to Velkre.


    When Juan was about to leave Velkre and Nora behind, Velkre suddenly opened his mouth once more.


    ¡°Oh, um. I have one more thing to tell you, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°What is that?¡±


    Juan was not interested, but soon opened his eyes wide after hearing Velkre¡¯s words.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you looking for the Saintess and the Captain of the Imperial Guards? I saw where they were headed to when the Vatican copsed.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Underground?¡±


    ¡°Yes. If there are any records of Torra¡¯s underground structure, gather them all and bring them to me.¡±


    Juan immediately got straight to the point and brought up the matter as soon as he came across Nienna inside the Imperial Pce. While H was focusing all her energy on the reconstruction of Torra, Nienna was focusing on taking control of the Church and the Imperial Army.


    Nienna frowned upon hearing Juan¡¯s request.


    ¡°Dad. To be honest with you, I came here to fight¡ªnot to read over the documents. I feel ufortable and uneasy when I look toward the north even now. You know I¡¯ve never left the north unattended for this long before. I would love to quit all the Imperial discipline and go back to the north if I could. So do you mind leaving errands like these to other officials?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll need to get the other officials to help. But I also need someone to be their supervisor. It would be nice if Heretia can take over this role, but she¡¯s in her sickbed now.¡±


    ¡°Then why can¡¯t you leave it to H?¡±


    ¡°It already looked like her head was about to explode with the duties she was already given. I¡¯m not a conscientious person, but giving more work to a senile woman who only has one arm would also make me feel bad,¡± Juan shrugged.


    ¡°In case you forgot, I¡¯m older than H. But¡­ ugh. What about Haild? He does look a bit scary, but he is friendly.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s much more clumsy than he looks. Besides, he has no administrative experience.¡±


    ¡°Then what about Horhell¡­? Oh, nevermind. He¡¯s more of a weapon than a talent. How about Anya?¡±


    ¡°She would do a good job if I asked her to do it, but I feel like she¡¯ll overdo it. Things are a bitplicated.¡±


    ¡°Okay, fine. What about Sina Solvane then?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not my subordinate. She¡¯s just following me around.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but she¡¯ll still do it if you ask her to.¡±


    ¡°She would. But no.¡±


    ¡°Pavan Peltere?¡±


    Juan stared at Nienna upon hearing the unexpected name from her mouth.


    Meanwhile, Nienna scratched her chin with a sullen look on her face and continued to speak.


    ¡°He might have been an enemy before, but he is quite capable. He is the one who ughtered the Eastern Army, isn¡¯t he? I know a guy named Colter who used to be Pavan¡¯s former superior pretty well. He told me that Pavan alone is three times as good as him. He understands administration well and also has the desire needed to seed. I¡¯m sure he will do well if you leave the work to him. He seemed to be pretty nervous these days.¡±


    ¡°H will be pissed when she finds out.¡±


    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re the one who said that you would feel bad about giving more work to a senile old woman. Stop overworking her and just send her back to the East. Give the East a lot of supportter or something in return. I¡¯m sure she¡¯d prefer that over anything else. But why do you need information about the underground structure of Torra all of a sudden?¡±


    Juan rubbed his chin and opened his mouth.


    ¡°It seems like the Saintess and the Captain of the Imperial Guards are hiding there.¡±


    ¡°Wait, that¡¯s the only reason? Then we can just send a search party there.¡±


    ¡°Yes. But the problem is that my old body seems to have been stolen through the underground passage as well.¡±


    Nienna looked at Juan with a stern look on her face.


    Juan put his index finger to his mouth and spoke.


    ¡°Only a few people know that there¡¯s a secret passageway in the Imperial Pce that I don¡¯t know of. If you think so highly of Pavan, order him to look into it. Of course, surveince will be necessary. Let¡¯s see how he reacts.¡±

 Chapter 180 – House of Peers (1)

    <h4>Chapter 180 ¨C House of Peers (1)</h4>


    Unlike before, the Imperial Pce was now crowded with many officials wandering around. Only a few people recognized Juan¡¯s face; most of them were hired by H and Nienna.


    ¡°Hey, you. Come here for a second.¡±


    Juan, who was on his way to visit H to talk about the current status of the reconstruction, was stopped by a sudden call. Juan had never seen the man who was beckoning to him from across the corridor, but he looked like a noble considering his fairly big size and expensive-looking clothing.


    Juan pointed his finger at himself.


    ¡°Me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you. Damn it¡­ I can¡¯t believe that none of the officials know where His Majesty is. It¡¯s already been a couple of days since the incident urred but it¡¯s just ridiculous that a system hasn¡¯t been set up yet.¡±


    The person who felt the current situation to be most ridiculous was none other than Juan, but he decided to approach the man. The man grumbled andined upon seeing Juan¡¯s leisurely pace.


    ¡°Look. I¡¯m Baron Molo of the Mandane family. My ancestor owned arge portion of thend in the surroundings of Torra. He offered one thousand horses to His Majesty and was then given his title as a noble. So you¡¯d better be polite or¡­¡±


    The man couldn¡¯t finish his sentence as he looked at the approaching Juan. The man was quite surprised upon realizing that Juan was taller than he thought, but still didn¡¯t seem to think that Juan was the emperor.


    ¡°One thousand horses, huh? That¡¯s quite amazing. What¡¯s the descendant of such a great guy doing here right now?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m on my way back from meeting Duke Henna. She won¡¯t allow me to meet His Majesty no matter how much I ask¡­ Damn it! She should give me at least one chance to meet His Majesty; it¡¯s already been a few days since he entered the Imperial Pce¡­ that way, we can save our own faces and His Majesty could also give us the support we¡­ wait, why am I even exining this to you?¡±


    The man seemed to have a big mouth and was quite careless. Juan looked down at his own body, wondering if he looked so far apart from the emperor. He certainly looked very different from the ¡®Portrait of His Majesty¡¯ taught about by the Church. He wasn¡¯t wearing a crown, was smaller in sizepared to what the portrait showed, was wearing in clothing, and had long ck hair.


    Above all, Juan had never made a public appearance except for the day when he first entered Torra. It was because there was a lot of more urgent work that needed to be taken care of. Thanks to this, the rumors about the appearance of the returned emperor were not much different from before his entry to Torra.


    ¡°Anyway. You must be a servant of Duke Henna or something, seeing that you have ck hair. Shit, talk about women¡¯s tastes¡­ but I guess that¡¯s not important. Do you know where His Majesty is? I don¡¯t want to be rude and visit him out of nowhere, so I¡¯d like you to deliver a message for me. I¡¯ll give you this if you¡¯re obedient.¡±


    Molo held out a gold piece toward Juan.


    Seeing this, Juan didn¡¯t refuse, and instead willingly epted the gold piece.


    ¡°I do know where His Majesty is.¡±


    ¡°I understand that you speak the way you do because you came from beyond the boundary. But you¡¯d better change your tone if you intend to continue living in Torra. There aren¡¯t many nobles who are as generous as me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re actually the first person to point out my tone in Torra. Anyway, what message do you want me to deliver?¡± Juan asked.


    Molo seemed to pause and think for a while before opening his mouth.


    ¡°Tell His Majesty that I wish to have a direct meeting with him because it is difficult for me to ept the rude and ridiculous demands of Duke Henna. Wait, no, no. Maybe it¡¯s better to say that even the nobles who agreed to cooperate seem to be protesting against Duke Henna¡¯s coercive attitude, so His Majesty¡¯s intervention is requested.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s too long.¡±


    ¡°Jeez, talk about someone who is uneducated.¡±


    ¡°One of the people who taught me was a bit fucked up, so maybe that has had some effect on me,¡± Juan shrugged.


    ¡°Fuck¡­ whatever. Long story short, just tell him that the nobles ask for a meeting due to Duke Henna¡¯s unreasonable demands. That¡¯s the message. If you deliver this message properly, I¡¯ll give you two more gold piecester.¡±


    Juan held out his hand.


    ¡°I will, so just give it to me now.¡±


    Molo red at Juan and growled, but eventually took two more gold pieces out of his pocket and handed them over to Juan.


    There was absolutely no reason for Juan to be greedy about such a small amount of money, but this situation was quite funny to him.


    Juan grinned and looked at Molo.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the message being delivered. But what has Duke Henna done to anger all the nobles?¡±


    Molo began to talk as soon as Juan asked, almost as if he had been waiting for that question all along.


    ¡°Oh my goodness. That bitch, no. That duke is being ridiculous under His Majesty¡¯s name. She keeps asking for a huge amount of money saying that it¡¯s for the reconstruction of Torra, but there¡¯s no way the nobles can ept that kind of a ridiculous request. Who knows if Duke Henna will really use all of it for reconstruction? She might take advantage of the confusing times to steal all that money and run away to the East.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Fair enough.¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait. Tell His Majesty that we are more than willing to hand over the money if His Majesty really needs it. We are also people of the empire, so of course we will do what we can. But um¡­ don¡¯t you think we have some face to save? We are nobles and hold high status within the empire. But we haven¡¯t even seen His Majesty¡¯s face yet. If we are ready to sacrifice this much for His Majesty¡¯s sake, His Majesty should also give us some face.¡±


    .


    ¡°Mm-hmm.¡±


    ¡°Of course, we understand that His Majesty is very busy because he is dealing with the postwar situation. But isn¡¯t that what politics and governance are all about? Just look at how things are now. Even the internal system is so messed up that¡­ oh, don¡¯t deliver this message, by the way.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll forget about it anyway,¡± Juan grinned and held out his hand.


    Molo gritted his teeth and red at Juan, but soon grabbed out another gold piece from his pocket again.


    ***


    H greeted Juan with only her eyes from her seat when she saw him entering the room. Juan had been in and out of H¡¯s office quite often now and had allowed her to omit unnecessary greetings.


    However, this time Juan pretended to frown and scolded H.


    ¡°How dare you? His Majesty is here and you¡¯re not even going to stand up? We¡¯ve got quite a messed up system here.¡±


    H had a dumbfounded expression on her face and asked a question instead of standing up.


    ¡°Your Majesty, did you eat something poisoned by any chance? I understand that you are eating the same food that the patients are eating. If you say something ridiculous like that, we might have to examine the entire food storage. So please tell me that you didn¡¯t eat anything wrong.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t even make a joke, huh? Anyway, I just met a hrious guy on my way here.¡±


    H took a nce at Juan upon hearing his joyful response. Juan rarely made such an expression unless he was in a really good mood. H soon recalled the man who had just left her room, causing her face to be distorted.


    ¡°Did youe across Baron Molo? He was badgering me to let him talk to Your Majesty, but it seems like he eventually got what he wanted. It¡¯s okay to just ignore him. He is weak anyway. The other nobles are just encouraging him from the back to avoid all the consequences, but he doesn¡¯t understand that. He thinks he¡¯s so powerful because of that, but he¡­¡±


    H stopped talking and suddenly raised her head. Her eyes were full of frustration.


    ¡°Did you kill him?¡±


    ¡°Even you think of me as just a ruthless killer? I did consider killing him for a second, but eventually, I let him go. I wanted to make a judgment after listening to your side of the story. Well, it is true that I met Molo, but Molo doesn¡¯t know that he already met ¡®His Majesty¡¯. Anyway, he told me that you¡¯re asking for too much.¡±


    ¡°Asking for too much? Hah,¡± H¡¯s expression distorted once again as she continued to speak.


    ¡°I was working on the reconstruction of Torra, but I found out that there weren''t enough resources, food, or medicine. So I looked into the cause¡ªit turned out that the nobles had stockpiled huge amounts of goods outside Torra because of the rumors that Torra would soon turn into a battlefield. When everything ended without a battle, they began to resell everything in small quantities little by little with crazy high prices.¡±


    ¡°Ah. There are still people like that, huh?¡±


    ¡°All I told them was to immediately resell the items they bought at the right market price before I send the soldiers to take everything away. Then they began to badger me to allow them to meet Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you let them meet me?¡±


    ¡°Because I don¡¯t know what would happen if I did. Who knows how Your Majesty would trample on the bugs that are stockpiling during wartime? But the problem is them stockpiling. There aren¡¯t that many nobles who are stockpiling. Their real purpose is to meet Your Majesty.¡±


    Juan immediately noticed the nobles¡¯ intentions.


    ¡°Ah. They want to establish their positions by meeting me in person. They want to give up arge portion of their property and ask me to recognize their existing property and authority in return¡­ something like that, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly right. Those who used to live luxurious lives under the rule of the Church want to live the same way even if their ruler changes.¡±


    ¡°With the lives of the citizens as the coteral,¡± Juan grinned.


    H frowned and looked at Juan¡¯s smile with worried eyes.


    ¡°But you shouldn¡¯t kill them.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have to kill them with my own hands. If I just tell Anya about what¡¯s happening, she will¡­¡±


    ¡°You can leave it alone and I can solve it in my own way. The urgent issues can be solved by sending the military to seize the stockpiles the nobles bought, and the rest will be taken care of on its own when the economy in Torra, which has ground to a halt due to the war, goes back to normal. The merchants wille back to Torra when it bes publicly known that the war is over.¡±


    ¡°No, no,¡± Juan shook his head. ¡°Why on earth are you trying to take care of things so peacefully? There are too many nobles right now. They cooperated with the Church and froze the economy just to cause harm to the empire. The number they killed is probably no less than the number of people killed by the Church.¡±


    ¡°But Your Majesty, most of them arergendowners. If we are nning to seek their cooperation in the reconstruction, we¡­¡±


    ¡°H. I¡¯m pretty disappointed right now. Most of the people I should¡¯ve killed ended up running away, so all those that are left are trivial losers. I am seething with rage. Did you think I came here either for power or to rescue the poor people of the empire? No. I came here to punish the guilty bastards.¡±


    ¡°...I still don¡¯t think the noblesmitted a crime they need to die for.¡±


    ¡°Go and tell the nobles.¡±


    Juan said with a cold smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m willing to ept their request for a meeting.¡±


    ***


    The atmosphere of the House of Peers meeting was cold.


    It was the first meeting that was going to be held since the emperor had entered the Imperial Pce. Fortunately, the building housing the House of Peers itself was not damaged by Telgramm. But the sight of the vacant seats here and there made the remaining nobles shudder.


    Among them, the highest number of vacant seats belonged to the meritorious faction, and it included Heretia¡¯s seat.


    Most of the people at the meeting were those who had to run away outside of Torra to avoid the war. They had run away even before the treason against the Pope was conducted, but these nobles were as sensitive as the rats inside the ship when it came to their ability to take care of themselves at dangerous times.


    None of them truly wished to return to Torra, which had not yet been restored, but they came to fill their seats when they heard that they would be able to see the emperor.


    ¡°I understand that the Helwin family isn¡¯t here. But apart from that, why didn¡¯t the Ilde familye to the meeting?¡±


    The nobles looked over the empty seats to check who had died or fled. Rumors about Heretia Helwin losing her legs to Telgramm were already widespread. However, when Imil Ilde also did not show up to the meeting, the only remaining person who could represent the nobles of the House of Peers was Rhymer.


    ¡°The Ilde family is part of the religious faction. They must be somewhat responsible for what happened,¡± Rhymer replied without much concern.


    As Rhymer said, there were quite a few among the religious faction who did not attend the meeting even when they were given the opportunity to meet the emperor. This was because they were afraid of being branded as traitors, since the Pope confronted the returning emperor until the very end.


    ¡°I heard His Majesty was quite merciful. It is said that there are less than ten thousand victims of the battle.¡±


    ¡°It is true that the number is small considering that it is a consequence of overturning the empire. But the number itself isn¡¯t small at all. Besides, you should look at what happened to the knight orders. Didn¡¯t you see what happened to the Order of the ck Lotus and the Order of the White Lotus? That¡¯s so much worse than just dying.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­ but this is His Majesty we are talking about.¡±


    Most of the nobles wanted an emperor who was benevolent andpassionate in the hopes that perhaps they could live a stable life under a generous ruler rather than a violent monarch.


    There were a few incidents that went against their expectations, but they still believed the returned emperor to be generous just like the emperor they once knew.


    ¡°I guess we will have to wait and see. But it¡¯s a relief that we were given a chance to meet His Majesty in a meeting like this.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to me,¡± Molo shrugged and smiled.


    Rhymer nodded with a bitter smile. He did urge Molo to badger Duke Henna, but he didn¡¯t actually expect a meeting with the emperor to take ce. Rhymer had also secretly shown his intention to meet His Majesty several times through H and Nienna, but he was given no response.


    ¡®<i>But I didn¡¯t think that out of everyone, Molo would seed in arranging a meeting.</i>¡¯


    ¡°Baron Molo has made a great contribution. His Majesty will be able to gain loyal subjects and strong support from this incident. It is certainly worth saying that Baron Molo is the number one contributor.¡±


    Molo smiled widely upon hearing Rhymer¡¯s words. He used to be and still was such a simple man. Rhymer allowed Molo to have a seat next to his own today, but Molo wasn¡¯t a useful enough man to keep by his side in the long run.


    At that moment, H Henna entered the House of Peers. H quietly nced around the nobles and dered in a calm voice.


    ¡°His Majesty is entering. Everyone, please stand up.¡±


    The nobles all stood up at once and looked at the entrance to the House of Peers.


    Soon the door opened, and Juan walked into the House of Peers. The nobles were surprised by Juan¡¯s young appearance, but soon humbly bowed their heads.


    At that moment, Rhymer frowned upon seeing Molo standing there with a dumb look on his face without bowing his head. It had been a long time since imperial etiquette became nominal, so not a lot of people knew of it. Yet Molo¡¯s attitude was still overly ignorant.


    ¡°Hey, Molo. What do you think you¡¯re¡­¡±


    Then Rhymer noticed that Molo¡¯s eyes were wide open to the extent of bulging out.


    Juan looked around at the nobles and soon made eye contact with Molo. Juan lifted the corners of his lips.


    ¡°Ah, there¡¯s the guy. Your message has been well delivered, so don¡¯t worry.¡±

 Chapter 181 – House of Peers (2)

    <h4>Chapter 181 ¨C House of Peers (2)</h4>


    ¡®<i>His Majesty knows of Molo?</i>¡¯


    Rhymer was quite surprised by the sudden unexpected situation. Although Molo wasn¡¯t the type to think before he acted, he did not try to meet the emperor in person. He even told Rhymer himself that he secretly asked a servant working at the Imperial Pce to deliver the message.


    <i>¡®But why is His Majesty¡¯s attitude almost as if he has already met Molo before?¡¯</i>


    At that moment, Rhymer was startled to see Molo sweating like a wet sponge. Rhymer quickly scanned the emperor standing in front of them so as not to be rude. The emperor had a head of ck hair and was wearing in clothing. His attitude was rather loose and almost impervious.


    If anyone who didn¡¯t know that he was an emperor saw his appearance, they might just think of him as a stranger from beyond the boundary.


    ¡°Molo. Don¡¯t tell me that the servant working at the Imperial Pce was¡­¡±


    Juan walked past Molo and approached the podium. Upon seeing Molo tremble and slump to his seat, Rhymer thought he must firmly ask Molo what had happened after the meeting. The emperor didn¡¯t seem to be in a bad mood, but he couldn¡¯t be sure whether or not the emperor was truly offended by Molo.


    ¡°The Chairman.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, Your Majesty!¡±


    For a moment, Rhymer, who was sitting in the seat of the House of Peer¡¯s chairman located on the right side of the podium, trembled upon hearing the emperor¡¯s call and ended up kicking the desk with his leg by mistake. Rhymer bit his lips as he did his best to not let out a painful groan.


    ¡°So this is our first meeting. I am more than happy to meet the hands and feet of the empire at such a difficult time like this.¡±


    ¡°W-we are also more than happy to see His Majesty again and are praising the return of His Majesty with all our hearts.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Juan simply raised the corners of his mouth into a smile.


    Seeing this, Rhymer felt cold sweat running down his spine; he couldn¡¯t figure out what Juan¡¯s smile meant.


    Rhymer quickly turned his head to look at the surroundings and check the atmosphere of the House of Peers. The nobles certainly seemed to recognize and acknowledge Juan as the emperor, but they looked quite perplexed by his ck hair and appearance which was very different from the portrait they had seen.


    ¡°I understand the confusion. I look very different from what you had all expected. Neither do I have arge beard or big muscles, nor am I as tall as shown in the portraits either. There is no brilliant crown on my head, no ming Sutra, nor the shing Telgramm. Above all, Barth Baltic who gave me half of my overpowering presence is no longer beside me.¡±


    The nobles remained quiet, but soonughed in a low voice; they thought that the emperor was making a joke.


    On the other hand, Rhymer felt so frustrated upon seeing the reaction of the nobles that he felt like his insides were burning.


    ¡®<i>These idiots. It doesn¡¯t matter whether that man is really the returned emperor or not. What¡¯s important is that he is a man capable of destroying the Church, taking control of the Imperial Army, and moving three hundred Golems to surround Torra.</i>¡¯


    That alone would be enough for anyone to acknowledge Juan as the emperor regardless of the truth.


    Meanwhile, Juan looked around to check and see if he recognized any of the nobles who filled the seats inside the House of Peers. Just as he had expected, there was a rare face here and there that Juan could recognize as someone¡¯s child, but no one whom he had met before in person.


    Most of the nobles in the House of Peers were very young or hadn¡¯t even been born when the emperor had been alive. Even Rhymer, the oldest out of all nobles in the House of Peers, was seeing the emperor¡¯s face for the first time in this meeting because he had been living outside Torra.


    Many of the nobles who had served the emperor closely by his side had all either been swept away or driven to the outskirts of the empire during the purge. Even a few who were able to save their own lives had long since retired due to aging.


    Seeing this caused Juan to feel relieved; he thought that he might feel sorry if he knew anyone sitting in the House of Peers meeting.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s start the meeting,¡± Juan said.


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. Actually, we were thinking about preparing a grand banquet rather than a meeting for¡­¡±


    ¡°I heard that you rejected H¡¯s request. Why is that?¡±


    Rhymer bit his tongue in frustration, but Juan waited patiently until Rhymer found hisposure. Although Rhymer didn¡¯t think the emperor would be a friendly man, he didn¡¯t expect the emperor to get straight to the point in such a sudden manner.


    Rhymer wiped off the cold sweat on his forehead and then opened his mouth.


    ¡°Your Majesty. We are your faithful servants. How could we dare to go against your will? We only tried to restrain Duke Henna¡¯s dogmatic behavior because we were worried that Duke Henna might be taking advantage of the chaotic times behind Your Majesty¡¯s back. Please forgive us if our ignorant actions have caused any trouble.¡±


    ¡°As long as H stays in Torra, her will is my will.¡±


    Rhymer bit his lips once again. He knew that H held an important position, but he hadn¡¯t expected that the emperor would think so highly of her, given that she lost the Eastern Army and had a rtionship with Gerard Gain, the one who assassinated the emperor. Rhymer could easily imagine Hughing at him with her face which only had one eye.


    ¡°Also, I heard that you all took advantage of the chaos brought about by the war to stock up,¡± Juan said.


    ¡°S-stock up¡ªno way, that¡¯s all just a misunderstanding. That was all due to the overly fervent disy of loyalty of a few subordinates of some of the nobles. I will make sure to scold them and punish them. We are always ready to bear and share the pain of the people of Torra¡­¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty.¡±


    At that moment, a noble standing on one side of the meeting room stepped forward, bowed his head and opened his mouth.


    ¡°I am Asilpha of the Argyll family. I am willing to give up half of all my property and ready to sacrifice everything for Torra¡¯s rapid recovery at any time.¡±


    Rhymer was perplexed upon hearing Asilpha¡¯s words. The Argyll family was one of the pirs of the religious faction and had enormous wealth gained from siding with the Church.


    Asilpha continued to speak with his head lowered.


    ¡°My colleagues who share my will have also prepared the same things. Of course, we know that we cannot hide our faults with gold. But I do hope you will be generous enough to acknowledge our efforts and to allow us to reflect on our mistakes.¡±


    As soon as Asilpha finished speaking, several nobles flocked out of their seats and bent down before Juan.


    Seeing this, Rhymer scoffed; he immediately recognized Asilpha¡¯s purpose.


    ¡®<i>I was wondering why she didn¡¯t run away, and decided to remain in Torra when she¡¯s from the religious faction. I guess she was preparing to switch sides, huh?</i>¡¯


    No matter how much hidden property Asilpha had, giving up half of her property was a bold and painful loss. Yet Rhymer could only nod in silent approval; he thought that this was the only way for her to be acknowledged by the emperor.


    It wasmon for those who were loyal to the previous regime to quickly switch sides when the regime changed. In fact, the emperor was smiling contentedly.


    ¡°Y-Your Majesty, we will also donate half of our property. We would like to help support Your Majesty¡¯s will as much as we can,¡± Rhymer hurried forward.


    Rhymer was a stepter than Asilpha, but he didn¡¯t think that the religious faction could gain power again by just changing its title. The least he could do was to try and dilute the religious faction¡¯s presence.


    Asilpha squinted her eyes and red at Rhymer. The nobles looked around and hesitated for a while, but soon seemed to have judged that offering half of their property was a loss worth taking.


    The return of the emperor was a significant matter. Unless a ridiculous ident happened, and the emperor died again, there was a high possibility that the empire would be heading for stable prosperity.


    When Juan raised his hand to stop the risingmotion, the nobles quickly closed their mouths in unison.


    ¡°Your wills are noble.¡±


    The nobles smiled in relief.


    However, Juan continued with a smile.


    ¡°But it seems like you are all mistaken about something. I want all of your properties, not just half.¡±


    The smile disappeared from the faces of the nobles.


    ***


    Rhymer wondered if he had heard something wrong. However, the dead silence in the meeting room was telling him that all the nobles had heard the same thing. The silent whispers among the nobles soon turned into arge murmur.


    ¡°You mean all of our properties, Your Majesty?¡±


    ¡°You heard me right.¡±


    ¡°Um, I wonder if you¡¯re talking about the goods that we have purchased a little too much for the war reserve,¡±


    ¡°You mean the stockpile? No. I¡¯m talking about everything including that stockpile, the estates, the bonds, and the money,¡± Juan said firmly.


    Rhymer¡¯s jaw dropped open.


    ¡®<i>He is going to make all of us poor and kick us out?</i>¡¯


    ¡°T-there¡¯s no way we can ept that, Your Majesty. Even if you¡¯re His Majesty the emperor, you can¡¯t take away our private properties for no reason.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll set a new precedent.¡±


    Rhymer wanted to scream upon hearing Juan¡¯s calm words.


    Even Asilpha, who was the first to offer half of her property, looked devastated; she too had not expected this situation. Cold sweat started forming on her back.


    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± Asilpha soon opened her mouth; it looked like she had made up her mind. ¡°If you leave us with just enough for me to take care of the Argyll family¡¯s house and brines, I¡¯ll be more than happy to give up all my properties. Please forgive us in return.¡±


    Rhymer wanted to grab her by the cor and ask her if she was out of her mind. However, he soon figured out that the religious faction must have an enormous amount of hidden assets, since they had long been prepared for a situation like this.


    The nobles from the religious faction would still be able to live a decent life even after giving up all their properties. But this was not a loss that the other nobles could afford to take.


    ¡°Asilpha from the Argyll family. Your will is very noble, but it seems like you have not really understood my words,¡± Juan said.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡±


    ¡°¡®Everything¡¯ includes your lives and your family¡¯s lives. You are all conscripted into the Imperial Army for the time being. It would only be right for the religious faction to stand at the forefront of the war against the Pope. The only way all of you can be forgiven is by shedding some blood.¡±


    Asilpha looked like she had been struck by lightning. On the other hand, Rhymer looked like he had suddenly gained hope. The emperor had just specified ¡®the religious faction,¡¯ which might mean he wouldn¡¯t punish the other factions to the same extent.


    Meanwhile, Asilpha looked like she had aged ten years in just an instant after hearing Juan¡¯s short words. She already expected that the emperor woulde out strong, but she didn¡¯t think he would put this much pressure on the religious faction. She shivered and opened her mouth.


    ¡°Your Majesty, my old hand can¡¯t even hold a sword, much less wield one in battle. You can¡¯t take away all our property and kick us out! No sinners have ever received such a great punishment like this!¡±


    ¡°I can see that you have lived afortable life.¡±


    .


    Juan strode in front of Asilpha. The moment the nobles doubted what he would do next, Juan grabbed Asilpha¡¯s face.


    At the same time, H jumped up from her seat, while blood scattered everywhere.


    Screaming and the sound of nobles slumping to their seats broke out here and there. Asilpha¡¯s headless corpse copsed to the floor as it was, while Juan looked around at his surroundings with Asilpha¡¯s blood all over him.


    Juan smelled Asilpha¡¯s blood on his hand and frowned.


    ¡°This blood is old and dirty. A terrible smell of sin has now filled this room.¡±


    The House of Peers froze with astonishment and fear. Even H who came in with the emperor looked surprised; she didn¡¯t expect Juan to be this ruthless.


    ¡°I-I can¡¯t believe that the House of Peers has been stained with blood. Su-such a thing wasn¡¯t even done by Barth Baltic¡­¡±


    Rhymer opened his mouth and stuttered, but Juan did not even spare him a single nce.


    ¡°It is very insulting to see all of you try to appease me with just a few coins¡­¡±


    Juan wiped off Asilpha¡¯s blood from his hand by rubbing it on the nearest noble¡¯s hand as if it was disgusting. The noble waspletely frozen by Juan¡¯s approach, then fainted with his eyes rolled over as soon as Juan took his hands off.


    Meanwhile, the nobles of the religious faction couldn¡¯t budge an inch.


    ¡°All of you have sold my name to rob and insulted my name. And you dare act like you¡¯re showing kindness by throwing away some of the wealth you gained by selling my name?¡±


    ¡°Your-Your Majesty. We just¡­¡±


    ¡°Argyll, Re, Dommer, Kaltile, Nelben, Etil, Ilde¡­¡±


    Juan began to recite the famous family names. Those names consisted of the nobles who were from the religious faction or kept a close rtionship with the Church in order to maintain their power. Some of them attended the meeting, while some did not. The nobles whose family names had been called out all turned pale.


    ¡°The traitors will all be cleaned up. Those who want to say that I¡¯m being unfair should try to reflect on the maxim that evil grows in silence. My decision will not change. If you have anything else to say, refer to the good precedent on the floor and say it out loud as much as you want.¡±


    The nobles¡¯ eyes turned toward Asilpha¡¯s body which was rolling on the floor.


    While everyone remained silent, Juan smiled at Rhymer and opened his mouth.


    ¡°And everyone, I would like to thank you all for your donations.¡±


    Rhymer¡¯splexion paled, and Juan spoke to the rest of the nobles as well.


    ¡°Get on your knees and humbly serve the empire from a low position. If you can¡¯t do that, then chop off your legs to do so.¡±


    ***


    ¡°You seem to have a lot to say, H.¡±


    As soon as Juan came out of the House of Peers, H followed Juan with a scary look on her face.


    ¡°Let me correct myself. It looks to me like you want to give me a p rather than say something.¡±


    ¡°Then why did Your Majesty, who knows my heart so well, do what you did back there? I can understand Your Majesty seizing the nobles¡¯ properties. But you didn¡¯t have to be so cruel, did you?¡±


    ¡°I thought you were the same as me, and would want to beat up the nobles from the Capital,¡± Juan shrugged.


    ¡°The ways to screw up the nobles can be piled up like a mountain, Your Majesty. They were at a disadvantage, and we have both the strength and the will. There are many ways we can take care of the situation in an easy manner without being med if we use reasonable methods. But what Your Majesty just did back there was definitely not one of them.¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to tell me that my way of dealing with the situation was bad?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s worse than just bad. Your Majesty has now set a precedent. I might have been able to say that what you did was rather delightful if Your Majesty had been a stranger from beyond the boundary. But right now, Your Majesty is the emperor of the empire.¡±


    Juan did not answer H.


    ¡°What you did back there was not delightful at all, Your Majesty,¡± H¡¯s face looked as if she was about to cry as she continued to talk. ¡°If Your Majesty ends up being in trouble, someone will mention this incident for sure. I¡¯m d that I¡¯m old enough to die before I will ever get to see that happen.¡±


    H left her words and turned around. Juan silently looked at her back which was getting further away from him. H¡¯s disappointed words and expressions made Juan feel somewhat uneasy. However, Juan neither stopped her nor regretted what he did.


    He had to be a different emperor than he had been in the past. He knew that more and more people would be disappointed in him.


    However, there was still a lot of terrible work left for him to do.

 Chapter 182 – From Harmon

    <h4>Chapter 182 ¨C From Harmon</h4>


    Torra was arge city.


    But when the Golems stood up, people could no longer see Torra as arge city. Some citizens even felt it to be ustrophobic.


    This didn¡¯t change when the Golems settled down and fell asleep again just like they had been before the return of the emperor. Thanks to this, the number of people who wanted to live outside Torra had increased significantly. As a result, the number of empty houses in Torra also increased rapidly. This too was part of the reason behind the dy in the reconstruction of Torra.


    ¡°This restaurant is normally quite a noisy ce,¡± Pavan said as he sat on a seat opposite from Juan with an uneasy look on his face. ¡°But I see that there are only a few people here now. Thanks to that, we won¡¯t have to worry about eating in a rush.¡±


    Pavan carefully ced the documents on the restaurant table.


    Meanwhile, Juan chewed on his sandwich and dragged the documents closer to himself.


    ¡°I had heard that Your Majesty doesn''t need to eat,¡± Pavan asked with his head tilted.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. But that doesn¡¯t mean that I can¡¯t enjoy the taste of food, right? This restaurant is one that I often visited even when I was the emperor back in the past. They make some amazing sandwiches. They still taste great even after you order them to go. It seems like the son has inherited the restaurant, but everything still tastes the same,¡± Juan answered.


    ¡°...That¡¯s a little surprising. I had heard that this restaurant was known to be the one where usually only soldierse to eat.¡±


    ¡°And who do you think told the soldiers about this restaurant?¡±


    Juan was a war hero and had been in contact with the soldiers for a long time¡ªand the same was true of Barth Baltic. Pavan found it difficult to believe that the tradition of his military unit visiting this restaurant for the longest time had begun with the emperor.


    ¡°Wow, I had no idea.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because the owner of the restaurant is quite good at keeping secrets. It seems like their son has also learned well from them.¡±


    Pavan nodded and flicked his finger at the clerk.


    ¡°Two sandwiches. One to go and one to stay.¡±


    Juan pulled out the documents without raising his head and skimmed through them. There were two different documents. Juan briefly read the first page of one of the documents, then soon frowned as he turned his gaze toward Pavan.


    ¡°This is¡­¡±


    ¡°One of them is rted to the underground structure Your Majesty had requested details of, and the other one is¡­ I brought it because I thought it¡¯s something Your Majesty should know about.¡±


    The other document Pavan brought was none other than the ¡®Report of the Investigation of the Emperor¡¯s Assassination.¡¯ Juan could not take his eyes off of the author¡¯s name that was written on the first page under the title.


    ¡®<i>Harmon Helwin¡­</i>¡¯


    ¡°Where did you find this?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°I found it in the office on the same day that Barth Baltic died.¡±


    ¡°Did you search through the office?¡±


    ¡°No, Your Majesty. I found it on the top of his desk. Barth Baltic told me to go to his office when he died, and it seems like he had left that for me to dispose of. Oh, the document rted to the underground structure was found elsewhere. It was so fragmented that it was very difficult to find.¡±


    Comparing the level of difficulty, finding the document rted to the underground structures was far more difficult. Yet Juan did not even look at the document about the underground structure.


    Pavan nodded, since he could understand.


    ¡°Just to let you know, that document is notplete. There are even some parts where Barth Baltic has edited it. But considering the fact that Barth Baltic didn¡¯tpletely get rid of the document, even if put aside the credibility of the document, I think he might have intended to reveal the truth at least to some extent.¡±


    ¡°What an unexpected gift. Have you read through it already?¡±


    Pavan nodded.


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. If Barth Baltic left it to me, he probably left the judgment of whether I should hand it over to Your Majesty or not to me. I had to read it in order to make the right judgment.¡±


    At that moment, the clerk ced a sandwich in front of Pavan.


    Meanwhile, Juan held the document handed over to him¡ªand his eyes stopped on the first sentence.


    The first sentence started with the words, ¡®I knew it.¡¯


    ***


    ¡°I knew it.¡±


    Those were the first words uttered by Harmon after he quickly skimmed through the letter sent by Barth Baltic.


    First, Harmon made sure to send the messenger who rushed into his room with a pale expression outside with amand to keep his mouth shut, followed by the other officials and nobles inside the Imperial Pce. They all protested and got angry since they hadn¡¯t heard the news yet, but Harmon couldn¡¯t help it.


    The paralysis of the Imperial Administration was much less important than the emperor¡¯s death. After doing so, Harmon activated the veil of benevolence, which was one of the dozens of protective items the emperor had made ¡®just in case.¡¯


    The Imperial Pce was now essible only to the emperor¡¯s children and a small number of authorized personnel including Captain Winoa Weaver of the Imperial Guards, and the Grand Duke Harmon Helwin.


    It was not until Harmon realized that there were no more eyes watching him in the midst of theplete silence inside the Imperial Pce that Harmon slumped down to the floor. Hisplexion was way paler than even the messenger who delivered the news to him.


    ¡®<i>It happened much faster than I had expected.</i>¡¯


    It was said that Gerard Gain was the one who stabbed the emperor. Right after the assassination, Gerard immediately fled the scene with the help of Dane Dormund after he had suffered serious injuries at the hands of Winoa Weaver and Barth Baltic. Then Barth Baltic killed Winoa Weaver, who was in charge of the emperor¡¯s security.


    This was all that was described in Barth Baltic¡¯s letter.


    Faint signs that Gerard had been plotting to assassinate the emperor could rarely be found here and there, since it was clear that the incident in Arbalde had left a deep scar on Gerard¡¯s mind. However, there were plenty of people showing such faint signs of rebellion. Reporting all of them to the emperor and punishing them would be no different from the beginning of a reign of terror.


    If anyone nevertheless still plotted against the emperor, it would certainly be Gerard Gain who is most likely to seed. For such a reason, Harmon had just called in Ras, the leader of the Order of Huginn from the south, since Nienna had no intention ofing to the capital from the north, and Dismas was not a suitable person to feel out Gerard, as he was too honest. Ras was certainly the most appropriate person for the job.


    ¡®<i>But it¡¯s already toote.</i>¡¯


    Harmon didn¡¯t know why Ras was runningte. But Harmon had to hold out as long as he could from now on until any of the emperor¡¯s children came to the Imperial Pce. In such a situation where a rebellion had been secretly plotted, it was difficult to be sure about who the allies were and who the enemies were.


    ¡®<i>General Barth Baltic blew off the head of the most important witness, Winoa Weaver. There¡¯s a good chance that he¡¯s involved with the assassination.</i>¡¯


    Barth Baltic was the only person who could interfere with Winoa Weaver¡¯s patrol route. Interfering with the patrol route to create a gap for Gerard to enter was very much possible for Barth Baltic to do.


    ¡®<i>Who else could be involved?</i>¡¯


    ording to the document sent by Barth Baltic, it was said that Dane Dormund had helped Gerard to escape the scene.


    ¡®<i>Dane Dormund¡­</i>¡¯


    Harmon did not expect to hear Dane¡¯s name again. The time he spent together with Dane was short, but Dane was not a likable person. Harmon had heard that the emperor had expelled Dane from the empire while using his Spirit Speech. Considering that the emperor¡¯s Spirit Speech was an absolute to the humans, it was clear that it was not a simple coincidence that Dane Dormund had made an appearance at the same time as the emperor¡¯s death.


    ¡®<i>Did Dane Dormund urge Gerard Gain to assassinate the emperor?</i>¡¯


    But Harmon soon shook his head; he knew that Gerard was not the type to be lured in by someone¡¯s words. Harmon highly appreciated Gerard for his humanity, morality, courage, and pride ever since he was only a young child. He had a great personality that wasparable to that of the emperor.


    Gerard had followed the emperor well ever since he was a child, and had tried to ept all of the emperor¡¯s thoughts and ideologies.


    ¡®<i>So he did this of his own volition?</i>¡¯


    Harmon thought thetter thought was more convincing. It was hard for Harmon to believe that Gerard had been lured by Dane into his n, but it was possible that Dane had helped Gerard; after all, there was no way that Dane did not have any issues with the emperor.


    ¡®<i>The Grand Magician Dane Dormund, the emperor¡¯s first son Gerard Gain, and the Grand General Barth Baltic¡­ even the great emperor is bound to copse if these three lead the rebellion.</i>¡¯


    However, Gerard was injured and Dane fled. Then Barth Baltic may have betrayed the emperor at the veryst minute for the sake of monopolizing power¡ªthis was quite dangerous, since there was no guarantee that the other children of the emperor weren¡¯t involved. While Harmon wasn¡¯t able to see such signs from the other children, there was a high chance that they could be exploited as well.


    ¡®<i>I still need more information.</i>¡¯


    Harmon constantly gathered more and more information without anyone knowing while he firmly locked himself up inside the Imperial Pce. His search for information continued even when he heard that the emperor was not dead, but in a state of suspended animation. The same was true when Barth Baltic led a grand purge, when the Order of Lindwurm was devastated lost and hid in the mountains of the East, when the ¡®Church¡¯ was born with the emperor as the god at the end of the terrible ¡®Emperor¡¯s March,¡¯ and when the Imperial Army finally arrived and forced open the gate to the Imperial Pce.


    Harmon barely ate or slept for seven days and nights to constantly read and analyze all the documents inside the Imperial Pce and record them.


    Finally, by the eighth day, Harmon was able to guess where the plot to assassinate the emperor began. It was a moment that no one in the empire would have ever expected.


    ¡°Harcon¡¯s dishonorable discharge from the military?¡±


    Juan frowned and red at the document as he had no idea who that name belonged to. But as he continued to read through the document, he could quickly tell who it was.


    Harcon was the real name of Helmut Helvine, the Pope.


    ***


    Harmon focused on Harcon Helvine¡¯s name.


    The man, who is now believed to have been renamed Helmut Helvine, had beenbeled among the officers ever since he was in the military. He was very loyal and didn¡¯t mind doing hard work. Yet he was not social, was very quiet, and had a strong antipathy toward the heterogeneous races which caused discord within the organization.


    If this were the extent of the issues with him, he would have been simply treated as a problematic soldier whocked social skills.


    But Helmut did not stop there. His attitude which was simply considered to becking in sociability was much worse in reality. As he gradually settled within the army, his attitude and belief toward the emperor quickly spread. This led to the birth of a private organization within the military and it even let Helmut get away with killing other Imperial Army officers.


    Helmut¡¯s main targets were the officers and knights from the heterogenous races. Even a human officer with a native faith ended up getting killed.


    Eventually, Barth Baltic found out about all the incidents caused by Helmut. Originally, Helmut was supposed to be sentenced to death, but his punishment was somehow reduced to only a dishonorable discharge along with all the members of his private organization.


    The problem was that since then, this private organization had been constantly active, chasing the movements of the military. There were no more incidents of an officer being assassinated, but Helmut¡¯s private force began to grow even bigger, to the extent that it was out of control¡ªthey no longer had any reasons to hide what they had done.


    This was all the more because no one hated the emperor at that time. Even Gerard Gain was interested in this group. Harmon couldn¡¯t believe this fact even when writing it down on the paper himself. Although rare, records of Gerard¡¯s attendance at the meetings of the ¡®Church¡¯ were found in several ces.


    From the early days of the ¡®Church,¡¯ all the way until recently, Gerard was immersed in the act of serving the emperor like serving a god.


    ¡®<i>...is that so.</i>¡¯


    Harmon felt bitter.


    <i>Gerard loved and admired the emperor. He constantly tried to emte him, but he could never catch up to the emperor. It only took an instant for that respect to turn into an inferiorityplex. But even if Gerard fell into the trap of worshiping the emperor, a piece of the puzzle that led to Gerard developing murderous intent toward the emperor is still missing. Gerard is a person who will not act if he has no motivation, no matter how much his emotions are eating at him. No matter what anyone says, he¡¯s the closest to the emperor. There must be a reason why Gerard had no choice but to stab the emperor. Perhaps, although very unlikely, the crown is what Gerard¡­</i>


    ***


    Juan stood up from his seat as he stared at thest sentence of the document.


    Pavan shook his head.


    ¡°That is the end of the document, Your Majesty. Harmon Helwin is believed to have been killed shortly afterward.¡±


    ¡°How was it that Harmon is said to have died?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°Dismas Dilver and the head of the Helwin family lifted up the veil of benevolence. Then Dismas blew up Harmon¡¯s head. Only then did the Imperial Pce begin to be restored and Barth Baltic finish the Emperor¡¯s March.¡±


    ¡°Dismas¡­¡±


    Harmon¡¯s document was cut off at an ambiguous part which only fueled Juan¡¯s thirst for the truth.


    ¡®<i>Did Harmon refer to the crown as a metaphor for the royal authority, or did he refer to the crown that¡¯s hidden in my body?</i>¡¯


    Juan did not even know about the crown when he had been the emperor in the past, and therefore it was hard for him to think that Harmon knew about it. However, the broken sentence was too coincidental.


    ¡°I¡¯ll need the Pope and Dismas to fit the rest of the puzzle pieces together.¡±


    Barth Batlc¡¯s pieces had already been collected. Juan picked up the document about Torra¡¯s underground structure.


    ¡°This will connect everything.¡±

 Chapter 183 – Snake Under the Feet (1)

    <h4>Chapter 183 ¨C Snake Under the Feet (1)</h4>


    ¡°This is the document with the information on the hidden underground structure of Torra.¡±


    Juan brought Heretia into the conference room and told her about the document. Heretia had no choice but to rely on one of the Helwin family¡¯s guards because she had not yet gotten used to living without her legs. The guard was the young knight Juan had seen back in Hiveden who worked as her horseman.


    Heretia nced through the documents that she received from Juan and began to organize them one after another on the desk. Soon, therge table was crammed with papers. Heretia red at the documents with a frown and then opened her mouth.


    ¡°This is all?¡± Heretia asked.


    ¡°There were many parts that were either lost or are too difficult to find,¡± Juan answered.


    ¡°More like hidden or damaged. I can see signs showing that someone has been secretly messing with these fragments for a long time. They tried to make all these look like separate tasks, but most of them lead to just one project. It''s quite arge-scale one too.¡±


    .


    ¡°Howrge?¡±


    ¡°About¡­ It should have started shortly before or after the assassination of the emperor? So I¡¯d believe the scale is about a quarter the size of Torra. It¡¯s impossible to do this kind of work without being caught. Was the Pope nning to make a dungeon?¡±


    ¡®<i>A dungeon, huh?</i>¡¯


    Juan recalled the huge dungeon that was built back in Durgal. There was a story saying that it was created by the Order of Lindwurm, but the Order of Lindwurm had only added some of their traces to the existing dungeon.


    ¡°Are you sure it was done by the Pope?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can be one hundred percent certain, but I can tell that it was paid for out of the Church¡¯s wealth, despite their effort to hide it. Names of the rtives of the nobles from religious faction were borrowed, the merchants under the Church got the constructors to build it, and the organizations sponsored by the Church were charged for the cost. All the pieces fit, don¡¯t you think? Oh, maybe you don¡¯t remember all of them.¡±


    Juan shook his head with a fed-up look on his face.


    ¡°It¡¯d be weird if I remembered all that information.¡±


    ¡°Anway, I¡¯m sure that it was built by the Church. I never thought of the Church to be all that extravagant except for the drugs smoked by the Pope, but I always wondered where all their money was going. I guess this was their secret, huh?¡± Heretia flipped over the pages of the documents one by one with an amused expression. ¡°It seems like they worked on thisrge-scale project for a while anyway. Did you say you were looking for someone?¡±


    ¡°It seems like the Saintess and the Captain of the Imperial Guards are hiding in there. And my body is assumed to be there as well.¡±


    ¡°A man who searches for his own corpse. It sounds like some kind of a story that I would only see in a novel or in philosophy. It feels weird to see it in real life.¡±


    ¡°Reality is sometimes more strange than fiction. Anyway, it would be hard to find them if the underground dungeon is so big.¡±


    ¡°Well, no¡­ actually, I think there¡¯s a way to find them both. It''s strange that I thought of this method first, and not you.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Heretia hesitated to answer as she looked up and down at Juan, but soon opened her mouth.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you transfer your spirit to the Saintess¡¯ body before?¡±


    ***


    Ivy opened her eyes that were closed for a long time.


    However, whether she opened or closed her eyes, the pitch darkness in front of her eyes did not change.


    Ivy carefully rubbed the pendant around her neck that Lenly had given her. As she rubbed it, the pendant started to emit light, and soon began to shine bright enough to light up the entire surroundings.


    However, Lenly was nowhere to be found.


    ¡°Lenly?¡± Ivy whispered in an anxious voice toward the other side of the darkness.


    When Ivy stood up, Lenly¡¯s cloak which had been covering her fell off to the ground. Ivy groped the walls to look around for Lenly. While it was Lenly whose eyes were injured, Ivy was the one who felt blinded.


    The only thing inside the wall was an old nket and an extinguished bonfire.


    Ivy tried to stay calm despite not being able to find Lenly.


    ¡®<i>He must have gone fishing while I was asleep as always.</i>¡¯


    In the huge underground structure beneath Torra was a rough stream of river-like groundwater. Lenly would often catch and bring back fish that appeared to havee from outside the underground structure through the groundwater.


    ¡®<i>I think it might be safe for us to go back above the ground now.</i>¡¯


    Ivy missed the sun. The underground structure of Torra was not colder than the outside in winter due to the unknown geothermal heating from the ground, but the cramped walls and pitch-ck darkness were hard for Ivy to endure for a long time.


    However, she suppressed her emotions as she recalled the face of the Pope, who was wielding Telgramm and charging at her and Lenly. But what bothered Ivy the most about this situation was the fact that she couldn¡¯t be any help to Lenly at all. Lenly, who was severely injured by Telgramm, was taking care of Ivy even though he was barely able to see anymore.


    ¡®<i>I wish there was something I could do to help him.</i>¡¯


    It would be nice to be able to perform some type of Grace befitting her status as the Saintess, but Ivy didn¡¯t even have a simple healing Grace which was amon type of Grace that most of the past Saintesses could use. All she was able to do was asionally throw out some predictions that she couldn¡¯t even remember afterward, but even those hadn¡¯t been heard for a while.


    ¡®<i>Come to think of it, His Majesty should have arrived in Torra by now¡­</i>¡¯


    The structure of this underground dungeon was quiteplex and vast, with many unidentified things secretly wandering around. Only Lenly was able to grasp the external situation because the room Ivy was currently hiding in was isted, and thus safe.


    ¡®<i>I should ask Lenly about it when hees back. Of course, it is possible for the war tost a long time. But¡­</i>¡¯


    At that moment, Ivy could feel something poking her in the back. In an instant, the scenery in front of her blurred and soon became covered in white light.


    A littleter, Lenly came into the room with two fish on a skewer. He had an eye patch to protect his eye. He couldn¡¯t see in front of him at all, but that wasn¡¯t a big problem for him, someone whose senses were already trained to the extreme.


    Rather, he was far better at dealing with this darkness than ordinary people.


    ¡°Saintess, I brought you something to eat. I know that you¡¯re tired of it, but this is¡­¡±


    Lenly suddenly stopped talking. His keenly trained senses were on edge as he headed forward. He could tell that the person in front of him had taken the form of the Saintess, but was certainly not the Saintess.


    Lenly quietly dropped the fish to the ground and raised the skewer.


    ¡°Who is it?¡± Lenly asked.


    ¡°Huh? Wait. You¡¯re the Captain of the Imperial Guards?¡±


    It was the voice of the Saintess, but the opponent was apletely different person.


    Lenly immediately dropped the skewer to the ground and knelt down upon realizing who the person was right away.


    ¡°It¡¯s the second time I am seeing you since thest time I saw you at the Imperial Pce. You seem to have carried out your duty quite well.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty.¡±


    The emperor who borrowed the body of the Saintess stood before Lenly.


    ***


    Juan could tell that the Saintess was in surprisingly good health for someone who had been living in the cold and humid underground for nearly a week. Of course, the Saintess was able to be in good health only because Lenly helped her.


    Even now, Lenly was feeding Juan some grilled fish saying that it needs to be eaten while it was still fresh. Juan was slightly surprised at the taste of the grilled fish¡ªnot only was it well cooked to the point where it was full of savory juices, but it was seasoned wonderfully.


    Juan had no choice but to naturallypare him to Haild.


    ¡®<i>The difference in the quality of food they can cook when they are both put in a simrly dire condition is just¡­</i>¡¯


    ¡°Please forgive me, Your Majesty. It¡¯s worth eating only when it¡¯s fresh, since we are in a situation where it¡¯s hard to get any other nutrients.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to apologize. It¡¯s actually pretty well-cooked. Do you always carry some salt with you?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°I usually only eat bread and salt for meals. Honorable poverty is the virtue of a knight,¡± Lenly answered in a quiet voice.


    ¡°...Oh, I see.¡±


    Juan recalled Winoa Weaver and the knights who served under him. They were not greedy, but they were far from being poor. Winoa Weaver in particr was quite fond of meat. The virtue of a knight that was just mentioned by Lenly seemed to be a custom created by being treated as sinners after the assassination of the emperor.


    Then, Lenly added as if he was just making an excuse.


    ¡°There are many other uses of salt as well. There may be situations where you need to perform an exorcism, and it¡¯s good to rub things with salt when cleaning.¡±


    ¡°Okay, enough about salt. Seeing that I am already feeling full, the Saintess must eat only a little bit. Where are we anyway?¡±


    Juan looked around at his surroundings. At first nce, the underground structure felt quite simr to the one in Durgal, but it was definitely not as old as the dungeon in Durgal. It was also made in apletely different style. Juan was able to find various motifs of the sun, the symbol of the emperor, among the patterns carved on the walls here and there.


    ¡°We are in the underground structure created by the Church. In my understanding, this is like a shelter or a secret passage,¡± Lenly answered.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know too much about it either? How do you even know of this ce?¡±


    ¡°There was no way that I wouldn¡¯t know of it when it extends all the way below the Imperial Pce. In fact, a few other Imperial Guards and I were the ones who dug the ground to check the situation after receiving reports saying that there were vibrations that were bothering people. Then, I was able to confirm the entrance inside the Vatican.¡±


    ¡°Hm, so he used it as a shelter instead, huh? I guess it could be rather safe, since the Vatican has copsed. It¡¯s safe out there now because the empire is under my reign. You cane up now, you know,¡±


    Hearing that, Lenly hesitated when answering Juan for the first time. He looked carefully at Juan¡ªno. To be precise, he was looking at Ivy.


    ¡°Please forgive me, Your Majesty. But it¡¯s hard to go above the ground now. To tell you the truth, I am looking for the whereabouts of the holy body, that is Your Majesty¡¯s original body.¡±


    ¡°My body?¡± Juan asked back in a surprised voice.


    Lenly nodded his head.


    ¡°Yes. As a member of the Imperial Guards, I value the mission of protecting the holy body more than anything else in the world. But at the same time, the order given by His Majesty to protect the Saintess is just as important. The former has already ended in failure, but I am trying my best to regain the holy body while also ensuring to fulfill thetter.¡±


    ¡°So you know where my body is right now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still tracking it, but I¡¯m sure that it¡¯s outside of Torra. So I was looking for the way they used to be able to leave Torra. If we can figure out General Dismas Dilver and the Pope¡¯s intentions, we might be able to use them.¡±


    Juan nodded upon hearing Lenly¡¯s words. He too had been thinking that the underground structure of Torra was rted to the disappearance of his body, since the existence of an underground structure below the Imperial Pce would be suspicious in anyone¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°All the Imperial Guards other than myself are also participating in the search for the holy body. However, we are all out of touch with each other at the moment¡­ I think that it might be because they have already died. This underground structure is much more dangerous than it looks. I¡¯ve been keeping quiet because I didn¡¯t want to make Your Majesty worry for no reason, especially when my eyes are in such a poor condition.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I see,¡± Juan nodded and thought over Lenly¡¯s words.


    ¡°But the Saintess doesn¡¯t need to be here with me. If Your Majesty does not mind, I would like to ask you to send someone down here to take her somewhere safe.¡±


    Juan nodded and answered Lenly.


    ¡°Alright, then. I¡¯ll send someone here if you tell me the location.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Of course, the answer is no,¡± Heretia gave a sharp reaction as if she was annoyed.


    After the spirit transfer, Juan gathered enough people to search the underground structure of Torra.


    The people chosen by Juan were Sina and Haild. Nienna and H were excluded because they were in charge of other important duties, and the others were excluded because they had their own problems.


    The problem was that Juan was also included in the important duty.


    Heretia opened her mouth again.


    ¡°It has only been a few days since the emperor returned to Torra and upied it, but he is going to leave his seat already? Especially to go to a mysterious underground dungeon? Are you nning to announce to the people, who only recently found out that the walls protecting them are alive and moving, that even the ground under their feet is full of suspicious things?¡±

 Chapter 184 – Snake Under the Feet (2)

    <h4>Chapter 184 ¨C Snake Under the Feet (2)</h4>


    Juan sighed as Heretia snapped at him.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have to tell the people of Torra about this.¡±


    ¡°Then where are you going to go with this? All the eyes in the capital are on you, the emperor now. If you really want to do something secretly behind everyone¡¯s back, at least do a celebration ceremony for your triumphant return or a coronation ceremony!¡±


    The suggestion of the celebration ceremony had been raised by Heretia since the first day Juan had returned to Torra. It wasn¡¯t only the people of Torra; people all over the empire were wondering what the returned emperor looked like. The rumor about the emperor¡¯s enshrined body being stolen had also spread throughout the empire at the same time, which had created even more gossip.


    The only way to settle everything down was for Juan to show his face to the people through a public ceremony. A lot of rumors and gossip would continue even after that, since Juan¡¯s current appearance was very different from the publicly known appearance of the emperor, but there was a clear difference between seeing the emperor with their own eyes and not.


    However, Juan frowned and then shook his head.


    ¡°I already told you that I don¡¯t want a celebration ceremony.¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t you just do it once when the people in Torra are all so desperate to see your face? The attitude of a leader trying to hide his face shakes the foundation of the government. People have been suspecting and spreading rumors that the reason you can¡¯t show your face is either because you have a deadly disease, are suffering from a terrible epidemic, or have a horrible sexually transmitted disease. I bet you¡¯ll want to show your face right away if you find out what the people have been talking about you.¡±


    ¡°...You sound just like Harmon. No, I actually think that you might be even worse than him. Anyway, I have made my intention very clear.¡±


    ¡°You have syphilis on your mind,¡± Heretia derided.


    .


    ¡°Ouch, that¡¯s an awful thing to say. Perhaps you¡¯re the one who has personal feelings about this.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I heard that the Saintess and the Captain of the Imperial Guards were in favor ofmitting treason. In a way, you can me the Saintess for losing your legs. It¡¯s only natural for you to be upset upon finding out that the Saintess is safe.¡±


    Heretia red at Juan and then opened her mouth.


    ¡°Their opinions were different from mine, but I eventually agreed with the final decision. I was the one who suggested a vote, and I wouldn¡¯t have suggested it if I wasn¡¯t ready to ept either of the results. I don¡¯t intend to say anything like ¡®I told you so¡¯ to the Saintess even for a second.¡±


    But Juan answered Heretia in a calm manner.


    ¡°Really? I have a feeling that you do.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty.¡±


    Haild, who was quietly listening to Heretia and Juan¡¯s conversation from next to them, carefully opened his mouth; he had a feeling that the situation might get worse if their conversation continued any further.


    ¡°This underground structure feels quite simr to the bases of the Thornbush Priest Organization that we upied together. I¡¯m used to fighting in underground structures, so I think I¡¯ll be fine even if I have to go alone.¡±


    ¡°If we are talking about an underground battle, I can definitely fight too,¡± Sina also stepped forward.


    Juan stared at Sina for a while.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to step forward,¡± Juan said.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this why you called me?¡± Sina asked.


    ¡°Well, I did consider asking you for a favor.¡±


    ¡°I want to meet the Saintess and Lenly Loen. Besides, I feel like this incident has something to do with you.¡±


    At that moment, Haild opened his mouth again.


    ¡°Come to think of it, why didn¡¯t Your Majesty call Anya and Horhell? I think both of them would be highly suitable for underground battles.¡±


    Heretia was the first one to shake her head upon hearing Haild¡¯s question.


    ¡°Anya killed Lenly Loen¡¯s younger sister on the battlefield. Her name was Ledna Loen and thatdy was the Deputy of the Order of the Capital.¡±


    ¡°...She was Lenly Loen¡¯s younger sister? I thought they were only distant rtives or something.¡±


    ¡°They were on bad terms because of their extremely different ideologies, but family is still family. If Anya has to meet him, it would be better for Anya to meet him under the bright sun as His Majesty¡¯s loyal subordinate, instead of as a necromancer in the nasty and dark underground. As for Horhell¡­ I recall His Majesty telling me not to call him.¡±


    Juan nodded.


    ¡°Horhell is afraid of the underground.¡±


    ¡°...What?¡± Sina asked back, dumbfounded. ¡°Horhell is afraid of the underground? Since when?¡±


    ¡°I heard that back in Durgal, he sent you into the dungeon instead of going in on his own. Ah, he never said that he was afraid of the underground through his own mouth, but I have a feeling that he is. He might have ustrophobia, since he enjoys flying in the open sky. There used to be a few guys like that from time to time in the Order of Lindwurm. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s anything too serious, but it¡¯s better not to send him, since it might not be a journey that only takes a day or two.¡±


    Sina nodded, convinced by Juan¡¯s words. Until this time, Sina had just thought that Horhell had not entered the dungeon due to his trauma about the Order of Lindwurm.


    ¡®No wonder he refused to exin to me why I should be the one to enter the dungeon instead of him.¡¯


    ¡°Then I guess we havee to the decision of who¡¯s going to save the Saintess and the Captain of the Imperial Guards,¡± Heretia said as she red at Juan. ¡°Your Majesty should remain seated on his throne. We already have plenty of citizens that have their suspicions about the returned emperor. There¡¯s no way we can control them if the emperor really vacates his throne.¡±


    Juan smiled and nodded.


    ¡°Sounds good to me.¡±


    Heretia kept ring at Juan anxiously, while Juan surprisingly epted her opinion, unlike what she had expected. Thus, there was no reason for her to argue with him further.


    Above all, saving the Saintess and the Captain of the Imperial Guards isted in the underground structure was their priority.


    ***


    Considering the seriousness of the matter, Sina and Haild were the only ones who infiltrated the underground structure, since they could not take ordinary soldiers with them.


    They had to find another entrance, since the entrance through the Vatican which Ivy and Lenly entered through had been blocked with the copse of the Vatican. The other entrance that they found was a temporary entrance that Lenly had made while digging for the underground structure with the other Imperial Guards.


    Haild closed his mouth as soon as he entered the structure which was engulfed in pitch-ck darkness. He fumbled against the walls for a while, and then soon opened his mouth.


    ¡°I can hardly feel any signs of life down here.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s probably because it¡¯s a dungeon.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m suggesting that it was made without considering the possibility of any life entering it in the first ce. Even though dungeons are dark and nasty, it is still a ce for life to live after all. But this ce has no consideration for venttion, drainage, lightning, or supply. It seems like it¡¯s been well maintained somehow, but¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Sina asked.


    ¡°There are two possibilities¡ªeither the people who built this structure were not human beings, or it was made assuming that non-human beings would be using it from the very beginning. They might have built it roughly without many details with the intention of using it only for temporary use, but I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the case, given that they worked so hard on the facility.¡±


    Sina was amazed by Haild¡¯s knowledge. She did think highly of him before, but she didn¡¯t think he would be able to figure out this much information with just a nce.


    ¡°Wow, you are quite knowledgeable about underground structures.¡±


    ¡°...That¡¯s because I often go in and out of underground structures,¡± Haild smiled vaguely and muttered as if he wanted to change the subject.


    Seeing this, Sina didn¡¯t pry any further. She had not yet figured out Haild¡¯s identity, and Haild still gave her a bad impression, since she remembered him stabbing and abducting Juan back in the East. She was even more suspicious about Haild because his face was always wrapped in bandages.


    But at the same time, Haild was the one who rescued H and Juan also clearly trusted him. He was aplicated man for many different reasons.


    ¡®<i>And then there¡¯s that ck sword too.</i>¡¯


    Haild also had the ck sword which Dane had given to Sina when he tried to coerce her into stabbing Juan. Elkiehl was also the sword that had been used to stab and kill the emperor once before. It couldn¡¯t be said that there was only one Elkiehl, since Dane had given one to Sina as well. However, it could also be said that it was the same sword that stabbed Juan.


    In other words, Juan was neglecting the sword that had stabbed and killed him when it was right next to him.


    ¡®<i>They do say that it¡¯s best to keep your enemies close by your side, but¡­</i>¡¯


    Sina couldn¡¯t help but feel on edge when she thought about the fact that the only weapon capable of killing the emperor was right next to her. For such a reason, Sina decided to go with Haild to find out more about him.


    ¡°But I would say that the structure is rather in, so I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll have to worry about getting lost here,¡± Haild said as he rubbed his fingers in the air.


    A strange purple light started emanating from Haild¡¯s fingertips. Strange texts and shadows of unknown origin were glimmering inside the light, but the light also made it much easier to search the surroundings in the pitch-ck darkness.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look too closely into it. You might get possessed,¡± Haild warned.


    Sina quickly came to her senses upon hearing Haild¡¯s warning after she had inadvertently started chasing the movements of the shadows inside the purple light.


    Haild pointed his finger which was releasing the strangely captivating light toward the map. The map had the entire blueprint of the underground structure that Heretia had made bybining all the data that she had.


    ¡°Right now, we are over here, right at the entrance, while the Captain of the Imperial Guards and the Saintess seem to be about¡­ here in the middle, at least ording to what His Majesty said,¡± Haild said.


    ¡°How far do you think we are from them?¡± Sina asked.


    ¡°Half a day is enough if there is no interference to stop us.¡±


    Sina nodded.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way there would be no interference in this kind of ce. Let¡¯s move forward with caution.¡±


    Haild also nodded.


    Although the underground structure was not in the form of a general dungeon, there could still be many monsters that could live in such harsh environments, such as the undead and many types of indeterminate beasts¡ªnot to mention the possible existence of traps.


    Sina and Haild slowly walked forward while relying on the glimmering purple light.


    ***


    Haild and Sina arrived near their destination half a dayter with almost nothing happening, other than Sina being startled a few times due to the optical illusion caused by staring at the purple light.


    The two were exhausted to the extent that they had a terrible headache. It was especially tiring for their eyes to move forward in the dark with only a dim purple light.


    ¡°...So there¡¯s nothing interfering with us,¡± Haild muttered dejectedly.


    It was a good thing that they didn¡¯t have to waste their energy on battles, but it was nerve-wracking to move forward with the concern of something popping out at any time.


    ¡°No, I definitely felt a few presences on our way. I¡¯m sure that there is something down here, but I don¡¯t know if it is ignoring us or avoiding us,¡± Sina said as she shook her head.


    Haild agreed with Sina. At first, he thought that Sina was on edge because she had suffered from optical illusions due to staring at the purple light, butter on, Haild also felt clear signs of some presence that made it hard for him to ignore them.


    But in the end, nothing interfered with them.


    ¡°Anyway, they are said to be around here somewhere. If we look through each room one by one¡­¡±


    ¡°Who Are you?¡±


    At that moment, a voice came from beyond the darkness. Haild and Sina tried to approach the voice in relief, but soon came to a stop upon feeling a sudden murderous intent.


    ¡°I asked who you were.¡±


    If the owner of the voice was either the Saintess or the Captain of the Imperial Guards, there was no way that they wouldn¡¯t know that someone wasing to rescue them. Besides, the opponent could clearly see that Sina and Haild were humans since they were exposed by the purple light.


    Then Sina suddenly thought that Haild¡¯s grotesque appearance might be making the opponent wary of him. She stepped forward and opened her mouth.


    ¡°I am Sina Solvane, the Captain of the Order of the Blue Rose. This is His Majesty¡¯s¡­ knight, Haild. Are you Lenly Loen, the Captain of the Imperial Guards?¡±


    Instead of a response, they only got silence.


    Then, after a brief moment of silence, the opponent opened their mouth.


    ¡°I apologize for the inconvenience, but the condition of my eyes is pretty bad right now. But it seems like you have the equipment meant for a Temr with you, while I can feel the energy of the Crack from the other person beside you. As far as I know, both of you are people who are against His Majesty.¡±


    Sina looked at Haild with a perplexed expression. Haild seemed frustrated, but he couldn¡¯t find a reasonable excuse.


    As Haild and Sina¡¯s answer was dyed, a low and quiet sound of a sword being unsheathed could be heard from beyond the darkness.


    Sina had heard about Lenly Loen¡¯s famous tales of heroism as she was also a graduate of the knight school. While she thought that Haild and herself were also just as skilled as Lenly, he was not an opponent they should be fighting against in the first ce.


    ¡°Wait, let¡¯s have a conversation first before we do anything unnecessary. If we were not the people sent by His Majesty, how could we have found this ce in the first ce?¡± Sina asked.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how you found this ce. All I know is that I must carry out my duty.¡±


    ¡®<i>The duty of protecting the saintess.</i>¡¯


    A man quietly walked out from beyond the darkness. The sturdy man with his eyes wrapped in bandages gave off an intense energy just by looking at him.


    Without any choice, Sina and Haild were forced to raise their swords; they just hoped to be able to overpower the opponent without getting injured.


    It was at that moment that another voice was heard.


    ¡°Everyone put down your swords,¡±


    A woman approached them from behind Lenly.


    While everyone stared at her, the woman scratched her head and then red at the three as if she was annoyed. Her ck eyes stood out to the extent that they felt foreign even in the dark.


    ¡°You all just can¡¯t do anything without me, can you?¡±

 Chapter 185 – Snake Under the Feet (3)

    <h4>Chapter 185 ¨C Snake Under the Feet (3)</h4>


    ¡°Your Majesty.¡±


    Lenly quickly lowered his sword and knelt before Juan.


    Meanwhile, Sina and Haild looked back and forth between Lenly and the Saintess; it was their first time seeing Ivy with Juan¡¯s spirit inside of her.


    The Saintess clearly looked different from the girl Sina had asionally seen when she trained at a knight school. Most of the past Saintesses Sina had seen looked lethargic and depressed. However, the Saintess standing in front of her right now exuded the energy of someone who was born as a natural ruler.


    ¡°Juan?¡±


    Juan, who had sessfully transferred his spirit into Ivy¡¯s body, looked toward Sina upon hearing her call.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s me.¡±


    Haild also btedly grasped the situation and lowered his sword as well.


    Then, Lenly looked at Juan and opened his mouth.


    ¡°Please forgive me, Your Majesty. I was concerned that maybe some of them might have returned.¡±


    ¡°All good. I¡¯ve been thinking that I had sent quite a misleadingbination of people by mistake. But these people are loyal friends of mine. There¡¯s no need for you to worry about them.¡±


    Sina was relieved to see Juan who showed up at the perfect timing. Thest thing she wanted to do was to fight against someone who she had to rescue. Sina approached Juan and opened her mouth.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll take the Saintess with me and head out. Sir Loen can be rest assured while¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, about that part,¡± Juan suddenly opened his mouth before Sina could finish her sentence. ¡°I changed my mind about it. You don¡¯t have to take the Saintess out of here.¡±


    ¡°What? But¡­¡±


    The original mission was to rescue the Saintess who was isted in the underground structure with the Captain of the Imperial Guards from danger.


    ¡®<i>But he is canceling the order as soon as we finally reached the Saintess¡­?</i>¡¯


    Lenly also looked at Juan with a perplexed expression.


    ¡°Sina and Haild. Go help Lenly Loen to carry out the mission. I¡¯m not forcing you to listen to my order, Sina. So you can go back if you want. But the Saintess will stay here.¡±


    Only then did Sina realize Juan¡¯s intention.


    ¡°I was wondering why you weren¡¯t being so stubborn this time¡­ you were nning to trick Heretia like this in the first ce, weren¡¯t you? So you¡¯re going to search through this underground structure yourself, huh?¡± Sina asked.


    Juan grinned at Sina.


    ¡°The Saintess has no ability to perform any Grace, nor does have good physical ability. But I guess there¡¯s no need to worry since there are three powerful people I can count on. I¡¯m just borrowing her eyes for a little while. That¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°But Your Majesty¡­¡± Lenly muttered as if he was concerned.


    But Juan didn¡¯t seem like he was willing to listen to other people¡¯s opinions at all.


    ¡°Rx, I won¡¯t maintain the spirit transfer for too long. I respect the Saintess¡¯ privacy since I¡¯m using her body, and I will also get in trouble if Heretia finds out about what I¡¯m doing. I¡¯ll just borrow her body asionally when I feel it is absolutely necessary. So protect her with all your might, alright?¡±


    ¡°...Do you even have the Saintess¡¯ consent?¡± Sina asked as if she was suspicious, but Juan did not answer her.


    There was no way for Juan to ask Ivy for consent from the outset, since it was impossible for Juan and Ivy to talk unless they met each other in person.


    ¡°The underground structure itself is one-third the size of Torra. ording to Heretia¡¯s estimate, everything can be done in two or three days if we ignore the useless areas. Show this map to the Captain of the Imperial Guards as well and check everywhere that you feel is necessary. If you really have no idea, wait until I transfer my spirit into the Saintess¡¯ body.¡±


    Juan did not seem to be open to any sort of counterargument at all. Lenly closed his mouth upon realizing that Juan was going to be stubborn. After all, Lenly and Haild were people who would be willing to ept any words spoken by Juan, even if he said that the sun rose in the west sky.


    On the other hand, Sina felt uneasy about this situation, but had no choice but to ept it eventually.


    ¡°Alright then. I see that there¡¯s no further disagreement here. Exin everything to the Saintess for me.¡±


    ¡°Uh, wait. We-we are the ones exining everything to the Saintess?¡±


    But at that moment, the Saintess shuddered and exhaled a long breath. The Saintess¡¯ ck eyes slowly turned into turquoise color as she opened her eyes.


    Ivy looked surprised when she saw Sina and Haild who had appeared in front of her eyes out of nowhere. She looked around in confusion, then soon found Lenly making a bewildered face. Ivy had seen that look on Lenly¡¯s face before. Ivy carefully opened her mouth.


    ¡°Did His Majesty visit again?¡±


    ¡°...Yes. It will take us more time before we are able to return above the ground because His Majesty left us with a special mission.¡±


    Lenly answered cautiously, but Ivy didn¡¯t seem particrly disappointed or angry.


    ¡°I see. His Majesty¡­ should have been very disappointed in us due to many reasons, including Miss Heretia¡¯s injuries, but I¡¯m just grateful that he gave us another chance. The fact that His Majesty believes in us means that we still have a chance to be forgiven.¡±


    Sina was relieved to see Ivy being convinced so easily, and she was also relieved that Ivy looked quite mature even after Juan¡¯s spirit left her body. Other Saintesses Sina had seen so far all looked precarious, almost as if they were about to copse at any moment. But Ivy didn¡¯t seem to be like that¡ªunless she used to be, but changed after everything that happened to her like many other people who got the chance to meet Juan.


    Sina reached out her hand to Ivy.


    ¡°Saintess, I am Sina Solvane. It will only be a short time that we spend together, but I promise to do my best to serve you safely.¡±


    ***


    ¡°I went to the House of Peers meeting for the first time after a long time, and the age range of that group went up like crazy,¡± Heretia said as soon as she entered Juan¡¯s room in a wheelchair.


    It was Juan¡¯s first time seeing something like a wheelchair, but he didn¡¯t pay too much attention to it; he thought that someone smart from the Helwin family should have made it. Instead, he answered Heretia while continuing to look at the underground structure¡¯s map to see if he was missing any hidden messages.


    ¡°Did youe here toin about that part?¡±


    ¡°No. I want to give you a round of apuse for blowing that rat¡¯s head off. I knew there would be bloodshed either now, orter anyway. I¡¯m actually rather surprised that you only killed one of them. But you should have also considered me having to talk face to face with old people who are even hard of hearing.¡±


    Juanughed quietly as he imagined the elderly people walking around with trembling legs while relying on a caneing together and sitting at a House of Peers meeting.


    ¡°It seems like they decided to ce the older people who might have met me before in the meeting. Perhaps they thought I would be more generous if I met someone I knew from before?¡±


    ¡°Or they are going after Duke Henna. They are either of simr age or older than even Duke Henna.¡±


    ¡°Well they thought wrong. Neither Duke Henna nor I are the type to get soft just for that sort of reason.¡±


    ¡°So you have no intention of revoking your previous order at all?¡± Heretia asked.


    Juan looked back at Heretia upon hearing her question.


    ¡°The one about conscripting the nobles and taking away all their properties?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Exactly that one.¡±


    ¡°Do you want me to cancel it?¡±


    ¡°Well, your order included the Helwin family as well.¡±


    ¡°Are the Helwins innocent?¡±


    Juan smiled and looked at Heretia, but Heretia couldn¡¯t answer him.


    ¡°Everyone knows how Harmon Helwin died. Dismas and the head of the Helwin family found him and blew his head up. Until that moment, Harmon was looking into the conspiracy behind my death.¡±


    Heretia frowned. Harmon had always been an alien to the Helwin family even during his lifetime. And even now that he was dead, he was making everything much moreplicated¡ªthat applied to both, when the Church ruled the empire, and when the emperor was ruling the empire.


    Heretia knew that wasn¡¯t Harmon¡¯s fault, but she couldn¡¯t help but feel frustrated.


    ¡°Uncle Harmon would have died anyway even if we didn¡¯t cooperate at that time. That¡¯s the only thing the Helwin family could do to survive at the time. And yet the Helwin family still had to pay a huge price anyway. That includes my legs.¡±


    ¡°Are you asking me to excuse the Helwin family from my order in return for your contribution?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°Is that too much for me to ask?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s one thing you need to know. I didn¡¯t punish those nobles. They volunteered to dedicate their properties of their own volition. I thought that the Helwins were ready to sacrifice that much as well. No?¡±


    ¡°How could we work so hard without any self-interest? You should know this already, but the ones you have to be the most careful around are those who are willing to work hard without any rewards. They¡¯re either a pervert or a big thief.¡±


    ¡°Harmon didn¡¯t really ask me for anything.¡±


    ¡°Uncle Harmon was definitely more of a pervert. No, maybe he was actually a big thief. I bet that man must have been proud enough to think that the empire was his own work rather than the work of the emperor. Wasn¡¯t it Uncle Harmon who built the system such that it can run even in the absence of the emperor?¡±


    ¡°...That I can¡¯t deny.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m neither a pervert nor a thief. And unlike uncle Harmon, I¡¯m the head of the Helwin family. So I need to take care of my self-interest.¡±


    Juan leaned back against the chair.


    ¡°Is that how much you hate having to give away half of your fortune?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I have no objection to that part. I do think that there are some procedural problems, but it¡¯s bad to make any exceptions.¡±


    Juan looked at Heretia, dumbfounded.


    ¡®<i>She stormed in here all of a sudden to nag at me, but now she is telling me to do as I nned?</i>¡¯


    ¡°Besides, if the Helwin family is willing toe forward and dedicate half of its properties, the other nobles won¡¯t take issue with the procedure. It seems that everyone thinks of me as something simr to the founding contributor,¡± Heretia shrugged.


    ¡°Then what is it that you want?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°I just want you to give us some of the businesses. Something like an unfair business stake that used to be held by nobles of the religious faction, you know? I¡¯m not asking for too much. Perhaps Ilde family¡¯s stake is enough, since they ran away leaving behind all their properties.¡±


    Juan didn¡¯t know where and how much stake the Ilde family had. But Juan didn¡¯t intend on putting his hands on their stake, and was nning to hand it over to a subordinate cooperator anyway. It didn¡¯t really matter to Juan if that subordinate was Heretia.


    ¡°Do as you wish. But as far as I remember, the Ilde family is a family that used to be involved with ve trades,¡± Juan said.


    ¡°In fact, the reason why I want their stake is that I want to clean up the ve trade business. I bet someone is going to take over it if it is left unattended. The Church has allowed so many illegal businesses that we need someone to sort them out and take care of them.¡±


    Juan looked at Heretia with a dumbfounded look.


    ¡°I feel like you might also be a pervert or a big thief.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of things where money wille out other than that as well. I¡¯m especially interested in the business of smuggling goods from beyond the boundary. Oh, of course, it will be an official trade rather than smuggling once I take over.¡±


    Juan stared at Heretia for a while. He couldn¡¯t imagine what the big picture Heretia was drawing looked like. Heretia was definitely simr to Harmon, but also very different from him. Heretia was both a merchant and a statesman, and she was also an adventurer while being the head of a famous noble family. She was certainly a different type from Harmon, who sat in the middle of Tora to manipte it by reaching out even beyond the Imperial border.


    ¡°But I still feel like the Helwin family should pay a little more price.¡±


    Heretia¡¯s face stiffened as she stared at Juan.


    ¡°A little more price? What price?¡± Heretia asked.


    ¡°The head of the Helwin family should serve as the Grand Duke,¡± Juan smiled. ¡°A friendly Grand Duke would be better than an emperor who doesn¡¯t even show his face.¡±


    Heretia¡¯s mouth widened upon hearing Juan¡¯s words, then she red at him with suspicious eyes. She then shook her head, but soon started sighing.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to pretend I didn¡¯t hear you,¡± Heretia only replied after a long time.


    ¡°I thought you would ept the position right away.¡±


    ¡°You should make a decision after more consideration. Discuss with Duke Henna and General Nienna about it as well.¡±


    ¡°Why would I need to do that when I¡¯m the emperor? I haven¡¯t seen a better Grand Duke candidate than you. Besides, I can¡¯t stay in Torra forever. I bet the nobles would prefer a politician who was sitting in the same meeting room as them until yesterday rather than a crazy emperor who recklessly beheads the nobles.¡±


    Heretia frowned; she had a feeling that something was off about Juan¡¯s self-mocking tone. Perhaps it had something to do with what he did at the House of Peers meeting.


    Unlike before, Juan didn¡¯t try to actively govern mankind, nor did he try to unite them as one. Rather, he was deliberately acting as if he wanted to destroy his own public image.


    After thinking so far, Heretia felt like she could understand Juan¡¯s thoughts. In the end, Juan confirmed that mankind would copse miserably if he disappeared. Even if he became an emperor and hadpassion for them like before, it would copse once again as soon as he disappeared.


    Rather, the existence of ¡®the emperor¡¯ itself became the basis for harm.


    Juan may want to make the existence known as ¡®the emperor¡¯ itself absent. That would be an easy job, since the empire would still run just fine by doing what the Church had been doing until now. However, it was a hard thing for Juan to do. However, it might be easy for other people.


    Heretia sighed and then opened her mouth.


    ¡°Juan. You don¡¯t know how lovely and cute you are.¡±


    ¡°...What?¡± Juan red at Heretia with a distorted expression.


    ¡°You are looking at me like I¡¯m talking bullshit all of a sudden. People like you. They are scared of you, but they also admire you. The charm of the emperor is also a power of the emperor, don¡¯t you think? You seem to think that you can be hated and feared by people if you try, but being hated is just as hard as being respected.¡±


    ¡°Did I offend you that much by offering you the position of Grand Duke? Enough is enough. Stop making fun of me.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m happy that you offered the position to me. But my point is, you¡¯re not good enough to be evil. If you did something that really suits you, you would have seeded without ever being caught by me.¡±


    Heretia smiled and turned the wheelchair as she continued speaking.


    ¡°Even if you try to purposefully cover yourself in mud, people around you will never let you do that. You trying to put up a front is actually kind of cute to watch from the side. People like H Henna are worse, because they have a strong disposition of ¡®a bad-tempered but actually super sweet grandmother.¡¯ So be careful of her.¡±

 Chapter 186 – The Underground Throne Room (1)

    <h4>Chapter 186 ¨C The Underground Throne Room (1)</h4>


    ¡°Your Majesty, please take my hand.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes.¡±


    Juan, who had transferred his spirit into Ivy¡¯s body, grabbed the hand Lenly had extended toward him without much thought. Then, Lenly politely and gently pulled Juan up the stairs that were higher than even his knees.


    While Juan didn¡¯t feel weird about this situation at all, Sina and Haild seemed to think otherwise.


    ¡°That kind of looks like¡­¡±


    ¡°Um, yeah¡­ you think so too, right?¡±


    The way that Lenly took care of Ivy was different from the typical escort that Sina and Haild had seen before.


    ¡®<i>If anyone thinks that¡¯s normal, I bet they have read way too much romance.</i>¡¯


    Lenly¡¯s every move as he took care of Ivy was meticulous, and filled with caution and consideration¡ªhe did not neglect her for even a single moment.


    But the problem was that it was the emperor who was inside Ivy¡¯s body right now. Sina felt strange just thinking about the fact that inside this delicate and slender woman¡¯s body was the spirit of the emperor who shook the entire empire. Lenly Loen treating such a woman with such caution and consideration as if she was a tiny and delicate hamster made this situation all the more strange.


    ¡°Do you think that the Saintess and the Captain of the Imperial Guards are an item?¡± Haild asked Sina cautiously.


    ¡°An item? That¡¯s something only a child would say¡­ If you¡¯re asking me if I think that they are in a rtionship, then I can only tell you that there is now that prohibits the Captain of the Imperial Guards from having personal feelings toward the Saintess. But the Imperial Guards usually pledge to never get married, so it will be difficult for them to get together.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ um, the Saintess is actually His Majesty right now. The Captain of the Imperial Guards knows that as well, but why is he treating her so carefully, even to such an extent?¡±


    Haild asked as if he was confused.


    In response, Sina could only smile with a perplexed expression.


    ¡°Actually, that may be why he¡¯s so excited right now.¡±


    ¡°...Excited? Why?¡±


    ¡°I heard that Lenly Loen is tremendously loyal toward His Majesty, to the extent that his loyalty was one of the reasons why his rtionship with the Pope fell apart. I don¡¯t know much about Captain Lenly¡¯s feelings for the Saintess, but it does seem like he thinks of her as more than just someone who he has to protect. But now that the emperor who he loves and respects is inside the Saintess who he likes as well, so¡­¡±


    Haild looked at Sina with a shocked expression upon hearing her words. He hesitated for a long time before opening his mouth again.


    ¡°Are you saying that the Captain of the Imperial Guards thinks of His Majesty as a lover?¡±


    ¡°The usual rtionship between any boss and their subordinate is definitely not very healthy,¡± Sina shrugged.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s not the problem¡­¡±


    ¡°There is also a huge age difference between them as well. We can¡¯t see it now, but they may even experience cultural conflicts if they stay together for a long time.¡±


    ¡°What I was trying to say was¡­¡±


    ¡°Is there any problem?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m concerned that Captain Lenly¡¯s feelings will go away when His Majesty eventually returns to his own body. After all, the fundamental question of whether Captain Lenly loves either of the two is¡­¡±


    ¡°Cheating is definitely a big problem. His Majesty should also be firm and determined.¡±


    At that moment, Haild¡¯s head tilted back with a snapping sound.


    When Sina looked forward, Juan was ring at her and Haild while a distorted expression covered Ivy¡¯s delicate face.


    ¡°Stop the unnecessary chats and just follow me.¡±


    Haild nodded silently.


    Sina and Haild suddenly felt that they should restrain themselves a little bit. Even so, Haild whispered in Sina¡¯s ear one more time while quietly following Juan.


    ¡°I guess we did not consider His Majesty¡¯s feelings. That¡¯s the most important thing.¡±


    Then, Haild¡¯s head once again tilted forward with an even louder snapping sound.


    After a while, their party came to a stop in front of a long corridor. Lenly looked at the corridor for a while, then turned back to ask a question.


    ¡°There is a high probability that there¡¯s a trap here. I think we should either hurry up to break through it or take a break. What are your thoughts?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s take a break.¡±


    Juan was the first to answer. His face was full of irritation and annoyance.


    ¡°I¡¯m hungry, cold, and my legs are sore,¡± Juanined further.


    Sina suddenly felt that she was very unfamiliar with the scene of Juanining, since she had never seen him say anything like this before. She felt like she was seeing many different aspects of Juan for the first time.


    ¡°More than anything, I¡¯m in a rush to use the washroom. I transferred my spirit into the Saintess¡¯ body because I thought it would be better to get all the hard work done while she is asleep, since I¡¯m borrowing her body, but there¡¯s nothing I can do about the physiological phenomenon. I wish she had a stronger body.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of the Saintess. You two can go back,¡± Sina said.


    Sina hurriedly stepped forward and held the Saintess¡¯ shoulders. As soon as Sina held Ivy, Ivy¡¯s body trembled. She flinched and gasped for a moment as if the unexpected muscle pain came to her all at once.


    Lenly quickly approached Ivy.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Oh, um. Yes, it¡¯s just that my legs are too shaky. But more than that¡­¡± Ivy stammered.


    Sina nodded and took Ivy to somewhere dark and away from the rest of the party.


    Haild and Lenly, who were left alone in front of the corridor, looked at each other for a while then soon turned their heads toward different directions.


    Haild used this break to look more closely into the style of the underground structure. Their journey had been unexpectedly smooth so far, but he had still felt an unknown presence around them. It was certain that the presence was not that of a person¡¯s, since no person could move so quietly.


    It would be fortunate if it were a bat or a mouse, but they were not creatures who could live in such dry and cold conditions.


    ¡®<i>And I wish I was mistaken about this, but¡­</i>¡¯


    Haild pondered as he touched the intaglio on the wall. The strange patterns that he had never seen before looked quite chaotic. However, looking closely into it revealed that some of the patterns were simr here and there. This meant that the pattern wasn¡¯t a drawing but some sort of text.


    It was a script that had never been seen in the empire. Such a script could only be found beyond the Crack.


    ¡®<i>Unless the Church separately created their ownnguage with this script.</i>¡¯


    Haild couldn¡¯t tell the intention behind these markings or whether the script really was rted to the Crack.


    ¡®<i>Where is the beginning and the end of this text?</i>¡¯


    Haild wondered if these letters were engraved throughout the entire underground structure. He felt that it was a possibility, since the patterns on the walls had never disappeared once until now.


    ¡®<i>If it really is a text, then it must be a massive epic.</i>¡¯


    If it was written with an intention, there was a chance of it being a massive spell. Haild inadvertently felt horrified and decided that he should report his findings to Juan as soon as he returned to the Saintess¡¯ body. If Juan could read the text, he might be able to find out more about the beginning and the end of the text to better figure out the shape of the underground structure.


    It was then.


    A scream broke out from the direction where Sina and Ivy had gone.


    ***


    Lenly moved even before Haild opened his mouth.


    Haild had no choice but to hastily follow Lenly who ran out like the rushing wind.


    ¡°That¡¯s the wrong direction you are headed to!¡± Haild urgently shouted to Lenly who ran forward at an incredible speed.


    Lenly came to a stop before a fork.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Lenly asked.


    ¡°I saw Dame Sina turning to the right earlier. We have to go this way to¡­¡±


    Then another scream broke out. This time, the voice seemed to belong to Ivy.


    ¡°Then why is there a screaming from this way?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s either an echo since we are in the underground, or¡­¡±


    Lenly anxiously looked back and forth between Haild and the left side of the fork where the scream hade from, then eventually ran toward the direction where Ivy¡¯s scream came from.


    Haild muttered some profanities to himself and hesitated before following Lenly.


    The direction Sina had gone toward earlier was clearly the right, but there was a chance that she might have gone back to the left when he was paying attention to the patterns engraved on the walls due to the right side being an inappropriate ce.


    ¡®<i>Perhaps the opponent is imitating a scream to separate us from each other.</i>¡¯


    Haild decided to believe in Sina¡¯s ability, since he figured that the most important thing in this situation was to stick together. But right when Haild was about to follow Lenly, a voice calling for him came from the right side.


    It was Sina.


    ¡°Haild!¡±


    Haild sighed in relief and quickly approached Sina.


    ¡°What was that scream just now?¡± Sina asked.


    ¡°Dame Sina, we must go after Captain Lenly. Right now¡­¡±


    Then one thought passed through Haild¡¯s head. Ivy¡¯s scream just now hade from the direction Lenly ran toward, but Sina was not the type to leave behind someone she had to protect¡ª then there may be something in the underground structure that mimics the voices of people.


    Haild¡¯s judgment was a step toote. As soon as he slowed down, a ck shadow jumped out of the darkness and stabbed him in the side.


    Haild groaned as he found a slimy monster in the form of a shadow amidst the dim purple light.


    ¡®<i>There¡¯s monsters in this direction as well? Did Captain Lenly go the right way? Or were both of them going toward traps?</i>¡¯


    He could try to think about itter.


    For the time being, Haild didn¡¯t hesitate to draw Elkiehl.


    ***


    As the surroundings brightened up again, Sina knew that Ivy had finished her business. She was surrounded by just walls with frustrating and bizarre patterns, but she was somehow relieved when the light returned, since she had been able to sense some unknown movements¡ªsomething was constantly rustling around beyond the walls.


    ¡°Are you okay, Dame Sina?¡± Ivy asked.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m all right. By the way, that¡¯s a much more useful magic item than I thought. I¡¯ve seen a lot of magterns before, but I¡¯ve never seen one that¡¯s this small, but still gives off such a bright light,¡± Sina said as she looked at the ne on Ivy¡¯s neck.


    Ivy fiddled with the ne.


    ¡°The Captain of the Imperial Guards gave this to me. He said that there was a powerful Grace ced on it. Not only does it emit a bright light but it also has the power to drive out the impure.¡±


    In fact, magic and Grace meant the same thing, so Ivy was basically repeating the same words. But Sina didn¡¯t bother to point it out. The Church had been teaching everyone that all magic was created and permitted only by the emperor, so it was no wonder that the Saintess was mistaken.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s get going, shall we? Everyone is waiting for¡­¡±


    At that moment, a scream of a man broke out. They couldn¡¯t tell if it was Lenly or Haild who had screamed, but it was such a terrible sound that an ominous feeling swept over them. Sina immediately drew her sword and brought Ivy close to her side. Ivy¡¯s face was pale with fear.


    ¡°Is Captain Lenly the type to scream out loud?¡± Sina asked Ivy right away.


    ¡°N-no. But I¡¯m not too sure if that was his voice, since he doesn¡¯t talk much¡­¡±


    ¡°Haild isn¡¯t the type to scream out loud either, though he may ask for help. Stick close to me and watch out.¡±


    Sina moved slowly and cautiously. There was no problem in securing a good view, thanks to Ivy¡¯s ne brightening the surroundings. Sina and Ivy¡¯s shadows were mixed and shook under the light, but it wasn¡¯t to the extent of bothering them.


    Then Sina quickly swung her sword and stabbed it into the shadow.


    ¡°D-Dame Sina?!¡±


    At the same time when Ivy called out Sina¡¯s name in a perplexed voice, the shadows scattered in all directions, as if they were being torn by Sina¡¯s sword.


    Ivy gasped when she saw that the shadow had gotten much fainter and lighter than before.


    ¡°I¡¯d noticed that the shadow was moving a little slower than it should have been,¡± Sina muttered in a nervous voice. ¡°Maybe these bastards are the presences we had felt earlier. It seems like they were hiding right under our noses. We¡¯ll have to hurry and get out of here just in case they might have the ability to imitate voices. Miss Ivy, please shake your ne as hard as you can from time to time.¡±


    Ivy nodded with a pale expression upon realizing Sina¡¯s intention to track the movements of the shadows.


    Sina quickly advanced forward as she walked just fast enough to make sure that Ivy didn¡¯t run out of breath.


    Then Sina inadvertently felt that the structure of this ce was a little strange. Sina and Ivy weren¡¯t too far away from Lenly and Haild, yet not only did the sounds feel like they wereing from a distance, but the way back to where they came from felt absurdly long.


    ¡®<i>So far away¡­? No, the sound ising from beyond the walls.</i>¡¯


    Sina noticed that a faint sound of footsteps wasing from beyond the wall next to her. Sina kicked the wall with all her might. Of course, she didn¡¯t think it would easily copse, but she nned to give it some shock to let the person beyond the walls know of their existence.


    However, the wall copsed too easily, unlike Sina expected. At the same time that Sina lost her bnce and stumbled, the wall disappeared and Lenly appeared.


    Lenly tried to swing his sword at Sina who had suddenly appeared, but quickly stopped as he flinched upon realizing her identity.


    ¡°Saintess!¡±


    The shadows that scattered everywhere as the wall cracked rushed toward Ivy.


    Ivy was so startled that she shook her ne just as she had been doing until now. The shadows momentarily shook as if they were swayed by the movement of lights, but they did not stop moving.


    A shadow brushed against Ivy¡¯s right arm, and red blood dripped down as her skin was cut.


    Lenly¡¯s eyes sparked with anger upon seeing the Saintess getting injured.


    At that moment, Ivy¡¯s eyes turned ck in an instant.

 Chapter 187 – The Underground Throne Room (2)

    <h4>Chapter 187 ¨C The Underground Throne Room (2)</h4>


    ¡°What the hell is going on?¡±


    As soon as Ivy muttered to herself, another shadow rushed toward her once again. However, this time the shadow was so easily caught in her hand that it almost seemed ridiculous.


    Seeing this, Sina realized that Juan had transferred his spirit into Ivy¡¯s body.


    Meanwhile, Juan clenched the shadow in his hand, then tore it apart with both his hands.


    ¡®<i>I didn¡¯t know that shadows could be torn apart like that¡­</i>¡¯


    Sina had a ridiculous thought in her head upon seeing the shadow scatter in the air, but soon nodded as she was convinced that the shadow would have no choice but to be ripped apart if it was hit by a sword as well.


    But Juan¡¯s hands were not intact either, since the shadow had the ability to cut through skin. Red blood oozed out of Juan¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Ah, damn it. I forgot that this wasn¡¯t my own body.¡±


    Juan murmured awkwardly and stepped back. At the same time, Lenly quickly popped out and hugged Juan.


    Juan, who instantly got trapped inside Lenly¡¯s arms, looked at Lenly with perplexed eyes.


    ¡°Are you all right, Saintess¡­ I mean, Your Majesty?¡±


    ¡°As long as you don¡¯t treat me like a delicate princess, yes I¡¯m fine. But I ended up leaving some wounds on the Saintess¡¯ hands. I feel sorry for her.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of the rest, Your Majesty. I think I have a rough idea of the ecology of these things,¡± Lenly said.


    Sina followed Lenly closely and watched out for the shadows fluttering from the front. The shadows were pacing around and showing irregr movements instead of rushing in again.


    ¡°You have a rough idea of these things?¡± Sina asked.


    ¡°These shadows respond to light. Or I guess it would be better to say that they respond to shadows. They will weaken and stop moving if we turn off the ne hanging around His Majesty¡¯s neck,¡± Lenly answered.


    ¡°What? This?¡± Juan asked as he lifted the ne around his neck.


    Sina did not doubt Lenly¡¯s words, but she was concerned. Their enemies were creatures that moved around like shadows, and they wouldn¡¯t even be able to see them once they turned off the light. The shadows seemed to be quite weak, but they were still strong enough to cut through skin.


    ¡°Come to think of it, this ne has magic in it. You want to turn it off?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. If you leave it to me, we can safely escape the situation and¡­¡±


    ¡°No. That¡¯s just ridiculous.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Your Majesty?¡±


    ¡°I might be weak inside the Saintess¡¯ body, but did you really think that I¡¯ll be generous enough to let these monsters that appeared before me escape intact? Captain of the Imperial guards, you say that you admire the emperor so much, but it seems like you know nothing about the emperor. I do notpromise with monsters.¡±


    Juan muttered in a rxed manner as he pulled off the ne from his neck, then lifted it high up in the sky.


    ¡°Even if it can be solved through a conversation, I prefer to choose the path where I can tear apart and kill the enemy.¡±


    The moment Juan briefly muttered something, the light of the ne began to shine more intensely than ever. Juan couldn¡¯t use magic inside Ivy¡¯s body, since Ivy had never dealt with magic before unless it was through a catalyst. However, maximizing the ability of basic magic items was simple enough work for him to do even inside the Saintess¡¯ body.


    Lenly urgently opened his mouth.


    ¡°But Your Majesty! Because the enemies respond to light, we must¡­¡±


    ¡°That would only be valid if they are able to handle this much light.¡±


    Bright white light that made it hard for all of them to open their eyes filled the entire corridor. As the corridor reflected the lights from wall to wall, the shadows ended up disappearing altogether.


    Sina turned her head sideways and looked at the Saintess¡¯ back, since she couldn¡¯t look ahead at all due to the bright light.


    The shadow monsters that were wandering in front of the party also shriveled up and rustled away in silence.


    Then the light suddenly disappeared. In fact, it had only returned to its original state before Juan maximized the light, but for a while, Sina felt as if she was blind.


    The shadows werepletely gone.


    ¡°Well, I guess this is good enough for now,¡± Juan said.


    ¡°Your Majesty, what just happened¡­?¡±


    Juan lifted the ne. The jewelry on the ne had a fine crack on its surface.


    ¡°I forcefully used the little bit of the magic inside this object. The lifespan of the ne may have been reduced by about ten years, but I¡¯ll make sure to get a better one for you.¡±


    ¡°...How did Your Majesty know that the shadow monsters would disappear if bright enough light was shone on them?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen simr monsters before. Shadows are the servants of light, and I deal with fire and light. Things like that often bother me when my mana gets too old or piled up. Think of them as some kind of parasite. It¡¯s been a long time since I''ve seen something like that.¡±


    ¡°Oh, then that means¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes. Perhaps the Pope being able to use my magic has something to do with this underground structure,¡± Juan smiled and lifted the ne to eye level. ¡°Besides, they saw the real owner of the mana. So they¡¯ll be able to recognize who they have to bow toward from now on.¡±


    A subtle shadowy amidst the light emanating from Juan¡¯s ne.


    At that moment, Sina freaked out as she found her own shadow swaying irregrly, but Juan reassured her.


    ¡°Rx. They won¡¯t attack us now, and they are much weaker.¡±


    ¡°Why did you keep them alive? I thought you said you¡¯d rip them all to death,¡± Sina asked.


    ¡°Well, it seems like these guys have been interrupting our exploration. They will help us figure out the underground structure and find a way if we tame them well.¡±


    Sina nodded, convinced. The shadows they just saw were able to imitate voices and even mimic walls¡ª they were camouge monsters specialized to stay in the dungeons.


    ¡°Oh,e to think of it. Where¡¯s Haild?¡±


    Sina flinched and looked around in surprise upon hearing Juan¡¯s question. Haild was nowhere to be seen.


    Lenly, who had just been with Haild until a moment ago, hurriedly pointed to the direction he came from.


    ¡°He should be over there. He went in a different direction from me¡­¡±


    At that moment, they saw something approaching them from beyond the darkness with a heavy gait¡ªit was Haild who was approaching them with countless shadows piercing through him.


    Juan quickly grabbed Sina who was about to run out toward Haild.


    ¡°One of their abilities is to gain physical control over your body if there are enough of them. They do so by taking control of the nerves and sending the wrong signals,¡± Juan exined.


    ¡°Will he be okay?¡± Sina asked.


    ¡°I guess we¡¯ll never know unless we check him out. Step back if you don¡¯t intend to cut off his limbs. I¡¯ll take care of it.¡±


    Juan shoved the ne in front of Haild¡¯s eyes.


    ***


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what else to say other than that I¡¯m ashamed of myself.¡±


    Haild muttered, dropping to the ground. The shadows had prated Haild¡¯s entire body to take control of his nerves and create hallucinations, but they all disappeared quickly once the light emitted by Juan¡¯s ne shone on him.


    No matter how good Haild¡¯s swordsmanship was, it was impossible for him to fight against the shadows in the dark.


    ¡°It¡¯s clear that they respond to light considering that shadow monsters only appeared around Haild and the Saintess who were both emitting light.¡±


    Lenly nodded as Sina spoke.


    ¡°Yes. It seems like all they can do without light is mimic voices and create hallucinations.¡±


    However, it was impossible to wander in the dark underground structure without any light.


    Lenly alternatively looked at Haild, Sina, and Ivy, then soon opened his mouth as if he had made a decision.


    ¡°Your Majesty, would you please take the Saintess out of this ce and back to the surface?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Juan lifted his eyebrows.


    ¡°The Saintess has already been injured. Of course, there is no doubt that Your Majesty is omnipotent. But exploring the underground structure inside the Saintess¡¯ body is¡­¡±


    Juan swung his ne toward Lenly¡¯s neck without listening any further. Lenly raised his hand and tried to block the ne without even realizing it, but Juan quickly wrapped Lenly¡¯s neck with the ne as if he had read Lenly¡¯s next move in advance. Then Juan tightly pulled the ne to choke him.


    ¡°What are you trying to say? That I¡¯m no good?¡±


    Lenly groaned with a distorted expression.


    Seeing this, Sina gasped and quickly ran toward the two.


    ¡°Juan, stop it!¡±


    Juan let go of Lenly right away. A long red mark still remained on Lenly¡¯s neck.


    ¡°I apologize. I acted like a child.¡±


    Looking at Juan¡¯s calm expression, Sina could see that Juan was neither upset nor emotional. Only then did she realize that Juan didn¡¯t want to make much effort to persuade Lenly in the first ce, since he already knew that Lenly had special feelings for Ivy.


    ¡°I understand that you are worried about the Saintess, but I must stay with the party to continue the exploration. I¡¯ve been pretty pissedtely, you know. I thought that I¡¯d get my body back and find out about the truth once I came back to Torra. But the fucking bastards ran away with both my body and the truth, my friend has lost her legs, and the only thing everyone around me does is whine. My patience is reaching its limit.¡±


    Juan looked at Sina in silence for a while, then opened his mouth again, ¡°And most of all, I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be any safer without me.¡±


    No one could disagree with Juan¡¯sst sentence. As long as they continued to get lost, there was neither a way to break through the dungeon nor was there anyone among them who could cope with the shadow monsters if they ever appeared again.


    ¡°I would have sent a magician if I knew of this structure in advance. But fortunately, we do have one magician here,¡± Juan said.


    ¡°A magician?¡± Haild asked as if he was curious.


    Juan calmly pointed toward himself and answered.


    ¡°I¡¯m talking about myself. The shadow monsters are no longer a problem. No, in fact, they will help us.¡±


    Sina and Haild couldn¡¯t understand Juan¡¯s words. However, Lenly looked at Juan as if he could not believe it.


    ¡°No way. Did Your Majesty use that light on the shadows to¡­¡±


    Innread dot".


    Instead of answering, Juan lifted the ne back toward Lenly. It was not as bright as it was when the shadows were driven out, but a strong light that was enough to make the shadows even darker than normal was emitted by the ne. Shortly afterward, a shadow wriggling behind Lenly¡¯s back could be seen.


    ¡°Darkness is the absence of light, and shadows are the first servant of light,¡± Juan quietly whispered a magic spell.


    The shadow swayed from side to side following the movement of the ne. Not long after, Lenly¡¯s shadow copied itself, going from one to two and two to three. Soon, the countless shadows began to move limply and head toward a direction.


    ¡°There we go. We won¡¯t get lost anymore,¡± Juan said.


    ¡°Where are they going?¡± Sina asked.


    ¡°Where these guys were born. So it¡¯s the ce where the most amount of magic is piled up inside this underground structure. It¡¯s also the most important part of this structure as well.¡±


    While Lenly had been struggling for a week to find the way inside this underground structure, Juan had solved the problem right away by simply shaking a ne a few times.


    Sina already knew that Juan had absurdly incredible abilities, but she still couldn¡¯t help but shake her head every time she witnessed it.


    ¡°Now diligently follow those shadows. It¡¯s getting exhausting to stay in this body.¡±


    ***


    Juan¡¯s party had to walk for almost half a day without a break to follow the shadows. Juan felt a little sorry when he thought about Ivy who would suffer from intense muscle pain after the journey ended, and she regained consciousness. However, he thought that it would be better to get the business done as soon as possible and then let her take a rest rather than spend another day inside this damp and dark underground structure.


    Juan¡¯s party stopped in front of a huge door. The shadows that surged from all sides of the underground structure were constantlying in and out of the cracks in the door. The sight of hundreds and thousands of shadows was quite frightening and made the party feel fed up.


    Everyone except Juan could not help but nervously look around; there was no way to counteract them if these shadows decided to rush them all at once.


    ¡°Shall I open the door, Your Majesty?¡± Haild asked as he led the way.


    Juan stared at the huge iron gate for a while, then soon nodded.


    Haild and Lenly held one door each and pushed. The huge iron gates began to slowly open, and the interior space appeared.


    Surprisingly, the interior was an empty cavity. It was a huge hall with only huge pirs and an empty floor. Shadows were circling around the round empty space like fish.


    ¡°...There¡¯s nothing here.¡±


    Haild looked around as if he was perplexed. It was a space the party had long since been looking for, but they couldn¡¯t see anything but an empty space. There were signs of rough stone-cut construction, but no one could tell what this space was made for.


    Then Haild inadvertently noticed that the letters which formed the patterns on the walls outside were also engraved on the floor.


    The shadows were circting along those letters.


    At that moment, Juan opened his mouth.


    ¡°We can¡¯t say that there¡¯s nothing here.¡±


    Everyone followed along Juan¡¯s gaze.


    There was something hanging from the ceiling, and Haild was the only one who couldn¡¯t immediately recognize what it was.


    It was a huge throne, just like the one in the Imperial Pce.


    ¡°It¡¯s right under my throne,¡± Juan muttered.

 Chapter 188 – The Underground Throne Room (3)

    <h4>Chapter 188 ¨C The Underground Throne Room (3)</h4>


    ¡°What do you mean it¡¯s right under your throne?¡± Haild asked, curious.


    Juan nced around the surroundings for a moment.


    ¡°Looking at the structure, we are right below the Imperial Pce¡ªspecifically where my throne used to be. It seems like they flipped the structure and mirrored the audience chamber.¡±


    It was not until the party heard Juan¡¯s words that they looked over the ceiling above their heads. As Juan said, the statues and stairs were builtpletely upside down on the ceiling. Their mouths widened; they hadn¡¯t been able to find those structures until now, since the light was not bright enough.


    Juan slowly walked into the hall.


    ¡°What the hell does all this mean?¡± Sina muttered, confused.


    The fact that the facilitiesmonly used by people were built upside down on the ceiling was considered unpleasant, going far beyond it being bizarre. It felt as if someone was looking down and staring at them from above at this very moment.


    ¡°I¡¯m not too sure. Maybe the people who use this ce are those who walk around upside down on the ceiling,¡± Haild said.


    ¡°...Was that supposed to be a joke?¡± Sina asked.


    ¡°It was supposed to be a joke, but I guess I can¡¯t really call it a joke, since the upside-down audience chamber is right in front of my eyes,¡± Haild shrugged.


    Sina couldn¡¯t deny Haild¡¯s words.


    Feeling displeased at the thought of people walking around upside down on the ceiling, Sina followed Juan.


    Shadows would step back in the direction where Juan would move, almost as if they were worshiping him.


    ¡°Juan, is that true?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s true? Are you talking about the stupid thing you and Haild were just talking about? People walking around upside down, huh? No way. It can¡¯t be. It¡¯s nothing but a structure built with the intent to use magic.¡±


    Sina red at Haild upon hearing Juan¡¯s answer.


    Haild could only shrug his shoulders, as if to say ¡®how was I supposed to know?¡¯


    ¡°Even if people who walk around upside down exist, if you look closely, you should be able to tell that all the objects on the ceiling look new and have no signs of being used. Both these structures and the upside-down audience chamber were all made for a giant magic spell,¡± Juan exined.


    ¡°You can tell just by looking at them?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve probably seen something simr before.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Sina asked back in surprise.


    Juan slowly turned back and looked at Sina.


    ¡°I¡¯m talking about where Mananen McLeir¡¯s body was enshrined. Although most of the Magic Tower is buried under the ground, it is structured in the same shape both above and below. That ce was originally made for Mananen McLeir¡¯s kingdom in the first ce.¡±


    Upon pondering, Sina¡¯s thoughts reached a single conclusion. There was something that Juan created using Mananen McLeir¡¯s body.


    ¡°The boundary?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I used Mananen McLeir¡¯s body to create the boundary of the empire. This is an exact imitation of it,¡± Juan spoke with a cold smile on his face. ¡°This structure has been created to extract mana out of my corpse.¡±


    Sina recalled the path she had walked past with a perplexed expression. Although she was unfamiliar with the structure of the Imperial Pce, she had been feeling that some areas were quite simr.


    ¡°Then does that mean the rest of the area is meant for deception? It¡¯s kind of like forming a magic circle.¡±


    ¡°This kind of work is very difficult even for the entire Church, let alone individuals. It¡¯s not like knowledge builds up in a short period of time. Even if there is a previous example called the Magic Tower and Mananen McLeir, it is only possible if one meets the extremely difficult condition of researching magic for a very long time, having good ancient knowledge, and having both enough time and budget¡­¡±


    While muttering to himself, Juan thought of only one person who was able to meet all the listed conditions.


    ¡°Dane Dormund.¡±


    ¡°The Grand Magician? Are you saying that he¡¯s involved with the Church? But the Churchbeled him as one of the Six Apostates, didn¡¯t they?¡± Sina asked.


    ¡°Dane Dormund can change his appearance. Besides, even most of the magicians from the Magic Tower didn¡¯t even know that the master of the tower was Dane Dormund. Or the act of the Churchbeling him as an apostate itself could have been fake.¡±


    Juan couldn¡¯t tell how far Dane Dormund¡¯s n stretched, but he figured that Dane seemed to have been constantly active within the empire even after being expelled.


    Sina looked around the structures and opened her mouth to ask a question.


    ¡°Is this ce still active?¡±


    ¡°No. It doesn¡¯t work anymore because they took away my corpse. The only thing left in this ce is piled up mana that they had been using until now¡ªand the shadows are the parasites that live off of that leftover mana. It seems like they have been using the shadows as their watchmen,¡± Juan answered.


    ¡°Huh? But aren¡¯t the Priests still using Grace?¡±


    ¡°Then there must be another facility like this one somewhere else. And that¡¯s where my body is.¡±


    Juan smiled. It was a gruesome smile that made Sina flinch without even realizing she did so. She felt anxious every time she saw Juan make such an expression, but it wasn¡¯t like she couldn¡¯t understand how Juan felt right now. She thought that she too would feel her blood boiling with anger if she found out that her body was being dragged around to an unknown ce and exploited at someone¡¯s will.


    Juan stammered around the structure here and there, then suddenly came to a stop in front of one ce.


    ¡°This is the only part where I can see traces of someone having visited recently.¡±


    Haild approached Juan. Having raided the bases of the Thornbush Priest Organization several times with Juan, he was able to recognize the traces at a single nce.


    ¡°It¡¯s a sign of teleportation. If the coordinates still remain here, we might be able to track them to¡­¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s not like any ordinary teleportation. Its scale is muchrger and involves a lot of people. Perhaps it¡¯s because they had to move my corpse. Besides, it¡¯s encrypted so that it would be hard for anyone else to recognize even the traces except for those with allowed keys.¡±


    ¡°Would it be impossible to track them down even for Your Majesty?¡±


    ¡°Is that supposed to be a challenge?¡±


    ¡°Um, that¡¯s not what I¡¯m trying to say. But¡­¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s give it a try.¡±


    ***


    The smell of burning herbs gave Helmut a terrible headache. He had asked for incense several times, but his request was only ignored with a warning that his head might explode if he used them recklessly in this ce.


    The citadel of Dismas, Cabragh, was a fortress city bordered by the mountain range with the territory of the giants to the west and overlooking the western territories of the empire to the East.


    It was a deste and quiet ce, but it was a ce with only terrible memories for Helmut.


    Cabragh was thend where he first began the ¡®Red Footprints.¡¯ His first purge was quite immature and difficult, but there was no shortage of blood. Only afterpleting the ¡®Red Footprints¡¯ was Helmut able to ce the foundation of the Church. At that time, Helmut even granted the title of Doctrinal General to Dismas, who actively helped Helmut with the purge.


    Helmut remembered Dismas kneeling in front of him and dering his allegiance to the emperor.


    ¡®<i>But now I¡¯m basically half confined and trapped in a tower.</i>¡¯


    Helmut looked out the window and thought about how he ended up like this. The first thing that came to his mind was the appearance of the ck-haired devil in Tantil. That¡¯s when the former Saintess began to make prophecies and then everything started to get tangled. Then finally, even Torra was taken away by the same devil.


    ¡®<i>No. That¡¯s nothing but an excuse.</i>¡¯


    The empire was not weak enough to copse at the advent of a single individual. The empire established by the emperor was solid and firm to the extent that it would be able to hold out against the emperor himself if he appeared once again.


    Helmut wrapped his arm with his hands without realizing it.


    ¡®<i>What if the scaffolding under my feet has been rotting since much longer than I thought? What if the appearance of the ck-haired devil wasn¡¯t the cause, but only the catalyst to kick the already rotting scaffold? Since when has the scaffold been rotting? Was it when I experimented with the Temrs for my desire to have the physical abilities of the emperor? Was it when I started a purge like the ¡®Red Footprints¡¯ in order to consolidate the system? Or was it from the time of the emperor¡¯s assassination? Or the worship of the emperor itself? Maybe it was when I was born as a humble and a lowly being even among humans.</i>¡¯


    Helmut shook his head as he grit his teeth. He put strength into his hands and used the power of Grace. He didn¡¯t know where Dismas had brought the holy body of the emperor, but the power of the Grace was still working just fine.


    ¡®<i>As long as I have the power of Grace.</i>¡¯


    The emperor¡¯s power was in Helmut¡¯s hands, and he could never let it go. Helmut believed that he could get back on his feet and rebuild the copsed Church as long as he had the power of Grace.


    ¡®<i>And that is if I can get rid of that ck-haired devil and Ivy Isildin, that damned Saintess.</i>¡¯


    Helmut gritted his teeth once again.


    At that moment, the scenery in front of him cracked with a sudden piercing light. Then someone familiar was seen and heard through the small gap which was the size of a fist.


    ¡°Is it actually working? Didn¡¯t you say that it was impossible for anyone except those with the key?¡±


    ¡°That only applies to ordinary people. It''s kind of expedient but if I manage to break the door instead of opening it with the key, I can track a remarkable signal from an abstract coordinate to¡­ oh? Who do we have here?¡±


    Helmut opened his mouth wide and looked at the opponent. He thought that he was hallucinating, since the opponent staring at him through the gap in the torn space was definitely Ivy Isildin.


    Furthermore, Lenly Loen was ncing at him from behind Ivy Isildin.


    ¡°That¡¯s the Pope,¡± Lenly Loen said.


    ¡°This bastard is the Pope?¡± Ivy scanned Helmut up and down, then pulled up the corners of her mouth. ¡°I remember now.¡±


    At that moment, Helmut slumped to his seat without even realizing it. All his strength was drained out and he couldn¡¯t even put strength into his fingertips. He had never felt like this in his life before.


    ¡®<i>That¡¯s the Saintess? The same girl who once trembled like a squirrel in front of me?</i>¡¯


    Then Helmut shook his head.


    ¡®<i>No. If that¡¯s the Saintess, even a rabbit can be the emperor.</i>¡¯


    ¡®That thing¡¯ was something wearing Ivy¡¯s skin¡ªsomething that was capable of crushing Helmut down at once. Helmut felt as if his skin was being cut just by receiving ¡®that thing¡¯s¡¯ gaze.


    ¡°What a shame that I can¡¯t kill him right now. No, maybe it''s better that way,¡± ¡®that thing¡¯ whispered to Helmut. ¡°Pope, I need you to do me a favor.¡±


    A murderous intent that was blowing from beyond hell tickled Helmut¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Please don¡¯tmit suicide.¡±


    That was all. ¡®That thing¡¯ left only one ambiguous threat and then disappeared. Both the torn space and Ivy Isildin were gone in a blink of an eye, making Helmut wonder if he had woken up from a dream.


    However, he was certain that her existence and what just happened were both true.


    And most of all, his body which was still trembling in fear was enough to tell him ¡®that thing¡¯s¡¯ warning was quite sincere.


    ***


    <i>Crack!</i>


    The t floor broke with a sharp sound like a piece of ss. Juan clicked his tongue as he realized that this ce was no longer suitable to use for teleportation upon confirming that the magic circle waspletely destroyed.


    ¡°Why did it break?¡± Haild asked.


    ¡°Because I forcibly opened it without a key. Besides, it¡¯s hard to control magic properly in the Saintess¡¯ body anyway. But I don¡¯t think it would have made much difference even if I did it with my own body,¡± Juan answered.


    Haild nodded.


    Juan recalled what he had just seen through the torn space and thought about his future direction. Just as he had expected, Helmut was currently located in Cabragh in the west¡ªat the ce where Dismas led the Order of Surtr.


    .


    Juan wanted to deny it until the end, but it seemed true that Dismas had a close rtionship with the Pope. Even the rumors said that the west was very loyal to the Pope.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to meet Dismas.¡±


    ¡°Was the Pope in the west, just as we expected?¡± Lenly asked.


    ¡°Yes. It seems like they have escaped using this magic circle. I think this underground structure was designed to be used for that purpose from the very beginning. It must be easy for even ordinary people who aren¡¯t magicians to use because mana from my body is always piled up in here. At least we won¡¯t have to worry about anyone stabbing us from the back now that it¡¯s been destroyed.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­ what do we do now? Do we advance to the west?¡± Haild asked, concerned.


    ¡°It seems like we should. Heretia and H won¡¯t be too happy about this though.¡±


    Of course, that was none of Juan¡¯s business. Regardless of whether the two agreed or not, Juan couldn¡¯t be an emperor or anything else unless he finished everything off.


    Juan nced around at the party.


    ¡°Take the Saintess out of the underground structure. It would probably be hard for her to move alone. And there seems to be a staircase that directly connects the Imperial Pce and this ce, so exit through it. I¡¯ll need toe down here myself.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry? What do you mean, Your Majesty?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m saying that I¡¯ll need toe down here in my original body.¡±


    Haild hastily nodded as if he realized something. The party had been so used to Juan being in the Saintess¡¯ body that they had forgotten that he had just transferred his spirit.


    Juan nced at the audience chamber and opened his mouth.


    ¡°You¡¯d better get out of here quickly. It¡¯s going to get very hot over here.¡±

 Chapter 189 – The Underground Throne Room (4)

    <h4>Chapter 189 ¨C The Underground Throne Room (4)</h4>


    <i>Thump!</i>


    H quickly held on to the desk upon feeling a sudden vibration. The vibrationsted for a long time, yet it wasn¡¯t too intense. H was worried that the restored buildings might copse and her efforts would be wasted, but the vibration itself seemed to be limited to within the Imperial Pce.


    ¡°Is it an earthquake?¡± H asked.


    ¡°No. It seems like some sort of magic is being used to exert a huge force from underground,¡± Anya answered as she looked under her feet. Despite the intense vibration, her body did not shake at all.


    H frowned upon hearing Anya¡¯s answer.


    ¡°The underground?¡±


    H had already heard the news that Juan sent a search party down into the underground structure below the capital to rescue the Saintess and the Captain of the Imperial Guards. She had also heard a report stating that the search party had finished the search and came out of the underground just now and then Juan decided to head underground. However, she didn¡¯t know what Juan was doing in the underground.


    ¡°I should call Sina and ask her what the heck His Majesty is up to again. I hope he hasn¡¯t kept more Golems below Torra.¡±


    ¡°I think that¡¯s a real possibility,¡± Anya answered with a smile.


    As someone who has been looking for Golems for a long time, Anya seemed to like Torra very much, since there were Golems everywhere she looked.


    ¡°So, H. Why did you call for me?¡± Anya asked.


    H looked at Anya in silence. Anya¡¯s position in Juan¡¯s army was ambiguous. She was one of the key forces and clearly a massive contributor, but her ability to deal with the dead and the undead made it difficult to grant her an official position publicly.


    Fearful rumors about Anya had already spread all throughout the empire here and there through the Imperial Army. Of course, Juan did not care about such rumors at all.


    However, it was a different case entirely for Heretia and H who were temporarily in charge of the internal affairs of the empire. Even Anya was aware of such a fact.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not a big deal. I just had a few concerns about what His Majesty was up to these days,¡± H said.


    ¡°If His Majesty has done something, it must have been done with for a reason.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± H smiled. ¡°But there are times when the people fail to understand the deep meaning behind His Majesty¡¯s will¡ªjust like the unfair treatment you are getting.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m content with my current position as it is now.¡±


    Anya¡¯s words were sincere, and H was well aware of her sincerity.


    ¡°I know you are, but it is a clear fact that you should be treated much better considering the contribution you made regardless of whether you¡¯re satisfied with it or not.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m satisfied as long as I can be His Majesty¡¯s sword. It doesn¡¯t matter if His Majesty decides to cut humans or rotten meat with that sword.¡±


    ¡°The same is true for me, Anya,¡± H answered carefully ¡°But I do not want to be a sword that attacks its owner, even if that¡¯s what the owner wants.¡±


    ¡°Of course that¡¯s¡­¡±


    Anya was about to answer with a frown, but she closed her mouth.


    H remained silent for a moment while stirring the tea inside her cup. The sound of the stirrer scratching the side of the cup was the only thing heard amidst the silence for a while.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think His Majesty will make the wrong choice. But that doesn¡¯t mean His Majesty will make a choice that is favorable to himself. What if His Majesty ends up sacrificing himself to save someone?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s something that won¡¯t happen, but it¡¯s also something that should never happen.¡±


    ¡°But what if it must happen in the end?¡±


    ¡°Then I will sacrifice my life for His Majesty¡¯s life,¡± Anya tapped her chest.


    There was no hesitation in her answer, but H shook her head.


    ¡°I¡¯m not saying that you should sacrifice yourself for His Majesty. I¡¯m saying that we should be sprinkling flowers on the path His Majesty chooses to walk on, even if His Majesty says that he will step up to walk on a muddy mess. Or we can even throw ourselves to let him step on us instead.¡±


    ¡°I would be more than happy to do so.¡±


    H stared at Anya in silence. H hadn¡¯t known Anya for a long time, but her loyalty and capability seemed unquestionable. Above all, the fear that residents of Torra had toward her was good enough.


    After considering all this, H opened her mouth.


    ¡°You must already know about what His Majesty did in the meeting at the House of Peers.¡±


    ¡°I heard that His Majesty killed one of the useless bastards.¡±


    ¡°Yes, and that only happened because it was necessary.¡±


    Anya looked at H for a moment and nodded.


    ¡°If they can¡¯t be truly loyal in their lifetime, they might be loyal in the afterlife.¡±


    ***


    Juan shook off the melted rock fragments that were glowing red and climbed up the stairs. His armor which was made up of Kelegrenon¡¯s bones remained a pristine white color without the slightest bit of soot.


    Sina and Haild stepped away from Juan with a fed-up look due to the terrible heat emanating from Juan.


    Juan had stopped emanating heat from his body a long time ago, but his heated armor was still giving off an intense amount of heat.


    ¡°How are the Saintess and the Captain of the Imperial Guards doing?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°The Saintess has fainted and the Captain of the Imperial Guards took her to a Priest,¡± Haild answered.


    ¡°Hmm. I did overwork her body, but I didn¡¯t think it was to the extent of fainting¡­ I guess I¡¯ll have to postpone my conversation with her.¡±


    Sina looked down at the stairs where Juan walked out from. Intense heat was also pouring out from the stairs connecting the Imperial Pce and the underground structure.


    ¡°What did you do down there?¡± Sina asked.


    ¡°I crushed it to make sure it can never be used again. Ipletely melted it and turned it into a rock so that it can¡¯t be restored. Now, the well water in the Imperial Pce will be hot for a while,¡± Juan answered.


    ¡°Was it okay to do that? I think we should have looked more closely into it.¡±


    ¡°Ipletely understood the structure itself. Now that I know the purpose of the structure and how to use it, I can figure out any other simr structures. I¡¯ve also seen enough of the rest of the traces. That¡¯s good enough.¡±


    Sina nodded, since there was no one here who was more knowledgeable than Juan when it came to magic.


    ¡°Then what are you going to do now?¡±


    Juan seemed to contemte for a while, then soon nodded his head.


    ¡°I have changed my mind. Let¡¯s go visit the Saintess.¡±


    ¡°The Saintess? But she is unconscious at the moment and¡­¡±


    ¡°I can still find out about her constitution even if she¡¯s unconscious. I also have something to ask the Captain of the Imperial Guards. Oh, Sina. Go and answer H¡¯s questions, since she will definitely ask what the hell happened in the underground structure. Haild, youe with me.¡±


    Haild and Sina were perplexed by the different orders given to them.


    At that moment, Sina saw H approaching them from a distance.


    In the meantime, Juan quickly headed to the ce where he could feel the Saintess¡¯ presence.


    ***


    The ce Juan visited was quite familiar to him¡ªit was the living quarters for the members of the Imperial Guards. Juan recalled the appearance of this ce from a long time ago.


    Winoa Weaver, the former Captain of the Imperial Guards, had never neglected his duty even though he mocked himself by saying that his position was the funniest and most useless position in the empire. The same was true of Winoa Weaver¡¯s subordinates.


    The members of the Imperial Guards were also the ones who had been fighting next to Juan for the longest time among Juan¡¯s army. Everything they learned was taught by Juan, including how to properly wield a sword. Most of them were refugees and from the lower sses, but they were more proud of themselves than anyone else.


    But now, all that remained in the Imperial Guard¡¯s living quarters was an empty silence. Juan had heard that there were still a few members of the Imperial Guards including Lenly Loen. However, their actual duty was no different from that of a janitor or a corpse cleaner.


    When Juan returned to the Imperial Pce, only the corpses of the Imperial Guards who had long been killed were found. It seemed like they had been murdered while fighting against the Pope to protect the emperor¡¯s body from being taken away when the Pope invaded the Imperial Pce without permission.


    There was no face that Juan could recognize, and the only one who survived in the end was Lenly Loen.


    ¡°Your Majesty.¡±


    Lenly stood up from his seat as soon as Juan entered. In front of him was Ivy lying in bed with a pale face. She didn¡¯t seem to be in a good condition, but was still breathing.


    ¡°How is she doing?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°She is suffering from muscle pain and exhaustion, but she is fine other than that,¡± Lenly answered in a quiet voice.


    ¡°Then she should get better once she recuperates for a while. She will recover faster by taking a simple rest than getting treated by a healing Grace, so let¡¯s do that. Meanwhile, I want to briefly examine the Saintess¡¯ physical condition,¡± Juan nodded.


    ¡°Her physical condition?¡±


    ¡°Yes. To find out about how she was able to recite those prophecies about me.¡±


    Lenly nodded upon hearing Juan¡¯s words.


    Any ordinary fanatic would say that His Majesty¡¯s will affected some special people, but Juan did not believe in such things. He believed that there must be a reason why only the Saintess, who didn¡¯t even have any connection to him, was able to make prophecies about him. Furthermore, Ivy was even preventing Juan from transferring his spirit into his original body.


    ¡®<i>I do want to know if killing the Saintess would allow me to transfer my spirit back into my original body, but¡­</i>¡¯


    But that was difficult to do since he had already built a rtionship with the Saintess and the Saintess was quite close to Lenly Loen. Above all, the Saintess was innocent and had notmitted any sins.


    When Lenly took a step back, Juan grabbed Ivy¡¯s wrist. Her wrist was so thin and pale that it seemed like it could break at any moment. Juan wondered how such a weak woman was able tost a week in that underground structure.


    Juan felt apologetic toward her, but he put aside his feelings for now and quietly scanned her soul.


    After scanning through Ivy¡¯s soul, Juan tilted his head.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Is there any problem, Your Majesty?¡± Lenly asked in a slightly impatient voice.


    Juan could feel that Lenly¡¯s voice was full of concern for Ivy.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that. Just give me a minute.¡±


    Juan looked through Ivy¡¯s soul once again just in case he was mistaken. He took a closer look this time, but the result was the same.


    Then, Juan put down Ivy¡¯s wrist in confusion.


    ¡®<i>There¡¯s signs of another spirit transfer.</i>¡¯


    Ivy was an ordinary human, both physically and mentally. Her constitution was so ordinary that it was a shame to call her a Saintess. Such was only natural for all the Saintesses as they were nothing but the Pope¡¯s puppets, but the traces left in her soul were different.


    Every time a spirit transfer was performed, some traces were inevitably left behind in one¡¯s soul. But Ivy had more than one trace besides the traces from Juan¡¯s spirit transfers.


    ¡®<i>That means that the prophecies that she made so far were¡­</i>¡¯


    This meant that someone else had also made prophecies through Ivy¡¯s body, just like Juan had.


    Juan had initially thought that his several transfers might have added some extra traces, but the more he checked, the more his suspicions became clear.


    ¡®<i>But who would do such a thing?</i>¡¯


    Spirit transfer had the highest level of difficulty in magic and very few were able to perform it. Juan suspected Dane for a moment. Spirit transfer was not something Dane specialized in, but there were enough reasons to doubt him. Yet there were too many discrepancies between the Saintess¡¯ prophecy and Dane¡¯s actions.


    ¡®<i>I don¡¯t know who it was, but they tried to use the Church.</i>¡¯


    Juan decided to find and meet other surviving Saintesses for now. It would have been nice to have been able to confirm why he couldn¡¯t transfer his spirit into his original body, but that continued to remain a mystery. But the suspicion about someone else leaving a trace in the Saintess¡¯ soul, and that being rted to the reason why he couldn¡¯t transfer his spirit into his original body was reasonable.


    Upon seeing Juan take his hand off of Ivy¡¯s wrist, Lenly opened his mouth.


    ¡°Are you done, Your Majesty?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Juan let out a long sigh.


    In the end, he failed to find out about his original body once again.


    ¡°I want to meet other surviving Saintesses too. If you don¡¯t mind, I would like you to find out the whereabouts of the former Saintesses.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty, I will look into it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, also.¡±


    Juan reached his hand out and ced it before Lenly¡¯s eyes.


    Lenly flinched as he felt the heat from Juan¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Do you usually train your senses? You were able to move around without any problems considering that your eyes were injured pretty badly.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. I tend to train my senses on a regr basis. And my eyes aren¡¯tpletely destroyed, so I can still roughly see the outlines of things. I think it will heal if a healing Grace is used.¡±


    ¡°Let me help you a little bit.¡±

 Chapter 190 – Treason (1)

    <h4>Chapter 190 ¨C Treason (1)</h4>


    When Juan reached his hand out toward Lenly, Lenly straightened his back.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Your Majesty. There is no need to¡­¡±


    ¡°You were wounded while carrying out my order. It¡¯s the least I can do for you.¡±


    Lenly nodded apologetically upon hearing Juan¡¯s firm words.


    ¡°It¡¯s an honor, Your Majesty.¡±


    Juan peeled off the cloth wrapped around Lenly¡¯s face. His eyes under the skin that was distorted by the burn were gray and crushed. Juan covered Lenly¡¯s eyes with his hand, and then a pleasant warmth spread over Lenly¡¯s eyes that were distorted by the burns.


    Lenly flinched as he felt the tickling sensation spreading above and below his eyelids.


    ¡°It won¡¯t heal right away, but it will recover to a considerable extent if you recuperate for about a week or so. I can make it heal right now, but I want to minimize the side effects as much as possible.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty. I don¡¯t know what to say.¡±


    Lenly knelt down and bowed his head before Juan. He also knew about the healing Grace and had thought about asking the Priests to cure him. However, he could not do so when he found out that Grace was a power stolen from the emperor.


    Furthermore, the wounds caused by Telgramm were difficult to cure even with a healing Grace, since it had its limitations.


    But curing such a wound was just as easy as counting one two three for Juan.


    Haild watched the scene in silence.


    ¡°Then we will get going now. Let me know when the Saintess wakes up,¡± Juan said.


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. I will also look into the former Saintess who are still alive,¡± Lenly answered.


    After leaving Lenly behind, Juan became lost in thoughts. His mind was full of questions about the traces left behind in the Saintess¡¯ soul, as well as her constitution. He was also quite curious about Lenly Loen.


    Juan had secretly scanned through Lenly¡¯s soul while using the healing Grace on him. It hadn¡¯t been long since Juan assigned Lenly a mission, but there was a possibility that someone who transferred their spirit into Ivy¡¯s body might have influenced Lenly.


    However, Leny¡¯s soul was clean. In fact, in terms of purity of the soul alone, he was evenparable to Sina.


    While Juan didn¡¯t find anything wrong with Lenly, there was one thing that made Juan feel uneasy.


    ¡®<i>Why did he learn how to use magic?</i>¡¯


    Of course, Juan actively rmended and even encouraged his subordinates to learn magic when he used to be the emperor, since it was very useful. However, learning magic did not spread too widely within the empire because training the Baltic Sword alone could make one strong enough.


    It was only natural that not a lot of people learned how to use magic, since it was banned after the Church took control of the empire.


    But Lenly surprisingly showed signs of having mastered magic to a surprisingly high level.


    Juan could tell that it was magic learned through Lenly¡¯s own efforts rather than some simple Grace. But no one, including Juan, had ever seen Lenly use magic. It made sense that he hadn¡¯t used magic until now, since he would have had to hide it from the Church, but Juan couldn¡¯t understand why Lenly was still hiding the fact that he was capable of using magic.


    ¡®<i>I¡¯ll just have to wait and continue to keep my eye on him.</i>¡¯


    Although Juan entrusted Lenly with the task himself, Juan did not trust an educated and learned loyalty. Even Sina could only be epted by Juan after he observed her for a long time.


    ¡°Your Majesty.¡±


    Juan turned his head at the sudden call. Upon seeing Haild calling out to him with a tired look, Juan realized that Haild had called him several times.


    ¡°Ah, I couldn¡¯t hear you because I was thinking about something. What is it?¡±


    Haild seemed to be hesitant, but he carefully opened his mouth.


    ¡°About the magic Your Majesty performed on Captain Lenly a moment ago¡­ would you be able to perform it on Miss Heretia as well? Or on Duke Henna? I think it will be very helpful, since they are both injured pretty badly.¡±


    Haild¡¯s request was a reasonable one. While the healing Grace granted by the Church was powerful, it was limited. On the other hand, Juan could use the highest level of healing Grace. The rumor had it that the Pope could even bring back the dead with his healing Grace¡ªif that was true, then there was no reason why Juan could not do it himself.


    Juan felt a little unpleasant upon hearing Haild¡¯s question, but he decided to be kind and exin it.


    ¡°There are two reasons, Haild.¡±


    ¡°...Are those reasons why Your Majesty can¡¯t do it?¡±


    ¡°Yes. To be exact, it is why ¡®I didn¡¯t do it.¡¯ First, Lenly had a physical form left even after the injury. Sina Solvane had suffered from even more serious injuries than Lenly before, but she also had the physical form that remained. In that case, I am more than willing to use the healing Grace on them. But Heretia and H are different. I don¡¯t use healing Grace in the event of the loss of the physical form.¡±


    ¡°Why is that?¡±


    ¡°Because one¡¯s soul will be contaminated by the magic once it is healed with someone else¡¯s magic. That¡¯s why I don¡¯t like healing using magic itself. Even if I use magic, I try to minimize the contamination as much as possible. It goes without saying that restoring a body part that has no physical form left will lead to much more severe contamination.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean one¡¯s soul will be contaminated?¡±


    ¡°Let me exin it like this¡ªlet¡¯s say there is a castle. It¡¯s a castle where countless heroes bled and history was made. But that castle was so old that the old parts were filled with new materials after breaking them. Then would you say the restored castle is the same as the original castle?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ Hm, it kind of is in a way, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Alright. Then time passed by and the castle became even older. The old parts became much more rusty. You decided to fully restore the castle again and got rid of all the older parts from when the castle was originally built and then restored it with new materials. The stones the heroes stepped on, the blood they shed, and the tower where they sang all those years ago all got destroyed and disappeared. Is the castle still the same as the original castle even now?¡±


    ¡°Hm, that¡¯s hard to say. I don¡¯t think I could call it the original castle, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Exactly. But from what point was it no longer the ¡®original castle?¡¯ The time when the first stone tile was lifted? Or the time when thest foundation stone was removed? I think restoring one¡¯s lost body part is simr to restoring the castle.¡±


    Juan stopped talking for a moment, then continued to speak.


    ¡°If anything, it¡¯s much worse, since you are filling someone with an unknown material called magic. Restoring body parts is already bad enough, but imagine what it would be like to bring someone back to life. I think that one turns into apletely different being from that point and¡­¡±


    Then Juan stopped talking again. He was speaking as if he was teaching Haild, but his words were also directed at himself as well.


    ¡®<i>Then am I the same Juan who used to be the emperor in the past?</i>¡¯


    This was a question that he had to ask himself.


    Haild nodded when Juan stopped talking.


    ¡°I understand what you mean, Your Majesty. I mean, to be honest, I didn¡¯t understand it well, but¡­ is the second reason as long as the first reason?¡± Haild asked.


    Juan thought that Haild was not suitable for learning magic. However, there was no reason for Haild to learn magic, since not only was he already a powerful swordsman but his ability to deal with the Crack was quite exquisite.


    ¡°The second reason is much simpler. It is because the two you asked me to cure did not ask me to do so.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry? Then¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s impossible to cure H since her wound is from way too long ago, but I could have healed Heretia if she asked me. I would have definitely tried to persuade her not to, but I would have done it if that¡¯s what she wanted. Heretia also knows that I have the ability to heal her, But the fact that she is not asking me to do so means that she has her own thoughts. That¡¯s all.¡±


    ***


    A huge oak tree branch that seemed to be hundreds of years old hung over the roof of the mansion. The oak tree which was famous in Torra showed the majestic and old history of the mansion¡ªalthough it was nothing more than Anya¡¯sdder right now.


    Anya recalled the old days as she gently fell from the oak tree onto the roof of the mansion. It was around the time when she was active as one of the ordinary members of the Order of Huginn. Even then, Anya often visited other people¡¯s houses in the middle of the night like right now. Of course, she was rarely ever invited.


    Anya could see the guards patrolling the garden with hounds. ording to Anya¡¯s observation over the past few days, there had never been a day when the security guards let their guard down. Rather, it was only getting tighter.


    Anya wondered who the owner of this mansion was trying to block. Of course, a noble¡¯s mansion in Torra which had been peaceful for the past forty-eight years was easily broken into by Anya.


    The terrace door was locked, but Anya simply used Umbra and made an appropriate key. The door was easily opened, and Anya leisurely entered the hallway on the second floor of the mansion without making a sound.


    The first thing she found was arge symbol of the emperor across the wall. To be precise, it would be right to call it a symbol of the Church, since Juan had never epted it as his own symbol.


    Anya found a servant patrolling the hallway, thus she quickly cracked his neck. Checking through the servant¡¯s body, Anya found a sword.


    ¡®<i>Even a servant is patrolling while armed with a sword, huh? This is getting more and more interesting.</i>¡±


    Anya checked each room on the second floor one by one. She took a ne with names engraved on them from the room of the sleeping twin children, and she also took the hairpin of ady who slept alone on arge bed. And in thest room, Anya was finally able to find the person she was looking for.


    However, the person she was looking for was with a guest in the mansion.


    ¡°...it¡¯s a night where patience is necessary. You may feel humiliated, but must patiently wait while lying on your stomach.¡±


    ¡°But you can see how the Argyll family went down. We might just get stabbed while lying on our stomachs.¡±


    Anya found the conversation quite interesting.


    ¡®<i>They should be quietly sticking out their neck if His Majesty wants to cut off their necks, but they are just trembling in fear, huh?</i>¡¯


    Anya didn¡¯t intend to eavesdrop on their conversation in the first ce, but she decided to wait and keep an eye on them for now.


    Anya hid inside the ceiling. Thanks to the chandelier hanging from the ceiling, Anya was able to peek into the room. One of them was Dne Deed, a noble from the religious faction and also the owner of this mansion. But it was impossible for Anya to recognize the other person, since he was wearing a ck robe and a hood to cover his face.


    ¡°The master is sending supplies that wille in handy through your merchants now. You just have to stay quiet until then.¡±


    ¡°The people who have upied the Imperial Pce are strong enough to refer themselves to the emperor. If the master doesn¡¯te forward himself, it will be impossible to fight against them. We won¡¯t even stand a chance. Those people are not opponents that can be dealt with just a few swords.¡±


    ¡®<i>A treason conspiracy, I see.</i>¡¯


    Anya felt entertained rather than angry. She took out a letter containing details about Dne Deed, the owner of this mansion, plotting tomit treason. Dne had be the practical head of the religious faction after the head of the Argyll family died.


    He seemed unwilling to take the position, but he had no choice in terms of scale and status.


    And this letter¡ªalthough forged by Anya herself¡ªwas part of the n to frame the defiants for attempted treason, all in order to dry their seeds.


    But now, there was no need to even fabricate evidence. It didn¡¯t matter whether it was right or wrong. For Anya, the measure of justice lied only with Juan.


    ¡°I¡¯m not talking about just a few swords. The master thinks this might be better than himing forward in person. If it is used at the right time and ce at the perfect moment, then even the fake emperor will¡­¡±


    At that moment, the man wearing the ck robe suddenly stopped talking and looked up at the ceiling.


    As soon as she thought she had been caught, Anya broke through the ceiling and stabbed the man wearing the ck robe in the shoulder.


    Thus, the man in a ck robe failed to dodge and looked at Anya in astonishment.


    Anya knew her opponent.


    ¡®<i>He¡¯s someone from the Ilde family.</i>¡¯


    Ilde family were nobles who not only obeyed the Church as they acted like the Pope¡¯s tongue, but also built wealth through the most profane crimes in Hiveden. Imil Ilde, the head of the Ilde family who fled with the Pope, seemed to have been nning to recapture Torra while working with the insiders like this.


    Anyapletely covered the face and body of the man from the Ilde family with Umbra before he could even let out a scream. After checking that the man from the Ilde family was pinned down and couldn¡¯t move, Anya turned her gaze toward Dne Deed who was looking at her while frozen.


    Then Anya took something out of her pocket and threw it onto the floor before he could run away or call for security.


    It was the ne of the twin children and the hairpin of his wife, all the items she stole earlier.


    ¡°I¡¯ll let you choose who I should torture first,¡± Anya smiled and looked at Dne. ¡°Choose the one you value the least¡ªalthough you will end up opening your mouth regardless of who you choose.¡±


    Dne could recognize his opponent as well. She was Anya, the captain of the Order of Huginn who could deal with the undead. The Order of Huginn was almost the only object of fear among the nobles in Torra, even before the emperor reappeared.


    Anya¡¯s contribution in the recent war once again touched their deep-rooted fears. Some of the nobles feared Anya even more than the returned emperor. This was especially true of Dne who was a noble from the religious faction.


    Dne quickly fell on the floor to beg.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you everything! Please leave my family alone¡­!¡±

 Chapter 191 – Treason (2)

    <h4>Chapter 191 ¨C Treason (2)</h4>


    ¡°Did you say treason?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty,¡± Anya answered joyfully.


    The reason why Anya was happy rather than angry after witnessing a plot for treason was that such an absurd attempt gave her the opportunity to exterminate the people that had been bothering her for a while.


    However, Juan and H were listening to Anya in the conference room with a frown unlike her. H was already aware of the fact that Anya had gone to falsely use the Deed family of treason. But H grew frustrated, since she didn¡¯t expect the Deed family to be plotting so openly.


    Yet Anya gave information that was different from H¡¯s thoughts.


    ¡°The Deed family was conspiring with the people of the Ilde family to plot treason within Torra using a transport carriage from one of their merchants. Most of the nobles from the religious faction seem to be involved in this conspiracy, and several nobles from the founding faction also seemed to have participated.¡±


    ¡°It seems like they were conscious of the Golems, considering that they plotted for treason within Torra; after all, the Golems won¡¯t be able to attack the interior of Torra. They must have been quite scared of them,¡± H said.


    ¡°They were scared of Golems, but not me?¡± Juan muttered with a dumbfoundedugh. ¡°H will find out who is involved and how much they are involved. But a treason, huh? That¡¯s quite unfamiliar to me. Did they really think they had a chance against me?¡±


    To be honest, it was Juan¡¯s first time facing a treason attempt against himself. During his days as the emperor, the minor disturbances on the outskirts of the empire used to be taken care of by the local knights, and those who were closer to the emperor didn¡¯t even dare to dream of treason.


    The assassination of the emperor by Gerard could be considered treason, but such treason not only failed, but also had no results¡ªtherefore it wouldn¡¯t be wrong to say that it was Juan¡¯s first time dealing with treason.


    This was only natural, since Juan himself was a deterrent to war, as well as the legitimacy of the imperial throne. To face treason in the end, it meant that people couldn¡¯t believe in either of them.


    ¡°I guess people have been looking down on me much more than I thought.¡±


    Juan had thought that he took over the Imperial Pce from the Church and Barth Baltic with an overwhelming show of power in his own way.


    ¡®<i>But they are already plotting treason against me when it hasn¡¯t even been a month since I returned.</i>¡¯


    H carefully opened her mouth.


    ¡°Rather, they might have had no choice but to plot treason, since Your Majesty didn''t give them a chance to stand on your side. There are many ways to kill them slowly.¡±


    ¡°Or just cut the buds to begin with,¡± Anya interrupted.


    H red at Anya upon hearing her, but eventually nodded.


    ¡°Quick resolution eventually bes a problemter on. But now that the situation has turned out like this, Anya¡¯s suggestion might be the better one. Anya took care of everything quietly without letting anyone know, so they probably don¡¯t know that their plot for treason has been caught yet. Let¡¯s take advantage of this opportunity and wipe out all the people involved, including those who might get in our way in the future.¡±


    ¡°Those who might get in our way in the future?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m talking about those who have not clearly expressed their loyalty to Your Majesty¡ªsuch as the local Churches,¡± H answered.


    Although Juan took control of Torra, many of the Churches that spread out and dug into the outskirts of the empire still showed no clear change in their stance. The fact that the Pope abandoned Torra and fled was shocking, but they did not know what to do at a time like this.


    Juan considered it for a brief moment before opening his mouth.


    ¡°It¡¯s a purge then.¡±


    ¡°Organization is a necessary procedure, Your Majesty. The power of the empire will only increase when everyone is united.¡±


    ¡°I thought you hated bloodshed, H.¡±


    ¡°Of course not, Your Majesty. I am themander of an army after all. But my point is that we need to make sure to let the subordinates know that themander moves with discipline, not madness. The intelligence that Anya has brought back to us is a good opportunity for us.¡±


    Juan was silent for a moment, but soon shook his head.


    ¡°We¡¯ll talk about thatter. I want to focus on the traitors for now. Anya, did you find out what supplies they were bringing in through the merchants?¡±


    ¡°Dne Deed didn¡¯t know anything other than his task, which was to make it easier for the merchant carriage to get in. It seemed like he was gathering troops in his own way, but it¡¯s not serious enough to pay much attention to,¡± Anya answered.


    ¡°But we should still check it out. How many of them are there?¡± H asked.


    ¡°I would say about a hundred or so?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not much. Oh, by the way. You said that there was another outsider at the mansion other than Dne Deed, right? He¡¯s a member of the Ilde family?¡± H clicked her tongue as she asked.


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a face I often saw back in Hiveden. He¡¯s a dreary guy who¡¯s usually in charge of the rough and dirty work¡­ I captured him for interrogationter, but he swallowed poison. His tongue waspletely melted and gone when I checked. But I did hear a little bit about what he said earlier¡­ he was talking about a master or something?¡±


    ¡°Master? Is he talking about the Pope?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a little too ambiguous to assume so. Those involved in the Church usually always refer to the Pope as ¡®His Holiness.¡¯ Perhaps he was talking about Doctrinal General Dismas?¡±


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be so strange if the Ilde family served more than one master, since they are dreary people. So I guess those two are the most likely to be the ¡®master¡¯ they were talking about. Even if not, we will be able to select a few candidates with ease.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Juan briefly answered.


    Juan couldn¡¯t believe that Dismas was plotting such an insidious thing in the background. As far as Juan remembered, Dismas had a loyal and pleasant personality which made people wonder if he was more influenced by Barth Baltic than by Juan. But it seemed like the way he fought the war and the way he treated his enemy were all different now than from the past¡ªalthough it seemed like there were more than just those two things that changed about Dismas.


    But Juan couldn¡¯t understand what it was that changed him so much. Juan ced his hand on his forehead as he felt exhausted just by thinking about Dismas.


    ¡°What happened to Dne Deed?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°Um, I did kill him. But¡­¡±


    ¡°Did you just say you killed him?¡± H frowned.


    If an internal coborator was killed, there was a high chance that they would change their ns.


    ¡°You¡¯ve made a hasty decision, Anya,¡± H said.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. No one will know that he¡¯s dead. Well¡­ maybe for a month at least?¡± Anya said as she winked at H. ¡°I figured that I should make him loyal at least in the afterlife if he can¡¯t be loyal when he is alive.¡±


    ¡°Wait. Did you turn him into an undead?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s slightly different from the ordinary undead. I turned him into an undead before his heartpletely stopped. His heart is still beating and maintaining his body at a normal body temperature, but it won¡¯tst long. His blood will eventually clot and his body temperature will drop, causing his body to rot. But he will continue to move and stay loyal due to the spell that I engraved on his soul.¡±


    Anya took out the medium she used to cast the spell. Wrapped around her wrist was a ne with the names of the twin children engraved on them.


    After remaining silent for a long time, Juan finally opened his mouth.


    ¡°Then it¡¯s all settled. Anya, find out everything about the attempted treason, but try your best to not use any means. In particr, make sure to find out what the supplies that they are trying to bring in are. Look into its source and current location.¡±


    .


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. But what do you mean ¡®not use any means?¡¯ Do you mean ¡®by any means?¡¯¡±


    ¡°No, you heard me right. There¡¯s a need for you to restrain yourself a little bit. I won¡¯t give you a strict limit, but make sure to have a bottom line you don¡¯t cross.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty¡­¡± Anya answered with a disappointed look.


    Then Juan turned back to face H.


    ¡°H, You investigate the people involved in the treason, make a list, and send it to me.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    Juan then turned to look at H and Anya and finished speaking with a dark expression.


    ¡°The war is still not over because I was weak. I¡¯ll have to make a definite impression this time.¡±


    ***


    The Citadel of the Sun that was built on the outskirts of Torra was home to the Order of the Capital. Considering that the knights basically served as military officers, it was also the headquarters in charge of the Imperial Army. Therefore, more than half of the administrators that were dressed up in robes¡ªwhich did not match their title¡ª consisted of the members of the citadel. All of them were those who tried to keep the Imperial Army flowing smoothly.


    ¡°To be precise, they can be said to be the ones who try to prevent the Imperial Army from turning into bandits,¡± Pavan said to Juan with an exhausted look while sitting at Barth Baltic¡¯s office desk inside the Citadel of the Sun.


    ¡°The Imperial Army defends the empire from the enemies, and the administrators here defend the empire from the Imperial Army. It¡¯s just an instant that a hungry army turns into a band of thieves when they aren¡¯t paid properly.¡±


    ¡°It seems like it has been maintained pretty well. I thought you were going to ask them to ¡®arm yourselves with the loyalty to His Majesty,¡¯ because of the Church¡¯s long reign,¡± Juan said.


    ¡°Well, the army is¡­ Hmm. Barth Baltic, the former General, had a huge influence on them. Not even the Church could act against them recklessly. But things have been difficult because the tax collection rate has fallen, not to mention that there was frequent movement of the troops recently. I may have to force loyalty to His Majesty sooner orter.¡±


    ¡°The soldiers?¡±


    ¡°No, the local nobles. I¡¯ll have to tell them to keep their sries straight even if that means they have to tighten their belts, especially to those from the areas with low tax collection rates. That will help them to keep it together.¡±


    Juan and Pavanughed facing each other. Juan still didn¡¯t like Pavan very much. However, he had no choice but to acknowledge that there was no one better than Pavan who had a broad understanding of the current Imperial Army.


    Pavan had been serving and representing Barth Baltic in numerous fields and had inherited a lot of Barth¡¯s skills and knowledge. Because the Imperial Army had been under the rule of Barth Baltic for a long time, they were following the Hornsluine military system and supply structure in many ways. Considering that, there was no person more suitable than Pavan who had learned everything while standing next to Barth Baltic.


    ¡°Pavan.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m nning to get rid of the position of the Regent. It might be a shame for you.¡±


    Pavan nodded, but he showed no signs of disappointment.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t deserve that position anyway.¡±


    ¡°You admired Barth Baltic a lot as far as I know.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all the more so, don¡¯t you think? I would hide my face and run away out of embarrassment if someone told me that I was on the same level as Barth Baltic. I am fully satisfied and content with my current position. In fact, it could have been much worse.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d you think so.¡±


    Whether Juan liked Pavan or not was a different matter, but there seemed to be no problem in trusting him with important Imperial positions.


    ¡°Oh, by the way. Recently there was a plot to attempt treason inside Torra.¡±


    Pavan sprang up and straightened his back upon hearing Juan¡¯s words.


    ¡°Did you say treason, Your Majesty? Who would attempt such a reckless¡­¡±


    ¡°We suspect that Dismas was trying to manipte the Deed family to cause chaos. Anya and H are investigating it right now.¡±


    Pavan got lost in thought for a while, then suddenly raised his head. Then he shook his head with a pale expression.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about that, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°I know. I¡¯ve already checked what kind of business this citadel deals with.¡±


    ¡®<i>If the rebels instigated the internal religious faction to plot treason, there¡¯s no way they could have not contacted the Imperial Army.</i>¡¯


    Juan looked through the work done in the Citadel of the Sun with such a thought, but he found nothing suspicious. This meant that there were no internal coborators from the military, including Pavan.


    ¡®<i>Then it seems like what they¡¯re bringing through a transport carriage is not just a simple weapon.</i>¡¯


    Juan thought that they might be bringing in professionalbat personnel if they had arge scale, since there would be a lot of damage if the Order of Surtr decided to infiltrate Torra themselves. However, the Deed family hadn¡¯t brought in that many supplies.


    ¡°What I want to know is about Dismas, Pavan. You probably met Dismas in person, since you¡¯ve been in a key position for a long time. Tell me everything you know about Dismas. I need to know how different he is from the Dismas that I know.¡±


    Pavan looked perplexed and hesitated to answer, with unease written all over his face. The heavy silence seemed to throw a hundred words at Juan.


    ¡°He must be terrible.¡±


    ¡°Please forgive me, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, so just tell me. He¡¯s not a kid anymore. If he hasmitted a crime, he should take responsibility for his actions.¡±


    Pavan slowly opened his mouth at Juan¡¯s urging.


    ¡°Do you know about the god called Iolin, Your Majesty?¡±

 Chapter 192 – Iolin (1)

    <h4>Chapter 192 ¨C Iolin (1)</h4>


    Iolin was the god of the elves andkes. Not only was she beautiful and caring, she was also kind enough to bless the warriors with courageous and elegant attitudes, even if they were not elves. The kingdom of elves had a tradition of crowning those who were blessed by Iolin.


    Juan remembered Iolin¡¯s final appearance.


    ¡°Yes, I do. After all, I strangled her with my own hands and drowned her. What about her?¡±


    ¡°Her remains are said to have sunk to the bottom of theke, unable to rise up. Ever since then, thatke was filled with the corpses of dead spirits and mud, causing it to decay. The elves lost their long lifespan and they lost the blessing of the spirits.¡±


    ¡°Everyone knows about that story. But what does all that have to do with Dismas?¡±


    ¡°Doctrinal General Dismas pulled out her body from thatke.¡±


    Juan fell silent upon hearing Pavan¡¯s words. All the gods were special in their own ways, but all of them were the same to Juan¡ªexcept Iolin.


    Iolin was different in the sense that she was well-liked by humans, despite her status as a god. Perhaps this was due to her beauty, her nobility, and the way she easily sympathized with humans. Back then, Iolin had even offered to give Juan her blessing and protection, and then she gifted him a sword as a sign of recognizing him as the king of the kings.


    Of course, that same sword sank to the bottom of theke along with the remains of Iolin. Juan¡¯s memory of Iolin¡¯s face slowly turning blue, and the movement of her neck that was being choked in his hands was still vivid, almost as if it had happened just yesterday.


    The reason why Juan decided to drown her was to prevent others from seeing her final appearance after her death.


    ¡®<i>But he went out of his way to take out her remains? Why?</i>¡¯


    ¡°It¡¯s not just Iolin. Ever since he was given the title of the Doctrinal General, Doctrinal General Dismas has been actively excavating the remains of the gods on an extremelyrge scale. Not only the gods, he also excavated the remains of many kings and heroes who were defeated by Your Majesty. The Church has also been helping him with that,¡± Pavan exined.


    ¡°The Church helped him?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. But I can tell you that he didn¡¯t have any unfaithful intentions toward Your Majesty. His purpose is rather, um¡­ close to worship in a sense. He wanted to disy and insult the gods and kings that Your Majesty had conquered in the past.¡±


    Juan¡¯s face hardened.


    ¡°There must have been a lot of opposition from other races.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. It indeed caused several disturbances, but¡­ it only further encouraged the destruction of those who had lost their gods andmand system. Many of the minority races that still existed back then were either destroyed and scattered at that time.¡±


    The defeated enemies might be the losing party, but excavating their remains and disying them was a huge disgrace. Juan confronted the gods and all his other enemies, and killed them miserably, but he had never once insulted them in such a way.


    ¡°But the Doctrinal General decided to drag the remains all the way to the west, perhaps because he too understood that it would be too much to disy such hideous things in Torra. Then he made a road¡ªa road decorated with the remains of the bodies of the enemies being disyed on both sides. That road is called Cainheryar.¡±


    ¡°Which trantes to warriors of sin.¡±


    Cainheryar was a word made up of ancient letters, just like ¡®Sutra.¡¯ Juan recalled the countless gods he had confronted, and then he imagined the westernndscape that was using the enemies¡¯ bodies as trophies to line up the road.


    The western territory was hardly a fertilend even during Juan¡¯s reign as the emperor. Such a terrible description and the hellishndscape seemed to perfectly match with the drynd.


    ¡°The western territory that is ruled by the Doctrinal General Dismas is such a ce. Members of heterogeneous races are nowhere to be seen unless they are ves, and they cannot even survive unless they constantly prove their faith in Your Majesty. It is said that the neighbors who chatted and made jokes about Your Majesty until just yesterday now rush to report about each other when the sun rises the next day.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just unbelievable.¡±


    Dismas was far from an obedient child no matter how much Juan thought about what he used to be like. He was always cheerful, loved to drink, and also loved to jump around vigorously. If anything, he was more of a simple and honest fool. He often butted heads with Ras who liked to quietly read his books in the library, but he still had a caring personality and worried about many little things.


    ¡°Dismas did not hate other races. Rather, he recognized them as those who he could happilypete against. Once, I even scolded him for deciding whether he wins or loses a battle by wrestling and drinking instead of properly fighting against the king of the Giants in the west. When I did, he talked back to me, saying ¡®how could I ever fight with the person who I drank with?¡¯ So why would such a child be like that?¡±


    ¡°King of the Giants¡­ are you talking about Helgrim, Your Majesty?¡± Pavan asked.


    ¡°Yes. Come to think of it, what happened to him?¡±


    ¡°Helgrim, the king of the Giants, was killed at the hands of Doctrinal General Dismas. His remains were the first to be disyed on Cainheryar¡ªthe very first Cainheryar was made.¡±


    Juan was speechless.


    ¡°Since when¡­ jeez. Since when did Dismas be like that?¡± Juan said as he ced his hand over his forehead.


    He was shocked when he saw how much Ras had changed, but he was relieved that the child¡¯s temper still remained the same. Nienna, too, had changed only a little.


    But the way Dismas had changed was unbearable.


    Pavan hesitated, but soon opened his mouth carefully.


    ¡°As far as I know, he changed right after the assassination of the emperor.¡±


    Juan remained silent.


    ¡°From what I understand, Doctrinal General Dismas was drinking with the Giants when the assassination urred. Three days had already passed by the time he heard the news. As soon as he heard the news, he ran straight to the Capital and killed everyone involved in the assassination of the emperor. I heard that Barth Baltic was very angry at him for killing all those who were captured as prisoners for interrogation, including Harmon Helwin.¡±


    ¡°...Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Barth Baltic then kicked Doctrinal General Dismas out of Torra. At that time, Doctrinal General Dismas was deeply heartbroken, and that¡¯s when the Pope approached him.¡±


    Juan gritted his teeth. Anger raged within his eyes.


    ¡°...The Pope then exploited Doctrinal General Dismas¡¯ sense of guilt and loss. Doctrinal General Dismas was the only child of Your Majesty who swore his allegiance to the Pope and he even became the very first Temr, not to mention that he was granted the position of Bishop. The very first thing Doctrinal General Dismas did after pledging his allegiance to the Church was to kill Helgrim, the king of the Giants, who he was drinking with when the assassination of the emperor happened.¡±


    Juan couldn¡¯t find any words to say due to his raging emotions.


    ¡°That¡¯s how Doctrinal General Dismas became the watchman and The Fanatic of the West. It¡¯s fortunate that his authority is limited only to the West, but other Temrs often consider him and the Order of Surtr to be perfect examples to emte. It is no exaggeration to say that the concept of purification that is performed throughout the empire started in the west.


    Juan couldn¡¯t understand where and when everything went wrong.


    ¡®<i>The Pope who took advantage of Dismas¡¯ guilt? Dismas who fell for the Pope¡¯s n? Myself who failed to properly educate Dismas? Or Gerard who murdered me?</i>¡¯


    He couldn¡¯t tell where all this started at all.


    However, he knew exactly how it would end.


    ***


    The procession of merchants which had been halted in the southern boulevard of Torra, began to continue their journey at the news that the civil war ended with the overwhelming victory of the returned emperor.


    People were quite excited by the rumor that the person who took over Torra might really be the returned emperor rather than the old-fashioned Church. It was still winter, but hopeful prospects had spread across the empire as if spring had alreadye.


    Unlike the nobles who were still deciding on which side they should choose to follow and be obedient toward, themoners and merchants were quickly adapting to the new change.


    Most of the processions on the boulevard wereing from the south.


    Although there were rumors that Dismas from the west was still hostile to the Capital, people thought that the empire was simply in a state of cold war and there was nothing that could cause Torra to be ced in danger again.


    ¡°...Which is why we have to take care of things as quietly as possible,¡± Anya said to the knights from the Order of Huginn.


    Due to the fact that it was difficult to control the undead on arge scale with so many people being present, Anya had to select only a few knights of the dead and put a hood over them to hide their identity.


    ¡°The level of the guys guarding the carriage is pathetic, but we still have to make sure that we do not make a fuss.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough of a warning, Anya. It¡¯s not the first time; we¡¯ve raided carriages before, you know,¡± Dilmond said as if he was scolding Anya.


    Anya nodded with an ambiguous smile. The Order of Huginn had been active as the official enemy of the empire to attack the empire. Not only had they done many ambushes against the Temrs, but they also had a lot of experience in raiding transport carriages.


    Considering their experience, facing a few merchant carriages and a few mercenaries was an easy job for them.


    ¡°I keep getting nervous for some reason. Maybe it¡¯s because this time I¡¯m carrying out a mission as an official knight rather than a criminal,¡± Anya said.


    ¡°Put your worries aside. That might cause you to make more mistakes,¡± Dilmond said.


    Anya nodded.


    Just in time, their target¡ªthe carriage¡ªbegan to pass through the boulevard. Anya, who was hiding in the grass, ordered one of the undead at just the right time.


    Dne Deed suddenly jumped in front of the boulevard.


    ¡°Argh! What, what the hell! What kind of crazy bastard would¡­ S-Sir Deed?¡±


    Dne¡¯s sudden appearance brought the carriage to a hasty halt. The procession of the following carriages also stopped in a disorderly manner. Cursing and shouting erupted from here and there.


    The horseman driving the lead carriage was perplexed, but he couldn¡¯t help but stop upon encountering the person he had to deliver the goods to.


    The horseman got out of the carriage and approached Dne.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Sir Dne? I thought we were supposed to meet inside Torra and¡­ wait, by any chance, did something happen inside there?¡±


    ¡°Nothing¡¯s going on,¡± Dne answered in a stiff voice.


    The horseman wanted to ask Dne why he was blocking the road, but the horseman covered his nose with his hands without even realizing it upon getting a whiff of Dne¡¯s terribly bad breath. While it was very rude to cover his nose due to a noble¡¯s bad breath, the horseman had no choice, since he would have to step back immediately if he didn¡¯t do so.


    ¡°It smells like rotting corpses, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    The horseman was startled at the sudden voice that came from behind and ced his hand on the dagger around his waist. But before he could draw it, the cold de of a dagger was ced on his neck. The horseman froze and slowly looked back.


    All the horsemen, servants, and mercenaries who were guarding the carriage procession were lying on the floor and suppressed. Some of those who were skilled enough to quickly draw out their weapons could not avoid death. The captain of the mercenaries had a sword stabbed into his heart and was standing in ce with a nk look on his face.


    All those who could not resist were lying t on their stomachs, while all those who dared to resist had been turned into undead.


    It didn¡¯t take too long for the horseman to understand who his opponent was.


    ¡°The-the Order of Huginn¡­ how and why?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you tell from the hint I just gave you?¡±


    The horseman cursed Dne Deed inside, but he tried his best to pretend not to know what was going on.


    ¡°I-I have no idea what you are talking about. We were just told to¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up. First of all, stop all the carriages on one side of the road so that it doesn¡¯t get in the way of the other people.¡±


    The rest of the horsemen were forced to move the carriage as Anya told them to. Some nosy people seemed to be ncing and trying to find out what was going on. However, they quickly disappeared when they saw the raven symbol shown by Dilmond that represented the Order of Huginn.


    ¡°What¡¯s in the carriage?¡± Anya asked.


    ¡°Uh, well. It¡¯s a variety of various types of meat butchered from Learo in the southwest,¡± the horseman answered.


    ¡°Meat? Oh, those southern pigs that are fed acorns?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. Learo is famous for their pigs that are grown by feeding them acorns. I was going to sell them in the cold winter since I thought that the nobles of Torra would appreciate their value.¡±


    Anya smiled as if she was interested.


    ¡°But there is no acorn forest in Learo, you stupid ass westerner.¡±


    Anya kicked the horseman in the shin, causing the horseman to shriek in pain and limp.


    ¡°I was going to be generous and skip the torture if you had cooperated with me, but I guess I¡¯m left with no choice. I¡¯ll give you one more chance. If you decide to cooperate now, I promise to cut off only one of your limbs.¡±


    ¡°Keuk-Keugh¡­¡±


    Anya dragged the horseman and stopped him in front of the carriage. The top of the carriage was covered by arge cloth, and Anya inadvertently noticed red bloodstains visible under the thick cloth that was covering the carriage.


    ¡°Open it.¡±


    The horseman groaned in pain, but he soon loosened the rope and carefully lifted the cloth. Pieces of red meat that were loaded onto the carriage became visible. It was a cold winter, but the meat was still vividly bright red in color.


    ¡°See? I-I told you that it¡¯s just meat.¡±


    ¡°Do I really look that stupid to you? I¡¯ve cut a lot of meat in my life. Do you think that I can¡¯t tell the difference between pork meat from other types of meat? Even with just a nce, I can tell that this is not pork. This is¡­ this¡­ is¡­¡±


    Anya frowned and took a closer look at the meat in the carriage.


    ¡®<i>This isn¡¯t something that could be found at a ce like this.</i>¡¯


    Anya approached the carriage.


    At that moment, the horseman quickly lifted the cloth.


    Anya immediately cut the horseman¡¯s neck with her dagger, but the contents inside the carriage were already revealed to the sunlight. Red bloodstains were clearly visible under the cloth that pped and rose into the air.


    Anya froze on the spot.


    ***


    Juan, who was in the middle of having a conversation with Pavan, suddenly sprang up from his chair and stood up. His eyes were pinned toward the south.


    Pavan also stood up, perplexed by Juan¡¯s sudden movement.


    ¡°Your Majesty? Is there a problem?¡± Pavan asked anxiously.


    ¡°A god.¡±


    Juan muttered in a trembling voice.


    ¡°A god just appeared in the southern part of Torra just now.¡±


    1. Cainheryar is the name of the road made by Dismas¡ªthe road which is decorated with the statues made using the remains of the dead gods and monsters. These statues are also called Cainheryars.

 Chapter 193 – Iolin (2)

    <h4>Chapter 193 ¨C Iolin (2)</h4>


    Inside the carriage was a woman lying there as if she was asleep. Her skin was so fair, that it looked bluish. It was clear that it was a corpse. Lying with red meat acting as a bed, her head was crowned with mistletoe branches.


    Anya flinched upon noticing her protruding and long ears that stuck out amidst the mistletoe crown.


    ¡®<i>An elf?</i>¡¯


    At that moment, the sound of the horseman¡¯s body slumping to the ground echoed. At the same time, the cloth covering the meat fell off, causing the rays of sunlight to touch the body of the elf woman.


    At that moment, the elf woman who she had thought to be dead suddenly twitched her fingers.


    Umbra immediately covered the elf woman¡¯s body. Anya didn¡¯t even realize how and why she was moving, but she instantly moved to block the sunlight from reaching the elf woman¡¯s body. Anya¡¯s entire body was covered in cold sweat as soon as she saw the elf woman¡¯s body move.


    While Anya was already used to seeing the dead standing up and walking around, she felt an unfamiliar fear when she saw this elf woman¡ªit was the same type of fear she felt when witnessing the descent of Nigrato back in Hiveden.


    ¡®<i>Please¡­ please.</i>¡¯


    Anya murmured to herself on the inside. However, she soon met the golden eyes that opened inside the Umbra. The eyes were hollow and without any emotions, yet filled with an intemperate desire for ughter.


    ¡®<i>It¡¯s toote.</i>¡¯


    Just one ray of sunlight was enough to wake her up.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    Anya¡¯s body was thrown into the air and Umbra shattered into pieces.


    The knights from the Order of Huginn were perplexed at the sudden situation, but they immediately lined up. They were more than used to fighting back even in unexpected situations like this.


    ¡°Anya! Are you okay?¡±


    Dilmond rushed to help Anya up.


    The Umbra that Anya was wearing had been miserably torn to shreds, but it was quickly being restored as its pieces merged back with each other again. The Umbra was not harmed, since it was not an object with a fixed form in the first ce.


    However, Anya was different. Anya wiped off the blood flowing from her mouth while enduring the pain of broken ribs and internal injuries.


    At that moment, the pale elf woman had raised her upper body before anyone knew it and then emitted a subtle light. It was an ancient and sacred energy that was certainly different from Nigrato¡¯s unholy energy.


    Then Anya inadvertently saw a clear handprint on the neck of the elf woman. At the same time, she saw trees rustling from all sides and giving off a strong smell of the forest, making her feel as if she had entered the middle of an old forest just now.


    All kinds of symbols and vibrations of power were pointing to only one thing¡ªit was a reenactment of what happened back in Hiveden.


    ¡°Retreat with the Order of Huginn, Dilmond! This is not something that the knights will be able to deal with!¡± Anya shouted.


    ¡°Retreat with them? But our mission¡­ damn it, okay!¡±


    Dilmond was not stupid enough to argue with the captain in an urgent situation. After all, making a clear decision was much more important than prudence during a battle.


    Following Dilmond¡¯s instructions, the Order of Huginn quickly withdrew and induced the civilians watching them from the rear to evacuate as well in order to prevent them from being caught up in the fuss.


    In the meantime, the elf woman was embracing the sun to the fullest with her neck making squeaking sounds in a grotesque fashion. The mistletoe crown ced on her head was sprouting with fresh green leaves.


    ¡°Go!¡±


    The knights of the dead ran toward the elf woman in unison at Anya¡¯s short order. The cold des that were thrown toward the elf woman instantly cut her skin. But what flowed out of the cut skin was yellow petals rather than blood or the body fluids of a corpse.


    ¡®<i>She¡¯s definitely a god. But what kind of god is she?</i>¡¯


    Anya was not very interested in history or mythology. However, there was only one god that came to her mind when she saw the pointed ears that signified the elves.


    The god of the elves andkes, and also the guardian of the knights¡ªIolin.


    ¡®<i>It was said that she was strangled and drowned to death by His Majesty.</i>¡¯


    Talter had collected blood for decades and barely managed to recover himself to the point where he could form a small amount of essence. Nigrato could only be revived through a powerful catalyst known as Ras Raud.


    But Iolin, who was standing in front of Anya was blooming like flowers in the spring just by receiving the sunlight.


    ¡®<i>But how? Wait. perhaps all that meat loaded inside the carriage was¡­</i>¡¯


    The meat was well butchered, but she was certain that it was human flesh. Upon seeing the meat quickly drying up and crumbling, Anya figured that it must have acted as a catalyst for Iolin¡¯s resurrection.


    Cold sweat began to run down Anya¡¯s forehead. There was no way an ordinary human¡¯s flesh could act as such a strong catalyst. She didn¡¯t know the identity of the people killed for all that flesh, but it was clear that someone who was capable enough to use such a method to resurrect a god so easily, then they would be a threat to His Majesty.


    ¡°Anya! We are ready to retreat! You should fall back as well!¡± Dilmond shouted.


    ¡°No. I¡¯m staying here,¡± Anya answered with a firm look on her face.


    ¡°What? Wait¡­ You¡­¡±


    ¡°You saw what happened back in Hiveden, and should know that we have to kill a god when they are at their weakest! Don¡¯t worry about me, I can take care of myself! You don¡¯t have to worry about me dying as long as I have Umbra with me. Rather, you should go and let His Majesty know that his enemies have the means to resurrect a god!¡±


    ¡°A god?¡± Dilmond muttered with a shocked expression.


    ¡°Yes, a god! Tell His Majesty that they are using some kind of meat as a catalyst to revive a god¡­ hurry!¡±


    Dilmond¡¯s expression immediately distorted in confusion. However, he had his priorities in the right order. He told the Order of Huginn to spread out and began to ride his horse toward the north.


    ¡°Kill her, Annabelle! His Majesty killed Nigrato when he was even weaker than the current you!¡± Dilmond shouted onest time before he left.


    Anya simply smiled without any words. At the same time when the Order of Huginn disappeared from her view, Anya brought out her undead soldiers with all her might. Hundreds of skeleton soldiers began to pour out of the Umbra. The dragon-blood soldiers created by Juan roared, while the knights of the dead marched in a single line. The cold air emanated by the army of the dead began to cover the ground with frost.


    Anya murmured coldly.


    ¡°Bury her.¡±


    Hundreds of skeleton soldiers rushed toward Iolin and began to crush her. However, the skeleton soldiers were scattered in vain as soon as the warm light being emitted by Iolin touched them.


    Anya wasn¡¯t devastated, since she had already expected this to happen. The effect she was waiting for came next.


    An endless amount of bone powder from the skeleton soldiers covered Iolin.


    ¡®<i>What would happen if so much bone powder that is filled with unholy energy covers her?</i>¡¯


    Anya expected it to at least have the effect of blocking the sunlight from touching Iolin¡¯s body.


    As expected, Iolin was quickly fully covered in white bone powder as she was still slow to move due to her just being resurrected.


    Anya didn¡¯t hesitate to immediately move on to the next course of action.


    The dragon-blood soldiers barbarously rushed toward Iolin with the intent to destroy everything in their path.


    Anya¡¯s goal was to finish everything before Iolin was capable of using her true strength, just in case that she alone might not be able to do anything once Iolin started to use her energy.


    It was questionable whether a god would die simply due to being stabbed or being dismembered like that, but Anya had no choice but to do her best.


    ¡®<i>After all, it is said that His Majesty cut the gods into pieces and scattered them across the mountains.</i>¡¯


    Anya thought that all she could do was to imitate him as best as she could.


    In the meantime, the cold winter weather got warmer due to a spring breeze. Anya grew perplexed at the sudden and unfamiliar climate change.


    ¡®<i>Is this kind of work so easy for the gods?¡¯</i>


    Just like in Hiveden, gods could greatly change the environment of their surroundings simply by existing on thend.


    Anya couldn¡¯t imagine what it would have been like when countless of these gods wandered around the empire in the past. But she quickly put her thoughts aside; she was bing anxious to finish everything quickly.


    One of the knights of the dead swung their sword which was asrge as his body and hit Iolin¡¯s neck at once¡ªat least Anya thought he did.


    <i>ng!</i>


    The knight of the dead¡¯s sword bounced off with a loud nging noise.


    ¡°...Fucking damn it.¡±


    Anya unknowingly muttered abusive words. An unknown group was walking out in line from behind Iolin¡¯s back. All of them were wearing wooden crowns, and Anya was able to recognize the famous symbols despite herck of knowledge¡ªthey were the knights and elf kings mentioned in the famous legend.


    ¡°The knights of theke who swore eternal loyalty and swore to protect the goddess of theke, Iolin¡­ Was that not supposed to be just a legend?¡±


    Anya stepped back as she muttered with a fed-up look. The same was true of the remaining undead soldiers. What made Anya depressed the most was the fact that Iolin was continuing her resurrection process like nothing had happened despite the sacrifice of hundreds of skeleton soldiers and the brutal attack of the dragon blood soldiers.


    The cut wounds on Iolin that were originally releasing petals had healed up again, almost as if Anya¡¯s attacks were nothing more than a bunch of ants wing at a tree.


    Anya took a deep breath.


    ¡®<i>A god and heroes from the legends, huh?</i>¡¯


    Anya curved her lips into a smirk.


    ¡°That just means they are those who were all defeated by HIs Majesty.¡±


    With Anya¡¯s cry, the newly rising army of the dead shed with Iolin.


    ***


    Juan ran as fast as he could, moving so fast that he was like an arrow that was shot toward Torra. His feet were more in the air than on the ground as he ran through the roofs and the walls¡ªit was to the extent that people couldn¡¯t even see him properly.


    Juan broke into the Imperial Pce and immediately took Sutra.


    ¡°Dad! Just now¡­¡±


    Nienna, too, was running into the Imperial Pce with a pale expression. Her expression became even stiffer when she saw Juan armed with Kgranon and Sutra.


    ¡°What the hell is going on in the south of Torra right now?¡±


    Nienna had lived throughout the mythological era and had great power, but she wasn¡¯t able topletely realize what was going on. Only Juan, who had confronted gods throughout his life, was able to perfectly sense the situation immediately.


    ¡°Nienna, youe with me. I need someone to help me,¡± Juan said to Nienna with a stern look on his face.


    ¡°But what¡¯s going on? Did a god resurrect or something?¡± Nienna asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what has happened.¡±


    ¡°What? No way¡­¡±


    Nienna answered as if she was surprised, but Juan figured that she must have also had a hunch about it, since she would have known that no such force could be created if it wasn¡¯t for a god''s appearance.


    H and Sina btedly approached Juan. However, the reason why they rushed toe was due to the report that Juan had rushed into the Imperial Pce with unusual speed¡ªthey still hadn¡¯t sensed the strange situation.


    Juan realized that Anya was nowhere to be seen among them.


    ¡°Right now, the south of Torra is¡­ damn it. It must be that carriage.¡±


    Juan immediately realized the situation. If the treason attempt was going to use a god, it was understandable for the enemies to think that their odds of sess were high. The damage would be enormous whether Juan won or lost if the disaster from Hiveden is reenacted in the middle of Torra.


    Juan gritted his teeth.


    ¡®<i>Even the nobles who participated in the treason will not be safe.</i>¡¯


    They had only been used by Dismas, but there was no reason for Juan to forgive them. Juan¡¯s expression became cold.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if the Order of Huginn is holding out fine. Focus the remaining troops on defense for now. A newly resurrected god would not be able to achieve strong power. I¡¯m sure Nienna and I will be able to handle them. Nienna, hand overmand of the Northern Army to H for the time being. H, cooperate with Pavan so that the aftermath of the battle does not spread around.¡±


    H nodded and ran out to follow the order.


    Juan nced around at his surroundings.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a sudden idental resurrection of a god like in Hiveden, but rather a god that was revived through a carefully prepared n of the enemy. If you can¡¯t stop it in Torra, you won¡¯t be able to stop it anywhere.¡±


    ***


    The ck fog surged in like a river. However, the fog which had been weakened by the energy emitted by Iolin, scattered into nothingness when faced with the knights of theke.


    Yet Anya didn¡¯t give up and did her best to bring more darkness out of the Umbra. The undead became faster and stronger in this darkness, and their power of immortality also manifested in this darkness.


    Iolin was still recovering her strength. She looked like the corpse of a pale woman a moment ago, but now she was wearing a misty silk dress with her eyes closed as she sat on a tree.


    Iolin had never opened her eyes even once while confronting Anya, and the knights of theke surrounding Iolin did not budge either.


    Anya felt quite bothered by their attitudes. The knights of the dead and the dragon blood soldiers tried to drag down the knights of theke several times but failed to do so.


    They chose to either dodge or bear a hit when a spear of death was thrown at them from a long distance, but they never stepped forward.


    ¡®<i>If they are so overwhelmingly strong, sending the knights of theke toward us would immediately lead to us being wiped out. But why¡­</i>¡¯


    Only then did Anya notice the reason why.


    ¡®<i>It¡¯s not that she isn¡¯t damaged by my attack.¡¯</i>

 Chapter 194 – Iolin (3)

    <h4>Chapter 194 ¨C Iolin (3)</h4>


    If Iolin were to prioritize her resurrection, she could have easily ignored Anya¡¯s attacks, since they weren¡¯t able to deal much damage to her; she could easily focus on regaining her strength. However, Iolin had summoned the knights of theke instead of ignoring or attacking Anya, because she considered defending herself a priority.


    ¡®<i>If I am even able to do even a little damage¡­ there¡¯s a chance that I can win.</i>¡¯


    Anya figured that she had to speed up a little bit. As soon as she came to this conclusion, Anya quickly bounced back and charged toward Iolin with her army of the dead. Anya had no choice but to allow the army of the dead to attack passively, since neither Iolin¡¯s weaknesses nor strengths could be identified even now. But if a simple attack could deal even some damage to Iolin, it was something worth trying.


    ¡®<i>If I can¡¯t control her with darkness from a long distance, I can simply m myself against her and make a mess.</i>¡¯


    The knights of theke immediately noticed a change upon seeing Anya¡¯s unusual movements and raised their swords to sh against the attacks of the army of the dead.


    At that moment, Anya crashed into one of the knights of theke and rolled around on the ground.


    Several knights of the dead quickly disappeared due to the recklessly attempted attack. Anya could also feel that a couple of her fingers were broken, but she didn¡¯t care.


    The sacred aura emitted by Iolin was mixed with the darkness being emitted by Anya to give off a cloudy glow just as Anya had intended.


    The knights of theke also fought amidst this mess by punching and kicking their enemies rather than swinging their swords. Such a pathetic sight made it hard to believe they once used to be the legendary knights and kings.


    Anya smiled at Iolin and began to climb up the ash tree throne by stabbing her dagger into it.


    ¡°I¡¯ll put you back deep inside the mud where you belong, nobledy.¡±


    The moment Anya murmured, Iolin suddenly turned her head and looked at Anya. Then, Iolin finally lifted her eyelids to reveal her empty eyes.


    ¡°What the¡­?!¡±


    Anya was briefly startled by the bizarre void inside Iolin¡¯s eyelids. She had seen countless more horrifying things than this before, but seeing such a grotesque void in the eyes of such a beautiful woman like Iolin creeped her out.


    At that moment, Anya found something unusual about Iolin¡ªengraved in her eyes was a red letter. Once Anya spotted the red letter, she soon spotted the other red shapes and tattoos engraved all over Iolin¡¯s body right away.


    ¡®<i>Resurrection¡­ no. This is not some ordinary resurrection.</i>¡¯


    Reviving a god would not just bring about a disaster, but would also produce a threat to humanity. Anya intuitively noticed that those who had revived Iolin had not only carefully nned her resurrection, they had even prepared means to take control of her. It wasn¡¯t just a revival¡ªthey intended to control her as if they were training a dog to fight for them.


    Iolin looked down at Anya and shouted something. While Anya wasn¡¯t able to understand what she said, since it was spoken in thenguage of Elves, the knights of theke immediately responded to those words.


    <i>Bang!</i>


    With the sound of trumpets echoing in unison, the army of the dead were thrown toward the surroundings. Shining horses began to crawl out of the muddy ground and then the knights of theke rode them to trample on the knights of the dead.


    Anya tried to cover her surroundings with her darkness to revive the knights of the dead, but the revival was inevitably slowed down due to Iolin¡¯s sacred aura which kept interfering with the surroundings.


    ¡®<i>If only the sun had set¡­</i>¡¯


    Although the unidentified meat was nourishing Iolin, it was clear that she only regained consciousness when the sunlight hit her.


    Anya bit her lips; she had a feeling that she was bound to lose at this rate. She already knew that the situation would gopletely out of control if a god is allowed to be resurrected fully based on her experience in Hiveden.


    ¡®<i>Your Majesty, please forgive me.</i>¡¯


    Anya was constantly inserting her strength into Umbra, to the extent that her eyes had turned half ck.


    Meanwhile, the knights of theke all looked back at Anya from atop of the ash tree upon feeling the unusual energy that was emanating from her.


    As soon as the knights of theke shouted something and raised their spears, ink-like darkness poured out of Anya¡¯s mouth and eyes. Then, the darkness which soared like a waterfall immediately covered the knights of theke and the ash tree.


    The knights of theke who were attacking the knights of the dead while riding their horses instantly fell off to the ground, and at the same time, Anya crawled up the ash tree amidst the darkness¡ªit looked like she was intent on coloring Iolin with her darkness.


    Finally, Anya¡¯s hand touched Iolin¡¯s ankle¡ªbut that was it.


    At that moment, one of the spears thrown by the knights of theke pierced Anya¡¯s calf.


    Anya couldn¡¯t move a single inch due to the spear that pierced through not only her calf but also the tree. But Anya let out a growling roar.


    ¡°<strong>How dare you try to get in my way!</strong>¡±


    The knights of theke froze for a moment upon hearing Anya¡¯s roar. They couldn¡¯t feel any fear, since they were already dead, but the voice that was made by squeezing one¡¯s soul was enough to make them stop.


    The voice that stopped them was not the voice of the woman who they were dealing with until now.


    ¡°<strong>No one can hold me back! No one can escape from me!</strong>¡±


    The knights of the dead who had copsed here and there all stood up in unison. They, too, began to march in a single line while shedding ck darkness just like Anya.


    The knights of theke flinched and failed to move properly; something was trying to take control over them. While it was true that they had sworn allegiance to the goddess of theke, they were also included in the realm of the dead.


    ¡°<strong>I am the ruler of the dead!</strong>¡±


    Nigrato¡¯s deathly voice was very suffocating to the knights of theke.


    At the same time, Anya forcibly pulled up the essence of Umbra while clinging on to thest string of her consciousness. Nigrato¡¯s power which was engraved upon Umbra was raging like crazy, but there was no possibility of his resurrection, given that Umbra would explode before that happened.


    But there was no way that Anya could be safe inside Umbra.


    Anya swung her hand to break the spear that was stuck in her leg, then continued to climb up the tree again.


    Meanwhile, Iolin¡¯s hollow and empty eyes were still staring at Anya.


    Anya noticed that Iolin was muttering something, but she couldn¡¯t understand what it meant.


    Instead of thinking too much, Anya decided to grab Iolin¡¯s face and lower her head. The moment Anya and Iolin¡¯s lips met, Anya poured Umbra¡¯s power inside Iolin.


    When the ck darkness poured into her mouth, Iolin¡¯s eyes turned ck in an instant. Darkness flowed into Iolin¡¯s eyes and down her ears as the power of the dead filled her up.


    The power of Umbra was ruthlessly pulsing with Iolin¡¯s body.


    Then, Anya removed her lips from Iolin¡¯s and looked down at her with an exhausted expression.


    At that moment, Iolin muttered something once again.


    ¡°I can¡¯t understand whatever you¡¯re saying,¡± Anya answered briefly.


    She did not wait for Iolin¡¯s answer.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    WIth a crunching sound, the power of Umbra inside Iolin¡¯s body exploded. The power of Umbra took the form of a spear and pierced through Iolin¡¯s body at once, turning her into a dark chestnut. Iolin¡¯s body instantly shattered and parts of her body scattered everywhere.


    Anya, who was still holding on to Iolin¡¯s face until thest moment, couldn¡¯t avoid being pierced by the power of Umbra in several ces either.


    At the same time, tears streamed down from the empty eye socket on Iolin¡¯s face, shattering away. Anya couldn¡¯t tell if those were tears or snowkes that fell on Iolin¡¯s face and coincidentally melted.


    Then, she knelt down in an awkward position; she was unable to copse due to her being prated by the power of Umbra.


    ¡®<i>Is it over? Is everything over now?</i>¡¯


    Anya¡¯s legs trembled. A sacred aura was still flowing out of Iolin, but it was clear that she was being overpowered. However, she might not be dead for good.


    What Anya couldn¡¯t believe was the fact that even though she had destroyed Umbra, she did not seed in overpowering Iolin. Not only was Umbra made with Ras¡¯ soul, it was also his posthumous work. Yet Anya had no choice but to detonate Umbra; Iolin would have turned into an impossible enemy to beat if she hadn¡¯t done so.


    ¡°Captain Ras, Your Majesty. Please forgive me¡­¡±


    Anya pulled herself off of Iolin while begging for forgiveness once again.


    She looked at her hands with an expressionless face upon realizing that she couldn¡¯t move them properly; it looked like a few of her nerves had been cut off.


    The surroundings were now filled with the army of the dead, crows, and the darkness summoned by Anya. The darkness did not disappear even after Umbra was destroyed, but it did not move either; Anya could no longer control them now that Umbra was destroyed.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think anyone would be able to defeat Iolin even if she was in the middle of resurrecting.¡±


    At that moment, Anya felt something sharp prating her waist before she could even turn her head toward the sudden voice. Then, she fell from atop the ash tree while letting out a terrible scream. The pain and shock of falling straight to the ground made her feel dizzy.


    Anya tried to stand up despite the intense pain and shock, but she couldn¡¯t even budge.


    ¡°Give up. It¡¯s not even worth trying. You won¡¯t be able to move, since your spine is broken.¡±


    Someone was looking down at her from the side. Anya could only see someone wearing red armor within her hazy vision. Upon recognizing the symbol of a hand holding a bloody hammer, Anya realized that her opponent was someone from the Order of Surtr.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but a Cainheryar is just too precious. I must avoid breaking itpletely.¡±


    Then, the knight of the Order of Surtr raised the hammer in his hand high up in the air and mmed it toward Anya¡¯s head while shey there helplessly.


    ***


    For a moment, an ink like darkness colored the sky beyond the horizon.


    Seeing this, Juan and Nienna, who were running with all their might, came to a stop.


    The darkness which spread as high as the clouds swayed a few times like a wave before quickly fading away.


    Soon, Nienna¡¯s expression hardened when she felt a dry and cold wind spring up.


    ¡°Dad¡­ That is¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s Umbra. It seems like Anya had to use herst resort.¡±


    Juan already knew that it would be impossible for them to arrive in time before the resurrection wasplete. Yet he had hoped that Anya would be able to stall the resurrection until he arrived. After all, Umbra was capable of allowing her to do so as long as it contained Nigrato¡¯s essence.


    But that explosion of darkness only meant one thing¡ªUmbra¡¯s abilities had been pushed to the limit and it had exploded at once. Completely suppressing the resurrection of the god would be possible if things went well, but Anya would bepletely helpless if the n failed. What the explosion signified was too harsh to ept.


    ¡°Wait, then what about Anya? If she was fighting around where the explosion came from, then¡­¡± Nienna¡¯s expression became distorted.


    ¡°She is probably dead. She might have managed to escape if she was lucky enough,¡± Juan answered.


    Nienna muttered some curses and started running again. However, her rushed steps quickly came to a stop.


    A group of people was running toward them from atop the hill¡ªit was the Order of Huginn.


    Juan immediately noticed that Anya wasn¡¯t with them.


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡±


    The knights from the Order of Huginn immediately jumped off of their horses as soon as they saw Juan and Nienna.


    At the same time, Juan didn¡¯t hesitate to run straight toward them.


    ¡°What happened to Anya?¡±


    ¡°Captain Anya sent us to inform Your Majesty that a god was being resurrected and she remained there to fight! She said that resurrection was being elerated through some kind of meat-like catalyst or something¡­¡±


    ¡°A catalyst that elerates resurrection?¡±


    Juan had never heard of such a method. If he knew about it, he would have gotten rid of all of it a long time ago. But there was no way the information Anya found at the cost of her own life could have been false.


    At that moment, Juan noticed that one more member of the Order of Huginn was missing besides Anya.


    ¡°Wait¡­ Did Dilmond remain there as well?¡±


    ¡°Sir Dilmond apanied us halfway and then went back to Captain Anya to¡­¡±


    ¡°He went back, you said?¡±


    Juan¡¯s foot kicked off the ground as he started running again even before the knight¡¯s words were finished.


    ***


    <i>ng!</i>


    An irritating and dull piercing sound rang out.


    The knight from the Order of Surtr took a few steps back while holding his chest. Upon realizing that his red armor had been dented quite deeply, the knight raised his sharp eyes and red ahead.


    In front of him stood an old knight holding a hammer.


    Dilmond leisurely spun the hammer in his hand in a round motion and then opened his mouth.


    ¡°The Order of Surtr, huh? I¡¯ve heard a lot about you guys. But no one told me that you guys were nasty enough to attack someone who has already copsed.¡±


    ¡°I thought everyone ran away except for this one, but I guess there was one more.¡±


    Dilmond swung his hammer once again, and the knight from the Order of Sutr also raised his hammer up in the sky. The hammer as a weapon was far from agile, but it was not suitable to block their opponent¡¯s weapon either.


    The two dodged each other and quickly jumped toward each other. The result of the fight ought to depend on who wielded their weapon faster and more urately.


    In that regard, Dilmond was at an advantage, given that he was able to aim for the chest of the knight from the Order of Sutr earlier.


    But that did notst long. Dilmond grew increasingly out of breath.


    ¡®<i>I am definitely too old for this now.</i>¡¯


    Swinging a hammer took many times the amount of power it took to swing a sword due to the meticulous skill required to control the direction. Therefore, Dilmond had been trying to save his energy by hitting the opponent with every swing of his hammer.


    However, his opponent seemed very used to fighting against an enemy who was using a hammer.


    The opponent was much younger than Dilmond and was as good as him at handling a hammer.


    However, the opponent seemed to also be wary of Dilmond.


    ¡°You¡¯re not too bad for being an old ass. What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°You must be curious about the name of the Grim Reaper who hase to take your life.¡±


    ¡°Well, I need to know what name I should engrave on your tombster.¡±


    ¡°My name is Dilmond.¡±


    ¡°My name is Cuare. I¡¯ve never seen anyone who¡¯s not a knight from the Order of Surtr handle the hammer like you do. Consider it an honor.¡±


    Dilmond had no interest in Cuare¡¯spliment. Instead, he took advantage of the moment his opponent wasted by speaking and took a nce at Anya and Iolin.


    Dilmond recalled the resurrection of Nigrato when he witnessed the darkness that was surging like a wave. But what he saw when he arrived was the scene of Iolin being shattered.


    He thought Anya had sessfully restrained Iolin, but that thought did notst long. The darkness was rapidly disappearing, but the sacred aura being emitted by Iolin still remained, despite it being weaker than before.


    ¡®<i>If I don¡¯t take care of this asshole and finish off Iolin in time¡­</i>¡¯


    Dillmond grew anxious and impatient. And his opponent did not miss this opportunity.


    ¡°I would pay more attention to the enemy if I were you!¡±


    With a loud roar that made one shiver, Cuare¡¯s hammer mmed into Dilmond¡¯s abdomen.

 Chapter 195 – Iolin (4)

    <h4>Chapter 195 ¨C Iolin (4)</h4>


    Cuare foresaw his victory as soon as he felt the heavy shock when he hit Dilmond with the hammer. His attack on Dilmond was sessful and left behind a fatal wound that would shatter Dilmond¡¯s internal organs¡ªat least he thought so.


    Cuare, who was about to throw Dilmond¡¯s body into the air, btedly noticed his chest getting wet with a warm fluid. The moment he lowered his head to check, he felt a strange and grotesque sense of alienation. He groped his chest for a while and then clutched his wobbly tongue.


    A beastly scream broke out when he realized that his lower jaw was no longer attached to his face. Cuare trembled at the bizarre sensation of his own tongue that was twitching in shock.


    Dilmond tried his best to take a breath, despite the difficulty. Instead of dodging Cuare¡¯s attack, Dilmond had decided to bear the iing shock as he swung his hammer; he had no choice but to end everything before he exhausted himself fully.


    The hammer, which Dilmond had swung faster and more urately than ever, smashed Cuare¡¯s jaw at once.


    But Dilmond couldn¡¯t avoid the consequences of his action either.


    ¡°Keuk, Keugh, huff!¡±


    Cuare slumped to the ground as he started losing a huge amount of blood. He tried to find his jaw that had flown away, but soon mmed his head on the muddy ground and copsed. Red blood soon colored the ground red.


    Dilmond looked at Cuare in silence, then stumbled his way toward Anya. The spear that had prated through Anya¡¯s body had left a fatal wound, but her vital organs remained intact.


    ¡®<i>Thank goodness. That¡¯s fortunate enough.</i>¡¯


    Dilmond looked up at Iolin, yet he soon staggered and fell to his knees while vomiting blood mixed with pieces of flesh. His head was falling to the ground; he couldn¡¯t hold out anymore.


    He could see Anya breathing weakly in his dim vision.


    ¡°...It may have only been for a short time, but you were a pretty decent Captain.¡±


    The blood flowing through his throat made it difficult for him to speak properly. Dilmond tried tomunicate with Anya several times over and over, but she seemed unable to hear him.


    But it didn¡¯t matter because someone else could deliver his words to herter.


    Dilmond saw the resurrection of the emperor, and he also saw the emperor regain his stolen throne.


    ¡®<i>I think I did well enough that I will be able to face my seniors again without having to feel ashamed.</i>¡¯


    ***


    The spring breeze and the darkness that swept around the surroundings suddenly receded as soon as Juan stomped on the ground.


    Juan was staring at the huge ash tree that sprang up in the middle of the boulevard with a nervous expression. Although it had grown much weaker, he could still sense the strong energy of a god.


    ¡°Iolin¡­¡± Juan muttered as he let out a groan.


    ¡®<i>It just had to be Iolin out of all the gods?</i>¡¯


    Juan had felt the signs of a god being resurrected from the beginning, but he was hoping that he was wrong; the area around Torra was and that had nothing to do with the elves, let alone Iolin.


    After ring at Iolin with a stiff face for a while, Juan realized that his priority was to find Anya.


    Iolin¡¯s energy was significantly weaker than when he felt it earlier. Given the fact that the speed of her resurrection had grown much slowerpared to the beginning when it was unusually rapid, Anya seemed to have dealt with the situation pretty well.


    However, Juan could not feel Anya¡¯s presence anywhere around him. That could only mean one of two things¡ªeither she managed to escape unharmed or she had already died.


    But Juan was soon able to find Dilmond lying close to Iolin. His expression immediately hardened upon realizing that he couldn¡¯t feel any signs of life from Dilmond.


    Juan stood still for a while to take a deep breath before slowly approaching him.


    Dilmond was lying face down and still staring straight ahead with his eyes open. His gaze and expression was telling Juan what Dilmond had gone through and how he felt right before he died.


    ¡°Dad! Did you manage to find Anya?¡±


    Nienna didn¡¯t even bother to look toward Iolin, and looked for Anya as soon as she arrived. Then her eyes soon stopped upon seeing Dilmond who was lying in front of her. Nienna immediately checked Dilmond¡¯s pulse to examine his condition¡ªbut she quickly realized that there was nothing she could do.


    Nienna could only bite her lips as she red at Iolin.


    ¡°Did that thing kill Dilmond?¡±


    ¡°No. Both Anya and Dilmond carried out their duty very well. But looking at his wounds, it looks like he was killed by someone other than Iolin. Dilmond sessfully protected Anya, but it seems that someone took Anya after his death.¡±


    ¡°Took her? Who?¡±


    Juan turned his head. Among the messy footprints left on the ground, there were some that were particrly dark and heavy.


    ¡®<i>They must be left by Dilmond and his mysterious opponent.</i>¡¯


    And there were signs of someone¡¯s movement in the ce where the puddles of blood were formed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who it was, but Dilmond dealt them a fatal wound; however, Dilmond himself was injured as well. It looks like the opponent somehow managed to survive and then took Anya away,¡± Juan said.


    Nienna btedly found the pool of blood. As she rummaged through the pool of blood with her spear, she picked something up with a frown. It was a dislocated jaw which still had teeth attached to it.


    ¡°The opponent must be a little clumsy.¡±


    ¡°Dilmond couldn¡¯t have guessed that his opponent would be alive, and even capable of moving after dropping his lower jaw like that. Anyway, there¡¯s no way that the opponent could have run far away if he has lost so much blood. Actually, it might be possible if he had other colleagues to help him. Nienna, go and search the surrounding areas.¡±


    ¡°What about you, dad?¡±


    ¡°I have to finish what¡¯s left here.¡±


    Juan stared at Iolin and took a big step toward her.


    Nienna tried to ask him some more questions, but she had no choice but to shut her mouth when she saw the look on his face.


    Even Juan himself could not tell what expression he was making at this moment.


    Juan jumped up to the top of the ash tree. On top of the tree was Iolin¡¯s half-recovered body inside the melting Umbra. Only sticky and sloppy body parts that had failed topletely recover remained here¡ªher breathtaking beauty was nowhere to be seen.


    Only half of her mistletoe crown remained and her empty eye sockets flinched ever so slightly.


    Juan slowly opened his mouth.


    ¡°Iolin.¡±


    At that moment, the body parts that had been floundering around suddenly stopped moving.


    ***


    Juan entered Iolin¡¯s mental world¡ªa world that consisted of a blue-colored,ke-like space. Here, he was nothing more than a small me in the enormous space; however, there was no concern of him being extinguished. Rather, he was the one who had to be careful, so as to not boil and evaporate this entire space.


    Inside thiske-like space were traces of red light shining that were trying to paint this whole space red.


    Juan felt quite annoyed upon seeing the traces of red light¡ªthey seemed quite simr to the magic spells from beyond the border of the empire rather than the orthodox magic.


    And, he could easily tell that this magic had a clear purpose.


    In the middle of theke was Iolin, sinking and motionless.


    Juan¡¯s heart ached at the sight of her staring nkly at the surface of water, with her hands and feet drooping. While he would still make the same decision even if he could get another chance, killing Iolin was not something easy for Juan.


    Juan approached Iolin. Unlike in reality, the Iolin here was still as beautiful as she was just before she was killed at Juan¡¯s hands.


    At that moment, Iolin puffed her mouth to make a clear voice.


    [Emperor.]


    ¡°Iolin.¡±


    This time, he didn¡¯t get a reply from Iolin. Instead, she just looked around as if she was confused. Juan could tell that she knew nothing about her resurrection and was able to confirm that his own guess was reasonable.


    ¡®So this is the Cainheryar that was mentioned by Pavan.¡¯


    It was said that Iolin was also turned into a Cainheryar and put on disy on the Cainheryar as well. It was not just a decoration to insult the gods, but also a collection of weapons with practical purpose. The red traces carved into Iolin¡¯s inner world was a type of magic used to control and manipte her, instilling a sense of purpose into her.


    ¡®<i>Conquering gods, killing them, and even using their corpses like a warhorse, huh?</i>¡¯


    To be frank, Juan was quite impressed. He had killed many gods, but he had never thought it would be possible to control them; even if he seeded in doing that, he felt that it was too dangerous and difficult to be efficient.


    But after seeing all this, Juan thought that the only person who could make it happen in the whole world might be Dismas Dilver¡ªhe had the special ability needed to control gods.


    At that moment, Juan suddenly felt Iolin reaching out her hand to touch his me. Her eyes were hazy, almost like she was dreaming. Iolin didn¡¯t even care about her fingers which started burning and scattered into white ashes due to Juan¡¯s me.


    Then, she muttered in a quiet voice.


    [You are still burning.]


    ¡°And you are still shining,¡± Juan briefly answered.


    On the day Juan dered that he would be killing Iolin, she had chosen three legendary warriors to fight against Juan instead of herself. Juan managed to kill all three of them within just five exchanges each. Then, Iolin dered him to be the knight of the knights and the king of the kings, and promised to give him a blessing, while offering to give him a sword that had her essence inside it. Then, the two met up at theke and then sank to the bottom of theke along with the sword made by Iolin.


    However, the only person who walked out of theke after that day was Juan.


    People had many questions. Was it even possible for the goddess of elves andke to drown to death in theke? Why did such a powerful god have her warriors to fight for her instead of fighting herself? Why did Juan refuse a friendly god¡¯s blessings?


    There were a lot of rumors, but Juan never once told anyone about what happened between him and Iolin. At the same time, Iolin didn¡¯t leave any message behind before her death. However, her death was confirmed when the blessings she had given to the elves disappeared and the knights of theke stopped appearing.


    [I had a terrible dream,] Iolin whispered to Juan.


    ¡°I know.¡±


    Juan contemted whether or not he should hug her. However, her body was too cold and his current form too hot. He knew that it was a pointless concern, but he was still worried that she would be burned by his mes.


    [The worst part about that dream was that I had be a monster.]


    ¡°You¡¯ve never been a monster. You can¡¯t be one even if you tried.¡±


    [But there was a brave knight who stood up to me.]


    Iolin opened her mouth and held out her tongue, revealing something that was ced on it¡ªit was a ck ring.


    Juan picked up the ring with his ming body. Inside the ring, the power of Umbra and the power of Iolin were mixed together. Golden elven letters were engraved along the rim of the ring.


    Then, Iolin looked up at Juan and muttered.


    [I can no longer make the sword that I had promised to give you.]


    ¡°I told you I didn¡¯t need that sword.¡±


    [I know. But one can still hope. You can be my knight, and I can be your goddess. We can build a kingdom ofkes under my protection and your guidance¡ªa beautiful kingdom that willst for ten thousand years, a kingdom that will not be destroyed due to any prophecies or curses.]


    Innread dot".


    ¡°All of that has already sunk to the bottom of theke.¡±


    [I know that as well. It all sank quite heavily and coldly.]


    Iolin¡¯s quiet whispers were bing less and less clear, while bubbles were rising from the surrounding water¡ªthe heat from Juan was boiling Iolin¡¯ske-like inner world.


    Iolin smiled faintly and reached her hand out toward Juan.


    As if rising from the water, Juan returned to reality from Iolin¡¯s inner world. The surroundings still seemed to smell like ake, and then Juan confirmed that his mes were already burning the ash tree.


    Iolin was desperately reaching for Juan from within the sea of fire. She puffed her mouth to mumble something unintelligible, but Juan could not hear her.


    Juan reached out his hand and put his face on Iolin¡¯s partially recovered small hand.


    Iolin¡¯s hands carefully brushed Juan¡¯s face, almost as if she did not wish to leave even a tiny gap between her hand and his face. She soon smiled softly with her half-remaining face.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    At that moment, Iolin, who had only repeated unintelligible words until now, muttered in a quiet voice.


    ¡°You are still¡­ beautiful.¡±


    Instead of answering, Juan stretched out his hands to carefully wrap it around her face.


    The huge ash tree waspletely engulfed in mes in an instant. The raging mes could be seen from beyond the horizon. Both Nienna and the Order of Huginn that was returning to the boulevard looked at the mes rising from beyond the horizon in the distance.


    The burning heat blew away the spring breeze and darkness that was hovering around the ash tree.

 Chapter 196 – Recovery (1)

    <h4>Chapter 196 ¨C Recovery (1)</h4>


    <i>m!</i>


    Juan stormed into the House of Peers and strode across the nobles.


    The nobles froze on the spot and stared at their emperor; however, they couldn¡¯t see his expression, since the speed at which he walked past them was too fast. The nobles were frozen stiff with just the aura the emperor was giving off today. Some of the weak-minded nobles even helplessly slumped to their seats.


    Meanwhile, Juan went straight toward the seats belonging to the nobles from the religious faction.


    The nobles from the religious faction had a feeling that the emperor must have found out about something, since they were forcibly brought in by the Imperial Army without any notice, but they thought that there was some room forpromise and making excuses, considering that they were called to the House of Peers instead of being brought into an interrogation chamber.


    Then, one of the nobles carefully opened his mouth when Juan stood right in front of the nobles from the religious faction.


    ¡°Your Majesty, we know nothing about what has happened recently and¡­¡±


    <i>St!</i>


    With a light popping sound, the head of the religious faction noble at the very front flew across the room., causing even nobles from the other factions to be drenched in blood and brain fluid in just an instant.


    One of the nobles who inadvertently caught something that was flying toward him realized that it was a head upon making eye contact with the wiggling eyeballs, and directly fainted.


    Meanwhile, the corpse of the noble from the religious faction floundered and copsed without its head.


    From that moment, everyone in the House of Peers hastily moved to escape while screaming¡ªit was chaos; however, that didn¡¯tst long.


    A sudden and intense murderous intent locked onto them as if they were frogs who were faced with a snake.


    While being too scared to breathe, let alone run away, the nobles had no choice but to look at the emperor as he slowly approached them.


    <i>St! St!</i>


    The heads of nobles flew off one by one every time a popping sound echoed throughout the room. Juan did not use any weapons and neither did he use his mes or magic. He ruthlessly ughtered the nobles amidst the silence using his bare hands, almost as if he didn¡¯t care about being drenched in their blood and flesh.


    The nobles had never imagined their lives would end so easily, and the only thing they could do was gasp for breath and tremble in fear. There were no more screams, no more resistance, and no more outcry¡ªthey were all pointless once the nobles realized that they were nothing but pigs at a ughterhouse.


    After a long time, half of the nobles at the House of Peers ended up on their seats in the form of diced meat.


    Juan was neither breathing heavily, nor was he even sweating. The emotions usually seen from ordinary people after killing others were nowhere to be found in Juan¡ªhe looked exactly the same as when he first came in. The only difference was that he was covered in blood all over now.


    Then, Juan slowly opened his mouth.


    ¡°There was an attempt tomit treason.¡±


    The nobles who survived the ughter froze and listened to Juan¡¯s words in horror; it was true that rumors of such an attempt had been secretly circting among the nobles.


    ¡°These were the people who had joined the treason or had been offered to join and then showed positive reaction toward the offer.¡±


    Chairman Rhymer was relieved that he had been consistently ignoring the invitations and visits from the nobles from the religious faction, but at the same time was horrified when he imagined what would have happened if he hadn¡¯t ignored them. He had heard the rumors of an attempt at treason, but he had been doubtful about whether those who had witnessed the emperor¡¯s power would really be so reckless.


    ¡°The disposition of the families of the people who joined the attempt is being undertaken by Nienna as we speak.¡±


    At that moment, someone burst open the door and charged inside. It was H.


    ¡°Your Majesty! I was preparing to defend Torra. But the meeting for the House of Peers was suddenly called to¡­¡±


    H hastily entered the House of Peers building with a pale expression, but immediately flinched and came to a stop when she saw the scene inside. She tried to say something to Juan, but soon froze up; she too was swept away by the murderous intent that filled the air like the other nobles.


    ¡°I saw a lot less blood than I expected during the process of getting back my throne,¡± Juan said as he looked at H. ¡°Perhaps it was because all my acquaintances around me tried their best to avoid mass destruction as much as possible. I am quite grateful for their hard work. I do not enjoy ughter, but there is one thing that everyone should keep in mind.¡±


    Juan twisted his lips and continued.


    ¡°So many soldiers died, but almost all of the nobles remained safe. I think this is quite remarkable, since I have a feeling that the nobles might have driven the soldiers andmoners to death, not knowing how precious their lives were. So as the emperor leading the people, I thought that teaching all of you a lesson was absolutely necessary.¡±


    Juan picked up one of the body parts scattered on the floor and showed it to the nobles.


    ¡°Can you tell that this piece of meat was once a noble?¡±


    The nobles could not answer.


    Then the rest of the pieces of flesh scattered on the floor began to stick to the piece in Juan¡¯s hand as soon as a subtle me rose.


    The nobles opened their mouths in shock and stared at the sight as if they could not believe it. They wanted to scream upon seeing the pieces of meat gradually taking form.


    Finally, as thest piece of flesh waspletely gathered, the noble who had just died was ¡®revived.¡¯ The noble began to scream and then went on a rampage as soon as he was revived. No one knew what he went through or what he saw after his death, but it was a terrible scream that shook everyone¡¯s soul.


    But the scream soon died down when Juan mmed his head on the desk. The resurrected noble had to die again less than three seconds after his revival.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. To me, it looks like the nobles are just like the other ordinary people; they scream when they suffer or are scared.¡±


    Juan crushed the body with his palm.


    ¡°Let me say this once again. I don¡¯t like this kind of ughter. But I can do it as many more times as needed to those bastards who think that only their own lives are precious.¡±


    It became difficult for the nobles to breathe every time Juan looked at those who were still alive.


    ¡°I feel the need to rewrite the definition of nobles. I introduced the old-fashioned system and stuck to it in the past for the sake of peace and unity. Maybe Harmon Helwin could have made improvements to this system if he was still here. But he is dead, and I have returned.¡±


    The aftermath of the treason did not simply end with the punishment of the traitors. What they did in their attempt tomit treason not only angered Juan but also left him with concerns that the system that he had set up in the past could be destroyed at any time. Juan figured that he must organize and rearrange everything from the very beginning.


    ¡°A noble is someone who takes the lead on the battlefield. It refers to the first person to open their storage to the public when a famine urs. It refers to the person who is the first to help when they meet a person in need. Nobility is not determined by blood, but by action.¡±


    Juan scanned the faces of the remaining nobles one by one, then finally stopped when he saw H.


    H was looking at Juan with bloodshot eyes.


    ¡°If you wish to im to be a noble in the future and wish to be involved in politics within the House of Peers, you¡¯d better keep everything I just said in mind. If there¡¯s another bastard who doesn¡¯t follow those words, I wille and check myself whether they are a true noble or not.¡±


    ***


    ¡°By any chance, have I ever been a disappointment to Your Majesty?¡±


    H followed Juan as soon as he came out of the House of Peers building.


    Juan shook his head, dumbfounded at the sight of H scolding him immediately after following him, unlike how she was frozen speechless by his murderous intent back in the House of Peers.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think of me as someone on the same level as those bastards. My history on the battlefield is no less than that of Your Majesty¡¯s. I¡¯ve seen much worse things than what happened back there,¡± H said.


    ¡°I know. I¡¯ve never felt disappointed in you nor have I thought that you weren¡¯t good enough. To be honest, there are fewer than five people in the House of Peers that I consider to be true nobles. That includes you and Heretia.¡±


    ¡°Then why do you keep ignoring my advice, Your Majesty? I already had the n to sentence them to a severe punishment. There was no need for Your Majesty to be so cruel and invoke the fear andints of the nobles. Is it Your Majesty¡¯s intention to rule the empire with fear and terror?¡±


    Juan raised his hands, surrendering.


    ¡°I was nning to discuss with Heretia to reorganize the feudal system anyway. As you know, there has only ever been the Imperial family or Church at the center of humanity until now. What I did was something necessary¡ªthough I will admit that I needed to vent a bit.¡±


    ¡°Vent?¡±


    The moment H was about to say something, Juan opened his mouth.


    ¡°Anya¡¯s gone missing and Dilmond is dead.¡±


    H immediately shut her mouth at the news.


    H and Anya hadn¡¯t known each other for long. Even if they had the opportunity to talk to each other asionally, H had always been dissatisfied with Anya¡¯s blind respect and faith toward Juan. But it was only recently that H acknowledged that Anya¡¯s blind respect and faith might be something necessary to Juan.


    Someone had to be there to do something illegal, deal with the insults, and take the me in order for Juan to remain a ¡®noble emperor¡¯. Anya was perfect for such tasks. On the contrary, H decided that she would give Juan advice so that he would not go astray even if he ended up hating her or being annoyed by her.


    It was a hard job to do, but H thought she had to at leaste up with a system before she returned to the east. Anya¡¯s help was absolutely essential for H¡¯s n, but now she was missing.


    ¡°...Dilmond was the deputy of the Order of Huginn, right? But how did he¡­ wait. Was the carriageing from the south a trap? Is the reason why we were preparing for a defensive battle rted to that?¡±


    Pavan and H were preparing to defend Torra at the time when Anya was fighting Iolin. H couldn¡¯t help but be nervous, since it was her first time seeing Juan act so urgently. She even wondered why a person who became the emperor after killing the gods would suddenly be so nervous.


    But on the other hand, it made perfect sense why he was so nervous. Juan was almost the only person who had ever properly faced god. Fear toward something can only be understood by those who have confronted something.


    ¡°Yes. Iolin was about to be resurrected¡ªperhaps that was their means ofmitting treason. It makes sense that they thought they had a good chance of winning if that was their n. But Anya stopped Iolin¡¯s resurrection. Diamond protected her when she had fainted, but he eventually died and it looks like Anya has been abducted. A search party has been organized by the Order of Huginn and we are preparing for a hostage negotiation request that we might receive.¡±


    ¡°That is just¡­ I see.¡±


    H could now understand Juan¡¯s anger. There was no way he couldn¡¯t be angry at the attempt to use a god; he knew better than anyone how terrifying the gods were. On top of that, he lost two of his subordinates he was quite close to. Even H herself would have exploded out of anger.


    Yet H bit her lips; she felt that all this was even more reason for why Juan shouldn¡¯t have behaved that way at the House of Peers.


    H stopped in the middle of the hallway and Juan looked back at her.


    ¡°I understand Your Majesty¡¯s anger. But Your Majesty did something that wasn¡¯t supposed to be done. Bringing the dead back to life in front of the nobles was especially disgusting and¡­¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t bring anyone back from the dead.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡±


    ¡°All I did was stimte the body fragments by lumping them all together. Humans can be made to move and make sounds with just that. You can try catching a dead frog and experiment with it yourself or ask Opert if you don¡¯t believe me. On the other hand, true resurrection is a difficult task with the power that I have now. It¡¯s not about ack of power, and more about the rules of the world. However, I¡¯m sure that I could do it if I got my original body back,¡± Juan shrugged.


    H looked at Juan for a while and answered briefly.


    ¡°I hope you don¡¯t do that.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really intend to do something like that anyway. But what if I did? Would you punish me?¡±


    ¡°No way. How could I? I have no intention of making Your Majesty bear such a burden.¡±


    Juan made eye contact with H instead of answering her. H¡¯s gaze was calm.


    ¡°I already owe Anya, so I¡¯ll bear the burden. Your Majesty, please do as you please. However, I would appreciate it if you could acknowledge that there are people who have expectations and hopes for all of your actions.¡±


    ***


    ¡°I¡¯ve caught all the rebels.¡±


    Nienna had aplicated expression on her face when she saw Juan lying in a negligent position on the throne inside the audience chamber of the Imperial Pce.


    Juan leaning his head against the handle of the throne while hey across it did not look sofortable, nor was it good for his spine. However, Nienna figured that it would be pointless to point out health problems to the emperor, someone who was even capable of restoring his limbs that were cut off.


    While Nienna was contemting whether or not she should nag at Juan, Juan was spinning and ying with the ck ring ced on his chest. It was a ring found in the hands of Iolin who had turned into ash. Juan did not wear the ring. After all, Iolin had already engraved the name of the ring¡¯s owner on the ring in gold.


    ¡°Dad, did you hear me?¡±


    Nienna gave up on pointing out Juan¡¯s posture and opened her mouth again, causing Juan to turn his head toward her.


    ¡°I did.¡±


    ¡°I have caught all the rebels and their families, burned what should be burned, and taken back what should be taken. What should I do now? Should I kill them all and hang them on a pole to disy them on the walls?¡±


    Harmon, who had created the Imperial Code, only said that he would dispose of the traitors in an extreme form, but did not set a specific norm. However, thew code, which had many concrete systems, had all kinds of terrible examples as annotations due to the gathering of many scattered systems. What Nienna had just mentioned was the most lenient of the punishments listed.


    Juan pondered for a moment and asked a question.


    ¡°Are there children among those that you caught?¡±


    ¡°Of course there are.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t ask them for their faults. Send the children who have not yet be adults to orphanages and interrogate the adults¡ªquietly cut off the necks of those who are found to be involved, and deprive those who do not seem to have joined the treason of their property rights and conscript them into the military.¡±


    ¡°Are you talking about sending them to the Punishment Unit? I¡¯m not very fond of that idea. Joining the military should be honorable and proud. It shouldn''t be made into a punishment.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not very fond of the idea of the Punishment Unit either, but I want to avoid the guilt-by-association system as much as possible. One¡¯s lost honor should be recovered by themselves only.¡±


    In fact, Juan thought it was right not to punish them all, except for those who were directly involved in the treason attempt. But the anger lurking in his heart did not allow that.


    Even so, it was such a generous decision that Nienna looked surprised at his suggestion.


    ¡°Why? I heard that H was quite merciless to the nobles. Is it your strategy to show generosity when H is being ruthless?¡±


    ¡°Wait. What did H do?¡±


    ¡°H brought the Imperial Army and chopped up the nobles in the House of Peers right in front of the uninvolved nobles. I thought it was about time she tamed them properly. I mean, everyone knows that H had a hard time in the east. It¡¯s rather surprising that she managed to endure it so well until now.¡±


    Juan couldn¡¯t quite understand Nienna¡¯s words, nor could he understand why such a rumor had spread in such a short time. But he soon realized H¡¯s thoughts and what she meant in the hallway of the House of Peers building.


    Juan rose from his seat.


    ¡°Where is H right now?¡±

 Chapter 197 – Recovery (2)

    <h4>Chapter 197 ¨C Recovery (2)</h4>


    Before knocking on Heretia¡¯s door, Haild took a deep breath and made sure that his clothes were neat and the bandages were neatly wrapped around his face.


    A man who was known to be Heretia¡¯s guard looked at Haild suspiciously from beside him.


    As far as Haild knew, the guard was the man who had a broken leg when he first met Heretia when the carriage was overturned. Haild thought that he knew the guard¡¯s name, but he forgot¡ªnot that it was important anyway.


    ¡°Please feel free to go inside.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes. Thank you.¡±


    Haild cleared his throat and nervously prepared to knock on the door. He had encountered Heretia several times in the Imperial Pce, but it was the first time that he was invited to Heretia¡¯s room.


    Whenever he ran into Heretia in the Imperial Pce, Haild had tried to hold a conversation with her as he recalled his memories from the Magic Tower, but she didn¡¯t seem to care much¡ªit was as if it wasn¡¯t a big deal. Heretia had too much work to do and did not have time to have a goodugh while reminiscing about the past.


    Although Haild was considered one of the closest acquaintances of the emperor, no specific job was assigned to him. This was only natural, since Haild was taken to the ind to be taught about the Crack and train his swordsmanship even before he had a chance to receive proper education. While he did not have the knowledge needed for administration or tactics, he wasn¡¯t even used to having a conversation with women.


    Haild eventually failed to find amon interest between him and Heretia. Thus, Heretia¡¯s invitation this time was quite meaningful to him.


    Atst Haild knocked on the door.


    ¡°Miss Heretia, this is Haild. May Ie in?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Come on in.¡±


    Haild ced his hand over his beating heart and walked into the room. His face brightened up upon seeing Heretia sitting at the tea table. However, his heart stopped beating the moment he saw the person sitting on the opposite side of the tea table.


    H Henna was sitting in front of Heretia.


    ¡°Wee, my son,¡± H said.


    Haild was about to turn around and leave the room, but the door suddenly mmed shut behind him, almost as if H already expected his next move.


    As he contemted whether or not he should run out the window, H grabbed him and quickly sat him down next to her at the tea table. He could have easily resisted if he wanted to, but for some reason, he couldn¡¯t move a muscle.


    Heretia smiled and stood up using her crutches.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get going then. Enjoy your conversation.¡±


    ¡°Miss Heretia! Your legs!?¡±


    Haild was surprised to see Heretia standing up. Although she was relying on crutches, it was impossible for Heretia to ¡®stand up,¡¯ since both of her legs had been cut off.


    Heretia slightly lifted up her skirt as if she already knew how Haild would respond. At that moment, the carved prosthetic leg was exposed through her skirt.


    ¡°It¡¯s a prosthetic leg made of ivory that was brought in from the south. I requested it from a skilled craftsman and it was onlypleted recently. Using a wheelchair wasfortable enough, but it was difficult to use it to climb the stairs.¡±


    Haild blushed at the sight of Heretia lifting up her skirt despite it only being prosthetic legs beneath it.


    Then, Heretia smiled at H and left the room.


    Soon, there was only silence in the room where only H and Haild were left.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think it would be so hard to just have a one-on-one conversation with you, son.¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Unlike how Haild tried his best to run into Heretia, he had been trying his best to actively avoid H as much as he could. He had been avoiding H without even knowing why he was avoiding her.


    He could give dozens of excuses¡ªH had already seen his funeral; he felt awkward talking to her when he had been hiding the fact that he was still alive for decades; or that he lost his chance to tell her the truth after failing to talk to her several times.


    Yet he had no excuse about him avoiding H, even though she had tried to talk to him several times.


    H slowly scanned Haild and then opened her mouth.


    ¡°What was that corpse I saw?¡±


    ¡°Father was¡­¡±


    ¡°It was that asshole, Gerard¡¯s work, huh? I assumed it was him when I found out that you were alive. Then tell me what you¡¯ve been up to. Make it short.¡±


    Haild already knew that his first proper conversation with H would not be so heartwarming as to be filled with hugs and tears. Yet he didn¡¯t expect it to happen in such an interrogative atmosphere.


    Then, Haild carefully summarized what had happened to him in a polite manner. He omitted the parts that would make H angry, but the summary was enough to make her feel dizzy.


    ¡°...You learned the magic of the Crack? The only thing that Gerard taught you while holding on to you for such a long time was swordsmanship and magic? You attacked His Majesty? You almost died trying to pull out the power residing within His Majesty?¡±


    ¡°No, I mean¡­ Father was just trying to¡­¡±


    ¡°Do not call that asshole your father. I cannot and will not forgive him. That bastard who didn¡¯t even show up when I gave birth to you decided to show up out of nowhere to abduct my son and make him suffer?¡±


    ¡°Oh, um¡­ Then I¡¯ll call him Mr. Gerard Gain, mother. Anyway, all of what happened had a reason for happening and it was all inevitable. Thanks to that, aunt Nienna learned how to escape from being encroached upon by the Crack. And His Majesty has regained his true strength to¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about getting away with this by convincing me that the results were good.¡±


    Haild could only close his mouth.


    H contemted something in silence.


    Haild swallowed a gulp and nervously waited for her next words everytime she took a nce at him. H had been a strict mother ever since Haild was young. It was only natural that she had gotten worse since she went through so many hardships on numerous battlefields.


    However, H didn¡¯t question him anymore. She sighed deeply and opened her mouth to say something that Haild had never expected.


    ¡°How long has it been since you were interested in Miss Helwin?¡±


    ¡°Huh? I¡¯m sorry? Well, I mean¡­ I wouldn¡¯t say that I¡¯m interested. But I just¡­¡±


    ¡°Come to think of it, what happened to your face? Did you get a scar or something? I think that my son is pretty good-looking, but I only say that because you are my son. I bet Miss Helwin thinks otherwise. Don¡¯t tell me that you¡¯ve bandaged your face because you got ugly.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I got ugly. This is¡­¡±


    ¡°Besides, you¡¯re all grown up now. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s about time you throw away those gloomy clothes that make you look like you¡¯ve had a sad past and wear something brighter? Miss Helwin is a smartdy from a prestigious family. You need to dress up and try your best to get on her level if you really want to¡­¡±


    ¡°No¡­ stop! Mother!¡±


    Haild lifted both of his hands and raised his voice.


    Seeing this, H finally closed her mouth and looked at him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any special feelings for Miss Heretia like you think. It¡¯s just that Miss Heretia is¡­ damn it. She just happens to be the first young woman I¡¯ve ever met since I left the ind. The only ¡®woman¡¯ I¡¯ve met since I was taken away by Father¡­ I mean, by Mr. Gerard Gain was Entalucia. Not only is Miss Heretia a different race from Entalucia, but she also is much younger. The way she talks is also very different and¡­ shit. Mother, you will understand me once you have a conversation with Entalucia. Look, I can¡¯t take these bandages off of my face, and I don¡¯t even know how to properly talk to women. Do you really think I could have feelings for someone when I am so clueless about everything? Don¡¯t you think that it¡¯s fair for me to want to have conversations with Miss Heretia as friends when she¡¯s the only woman I¡¯ve ever met?¡±


    H flinched when Haild poured out his words nonstop. She couldn¡¯t close her mouth for a long time; she had no idea that he had been feeling soplicated.


    Seeing H¡¯s reaction, Haild blushed and closed his mouth upon realizing that he talked too much.


    There was a moment of silence between Haild and H. Finally, H was the one who broke the silence again.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not the only one who felt awkward about this conversation. The same is true for me as well. It¡¯s been decades since Ist talked to my son and I thought that I¡¯d never be able to see you again. I guess I ended up nagging you too much as a result.¡±


    Just as Haild had difficulty talking to women, H had difficulty talking to her own child. She slowly reached her hand out toward Haild, who flinched and shivered when H¡¯s hand touched the bandages on his face.


    ¡°Take off your bandages.¡±


    Haild hesitated, but he thought that he would never be able to show his face unless it was now. He slowly brought his hand to the bandages and started removing them.


    Under the bandages that were slowly falling off, Haild¡¯s face was revealed. Arge sh that began from his one eye that was encroached upon by the Crack split his face disproportionately. He gave off an ominous impression even when his face was covered with bandages, but the dark sh and the hole in his eyes gave off an impression that was beyond ominous.


    H slowly touched Haild¡¯s face along the sh.


    ¡°You do have a little scar on your face, but you still look good. Thanks to me, of course.¡±


    ¡°...Everyone told me that I look like my father¡­¡±


    ¡°You resemble your father in terms of personality.¡±


    Hughed and began a proper conversation with Haild. Most of their conversation consisted of cursing Haild, followed by how to talk to Heretia.


    ¡°By the way. You said you don¡¯t know how to talk to women, but it¡¯s not that different. Just think of them as men and talkfortably. It all starts there. I heard you had a normal conversation with Miss Helwin at the Magic Tower. Just do exactly what you did then.¡±


    ¡°Exactly what I did then?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Everything bes a game rather than a conversation if you understand it. Then it only bes the matter of whether you win or lose, seed or fail.¡±


    ¡°Is that how father¡ªno. Mr. Gerard Gain treated you, mother?¡±


    H smirked.


    ¡°No way. I¡¯m the one who seduced him. He came on to me even before he finished a cup of tea.¡±


    ***


    It was the next day when Juan found H.


    H appeared at the Imperial Pce, smelling like alcohol with dark circles under her eyes. Juan had a dumbfounded look on his face when he encountered H sitting in front of the office.


    ¡°I was wondering what you were up to after taking the me for me. I see that you¡¯ve been drinking.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the perfect example of a person who¡¯smitted a massacre and feels guilty of her own actions. Don¡¯t you think so?¡±


    Juan grabbed H¡¯s hand to help her up and injected mana into her body at the same time. The heat from Juan¡¯s mana quickly drove alcohol out of H¡¯s body. The smell of alcohol spread around her, but H quickly came back to her senses.


    ¡°Ugh, keuk. You didn¡¯t have to do that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you so messed up like this before. Is it because of Anya?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°No¡­ I had a drink with my son for the first time. He fell asleep after only one shot, so Miss Helwin and I were the only ones who actually drank, but it was still a good time.¡±


    ¡°You drank at a time when our friend was abducted?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all the more reason to drink.¡±


    H stared nkly at Juan. Her eyes looked tired from hangover and fatigue, but he could see a certain determination in them.


    ¡°Your Majesty, please send me to the west. I will negotiate with Dismas.¡±


    ¡°You want to negotiate with Dismas?¡±


    ¡°Come on, Your Majesty. Your Majesty and the rest of the empire already knows that Dismas was the one behind this treason attempt. It was Dismas who tried to resurrect a god, it was Dismas who abducted Anya, and it was also Dismas who killed Dilmond. There¡¯s only one reason why your Majesty is still here, not taking any action.¡±


    Juan did not answer.


    ¡°It¡¯s because Your Majesty is afraid that Anya might die. I mean, Anya would probably say that she doesn¡¯t mind sacrificing her life for the sake of Your Majesty. But we should still try our best if she is still alive. So, I will go and negotiate with Dismas. This kind of work is way too trivial for Your Majesty to take care of. By the way, I¡¯m not being sarcastic. I''m more serious than ever.¡±


    ¡°Do you think that Dismas will be willing to make apromise?¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty would have run and killed Dismas at once if he was a being like god or a monster. But unfortunately, Dismas is not only a human being, he is also an adopted child of Your Majesty. Yes, I do think he willpromise. I¡¯ve prepared a very attractive bait for him. Oh, of course. It¡¯s not a condition that Your Majesty won¡¯t be able to ept.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be counting on you in that case. Also¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty?¡±


    ¡°The reason why I didn¡¯t take action is not because I¡¯m afraid that Anya might die. I only sent the army first rather than stepping out myself because I was afraid that Dismas would be frightened and lock himself up. Pavan was already moving the Imperial Army westward while you were getting drunk. We are preparing for a war¡ªthe war that would have been fought anyway.¡±


    H grinned upon hearing Juan¡¯s words.


    ¡°As expected, Your Majesty is definitely the perfect emperor.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if the war will actually begin; it will all depend on your negotiations. I might be able to forgive him if he sends back Anya, my original body and the Pope. He will also have to reflect on himself and be ready to suffer from the consequences of his sins. Dilmond¡¯s funeral will be done after Anya¡¯s return.¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s going to be the most difficult negotiation ever. But I guess I have no choice but to try my best,¡± H murmured with a sigh.


    But Juan shook his head.


    ¡°There have been several opportunities when I could have been quite terrifying.¡±


    H remained silent.


    ¡°But I think it¡¯s thanks to you guys that I did not turn out that way. Going to the west will be a test of how terrifying I can get. I wish all the problems would be solved by me being terrifying, but you wouldn¡¯t want that.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly right, Your Majesty.¡±


    H answered with a chuckle.


    ¡°It is my dream to manipte Your Majesty to take my test and thus make you be remembered as the greatest emperor ever, to be praised for generations toe. I don¡¯t mind if I have to be painted as a petty traitor for it.¡±

 Chapter 198 – Making Deals With Madness (1)

    <h4>Chapter 198 ¨C Making Deals With Madness (1)</h4>


    The waves surged and wet her feet, while the wind blew through her hair, scattering it in all directions.


    Anya took a step forward. The soles of her feet touched the soft mud as she nkly looked back at the setting sun. The long shadow caused by the setting sun seemed darker than usual. There, at the end of the shadow that seemed to be leading to the horizon, she saw someone.


    Anya fiercely dashed forward. Her feet kicked mud up into the air, and seawater sshed up everywhere as she ran. The mud soaked her, and the sharp shells hidden in the soft mud cut her feet. Anya fell and rolled around in the mud several times, bleeding from her feet, but the sea was nowhere to be seen¡ªin front of Anya was just an infinite mass of muddy blobs.


    ¡°Master! Now you are even selling and buying children?¡±


    She still remembered the disturbance she heard one night¡ªhis voice that she heard for the first time when she was just a little girl and had a chain restraining her. She also remembered the warmth that she felt when the white-colored incarnation of death, wrapped in darkness, entered the cage she was hiding in.


    ¡°Captain!¡±


    Their conversation from back then echoed inside her head.


    ¡°You need to fight for His Majesty, Anya¡ªnot for me.¡±


    ¡°But I like you.¡±


    Anya liked how he was perplexed at his own voice that he synthesized using magic as he whispered to her gently. She started talking exactly like he did, following his tone. No one else could tell his feelings from his voice, but Anya could¡ªat least she believed she could. She was also the first to feel the presence of another being in his voice.


    ¡°Ras! Ras Raud!¡±


    At that moment, Anya¡¯s foot suddenly slipped. She stumbled and helplessly fell into the mud. Despite her efforts to try to get up again, the mud that engulfed her all the way up to her waist held her down.


    Anya wed at the mud and struggled to get out until her nails broke. However, her lower body did not budge; it was almost as if the part of her that was engulfed by the mud was gone.


    Anya let out a loud cry. She didn¡¯t know how long she had been running for, but it felt as if he was waiting for her somewhere she couldn¡¯t reach.


    ***


    Anya opened her eyes with a loud scream. The cloudy winter sky filled her sight.


    The moment she tried to pick herself up, she realized that she didn¡¯t have any strength in her lower body below her waist¡ªher legs that were helplessly dropped felt like they belonged to someonepletely different.


    Yet she didn¡¯t stop trying. As soon as she tried to force herself to stand up using her arm strength, an intense pain came from her waist.


    ¡°Keuk¡­!¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t move a single inch if I were you.¡±


    Anya turned her head toward the sudden voice. ?She didn¡¯t know since when, but a man wearing red armor was looking down at her. His figure was so huge that for a moment, she thought that she was seeing Barth Baltic. But she quickly realized that he was slightly smaller than Barth Baltic after she took a closer look at him. However, the fact that he was inhumanely big still remained unchanged. She couldn¡¯t see his face, since he was wearing a helmet.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Anya asked.


    The man in red armor pointed toward a direction in silence.


    Upon looking at the direction he pointed to, Anya found some loosely built tents. They were so shabby that they didn¡¯t even have ceilings, and in the middle of them all was a g flying wildly in the wind¡ªa g with the symbol of a hand holding a bloody hammer.


    ¡°The Order of Surtr?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Did you abduct me while I was down?¡±


    ¡°The abduction was done by him, not me. He said that the least he could do is take you back with him, since fixing the Cainheryar we sent to Torra looks like it will be impossible now. But judging from your condition, it seems that it was something useless.¡±


    The man had pointed toward a knight who had bandages wrapped all around his head and under his nose. At the same time, the knight¡¯s bloodshot eyes were ring at Anya with clear murderous intent.


    ¡°Cuare, go and sleep. Everyone was already aware that there was a chance that we might not be able to retrieve Iolin¡¯s Cainheryar, given that our opponent was not an easy one. You¡¯ve done good enough by catching one of the confidants of the fake emperor. His Holiness will help you make a new jaw when we return to Cabragh.¡±


    Instead of speaking, the man called Cuare simply answered using the military signnguage.


    The man in red armor frowned and sighed like he was annoyed when he understood what Cuare was saying.


    ¡°Go and drink or something if you can¡¯t sleep. I¡¯m sure you still have a throat left even if your jaw has fallen off.¡±


    But Cuare continued to use signnguage discontentedly.


    The man in red armor slowly rose from his seat. Then, he punched Cuare, who was still fiercelyining about something using signnguage, in the abdomen. The man¡¯s punch was strong enough to throw Cuare¡¯s body into the air, despite the heavy armor being worn by Cuare being just as bulky as his heavy armor.


    Cuare¡¯s eyes rolled to the back of his head and he immediately fainted right away. Then, the man in red armor dragged him out with a calm manner and handed him over to the guards standing outside. The guards then dragged Cuare along as if they were already used to it.


    ¡°They¡¯re all very temperamental, so they never listen to me the first time I tell them something,¡± the man shrugged.


    Anya had never heard of Cuare¡¯s name before, but it was clear that he was also a knight from the Order of Surtr. She could only think of one person who was capable of acting so firm and overbearing toward the knights of the Order of Surtr.


    ¡°Dismas Dilver?¡±


    The man in red armor looked down at Anya in silence instead of answering.


    Meanwhile, she decided to stop trying to think and tried to condense her mana to use magic. But to her surprise, she couldn¡¯t condense any mana¡ªnone at all. She couldn¡¯t even condense as much mana as a speck of dust.


    Right as she was feeling perplexed, Dismas opened his mouth.


    ¡°Were you trying to use magic? It¡¯s going to be impossible at the moment. Your mana heart was ruined when your spine was broken. It will be hard for you to use magic like you used to even if His Holiness himself were to use his healing Grace on you. ording to Cuare¡¯s report¡­ that was written rather than spoken, of course, I understand that you¡¯re quite a capable necromancer.¡±


    Dismas stopped speaking for a moment to make the sign of a cross on his chest¡ªhe only continued to speak after that.


    ¡°That is a type of profane magic. His Majesty buried Nigrato, as well as all the necromancers deep under the desert sand¡ªthat was until my evil brother went and pulled them out of their graves.¡±


    Anya gritted her teeth and picked up whatever she could grab at, throwing it at Dismas.


    Seeing this, Dismas didn¡¯t even bother to dodge, and the ss cup thrown by her broke against his armor.


    ¡°But now, you have lost your ability to use magic and your lower body is paralyzed. I¡¯m a man who can show kindness to a lost soul. If you are willing to cooperate with me, I promise that you will be able to plead with His Holiness to be granted forgiveness.¡±


    ¡°Well, all that sounds like nonsense. Will you cut off my neck if I refuse?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Dismas shook his head resolutely before continuing.


    ¡°Burning in mes is the only way to cleanse a sinner who refuses the chance to repent. You¡¯ll be burned after being ced with rice straws soaked in oil. At that time, I will try my best to burn you for as long as I can; after all, the more painful it is, the more it will seem like you are reflecting on your sins. Some people say that it¡¯s not right to repent due to the fear of pain, but I think it¡¯s better to use any means necessary to get at even one more person to follow His Majesty and thus receive his protection. That especially applies to people like you, since you are still so young.¡±


    Dismas continued to speak as he kindly patted Anya¡¯s head.


    ¡°This ce is quite close to the sun, so His Majesty will definitely pay attention to you. I¡¯ll help your ashes to rise as high as possible. You won¡¯t be able to be loyal to His Majesty while you are alive, but you will be able to serve him right by his side, since you will get to know the true meaning of who His Majesty is.¡±


    Anya opened her eyes wide upon hearing Dismas¡¯ words. But she soon smiled and opened her mouth to answer.


    ¡°I think so too.¡±


    ***


    ¡°The Loen Basin?¡± H asked.


    ¡°People usually consider Loen Basin to be the beginning of the Western territory,¡± Pavan answered.


    Looking at the map while riding a horse would cause him the worst motion sickness, but he was slowly getting used to it now.


    On the map was a red line that was temporarily drawn by Pavan. This line was the one that separated the capital from the western territory.


    At the same time as the Order of Huginn began their search for Anya, Pavan had quickly deployed the Imperial Army. The capital¡¯s Imperial Army had already noticed the movements in the West, since they had their eyes on Dismas.


    When Juan had stormed into Torra, the Western Army had formed a frontline between the west and the Capital¡ªa proper boundary between the Capital and the west was something that was made for the first time. While there was no armed conflict yet, this caused the awkward tension between the Capital and the west to continue.


    The headquarters of the Order of Surtr, which were found around the Loen Basin, was considered to be the entrance to the west. This was also where Anya was assumed to have been abducted to.


    Right now, H and Pavan were on their way to the Loen Basin.


    ¡°The soldiers from the search party passed by the Western Army a few times, but it is said that they neither attacked, nor threatened the search party. It seems like the soldiers feel quite awkward about raising their swords against each other, given that they had all been on the same side when facing the returned emperor up until just a few days ago. The public opinion will drop and the morale of the soldiers will start to fall if the battle starts as it is now,¡± Pavan said with a worried look.


    ¡°Are there any moves from the people of the Western Army to surrender?¡±


    ¡°I think some among the ordinary soldiers are willing to surrender, but none among themanders are willing. They are the people that Dismas chose carefully based on their faithfulness after all.¡±


    ¡°Faithfulness, my ass.¡±


    H snorted and threw the map against Pavan¡¯s chest.


    ¡°It¡¯s quite ironic, don¡¯t you think? Pavan Peltere. Both you and I have no such thing as ¡®faith¡¯ between us.¡±


    ¡°But we both have our loyalty to His Majesty instead, master.¡±


    ¡°Come on. Don¡¯t be like this, Pavan. I know that you¡¯re not a man who is driven by loyalty.¡±


    Pavan could only give a perplexed smile.


    ¡°There are various forms of loyalty. But I am not the type to betray my allies. I only follow the ruler of the empire.¡±


    ¡°It seems like you don¡¯t consider enticing and taking dozens of your peers from the east to be a betrayal, huh?¡± H derided.


    ¡°East is called thend of treachery. Do you think it would have been possible for me to be sessful and get ahead over there? I only grabbed the opportunity when it came by. I had no choice but to cut ties with the east in order to seed. I¡¯ve already said this before, but I had no intention of hurting you, master. I would have shot you first when I ambushed your army if I really wanted to do that.


    ¡°No. Your intention must have been to capture me alive and bring me to Balth Baltic. You give too many excuses, Pavan. I have not yet forgotten that you were going to destroy me along with the warriors of Arbalde using Suvole.¡±


    ¡°About Suvole,¡± Pavan sighed and muttered. ¡°I did not send Suvole to you with such an intention, master. But I can¡¯t think of any more excuses anyway.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to give me any more excuses, Pavan. You have been a monster full of dirty lies and desire for power ever since you were young. You were also the best among my disciples as well. Back then, I was desperate, and thought that your characteristics would be beneficial to the east, but not anymore. I¡¯m both d and worried to see you be the Captain of the Order of the Capital.¡±


    Pavan only gave a subtle smile instead of answering.


    ¡°As I said. I won¡¯t betray you.¡±


    ¡°More like you don¡¯t have a reason to betray me. You will continue to seed as long as you stay loyal to His Majesty. Talent is talent and I acknowledge your capabilities. Come to think of it, I¡¯m genuinely curious. How far do you want to go?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Pavan shrugged. ¡°My question is how far do I have to go to reach the end?¡±


    ¡°The farther you go, the longer and more terrible the fall will be. I¡¯d love to see your end, but unfortunately, the time I¡¯m allowed isn¡¯t that long. Anyway, I hope you can at least be a useful monster now that you are serving His Majesty, just like me.¡±


    When Pavan was about to nod and willingly say yes, H¡¯s fist struck his fist. This caused Pavan, someone who was beaten with steel gloves when he wasn¡¯t even wearing a helmet to protect him, to almost fall off his horse.


    Pavan red at H as he stifled a nosebleed.


    ¡°I hope this resolved the old grudge between you and I, master.¡±


    ¡°You piss me off even more because you didn¡¯t dodge that one on purpose.¡±


    The soldiers hastily approached them upon seeing the sudden scuffle between themanders, but Pavan simply signaled to let them know that they did not need to intervene. The soldiers quickly stepped back.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t hesitate to punish me even when I was young, master. Have you ever thought it might be your fault that I went down the wrong path?¡±


    ¡°Nope,¡± H scoffed andughed at Pavan. ¡°I would have thrown you out of the wall of Beldeve into the sea a long time ago if I hadn¡¯t been so desperate to keep the east safe. Many of my disciples betrayed me, but you¡¯re the only one that I despise. We¡¯ll never make up for the rest of our lives. There simply isn¡¯t a reason for us to.¡±


    ¡°How ridiculous of you to assault your colleague at a time when something so important is about to happen. Is it okay for amander to do such a thing based on your personal feelings?¡±


    ¡°Of course not,¡± H chuckled and strode forward as she left Pavan behind. ¡°But His Majesty instructed you to take responsibility for my safety. So you¡¯ll have no choice but to carry out your mission despite your personal feelings.¡±


    Half a dayter, H and Pavan ran into the Order of Surtr.

 Chapter 199 – Making Deals With Madness (2)

    <h4>Chapter 199 ¨C Making Deals With Madness (2)</h4>


    Pavan could not hide his perplexed feeling when looking at the huge structure that surrounded the top of the Loen Basin in a circr form. Pavan used toe to the Loen Basin quite often, since it was a ce Barth Baltic frequently visited when he wanted to think in silence. However, he had never seen such a structure before.


    H curiously looked at the structure built on the top of the basin.


    ¡°What the hell is that? Is that a castle? No, I think it¡¯s made of steel¡­ I¡¯ve never heard of a castle that¡¯s built out of steel before.¡±


    ¡°Me neither, master. There was no such thing here until just a few weeks ago. At the same time, it¡¯s not something that can be built in just a day or two, is it?¡±


    ¡°Then that can only mean one thing,¡± H said as she kicked her horse to ride faster. ¡°It must be Dismas messing with us using some kind of a trick.¡±


    Pavan was startled and quickly caught up with H as she suddenly rode ahead on her horse. He bit his lips; he was worried about her going so far from the other soldiers behind them. Despite his personal feelings about H, any chance of her dying or getting hurt had to be avoided at all costs.


    ¡°Slow down, master!¡±


    As Pavan rode his horse up the slope, he was able to see H wandering around the huge steel wall. She was looking around in amazement at the enormous size of the steel structure.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that it¡¯s perfectly built, but it¡¯s still pretty solid. Steel walls, huh? How did they evene up with such a reckless idea? And how did they even manage to bring it all the way up here?¡±


    ¡°Master, at least stay away from the walls. What if they shoot an arrow at you from the top?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. There were no guards on the wall. I¡¯m here to negotiate with Dismas anyway¡ªthere¡¯s no need for me to enter while bringing a group of soldiers.¡±


    ¡°I alone am not able to take the responsibility for your safety, master.¡±


    ¡°Oh really? My n was to do my best to put you in danger.¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯ve been very sessful so far,¡± Pavan answered with a fed-up look.


    H walked along the steel wall and tapped it with the tip of her sword. Then she shook her head upon hearing the dull and heavy sound.


    ¡°They didn¡¯t just coat the castle wall with steel. The entire wall is made entirely with steel. I¡¯m curious as to how they were able to pull it all the way up here. And it¡¯s not just that there are no guards. There¡¯s one more thing that¡¯s missing, unlike any other ordinary fortress wall.¡±


    ¡°And what is that?¡± Pavan asked.


    ¡°The entrance.¡±


    As H said, the steel walls were lined up with steel tes that were about five meters wide and fifteen meters high¡ªbut the door was nowhere to be found. H and Pavan couldn¡¯t help but feel dumbfounded, since they came all this way just to meet Dismas and negotiate with him.


    But H decided to think simply. She grabbed her sword and began to m it against the wall while sitting on her horse.


    <i>ng! ng! ng!</i>


    A loud nging noise rang out, causing Pavan¡¯s ears to ring.


    ¡°Hey! Is anyone there? I¡¯m here to see Dismas Dilver!¡±


    Pavan felt utterly ufortable about making a fuss right in front of the enemy camp. But he knew that they had to try everything they could to meet Dismas, even if that meant having to make a fuss in front of the enemy camp.


    Still, instead of joining H in making a fuss, Pavan kept a close eye on the walls so that H wouldn¡¯t get shot by an arrow.


    It was at that moment.


    H and Pavan instantly stopped as they were upon seeing the steel wall suddenly tremble and shake for a brief moment. Then, the two steel tes right in front of H and Pavan slowly lifted up and slightly split on both sides. It was such a cramped space that only two people could pass through the gap.


    ¡°They want us toe in, right?¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s a trap, master. I feel like we will be crushed as soon as we enter.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll go in first, so you risk your life to save me. Okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m starting to think that it might just be easier to leave you here to die instead of working my ass off to try and save you; I can just ask His Majesty for forgivenesster.¡±


    H simply ignored Pavan and led the way in.


    Pavan gritted his teeth and followed her. Fortunately, the walls did not close down on them to crush the two. And it wasn¡¯t until they had fully entered that they realized what the steel wall looked like.


    Behind the wall stood huge giants that were supporting the steel wall.


    Pavan and H opened their mouths wide at the sight of twenty-meter-tall giants that were holding onto huge iron shields that were as big as their bodies in both hands and leaning against them. The wall was formed by the giants as they lined up and surrounded the basin.


    H recalled how the wall surrounding Torra was made of Golems. The wall built with the giants was definitely much more sloppypared to the wall around Torra, but it was a realistic moving wall that could be used even by those who were not as powerful as the emperor.


    ¡°Those are giants that have been turned into ves. It seems like they have been captured from beyond the western boundary,¡± Pavan muttered.


    As Pavan said, the giants were all wearing blindfolds, and had all sorts of strange devices embedded into their skin on their heads, spines, and limbs. While rare, there were some giants that weren¡¯t blindfolded, yet they already seemed to be out of their minds.


    Then H and Pavan saw people riding on the giant¡¯s back. When the people pulled on something tightly, the giants who had split apart to open the wall slowly closed it up once again.


    ¡°Do you think the Imperial Army would be able to break through this wall?¡± H asked.


    ¡°They might have been able to do it if this was a tnd, but it would be very difficult if it is this high up. But that¡¯s not even the real problem. Maintaining morale would be the main issue if such giants armed with steel shields decided to go wild. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to bring those Golems of Torra to fight against them rather than seeing the innocent Imperial Army suffer helplessly?¡±


    At that moment, the sounds of horse hooves were heard. A knight in red armor was riding a horse and approaching H and Pavan from inside the basin.


    Upon seeing the symbol of a hand holding a bloody hammer, they figured that he must be a knight of the Order of Surtr.


    The knight who soon stopped in front of H opened his helmet.


    ¡°Nice to meet you both. You are Duke Henna and Captain Pavan of the Order of the Capital, right? Doctrinal General Dismas awaits you.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Duke Henna. Long time no see.¡±


    As soon as H and Pavan entered the tent, a huge man in red armor spoke to them. His voice was deep and powerful.


    H couldn¡¯t recognize him because he was wearing a helmet, but she could tell based on Pavan¡¯s nervous expression that the man was Dismas Dilver.


    Yet, his greeting remained confusing and iprehensible.


    ¡°Have we met before, General Dismas?¡± H asked.


    ¡°I would appreciate it if you would call me Doctrinal General. You may not remember it, since I was too young back then. I used to visit the east with my older brother back when dragons were still flying around in the sky.¡±


    Dismas slowly lifted up his helmet after he finished speaking. He was a man with short red hair who gave a warm and kind impression. He had such a gracious smile on his face that H could hardly believe he was an enemy that could start a war at any moment.


    Dismas rose from his seat and clenched H¡¯s hand. That¡¯s when H finally recalled him. However, it was difficult to think that the Dismas in her memory was the same man that was standing in front of her right now.


    ¡°You¡¯re that skinny and weak¡­ oh, excuse me. I mean¡­ you¡¯ve gotten a lot¡­ healthier than before,¡± H stuttered.


    ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to my efforts to try and keep His Majesty¡¯s grand ambition in my heart. I was allowed to have the power of a strong god, but I still need to have control over my own body to contain such a strong god¡¯s power inside me.¡±


    Although H and Dismas were both themanders of the Imperial Army, it was difficult for them to meet each other, since they were both located at the eastern and western ends of the empire. H had heard through the rumors that Dismas had grown into a huge man, but she hadn¡¯t expected him to have be such a muscr macho man.


    Meanwhile, Dismas also greeted Pavan.


    ¡°Long time no see, Captain Pavan. Is the Regent doing well?¡±


    Pavan made a strange expression upon hearing Dismas¡¯ question. Pavan didn¡¯t witness Barth Baltic¡¯s final moments, but he had collected and stored the spear which had fatally wounded him.


    It was a spear with a clear symbol that belonged to the Order of Surtr.


    Pavan could not tell whether Dismas was simply pretending not to know or teasing him. Therefore he had no choice but to also give an ambiguous answer.


    ¡°Yes. Thanks to you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that. It¡¯s all thanks to His Majesty¡¯s grace.¡±


    H and Pavan nced at each other; they predicted that negotiations would be much more difficult than they had thought. By all ounts, Dismas seemed to bepletely out of his mind.


    Dismas smiled warmly as he shook H¡¯s hand, and then he suddenly got straight into the negotiations.


    ¡°I know why the two of you are here. It¡¯s because of that girl named Anya, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    H¡¯s eyes narrowed. She had been thinking about what Dismas might say to them for a long time. Not only had she expected him to unconditionally reject all negotiations or deny the fact that he had abducted Anya, but she had also devised a counter-argument and suggestions to make him agree to negotiate with him.


    But she hadn¡¯t expected him to be the one to bring up the issue first.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say she¡¯s a girl¡­ but it is true that she¡¯s still young. Doctrinal General Dismas, old people like us don¡¯t care when we die, but wouldn¡¯t it be nice to give younger people more opportunities and show them mercy?¡±


    ¡°I know that you must have had a hard timeing all this way, but you seem to havee in vain.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean we havee in vain?¡± H asked.


    ¡°I already burned that girl named Anya yesterday. I sent her ashes to His Majesty.¡±


    A long silence filled the tent.


    Then, Pavan cleared his throat to break the dead silence.


    It was only after H heard his cough that she managed toe back to her senses. For the first time, she was grateful for Pavan¡¯s inhumane character.


    When H didn¡¯t open her mouth for a long time, Pavan decided to open his mouth first.


    ¡°Would it be possible for us to see her remains?¡±


    ¡°They have already turned into ashes, but sure. If that¡¯s okay with you.¡±


    Dismas nodded to the guard standing by the entrance. The guard soon left the tent and quickly came back with a small box. The small square box was filled with white ashes.


    H looked into the box that reeked of the smell of ash for a long time and then finally opened her mouth.


    ¡°Why did you burn her?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry? Of course I had to burn her, since she refused to repent. Those who have been cleansed by mes will rise to the sun without any of their sins from the world. It is said that His Majesty¡¯s body remains onnd, but his soul resides in the pce of the sun and he rules over both the surface and the underworld. Although she was a girl who had stained her soul by using profane magic, I¡¯m sure His Majesty would be generous enough to wee her into his arms, since she was still so young,¡± Dismas answered.


    ¡°Did she suffer a lot from the pain?¡±


    ¡°The amount of pain bes a measure of self-reflection. If the soul can be cleansed by the pain of the body, what is more valuable than that? The girl¡¯s screams were painful for us to hear, but we were relieved to think we were able to rescue even one more person¡¯s soul safely and send it to¡­¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying that she was screaming.¡±


    H cut Dismas¡¯ words off even before he could finish speaking.


    Dismas flinched and paused for a moment, but soon nodded.


    ¡°Yes. She did.¡±


    Then, H poured the contents of the box she was holding onto the floor without any hesitation as soon as she heard Dismas¡¯ answer.


    Just as Dismas¡¯ expression became stiff due to the white ash covering the inside of the tent, Pavan ced his hand over the handle of his sword in a nervous manner.


    ¡°As far as I know, Anya doesn¡¯t scream no matter how much pain she is suffering from.¡±


    Dismas looked down at the scattered ashes and soon became expressionless. The air in the tent froze in the face of Dismas¡¯ cold expression, almost as if his kind and warm smile from earlier had all been a lie.


    Dismas bent down and picked up a handful of the ash.


    ¡°That I can confirm.¡±


    ¡°...Why did you tell us such a lie?¡± H asked.


    ¡°Because I wanted to see you, the fake emperor¡¯s dogs, be surprised. That frozen look on both of your faces just now was quite a sight.¡±


    Dismas¡¯ tone that suddenly became arrogant as if he no longer felt the need to pretend to be nice made him seem like apletely different person from before.


    Based on this, H judged that Dismas had to have a very elusive character.


    The negotiations had begun.


    ¡°Is Anya still alive?¡± H asked.


    ¡°Yes. But I don¡¯t think there''s any reason for me to give her back to you.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t even listen to any of my suggestions yet.¡±


    ¡°The fake emperor insulted my father, His Majesty, and His Holiness. If he really wants to make a suggestion that suits my taste, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything else he can offer me other than his own head. Of course, the rest of his subordinates better make a run for it after that.¡±


    ¡®<i>Us offering to keep you alive might be the most attractive suggestion we have.</i>¡¯


    H thought to herself. But instead of saying useless things, she decided to persuade Dismas.


    ¡°Anya isn¡¯t a useful hostage. She¡¯s simply not worth it. I¡¯m sure you already know this, but I heard that Anya has lost her abilities as a necromancer. She¡¯s just an ordinary person now.¡±


    H had already heard from Juan that Umbra had been destroyed and that Anya had lost most of her necromancy. Furthermore, H also knew that Anya was severely injured from her fight against Iolin.


    Dismas didn¡¯t seem to care about what H had said, but he was listening quietly in silence.


    H sighed and made a suggestion.


    ¡°I will suggest a better hostage to you that is worth a lot more than that. I will be your hostage instead of Anya.¡±

 Chapter 200 – Making Deals With Madness (3)

    <h4>Chapter 200 ¨C Making Deals With Madness (3)</h4>


    Pavan¡¯s eyes widened as he stared at H.


    H¡¯s suggestion wasn¡¯t something that had been discussed with Pavan, and he didn¡¯t know what to do in this situation, since he had been tasked with protecting H.


    Meanwhile, Dismas twisted his lips in a sneer.


    ¡°What a ridiculous suggestion. A worthy hostage, you say? Why would I give up the young Captain of the Order of Huginn for a handicapped senior like you?¡±


    ¡°The Order of Huginn¡¯s fame is all in the past. Their legendary knights are all dead, with Dilmond being thest one to have died. The only ability that they had left was their Captain¡¯s necromancy, but Anya doesn¡¯t even have that anymore. It¡¯s a waste to call her the Captain of the Order of Huginn,¡± H said.


    She thumped her chest.


    ¡°On the other hand, I created my own value regardless of my ability to use magic or swords to begin with. I am the ruler of the East by myself, am a Duchess, and now hold the core power of Torra. As you know, the East has no sessors. So the capital giving up on me is no different from them giving up on the East.¡±


    H¡¯s story was convincing enough to intrigue even Pavan. It was quite a famous story that there was no sessor in the East. In fact, the East had suffered from great confusion and chaos due to the absence of a sessor when H was assumed dead for a while. It was certainly guaranteed that the people in the east would be quite shaken if H was known to have been taken as hostage.


    However, there was no change in Dismas¡¯ expression.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about any of that political bullshit. All that matters to me is that I have to be loyal to His Majesty.¡±


    ¡°His Majesty would have dly agreed to my suggestion if he could upy the entire east without shedding a single drop of blood.¡±


    ¡°Having you does not mean that I will have the East. Besides, I am not His Majesty. I just follow his will, that¡¯s all. It is my duty to preach his will, teach people of his will, and cleanse those who do not ept it. So tell me. Why shouldn¡¯t I burn Anya, you, and this Captain of the Order of the Capital?¡±


    Pavan felt the strong urge to ask Dismas if he was really nning to kill the envoys sent from the Capital, but he barely managed to hold himself back. After all, it was H who was sitting at the negotiating table. It was not Pavan¡¯s ce to step up.


    But H seemed to focus on the other part of Dismas¡¯ words. Given that he had also mentioned Anya, she certainly seemed to be alive.


    H sighed.


    ¡°You would have already burned us all as soon as we arrived if you were really intent on killing us. I have nothing more to offer you other than this. But I think this is an attractive enough suggestion already. I would have offered you the Captain of the Order of the Capital as a hostage as well if I could, but¡­¡± H shrugged.


    Pavan looked at H with a shocked expression, but H didn¡¯t even spare him a single nce.


    ¡°He wouldn¡¯t agree with me because not only does he never listen to me, but he is also a terribly selfish human being. Besides, we already have a lot of things we need to get back from you, Doctrinal General Dismas. I¡¯m afraid you will start to doubt us if we offer you too much. Let¡¯s call this a nice start, shall we?¡±


    Pavan grew nervous upon seeing H''s arrogant attitude, while Dismas smiled as if he was interested. His face which had been expressionless like a frozen mask suddenly turned into a kind and warm face just like when he first met H and Pavan.


    ¡°Duke Henna, you never fail to impress me. I must say I am quite amazed at your guts to be able to put yourself up as a bet,¡± Dismas approached H again and shook her hand. ¡°To be honest, we were also thinking of sending back Miss Anya for humanitarian purposes. She was quite a pain to deal with. But it would be rude of me to turn down your offer. Please, do stay with us and provide a bridgehead for negotiations with those who are currently illegally upying Torra.¡±


    Dismas and Juan could never tolerate each other in the first ce. Being a faithful believer of the Church, Dismas couldn¡¯t forgive Juan who had ¡®illegally¡¯ upied Torra and expelled the Pope. Meanwhile, Juan had many things he had to get back from Dismas including his original body as well as the Pope.


    H wondered if it would be meaningful to serve as a bridgehead for negotiations at a time when both sides had no choice but to fight unless they suddenly made up, yet she was relieved that Dismas had epted the negotiations for now.


    ¡°Then can I see Miss Anya please?¡± H asked


    ¡°Yes, of course. Please follow me,¡± Dismas answered.


    H tried to follow Dismas, but Pavan suddenly grabbed her by the hem of her sleeve.


    ¡°What the heck are you doing, master? You should have let me know in advance if you had a n like this.¡±


    ¡°A n, my ass. Even His Majesty doesn¡¯t know about this.¡±


    ¡°Then what is it? You could be burned to ashes at any time if you stay around Dismas. I wasn¡¯t surprised to hear that the Captain of the Order of Huginn was burned earlier. Rather, I was surprised to hear that she is still alive.¡±


    A terrible rumor about the west had spread throughout the Capital. The atmosphere of Torra which was dominated by the Church was considered rather secrpared to the west. This was also due to the influence of the House of Peers and Barth Baltic. But in the west where there were no such checks from different forces, stories rted to mes, ashes, and chains were heard quite often.


    ¡°Do you really think I¡¯d be afraid of being burned to death at my age? Save the maiden and sacrifice the olddy¡ªthat¡¯s good enough trade in my opinion.¡±


    ¡°Maybe for you, but I have to send you back safely to be acknowledged by His Majesty. You can¡¯t just recklessly make decisions on your own and¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s even better. I will be able to damage your career.¡±


    ¡°Master, please¡­¡±


    Pavan sighed and shook his head. Then, he suddenly asked a question as if something had inadvertentlye to his mind.


    ¡°Come to think of it, how did you know that the Captain of the Order of Huginn doesn¡¯t scream no matter what?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t. I just threw a bait and Dismas took it. I didn¡¯t have much to lose since the ashes can simply be gathered up again,¡± H shrugged.


    Pavan was left speechless.


    At that moment, Dismas¡¯ voice was heard.


    ¡°Duke Henna and Captain Pavan, we are here.¡±


    The ce that Dismas led H and Pavan to was an unusuallyrge tent.


    ***


    A vile smell burst out when the door of the tent was opened. It was a smell that both H and Pavan were familiar with¡ªit was the smell of rotting corpses and blood. The two flinched and got nervous.


    ¡®<i>They have kept Anya in a ce like this?</i>¡¯


    H red at Dismas.


    ¡°Please go on in. Don¡¯t worry, none of the people in there are dead.¡±


    Pavan grabbed H by the arm, but H shook off his hand and entered the tent. Dismas and Pavan followed right behind her. The inside of the tent was so dark that it took some time for their eyes to get used to the darkness.


    As their eyes slowly got used to the darkness, the red flesh and blood that was scattered everywhere began to fill their sight.


    H covered her nose with her sleeves and hastily looked around.


    In the middle of the pieces of flesh was Anya, who was tied to a pir.


    H was about to rush toward Anya, but was once again stopped by Pavan.


    ¡°Master, please move with caution. We don¡¯t even know what these are.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I wasn¡¯t careful enough. Of course my life is more important than yours. Pavan, you take the lead.¡±


    ¡°Master, please.¡±


    Pavan was forcibly pushed by H to approach Anya first.


    Meanwhile, Anya was helplessly tied to the pir, almost as if she had lost consciousness. While H was taking a closer look at her to examine her condition, Pavan red at Dismas to check whether he was nning something behind their backs.


    However, Dismas didn¡¯t do anything other than standing far behind to watch them.


    Meanwhile, on Anya¡¯s back, they found clear wounds and scars caused by whipping. It was a clear sign of harsh torture.


    At that moment, Dismas suddenly opened his mouth.


    ¡°Oh, by the way. There¡¯s one thing I forgot to tell you.¡±


    H and Pavan turned their heads toward Dismas.


    ¡°What we are doing is making something that I like to call a ¡®Cainheryar.¡¯ It¡¯s nothing too special; its purpose is to bring the fake divine beings back to life and control them using the power of His Majesty. The gods used to enve us humans, but now we get to be the ones to enve the gods.¡±


    H knew what Dismas was talking about, since she had heard about Iolin¡¯s resurrection. However, she couldn¡¯t understand why he suddenly brought up that matter in the midst of their conversation.


    ¡°That woman in front of you ended up destroying Iolin¡¯s Cainheryar. Unfortunately, I don¡¯t even have a chance to fix it. At the same time, she lost her necromancy and became nothing more than an ordinary human in return. So, I had originally thought about burning her in mes of repentance, but then I happened to find a unique potential from her while trying to urge her to repent,¡± Dismas said with a benevolent smile. ¡°That woman has the potential to be Nigrato¡¯s Cainheryar.¡±


    After he finished speaking, Dismas immediately pulled the device that was hanging down on one side of the tent. The ceiling of the tent suddenly split in all directions, and the gloomy light of the cloudy sky poured in to brighten the surroundings.


    For a moment, Pavan saw a fierce light. He hurriedly pulled H off of Anya.


    ¡°Master! Stay away from her!¡±


    .


    ¡°What the hell are you doing, you bastard!¡±


    H punched Pavan in his nose. Blood spurted out of Pavan¡¯s nose once again, but he did not let go of H.


    ¡°It¡¯s a trap, master! That asshole has no intention of sending Anya back!¡±


    ¡°I know that!¡±


    Instead of persuading Pavan, H reached out her hand and drew a sword from the sheath on his waist.


    Seeing this, Pavan freaked out and let go of H, and H did not miss her chance. She immediately ran straight to Anya as soon as she drew out the sword, while Dismas smirked at the sight.


    ¡°There is a high possibility of failure, since her body isn¡¯tpletely divine, but a possibility is still a possibility. A Cainheryar of the god of death is definitely worth trying for, don¡¯t you think so?¡±


    Anya, who was still tied to the pir, began to tremble after the sunlight hit her body. The color of the meat that was scattered everywhere quickly changed as it all began to dry up at the same time as Anya started trembling.


    At the same time, H took Pavan''s sword and hurriedly rushed toward Anya to cut off the rope tying her to the pir.


    Seeing this, Pavan bit his lips at the sight and took something out of his pocket.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take it that the negotiations have failed, master!¡±


    His hand reached out and aimed for the sky as he tightly held some kind of a stick.


    H could not understand his actions nor did she know the identity of the stick.


    ¡®<i>Is it supposed to symbolize a white g or something?</i>¡¯


    At that moment, mes soared into the sky, piercing through the clouds and soon spread out in the sky.


    Dismas looked at the sky in curiosity, but soon became expressionless.


    ¡°A signal re?¡±


    A small dragon began to descend through the clouds.


    ¡°Your Grace!¡±


    Horhell and Orca were approaching H and Pavan at a rapid pace. Although Orca was a dragon, Dismasughed upon seeing its small size; it almost looked as if it had just hatched yesterday.


    ¡°Duke Henna. That dragon is way too smallpared to the ones I saw in Beldeve back in the day. If you thought that a dragon could act as your n B, you are too¡­¡±


    However, at that moment, the air throughout the basin was being swept away. The tents on the basin were immediately blown away and scattered as if they were simply dust. The shock was so great that even Dismas staggered on his feet. His face hardened once again as he turned his head toward the sky.


    The shockwave that destroyed the tents had also scattered the dark clouds in the sky. However, the clear sky was nowhere to be seen. Instead, a huge dragon that was hundreds of meters long and seemed to cover the entire basin was hovering in the air.


    It was Entalucia.


    ***


    [I havee hither only to protect Orca. I have vowed not to intervene or release I¡¯s mes, whether the opponent be a giant or a human, so thou shouldst handle the rest.]


    ¡°I know, I know,¡± Juan calmly replied. Dragons had vowed not to intervene directly in the wars between humans, and Juan also remembered hearing about such a vow.


    Meanwhile, Juan¡¯s eyes turned to Haild, who nodded upon receiving his signal.


    Juan quickly jumped into the air. mes appeared around his rapidly descending body, and Juan¡¯s body fell into the center of the Loen Basin like a falling meteor. A huge dust cloud rose as he fell, but the fierce heat soaring up from the middle caused the dust cloud to burn even before it could rise up to the sky.


    Dismas silently stared at Juan who was approaching him while covered in mes.


    ¡°I apologize for messing up the negotiation table like this. But¡­¡±


    Juan opened his mouth first.


    ¡°I assume that you don¡¯t have much to be upset about, since you also used the negotiation table as a trap, right?¡±

 Chapter 201 – Establishment of Negotiation (1)

    <h4>Chapter 201 ¨C Establishment of Negotiation (1)</h4>


    Entalucia roared once again.


    The sudden shockwave caused amotion as the soldiers fell to the ground and the tents copsed. When the tents copsed and smoke started rising as if they had been caught on fire, the giant ves that made up the walls also became agitated. The giant metallic wall shook like a wave as the giants who made up the walls grew more and more agitated.


    Despite all this fuss, Dismas looked at the man who was wrapped in mes and approaching him while remaining silent.


    The short dry grass started burning and smoke rose every time Juan took a step forward. However, he continued to approach Dismas slowly as if he didn¡¯t care the slightest bit about the surroundings being destroyed.


    Dismas had seen such a being before. His lips were trembling, but he was smiling.


    ¡°I¡¯ve fought countless times against false beings like you.¡±


    Dismas slowly pulled out the huge two-handed hammer he had been carrying on his back. The head of the battle hammer alone was as long as the length of his arm. Strangely enough, the head of the hammer was already dripping blood, even though the battle had not even begun yet.


    ¡°I chased and killed those who were expelled from the empire by my father, as well as those who fled beyond the boundary. I held a ritual with their blood and bones everyday¡ªthat was almost my daily routine. I¡¯m used to delusions and lies.¡±


    A red and bloody trajectory remained in the air when Dismas swung his hammer around. The speed at which it was swung was neither fast nor slow, but the appearance of the space being distorted in its wake gave off an ominous feeling¡ªit gave off the feeling that recklessly approaching the hammer would get anyone killed.


    Juan realized that the hammer that Dismas was holding was a weapon that Juan had made with his own hands. But it was strange. When Juan had made the hammer for Dismas, it was not a weapon that dripped blood on its own or caused such a strange delusion.


    ¡°You are the worst out of all those bastards!¡±


    Dismas stormed toward Juan with a loud roar. At the same time, the heavy head of the hammer flew straight toward Juan.


    Meanwhile, Juan grabbed at the hammer head with the intention ofpletely crushing it. However, he was momentarily lifted into the air by it.


    Juan hastily jumped with surprised eyes, then quickly flipped over tond on the ground.


    At the same time, Dismas was looking at Juan with surprised eyes.


    ¡°Who are you? It¡¯s not possible to simply flip over like a feather and¡­¡±


    ¡°What the hell is that hammer? That¡­¡±


    Juan had many questions he wanted to ask, but he chose to close his mouth.


    The moment Juan grabbed Dismas¡¯ hammer, he felt as if he had grabbed the entire mountain range. There was a huge amount of mass condensed in the hammer, to the extent that the surrounding space was being distorted by it.


    Speed was no longer important when that kind of weight could be wielded.


    The hammer was something that was smelted by Juan himself. But back then, the hammer had been simply a heavy and hard hammer, and it had no such ability.


    Juan could only guess that a lot of ck magic and sinister energy must have been absorbed by the hammer throughout Dismas¡¯ life.


    Dismas also seemed to be perplexed, since most of the enemies he encountered so far were helplessly smashed in the face of his hammer. But Juan actually grabbed the hammer and then threw himself into the air to dodge, thanks to the eleration and shock provided by the hammer.


    ¡®<i>...This battle won¡¯t be easy.</i>¡¯


    Dismas was definitely strong; he had not even exerted half of his strength yet. The truly dangerous ability that Dismas possessed was Spirit Calling. Juan had never been too worried about Dismas having such an ability, since he believed in Dismas¡¯ kind nature, but it would certainly prove to be a fatal ability if Dismas ever became his enemy.


    Juan took a nce in the direction where Anya and H were. The situation over there was turning dire. Yet Dismas was much too dangerous of an opponent to leave him unattended to go and help H.


    Juan sighed.


    ¡°I had really hoped that we would be able to solve the issue through a conversation, son.¡±


    Juan drew out Sutra from his waist. Sutra began to burn slowly but fiercely upon being touched by the sunlight.


    ¡°Yet I have no choice but to admit that sometimes it is necessary to punish my children and teach them a lesson.¡±


    ***


    H clenched her teeth as she saw the chunks of meat sticking to Anya¡¯s feet.


    Meanwhile, Anya groaned painfully every time H used the sword to cut out a chunk of flesh that was getting stuck to her skin. But the speed of the flesh sticking to Anya exceeded the speed of H cutting them out, making it impossible topletely separate Anya from the pieces of flesh.


    The pieces of flesh were even starting to stick to H as well.


    ¡°Damn it. What the hell are these stinky chunks of flesh?¡±


    H didn¡¯t know much about magic, but she could tell that these chunks of flesh were serving as a powerful medium for ck magic.


    The pieces of meat stuck to Anya dried up rapidly, and she slowly started emitting cold energy while seizing.


    Then, Anya suddenly grabbed H by the neck.


    ¡°Keuk!¡± H groaned.


    ¡°<strong>Who dares to awaken death!</strong>¡±


    ¡°Shut up and go back to sleep, you asshole!¡±


    H didn¡¯t hesitate to p Anya¡¯s head with the handle of the sword.


    Anya grabbed her head as if she was in pain, but roared at H once again. This time, H struck Anya¡¯s head with her fist while wearing an iron glove. Only then did Anya be quiet, losing consciousness.


    It became much easier to pull her out of the chunks of flesh when Anya hadpletely stopped moving. However, cutting out pieces of meat stuck to Anya with only one hand was still a very difficult task.


    ¡°Pavan! Come and help me!¡±


    Meanwhile, Pavan was fighting against three of the knights from the Order of Surtr who had rushed toward them. Although Pavan was at the top of the empire in terms of his swordsmanship, the skills of the knights of Surtr were also quite formidable.


    Pavan gritted his teeth; he was using a random butcher knife that was rolling around on the ground as his weapon instead of his own sword.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you teach me a technique to beat three people at once in just an instant! Can you at least give me back my sword?¡±


    ¡°Hurry up! Cut off their necks and get your ass over here!¡±


    Pavan let out quite a few curses in his mind upon hearing H¡¯s outcry, but then he raised the butcher knife and charged toward the nearest knight from the Order of Surtr.


    The knight tried to block with all his might, but Pavan¡¯s attack easily prated his armor and his throat.


    The knight grabbed his throat to stop the blood flowing out through the armor, but Pavan pushed him toward the other two knights. The remaining knights tried to fight back while dodging their colleague who was falling toward them, but Pavan was already gone by the time they pushed their falling colleague away.


    Then a cracking sound came from under their chins¡ªthe knights never got the chance to understand why their headless bodies were copsing to the ground.


    Pavan exhaled a rough breath and fell to his knees. He hurriedly threw off his armor which had be too hot and cooled off his burned hands by rubbing them against the ground. Pavan was able to use Fleeting Moment, the fifth stage of the Baltic Sword, in the short moment he created when he killed the first enemy. But performing the fifth stage of the Baltic Sword even for just a short moment made him feel like he had almost died.


    ¡®<i>I thought I would never perform the fifth stage of the Baltic Sword in a real battle because I knew just how dangerous a skill it was.</i>¡¯


    Pavan had also never thought that he would be fighting with a butcher knife due to H¡¯s urging him on. The knights from the Order of Surtr were definitely powerful opponents, but there were only three of them. If Pavan had a proper weapon and some more time, he could have killed them all within a short time.


    Pavan clicked his tongue in annoyance; he thought it was a waste to use Fleeting Moment against them.


    ¡°What are you doing? Hurry up ande over here if you¡¯ve killed them all!¡±


    ¡°Ugh, damn it. Yes, master!¡±


    Pavan staggered toward H with a pale expression.


    ¡®<i>I thought I had barely escaped from that witch when I left the East, but I¡¯m once again in hell at this age.</i>¡¯


    Pavan quickly ran over to H in order to examine Anya¡¯s unusual condition. H had already left many wounds on Anya as she tried to remove the pieces of meat clinging to her skin. This was inevitable, since the meat did not simply stick to Anya¡¯s skin but it dried up andpletely melted into her skin, almost as if it was a part of her to begin with.


    ¡°What even is this?¡± Pavan asked.


    ¡°Do you think I told you toe over here to teach you what these things are? I¡¯ll continue to cut out these pieces of meat, so you take care of Anya.¡±


    Pavan obediently followed H¡¯s orders.


    ¡®<i>We need to get out of this mess as soon as possible to make sure that she doesn¡¯t do anything reckless like suicide.</i>¡¯


    At the same time, Pavan vowed that he would refuse duties rted to H as much as possible in the future, even if they were ordered by His Majesty.


    Pavan handed H the butcher knife to make her work a little easier.


    ¡°Where did you get this from?¡± H asked.


    ¡°Do you think I brought it here to teach you where I got it from, master? Just do what you need to do as quickly as you can, please,¡± Pavan answered.


    H looked at Pavan as she contemted whether she should wield the butcher knife in her hand toward him.


    Meanwhile, Pavan quietly lowered his head and looked away; he had a feeling that she might actually attack him if he didn¡¯t shut up.


    Anyway, the butcher knight brought by Pavan was a lot more suitable for removing the pieces of meatpared to Pavan¡¯s sword. H quickly dismantled the pieces of meat and then she and Pavan began to drag Anya out.


    As soon as H thought that she had finally gotten away from the pieces of meat, Anya stopped, almost as if hanging in the air. Then, she opened her eyes and started to undergo a seizure at the same time.


    This time, Anya was screaming so loudly, it almost looked like she wanted to tear H and Pavan¡¯s ears off.


    H raised her hand, which was covered by an iron glove with surprised eyes, but Pavan hastily stopped her.


    ¡°Oh my goodness. What the hack are you doing, master!¡±


    ¡°She shut up when I punched her earlier.¡±


    ¡°You do realize that I was able to endure your punches because, well, I¡¯m me. But she¡¯s different. She has lost her special abilities now, right? Ordinary people can¡¯t endure being smacked by your iron fist! You might actually end up killing her!¡±


    ¡°I know how hard I have to hit ordinary people to not kill them, idiot. But it certainly doesn¡¯t seem to be a matter of making her faint.¡±


    Pavan looked back at Anya and agreed with H¡¯s words.


    At the same time as Anya was convulsing, something that looked like ck fog was flowing out of her eyes and nose.


    Pavan stepped back without even realizing it; he could smell the cold scent of death.


    On the other hand, H began to scrutinize Anya. There was a high possibility that there was something else other than the pieces of meat that were causing the ck magic to continue affecting Anya.


    H soon found a big wound on Anya¡¯s back, with a few words painted in red. The red phrase was constantly increasing in size as more and more letters appeared even as H was looking at it.


    H sensed that the letters hade from the pieces of meat she had been removing from Anya earlier.


    ¡°This is the problem.¡±


    ¡°What do we do, master? Should we just cut them out?¡±


    H didn¡¯t think the problem would be resolved by simply cutting out the painted phrase.


    However, they didn¡¯t have any time to think¡ªAnya¡¯s condition was rapidly deteriorating.


    H gritted her teeth and cut out the flesh around the red phrase on Anya¡¯s back.


    Soon, a part of Anya¡¯s skin fell off to the ground along with a wet sound. However, the letters began to be engraved in the air after the flesh fell off of Anya¡¯s back. The letters then extended and stretched out toward Anya and continued to carve something on her skin.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t have a physical substance but has something to do with ck magic¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop muttering nonsense to yourself and think of something!¡±


    H grabbed the sliced off flesh and tried to take it far away from Anya, but it was useless.


    At that moment, H felt a sudden tingling pain in her hand. A phrase was also starting to be engraved on H¡¯s hand which was holding the piece of flesh.


    ¡°How about we try setting it on fire? We might have a chance with His Majesty¡¯s fire,¡± Pavan suggested.


    H took a nce at Juan and Dismas.


    However, it seemed that Juan didn¡¯t have any time to spare either.


    ***


    Sparks sprang up every time Sutra met with Dismas¡¯ hammer.


    Juan frowned at the unease he felt every time he shed with the hammer. The bleeding hammer was not only heavy, but was also filled with an enormous amount of curses and a deep-seated grudge.


    To make it worse, it was no ordinary grudge¡ªit was a grudge against the emperor.


    ¡°This is the first time my hammer has be so excited!¡± Dismas shouted as if he was having fun while wildly swinging his hammer.


    Sutra¡¯s mes gradually weakened and flickered little by little every time it was hit by the bleeding hammer.


    ¡°Dismas, just how many people have you killed in the name of the emperor with that hammer?¡± Juan growled.


    ¡°Why would I count such useless things? I chased and killed the gods that His Majesty could not kill, and I also punished the humble beings who weren¡¯t worthy of repentance using this hammer. There is no prayer as sweet as their curses and screams.¡±


    The Dragon Lord had created a magical armor with a grudge against Juan, but the bleeding hammer held by Dismas was simply a cursed weapon that was made naturally. It was not strange to say that it was a weapon made entirely with blood. And ironically, such a weapon exerted its greatest power against the emperor.


    Juan felt increasinglypelled to take a bold course of action.


    ***


    ¡°His Majesty cannot afford toe and help us at the moment,¡± H said to Pavan.


    The sudden appearance of the emperor was enough to surprise the Order of Surtr¡¯s camp, but that did not mean the situation was settled. Horhell and Haild were struggling somewhere and were certainly outnumbered as well.


    Meanwhile, Anya¡¯s condition was getting worse and worse over time. While the simmering darkness and the force of death was crawling deep into her heart, Anya¡¯s condition was rapidly deteriorating as well. It was unknown whether or not her body would be able to sustain such power.


    Although Nigrato was the god of death, it was clear that he would also fail to revive if his host ended up dying. If Anya somehow managed to hold out and really ended up bing a Cainheryar, that would also be a terrible ending.


    It was not a matter of sess or failure anymore. Someone had to stop this ck magic right now.


    H bit her lips as she stared at the red letters carved onto the back of her hand.


    ¡°Alright. So you need at least one sacrificial offering, huh?¡±


    H muttered briefly and then threw Anya¡¯s flesh into her own mouth.

 Chapter 202 – Establishment of Negotiation (2)

    <h4>Chapter 202 ¨C Establishment of Negotiation (2)</h4>


    As soon as Pavan saw H trying to swallow Anya¡¯s flesh, he rushed toward her with a shocked expression, but the flesh had already been swallowed by H by the time he managed to get to her.


    ¡°Oh my goodness, you crazy grandma!¡±


    ¡°Watch your manners, punk.¡±


    H was nning to force herself to vomit the flesh if Anya¡¯s condition remained unchanged despite her swallowing that piece of flesh.


    H swung her fist at Pavan, but missed miserably as she stumbled and fell to the ground.


    Pieces of flesh and blood clots instantly poured out of H¡¯s mouth and her nose. H felt dizzy and felt as if a herd of ants were crawling all over her.


    ¡°Why the fuck would you swallow that!¡±


    The sound of Pavan shouting at her buzzed and rang in her head. H felt like she was going to lose consciousness at any moment, but examined Anya¡¯s condition onest time.


    It was unknown as to whether it was because H had swallowed those red letters or not, but Anya certainly seemed to be much morefortable than before.


    Anya¡¯s seizures had died down and the ck fog was no longer being emitted from her body. Above all, the red letters had not only stopped increasing, but they even began to shrink one by one. H didn¡¯t know what this meant but figured that it must be a positive sign.


    ¡°Keuk!¡±


    However at the same time, H clutched her stomach in pain and copsed to the ground. H recalled Dismas telling her that Anya would turn into a Cainheryar of Nigrato, since she once epted Nigrato¡¯s essence into her body.


    ¡®<i>But what would happen to me?</i>¡¯


    H had never once believed in or epted any god even until this time. If the red letters she swallowed were a medium that triggered one¡¯s transformation into a Cinaheryar, she could not know what she would turn into¡ªalthough Dismas¡¯ other words dide to her mind.


    ¡®<i>I would probably turn into a failure like the one he had mentioned.</i>¡¯


    She couldn¡¯t tell what she would look like or what pain she would go through once she turned into the failure that was mentioned by Dismas. So, H thought that she had to finish her work before she lost consciousness due to the pain or something even worse happened to her.


    H grabbed Pavan by his cor as soon as she came to such a conclusion.


    ¡°Take¡­ Anya¡­ now!¡±


    ¡°Master, now is not the time to worry about that girl. You need to¡­¡±


    ¡°Listen to me when I speak, you punk!¡±


    H held Pavan by the cor and mmed her head into his head.


    Pavan sped his forehead and looked at H with frustrated eyes.


    For a moment, Pavan felt like he had returned to the time when he was five years old¡ªthe time when H picked him up on the battlefield. Pavan gritted his teeth as he knew that he couldn¡¯t choose to not obey her.


    Pavan hastily rushed toward Anya, but did not forget to leave some words for H at the same time.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back as soon as I can, so don¡¯t die until Ie back!¡±


    Pavan immediately dragged Anya out of the tent.


    Meanwhile, H grinned at the sight.


    ¡°That bastard hasn¡¯t changed a bit. He always tries to have thest word every single time¡­¡±


    Then came a burst of intense pain. H didn¡¯t know how long she would be able to hold out. She tried her best to hold onto her consciousness, but she had a feeling that she would not be able tost long.


    At that moment, the pieces of meat still scattered everywhere on the ground came into H¡¯s sight as she realized that she had not yet figured out their identity. She knew that those pieces of meat were serving as a medium to catalyze one¡¯s transformation into a Cainheryar, but Anya seemed rtively more stable when she was in contact with those pieces of meat.


    H came to the conclusion that it would be better to find out what Dismas was up to rather than simply dying of pain. She slowly crawled toward the pieces of meat and bit off the metal glove on her hand with her teeth. Then she slowly used her bare hand to touch the piece of meat.


    In that moment, an overwhelming number of hallucinations flooded her brain.


    ***


    Pavan managed to take Anya out of the tent. There was no power holding her back anymore, but she was still in quite a dangerous state. The dragon was still hovering in the sky, yet Pavan didn¡¯t know where he could take her to keep her safe.


    It would only be a matter of time before they once again fell into danger if they ended up being surrounded by the knights from the Order of Surtr. Pavan was growing more and more anxious.


    ¡°Damn it! Hey! Anyone! Is there no one here who serves the real emperor?¡±


    Pavan shouted, thinking that he would kill any enemies that approached him or leave Anya to the allies that approached him.


    When Pavan shouted once again, someone wearing red armor charged toward him from beyond the smoke.


    Seeing this, Pavan clicked his tongue and prepared to ce Anya down on the floor for the uing battle.


    But the area behind the knight from the Order of Surtr suddenly brightened for a moment and then a fierce fire engulfed him in the blink of an eye.


    Pavan flinched in the heat as he saw the knight from the Order of Surtr instantly bursting into mes and copsing to the ground into a ball of ck ash.


    ¡°Pavan? Is that you?¡±


    It was Horhell and his dragon that approached Pavan as soon as the mes died down. Of course, Pavan who had been taught not only by H, but also Horhell did not get along well with him. In fact, their rtionship couldn¡¯t be defined as being simply ¡®bad.¡¯ There was once a time when Pavan chained the ankle of Horhell¡¯s dragon and left a hole in Horhell¡¯s side to make him suffer. It wouldn¡¯t be so strange if Horhell came to kill Pavan one day.


    ¡°Is that Anya with you?¡±


    But instead of attacking Pavan, Horhell asked as he scattered the blood of the knight from the Order of Surtr from his sword. Fortunately, Horhell didn¡¯t seem to have any ill feelings toward Pavan for now.


    At the same time, Horhell quickly saw through Pavan¡¯s thoughts.


    ¡°We¡¯ll talk about what you did to meter. Let¡¯s just focus on what we have to do now,¡± Horhell said.


    ¡°I seem to have a tense rtionship with all of you for some reason,¡± Pavan replied with a sigh.


    ¡°Well, you brought that on yourself.¡±


    Pavan handed Anya over to Horhell, who carefully ced her on Orca¡¯s back.


    Then Horhell found Pavan immediately turning around and running.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°To rescue master!¡±


    Pavan ran forward before listening to Horhell¡¯s answer, hoping that he wasn¡¯t toote. He passed through the tents in an instant and found a knight of the Order of Surtr on his way. But before the knight from the Order of Surtr could even see him, Pavan had already drawn his sword to cut the knight¡¯s arms.


    The reason why Pavan did not cut his fatal area was not for humanitarian reasons. Rather, it was the other way around. Pavan smacked him on the back of his head to knock him out, and then dragged him into the tent where they found Anya earlier.


    Pavan, who rushed into the tent, grew perplexed when he couldn¡¯t find H anywhere. But he was soon able to find H near the pir where Anya had been tied.


    Pavan¡¯s face brightened upon finding her, but soon hardened when he noticed that H was trembling, with her hands touching the pieces of meat.


    ¡°Master!¡±


    Pavan roared as he threw the knight from the Order of Surtr he had dragged to the ground and ran toward H.


    He tried to remove the pieces of flesh attached to her with his sword just like she did for Anya earlier, but he flinched as soon as he brought his sword near H.


    H¡¯s only hand was already buried in the pieces of meat all the way up to her elbow. Meanwhile, H was whispering something with her eyes rolled backward.


    ¡°Master! Come to your senses!¡±


    Pavan grabbed H and shook her to try and wake her up, but there was no response.


    Pavan bit his lips tightly. He held his sword perpendicr to H¡¯s arm, then he instantly thrust it with all his might.


    ¡°Keugh!¡±


    Blood burst out and H¡¯s eyes rolled to the back of her head.


    Pavan broke into a cold sweat, but didn¡¯t hesitate to cut the pieces of meat to try and save H¡¯s arm; however, he couldn¡¯t find the hand inside the pieces of flesh at all¡ªthe flesh and muscles had already been tangled up with the pieces of meat.


    Then Pavan heard H whispering with difficulty.


    ¡°Pavan.¡±


    ¡°Did you walk all the way here by yourself, master? Why do you keep trying to kill yourself like this? If you wanted to screw me up so bad, why didn¡¯t you just feed me the chunk of meat instead of eating it yourself?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about, you bastard¡­ it¡¯s not suicide, but it¡¯s called efficiency. More than that¡­ you need to tell HIs Majesty about the identity of these pieces of meat. This is¡­¡±


    ¡°You should make that report yourself, master! The only duty I was given was to protect you!¡±


    H¡¯s expression became distorted.


    ¡°You never listen at once, do you?¡±


    Pavan was forced to make a difficult choice, since it was impossible to separate the pieces of meat from H without harming her.


    Finally, Pavan held the sword perpendicr to the remainder of H¡¯s arm and asked.


    ¡°Master. I¡¯m sorry for the inconvenience, but it seems like I will have to cut off the rest of your arm as well. But it¡¯s not your first time, so I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be able to hold out just fine. Right?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no one who can screw me up as good as you do.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re old enough to be in a nursing home anyway. I¡¯ll get you a good errand boy who will listen to you at once unlike me.¡±


    ¡°Get out of here, punk. What are you going to do next if you cut off my arm? You¡¯ve seen what happened to Anya. Removing the pieces of meat doesn¡¯t stop the process. It will just make me suffer in pain and lead me to an even slower death.¡±


    ¡°Then what do you want me to do?!¡± Pavan screamed and exhaled a rough breath.


    H frowned and looked at Pavan.


    ¡°What, why are you¡­ now you¡¯re sad that I¡¯m going to die?¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯d be lying if I said that I¡¯ve never wanted you to die before. I¡¯m just afraid that His Majesty will hold me ountable for your death. I¡¯m in charge of your security, after all.¡±


    ¡°How responsible of you,¡± H pulled up the corners of her mouth while looking fiercely at Pavan. ¡°I¡¯m d that I at least didn¡¯t failpletely in educating about being disciplined.¡±


    ¡°Stop it. I¡¯m past the age where I would be happy at being praised by my master. I¡¯m the Captain of the Order of the Capital even if you don''tpliment me. It is no exaggeration to say that I hold the most authority, right next to the Regent.¡±


    Pavan stared intently at H. There was only one thing he could do now. He nervously bit his lips and finally opened his mouth with difficulty.


    ¡°Master. There is one solution I¡¯vee up with.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°At least hear me out, will you?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to say bullshit like ¡®I¡¯ll open your stomach to cut out the flesh with the red letters engraved on it and swallow it?¡¯ Do you have any suggestions other than that?¡±


    ¡°Your evaluation of my humanitarianism has changed significantly after I left you. I have no idea how you came up with such a terrible idea, but you¡¯re right. My n is to grab out that terrible problem from inside your stomach. I¡¯m d I didn¡¯te up with that terrible idea on my own, and that it was thanks to your teaching,¡± Pavan shook his head.


    Cold sweat formed on his forehead before he opened his mouth again.


    ¡°But thest part is different. Why would I swallow that?¡±


    Then Pavan pointed toward a direction¡ªthere was a knight from the Order of Surtr on the ground with all his limbs amputated.


    H clicked her tongue and smiled as if she was dumbfounded at the sight.


    ¡°You¡¯re such a fucking psycho, Pavan.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take that as apliment, master.¡±


    Pavan turned H¡¯s body over and tore her clothes to reveal her skin. All sorts of terrible scars were visible on her wrinkled skin, but Pavan carefully wiped the blood from his sword and ced it against her skin without being surprised.


    But when Pavan¡¯s sword neared her skin as he hesitated to cut her, H opened her mouth.


    ¡°Hey, if you¡¯re not confident in what you¡¯re doing¡­ listen to the identity of the pieces of meat first, just in case.¡±


    ¡°...Yes, master. I¡¯ll listen.¡±


    H smiled and whispered in Pavan¡¯s ear about the hallucinations she saw, as well as the identity of the pieces of meat.


    Pavan¡¯s eyes widened upon hearing H¡¯s words, but he did not have the time to think too deeply about it or stay startled.


    ¡°Do it,¡± H gave a short order.


    Then, Pavan¡¯s sword split through H¡¯s skin.


    ***


    A strong beam of light was shot toward the sky as a dragon soared into the sky.


    Juan, who was fiercely shing against Dismas, quickly bounced back upon seeing the green light coloring the sky.


    Orca was now heading toward the east over the wall created by the giant ves, meaning that Anya¡¯s rescue was sessful.


    ¡°I see that the creation of the Cainheryay has failed,¡± Dismas muttered as he looked in apletely different direction from where Orca flew toward¡ªit was toward the tent with its ceilingpletely copsed.


    Juan was relieved when the energy of Nigrato, which had been growing little by little, subsided, but for some reason, he still felt uneasy and ufortable.


    The battle with Dismas had been going on for a long time, but they weren¡¯t making any significant progress. Juan thought that drawing out the power of the crown could be a quick way to settle this battle, but that also meant that Dismas would then summon the power of gods using Spirit Calling.


    Juan clicked his tongue as he figured that it would be difficult to take responsibility for the safety of the people who still remained here if two such powerful forces collided.


    Meanwhile, Dismas slowly turned his head to look at Juan, but there was no expression on his face.


    ¡°The creation of the Cainheryar has failed and I also failed to get rid of you. But I think I¡¯ve dragged this long enough to buy me some time.¡±


    ¡®<i>Buy some time?</i>¡¯


    Juan suddenly had an ominous feeling about Dismas¡¯ words.


    At the same time, Dismas held the bleeding hammer with both his hands and lifted it up high into the sky.


    Then he quietly muttered while looking at Entalucia who was hovering high in the sky.


    ¡°Fall.¡±

 Chapter 203 – Establishment of Negotiation (3)

    <h4>Chapter 203 ¨C Establishment of Negotiation (3)</h4>


    As soon as Juan heard Dismas, all of Juan¡¯s muscles became taut out of anxiousness.


    ¡®<i>Was he targeting Entalucia to begin with?</i>¡¯


    Juan looked up at the sky in a hurry, but Entalucia was still hovering around in the air just fine.


    When nothing happened even after a while, Dismas lowered his head with an embarrassed expression.


    ¡°Well, this is kind of embarrassing. This is my first time trying this, so it¡¯s taking some time to¡­¡±


    At that moment, Juan immediately jumped off the ground and charged toward Dismas before he could finish his sentence.


    Meanwhile, Dismas quickly spun his hammer around to swing it toward Juan as if he was already expecting Juan¡¯s actions. Dismas was actively making use of his bleeding hammer upon realizing that Juan was avoiding the hammer due to the difort that it caused.


    But Juan didn¡¯t dodge this time. He nted his foot firmly into the ground and caught hold of the hammer that was flying toward him. He suddenly experienced a sense of difort throughout his entire body as he exerted his full strength by tensing all his muscles.


    At the same time, a great force began to distort the hammer. Dismas was taken aback when he saw that Juan had grabbed onto his hammer, but his surprise quickly turned intoughter; he was looking forward to what Juan was about to do.


    Dismas had wielded his hammer to strike the heads of countless people and smash countless weapons up until now, but it had not sustained any damage whatsoever. The hammer not only contained a mass simr to a mountain, but it also harbored a lot of curses and resentment, all of which amplified its might.


    Above all, his hammer was something that was smelted by the Emperor himself.


    ¡°Howughable of you!¡±


    Dismas let out a roar and tried to push Juan down with his hammer. However, his eyes soon opened wide as the resentment and curses held within the hammer were released along with a scream. The resentment and the curses that spewed out of the hammer caused Dismas to cough, and the red-hot hammer that was heated up by Juan¡¯s hands started to distort at a strange angle.


    ¡°What is going on¡­!?¡±


    Dismas decided that he could no longer go easy on Juan and leave him unattended like this. His hammer was a gift from His Majesty and he couldn¡¯t let it break under any circumstances.


    Dismas attempted to get Juan off of the hammer by kicking him, but Juan reluctantly clung to the hammer; it was almost as if his hands were stuck to the hammer.


    Dismas figured that he had no choice, and inevitably made a terrifying decision. At that moment, he came to a stop as he saw something being reflected in Juan¡¯s eyes.


    It wasn¡¯t long until Juan also noticed what Dismas was looking at. A huge beam of light was stretching all the way from the West toward the Loen Basin.


    ¡°Damn it.¡±


    It was toote by the time Juan tried to take action. The sight of a huge beam of light hitting Entalucia with the intention of making her drop from the sky filled Juan¡¯s eyes.


    Entalucia seemed like she wanted to try to avoid the beam of light, since she sensed danger, but the beam of light narrowly brushing against her was already enough to leave damage.


    The huge beam of light punctured her wings, ripped off her scales, and left a huge wound on her.


    Seeing this, Juan immediately used Fleeting Moment, the fifth stage of the Baltic Sword, as soon as he took his hands off of Dismas¡¯ hammer. His heart constricted and his skin was suddenly set aze, but all his concentration remained on Entalucia.


    At this moment, Entalucia was falling to the ground while shedding an enormous amount of blood.


    The biggest disadvantage of using Fleeting Moment was that everything happened so quickly that even the user could only do actions that they had pre-nned. Yet, using Fleeting Moment was what allowed Juan to have a short moment to think.


    The moment Juan¡¯s sword flew past Dismas¡¯ hammer and attacked his wrist, he pondered about the identity of the beam of light as well as Dismas¡¯ malevolent scheme. It was unknown as to how badly Entalucia had been injured, but everyone would be in danger the moment she fell on the basin.


    Juan grew anxious and impatient as he remembered that H had yet to escape. He med himself for not being able to make the right judgment quickly enough due to being too focused on his confrontation against Dismas.


    Despiteing up with his next course of actions during the moment he used Fleeting Moment, Juan was left with a lot of regrets.


    Dismas¡¯ wrist was cut off in just an instant when Juan used the Fleeting Moment.


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    While he was no longer able to hold his hammer anymore, he didn¡¯t miss the opportunity created at the moment when Fleeting Moment was over.


    Dismas stretched out his wristless arm and punched Juan¡¯s face. Seizing the opportunity when Juan stumbled, Dismas pinned him down and mercilessly rained blows on his face using both his wrist and fist.


    While it didn¡¯t hurt much, Juan had no intention of letting Dismas continue punching him. So, Juan struck Dismas¡¯ nose with his head.


    The moment Dismas staggered back, Juan¡¯s fists smacked into Dismas¡¯ head and torso consecutively.


    <i>Smack! Smack!</i>


    A dull and heavy shock continuously struck against Dismas. His face instantly became bloody, but he was still smiling.


    ¡°This is amazing, Fake emperor!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still crazy about battles, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Entalucia crashed onto the basin with a loud roar. A huge cloud of dust soared from the ground as countless soldiers and giant ves were crushed in just an instant.


    Just before the dust rushed in to blur their vision, Juan stretched out his fist with the intention ofpletely overpowering Dismas at once.


    Dismas burst intoughter and blocked Juan¡¯s fist with the elbow of his wristless arm.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    With a grotesque sound, Dismas¡¯ arm was dislocated and bent at a strange angle. Dismas made a dumbfounded expression upon looking at his dangling left arm.


    ¡°This is just incredible. There¡¯s no way I¡¯ll ever win.¡±


    ¡°What even happened to you? Did you lose your mind?¡±


    Dismas had always been fond of battles, but what he liked was purepetition, rather than this kind of wild fighting. On the other hand, the only thing Juan could feel from Dismas right now was madness.


    Instead of answering Juan¡¯s questions, Dismas smiled and stepped down.


    ¡°Haha. I¡¯m now one hundred percent sure that I can¡¯t win against you today. So I guess I might as well stop now.¡±


    The fact that his wrist was cut off didn¡¯t seem to matter to him at all. Not only did Dismas have the essence of the emperor, he also had the Pope on his side. Healing and recovering from his wounds was easy as counting one two three.


    But the same was also true of Juan. Although he was also drenched in blood, he was more bothered by Dismas'' attitude rather than his own injuries¡ªit was a matter of great displeasure.


    Meanwhile, Dismas picked up his hammer with his remaining hand and began to run away.


    ¡°I promise to kill you and take your corpse with me the next time I see you!¡±


    Dismas quickly disappeared amidst the thick dust. It wouldn¡¯t be difficult to chase after him, but Juan figured that Dismas¡¯ situation was no longer an urgent problem that must be dealt with immediately.


    Juan took a look at the traces left behind by a huge beam of light that had just passed by. Dragons were species with a considerable amount of magic resistance, since they were quite good at magic. But that beam of light had prated the basin and even extended to the East even after hitting Entalucia and blowing away dozens of giant ves.


    Even Juan wouldn¡¯t be able to endure it if he was hit directly by such a beam of light. All Juan could hope was for Entalucia, H, Pavan, and Haild to be safe.


    ¡°What have you made, Dismas?¡±


    Juan muttered to the air.


    ¡°And what the hell did you make it for?¡±


    ***


    Entalucia¡¯s fall left behind a huge impact on the basin. Juan was able to confirm that Entalucia was alive by checking for her presence, but it was not clear whether she was conscious or not. He had no choice but to leave her to Haild for now.


    On the other hand, H¡¯s situation was far more urgent than Entalucia¡¯s. Although it was much weaker than earlier, the ominous energy still remained where she used to be. This could only mean one thing¡ªthe process of the formation of the Cainheryar was notpletely over just yet.


    The surroundings were full of dust and corpses. The soldiers covered in white dust staggered past Juan, while the knights from the Order of Surtr seemed to have already escaped. Juan could only hope that H wasn¡¯t swept away by this disaster.


    Shortly after, Juan arrived at the ce where he could feel H and Pavan¡¯s presence. Therge tent was torn due to shockwaves andpletely blown away, and a part of Entalucia¡¯s tail was covering the surrounding area.


    Juan was speechless upon seeing the oddly inted pieces of meat in front of him. Juan strode up and split the pieces of meat in half when he felt Pavan and H¡¯s presence from inside it. The heat emitted by Sutra instantly cut the meat with a burning smell, and Juan started looking for H and Pavan by cutting up the pieces of meat one by one.


    At that moment, pink body fluid suddenly sprang up. When Juan opened the area where the fluid sprang up from, he found someone lying face down.


    It was Pavan with a huge cut on his head.


    Pavan had hurt his head in the aftermath of Entalucia¡¯s fall, but it looked like the protection from the pieces of meat managed to save his life.


    Juan quickly tried to pull Pavan out of the pieces of meat, but soon stopped when he saw H beneath Pavan.


    Pavan was tightly holding onto H¡¯s sleeve and refused to let go of her.


    ¡°Please¡­ Please let me go..¡±


    Juan let go of Pavan at the sound of his moaning.


    Meanwhile, Pavan seemed to havee back to his senses and staggered to get up. He tried to head outside but failed; he couldn¡¯t even stand up properly due to the exhaustion.


    ¡°Pavan.¡±


    ¡°...We found it.¡±


    Pavan stared nkly at Juan with cloudy eyes and held something out. It was hard to see, since it was covered in blood, but it looked like a piece of flesh with red letters engraved on it.


    ¡°It took a long time¡­ because there was too much blood¡­ I couldn¡¯t see¡­ but all we had to do now was to just move it¡­ but then¡­ something suddenly came over us¡­¡±


    Pavan stuttered and tried to mutter something constantly. It was hard to understand, but Juan could quickly tell what Pavan was trying to say to him.


    Then, Pavan handed over a piece of flesh to Juan.


    ¡°Please either ask His Majesty to get rid of this¡­ or put it inside that bastard¡¯s mouth,¡± Pavan muttered.


    Pavan didn¡¯t seem to be able to recognize Juan, perhaps due to the shock, as well as the blood covering his face.


    Juan grabbed the piece of flesh from Pavan¡¯s hand and then Pavan stumbled with his head down in relief.


    However, the effect of dark magic in the piece of flesh had long since disappeared.


    Pavan tried to approach H once again but Juan stopped him.


    ¡°Pavan, stop.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ have to tell¡­ master that everything is okay now¡­¡±


    ¡°H is already dead.¡±


    Pavan nkly stared down at H upon hearing Juan¡¯s words. H¡¯s limbs were already melted amidst the pieces of meat. The only parts that remained to help Pavan recognize her appearance from when she was still alive was her upper body¡ªand even those parts were terribly damaged, as most of her skin was cut out.


    There was no expression on H¡¯s face.


    Looking at her stomach which was cut wide open, as well as her exposed organs, Juan could assume what had happened while he was fighting against Dismas.


    Pavan had done his best, while H did everything she could do to save Anya.


    ¡°No¡­ no¡­ no way¡­ There¡¯s no way. She was talking to me until just now.¡±


    Pavan shook off Juan¡¯s hand and approached H to examine her condition. He quickly checked H¡¯s eyes, her breathing, and her heartbeat, but she showed no response.


    Pavan stared nkly at H for a long time and then turned his head toward Juan as if he had suddenly remembered something.


    Pavan staggered toward Juan, but soon slumped to the ground; his legs were already numb. Nevertheless, Pavan crawled toward Juan and muttered while grabbing his feet.


    ¡°Your Majesty, please¡­ please save her using your power. I¡¯m sure she can stille back¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no use. She¡¯s already dead. And she will only suffer and die once more in her current state even if I manage to get back my full power to try and revive her.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ but still. If Your Majesty could at least give it a try¡­¡±


    Juan didn¡¯t move and Pavan clenched his teeth. He clenched his teeth so hard that his teeth broke and blood started flowing out of his mouth.


    Pavan red at Juan, but Juan was just standing there, motionless like a pir.


    Pavan could no longer see Juan as human¡ªhe could only see Juan as a rock that just stood still from the beginning to the end of the world.


    Pavany down at Juan¡¯s feet for a long time and then slowly raised himself up. His eyes were nk and cloudy.


    He stood as if he would copse if even the slightest gust of wind blew toward him.


    Then, he slowly saluted Juan.


    ¡°Captain Pavan Peltere of the Order of the Capital¡­ reports the failure of the mission¡­ to His Majesty.¡±


    Pavan¡¯s salute was formal and perfect even when he was almost out of his mind.


    Juan knew that Pavan and H were not on good terms. But he also knew Pavan¡¯s obsession toward his missions and his desire to seed.


    The reason why Pavan was out of his mind was unclear; it could either be because H had changed him or because he was shocked by the fact he had failed his mission. But one thing that was clear was that Pavan was a different person from who he had been until now.


    ¡°Mother?¡±


    But all this didn¡¯t matter to the young man approaching them.


    Haild was staggering toward H and he also appeared to have been injured by Entalucia¡¯s fall. Haild looked back and forth between Juan, Pavan, and the unidentifiable mass of meat.


    ¡°Entalucia was critically injured¡­ I was in the middle of chaos¡­ then mother sent me a signal¡­ so I came running¡­ but¡­ am I toote¡­?¡± Haild muttered with nk eyes.


    Haild was connected to H through the Crack and was able to receive her signal. He stammered and found H amidst the pieces of meat.


    Then he immediately recognized that Pavan¡¯s sword had H¡¯s blood on it as soon as he found Pavan standing there with an expressionless face.


    Haild could feel his blood going cold.


    ¡°Ahhhhhhh!¡±


    Haild charged toward Pavan without thinking any more. He was so out of his mind that he couldn¡¯t even think about drawing his sword. Haild¡¯s fist struck Pavan¡¯s face in just an instant, knocking him down to the ground.


    ¡°You son of a bitch! You were supposed to protect my mother!¡± Haild cried as he continued to punch Pavan recklessly.


    Pavan didn¡¯t budge and let Haild punch him as much as he wanted¡ªhe did not dodge or defend himself.


    At the same time, Haild showed no signs of stopping while Pavan¡¯s face was getting helplessly crumpled.


    However, when he pulled out Elkiel in his seething rage, Juan grabbed Haild¡¯s wrist to stop him.


    ¡°Pavan did everything he could to protect H¡±


    Haild looked at Juan as if he had a lot to say. But when Haild faced Juan¡¯s heavy eyes, he had no choice but to drop Elkiel to the ground.


    He breathed heavily for a long time, and then got up to head toward H.


    Juan also approached H along with Haild.


    Meanwhile, Haild stared at H for a while and then quietly removed her eye patch.


    Then he muttered while holding her eye patch in his hand.


    ¡°She can¡¯t be given an open casket funeral looking like this,¡± Haild looked at Juan. ¡°I would like to request your assistance, Your Majesty.¡±


    Juan found it hard to find the right words to answer.


    ¡°H died because of my orders. I don¡¯t deserve to do this for her.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure my mother will find her grave on her own,¡± Haild spoke firmly despite hearing Juan¡¯s words.


    ¡°And no one would take her death lightly if Your Majesty collected my mother yourself.¡±


    Juan looked at Haild. Haild¡¯s eyes were burning with anger and a desperate urge to get revenge.


    Juan suddenly felt dizzy. In the end, it was Dismas who had killed H, but Dismas was also Juan¡¯s son. If Juan had been a little more determined when fighting against Dismas, H might have still been alive. Juan couldn¡¯t help but go easy on his son, and Haild was looking at Juan as if he already knew this fact.


    ¡°All sinners¡­¡± Juan reached out his hand toward H¡¯s body. ¡°...will surely pay for their sins.¡±


    H¡¯s body burst into mes in an instant.


    The acrid dust began to rise toward the sky, and Pavan looked nkly up at the sky with his bruised face.


    The smoke dissipated toward the East in the wind.

 Chapter 204 – Funeral

    <h4>Chapter 204 ¨C Funeral</h4>


    The moon was gleaming as it emitted a green light. As the gloomy light colored the ground, people hurriedly went into their houses upon feeling a chill¡ªit was just another ordinary winter day, but it felt especially windy today. The suddente cold spell caused thend of Torra which had just begun to melt to freeze over once again.


    Heretia let out a long breath, as she hadn¡¯t expected the weather to get this cold once again, especially when she had thought that it was finally starting to get warmer.


    The cold wind permeated every corner of Torra, even the inside the Imperial Pce, causing all the rooms without any mes burning in the firece to be freezing cold.


    However, on this day no one could think about lighting up the firece.


    Heretia moved her wheelchair along the corridor and stopped in front of a room. After hesitating for a while, she carefully grabbed the doorknob to open the door.


    ¡°Oh, she¡¯s here.¡±


    Inside the room Nienna, Pavan, and Juan were waiting for her.


    To Heretia, Juan had always been a man whose sight alone was enough to chase away the cold and cause one to feel the heat. But today, she couldn¡¯t feel any warmth whatsoever from Juan.


    ¡°How¡¯s Anya doing?¡± Heretia asked.


    ¡°She¡¯s still unconscious. Fortunately, the injury to her spinal cord was curable. But more than that¡­ I don¡¯t know what to tell her when she wakes up.¡±


    H and Dilmond both ended up dying while trying to save Anya, while Anya ended up losing her ability to fight as well. Such a tragedy would normally be considered an excessive loss if put bluntly, but no one here thought so. The only thing they felt was pity.


    ¡°That¡¯s something that Anya will have to take care of on her own,¡± Juan answered quietly.


    Some would think that he was a cold-hearted person, but Heretia knew that he only said such words because he believed in Anya.


    Then, Juan turned his head toward Pavan.


    ¡°You said that H left behind herst words, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty,¡± Pavan answered in a hoarse voice.


    Pavan¡¯s face was full of severe bruises as well as scratches from the injuries he had received. He could have asked the Priests to use their healing Grace on him, but he did not even bother to visit them.


    ¡°Herst words¡­ were about the nature of the catalyst that is used in the making of a Cainheryar.¡±


    ¡°Catalyst? You mean those pieces of meat? Like the ones in the carriage we confiscated from the southern boulevard?¡± Nienna asked.


    Pavan nodded upon hearing Nienna¡¯s question.


    ¡°Yes. ording to master¡­ I mean Duke Henna, those pieces of meat awaken the faint remnants of the divinity left behind in a body and explosively boost its strength. Rather than creating power that doesn¡¯t exist, it can be said to be drawing on power from another world.¡±


    ¡°Another world¡­ is it the Crack?¡±


    Nienna was the first to react upon hearing Pavan¡¯s exnation. When it came to the power from another world, the first thing that came into everyone¡¯s minds was the Crack.


    However, Pavan shook his head in denial.


    ¡°No. While the power is from another world, it follows thews of this world.¡±


    ¡°But how? How is it possible to draw the power of another world while following thews of this world?¡± Nienna hastily asked as she felt frustrated; she felt that it might have had something to do with the Crack.


    ¡°Nienna, let¡¯s listen to Pavan first before asking further questions.¡±


    Nienna bit her lips and nodded upon hearing Juan¡¯s words.


    ¡°It¡¯s the power of Spirit Calling,¡± Pavan answered in a quiet voice.


    The entire conference room suddenly fell silent.


    Initially, Nienna and Heretia blinked their eyes; for a moment, they didn¡¯t understand what Pavan meant, but soon their mouths opened wide in shock when they understood what he meant.


    Meanwhile, only Juan was able to remain calm as he opened his mouth to break the silence.


    ¡°Those pieces of meat must have been pieces of Dismas¡¯ flesh.¡±


    ¡°Dismas¡¯ flesh? But dad. Such a thing is¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s certainly possible. He can even regenerate easily after losing his physical body¡­ After all, not only does Dismas have my essence, he even has the Pope by his side. Considering that Dismas is naturally gifted with the ability of Spirit Calling, of course his body would function as an effective catalyst that can even call out a dead god in just an instant.¡±


    Nienna was left speechless as she covered her mouth with her hand.


    Being able to regenerate the body and maintain an eternal life definitely sounded attractive to Nienna, since she lived a life where she fought on the battlefield almost every single day. However, the only thing that regenerative power guaranteed was an extra life on a battlefield where swords shed and people died.


    Before this, no matter how desperate Nienna was, she had never thought about cutting off her own hands or feet to use them as weapons and throwing them in her enemy¡¯s face. But now that she thought about it, the cut-off hands and feet would work as a great weapons, especially if they contained the power of god inside them.


    ¡°When a Cainheryar is used to resurrect a god, it is basically using the remnants of that god¡¯s power and Dismas¡¯ Spirit Calling, with the body of the god acting as a medium and Dismas¡¯ flesh as the catalyst. The process is instantaneous and controlling the god is quite easy; after all, it is all done by using Dismas¡¯ power,¡± Juan exined.


    Nienna opened her mouth after a long silence.


    ¡°If anyone else had been doing something like this, I would have said that they were being quite effective. But knowing that this is my little brother¡¯s business, I would love to ask him if he is out of his mind.¡±


    ¡°I would still ask them whether they were out of their mind even if they were not rted to me,¡± Heretia answered.


    ¡°It¡¯s not worth asking. It doesn¡¯t matter if all this is done by a stranger, by a little brother, or by a son. Dismas has gone crazy. Whatever his reasons are, nothing can justify his actions,¡± Juan said in a cold voice.


    Of course, Juan cherished all of his children. While H was also a cherished colleague to Juan, it was only natural that he cared more about his children than her. However, Juan understood that he must take the lead to knock his children down if their actions started entering a realm he couldn¡¯t understand¡ªespecially if those actions were entering the realm of madness.


    ¡°Dismas is my son and he is able tomit to his madness using my own power,¡± Juan said, feeling like he was squeezing his heart out.


    ¡°So I¡¯ll be the one to kill him with my own hands.¡±


    The room fell silent.


    Then someone knocked on the door of the room where no one was able to bring themselves to say a single word. While Heretia was the one closest to the door, Pavan stood up and opened it for her, since she had difficulty moving.


    Sina could be seen on the other side of the door.


    Sina spoke to Juan with somber eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s all ready.¡±


    ***


    Juan and the rest of the party headed to the front yard of the Imperial Pce.


    There weren¡¯t many people out in the front yard except for some of the important members of the Eastern Army, the Order of Huginn, as well as Juan¡¯s colleagues.


    Horhell was looking ahead with nk eyes, while Orca was letting out a small growling sound as if it was worried about Horhell.


    Meanwhile, Entalucia was in her human form and standing on top of a small tower far away, looking down at the front yard. She looked quite pale, but she didn¡¯t seem to want to miss the event.


    At this moment, Dilmond¡¯s body was ced on the top of a high pile of firewood in the front yard.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think the knights from the Order of Huginn might want to revive him as the Knight of the Dead?¡± Heretia cautiously whispered to Juan.


    Up until now, the Order of Huginn had been reviving all of their dead knights as Knights of the Dead except for those whose bodies couldn¡¯t be recollected. But this event was meant to cremate Dilmond¡¯s body rather than to revive him.


    Juan shook his head.


    ¡°The Order of the Huginn only did that to help the remaining colleagues who were in a desperate situation. No one truly wanted to be a Knight of the Dead. The Order of Huginn was a knight order meant to confront Nigrato¡¯s Army of the Dead in the first ce. Calling the Knights of the Dead ¡®senior¡¯ is nothing more than their way of showing respect¡ªafter all, the Knight of the Dead don¡¯t even have any intelligence. But now¡­ there are people who can get revenge for Dilmond.¡±


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    Heretia nodded.


    At that moment, someone slowly walked out amidst the crowd. It was Haild holding a wooden box in both his hands. He was no longer wearing any bandages around his face, and everyone was perplexed not only due to seeing his bare face that looked quite simr to Juan¡¯s, but also due to seeing the huge scar crossing his face.


    But most of the Eastern Army was surprised for a different reason¡ªespecially Horhell.


    ¡°Haild¡­ Haild Henna?¡±


    Horhell had been aware that Haild shared the same name as deceased H¡¯s son, but he had only considered it to be a coincidence. However, now that Haild revealed his bare face that looked the same as a seventeen-year-old boy from his memory, he was shocked.


    Haild seemed to no longer have any intention of hiding his identity. He approached the pile of firewood and lifted the wooden box to scatter the contents on top of it¡ªthey were the ashes left behind by H.


    ¡°Duke H Henna was the heir to the Arhen kingdom, the opponent of the Kaliduk dragons, the conqueror of Arbalde, the daughter of Bordeaux Benkel and He Henna, the head of the Henna family¡­ and she was also¡­ my mother.¡±


    Haild quietly recited all of H¡¯s titles.


    The members of the Eastern Army were greatly agitated upon hearing Haild¡¯sst sentence as they finally figured out his identity. It was only natural for them to be surprised, since the person who they had thought to be dead for so long had suddenlye back alive.


    However Haild continued to speak regardless of their agitation.


    ¡°I bury you here¡ªin my heart and soul. May you rest among the waves.¡±


    Haild stepped back in silence.


    Next was the time to pay respects to Dilmond. No one was able toe forward, since the Order of Huginn had lost both their Captain and their Deputy at the same time. Due to this, Juan was supposed toe forward and represent them on his own.


    However, someone unexpectedly came forward.


    It was Anya.


    Juan was a little surprised, since he had heard that she was still unconscious. But Juan easily moved out of the way for her.


    Anya was almost entirely wrapped in red bandages that were soaked in blood, likely due to the fact that she was forcing her body to move.


    ¡°Deputy of the Order of Huginn. The Dilmond ¡®cksmith¡¯ Debussy.¡±


    Anya looked at Dilmond as hey on top of the firewood with nk eyes.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to rush forward like that when you would have eventually died when the time came anyway. I¡¯ll see you again soon enough.¡±


    Anya didn¡¯t speak any longer, and turned around to step back. Blood colored the ground red everywhere she passed by, but she continued to stand upright to watch the funeral.


    Then, people looked at Juan; it was his turn.


    Juan slowly walked forward and Nienna handed a lit torch to Juan. This time, Juan did not use any magic. He was the first to throw the torch over the firewood.


    Following Juan, other people began to throw their torches one by one.


    As the torches piled up, mes slowly began to burn. Dilmond¡¯s body quickly burst into mes.


    At that moment Juan noticed some people approaching the front yard of the Imperial Pce. They seemed somewhat frightened, but they were firmly approaching the yard step by step. When Juan turned around, he saw the sight of many people marching in a long line while holding torches.


    There were nobles who had admired H who had been guarding the East, the knights of the Order of the Capital who had left H and the East behind for the sake of sess at the capital, as well as the refugees who were helped by H when Torra was turned into ruins.


    The nobles among them didn¡¯t dare to make eye contact with the emperor. However, despite their fear of the emperor, they had stepped into the Imperial Pce, determined to pay a tribute to H.


    Despite all the conflicts, the number of people who visited to pay a tribute to H was enormous. The mes burned more and more fiercely as they threw the torches over the firewood. The bitter cold disappeared without a trace in the face of the burning heat.


    Juan sighed.


    ¡®<i>Come to think of it, there was once a time when I thought that both H and Dilmond were already dead.</i>¡¯


    Juan recalled the time when Dilmond disappeared during his battle against Nigrato and the time when H was thrown into the sea from the wall of Beldeve. He had thought that both of them were dead, but they somehow managed to survive and even came back to Torra with him.


    Juan didn¡¯t want to think like this, but he thought of the phrase ¡®mother will find her grave on her own¡¯ that was said by Haild. Both H and Dilmond finally met their deaths only after waiting for the return of the emperor for a long time and then seeing Juan retrieve Torra once again. Perhaps they had already been looking for their own graves ever since then.


    ¡®<i>Then where is my grave? When will I meet my death?</i>¡¯


    Juan came up with a question that he had never thought about before.


    He did not intend to rule forever nor did he n to live forever. If he tried, it really would be possible; however, Juan never wanted to do so. There was once a time after he was resurrected when he was only alive because he couldn¡¯t find a way to die. But before he knew it, he had forgotten all about his desire for death¡ªhe suddenly felt the weight of the rest of his life.


    Looking at the mes burning high and the embers scattering away, Juan thought that it would be nice to know when his own mes would go out once they finished burning as fiercely as they could.


    However, there was one more ce that these mes needed to burn before they went out.


    ***


    ¡°Good job! You did great!¡±


    Ten days ago, at Cabragh¡¯s training ground.


    Dismas smiled joyfully and patted Imil Ilde on the back. It was such a strong pat that Imil Ilde coughed in pain.


    Imil forced a smile and looked back at Dismas.


    ¡°Not at all. It¡¯s all thanks to you, Doctrinal General Dismas. It must have been difficult to make so much of that¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, you can do just about anything as long as you have faith. All I had to do was lie still. It was my men who suffered more than I did. That work gets exhausting much faster than you would think.¡±


    ¡°Of course¡­ it¡¯s something that I can¡¯t even imagine.¡±


    ¡°So, when do you think you¡¯ll be able to send them all?¡±


    Imil looked around at the hundreds of carriages that filled up the entire huge training ground. The carriages were all loaded with red pieces of meat, and were fully prepared to depart at any time. Soon the carriages ought to be sent to all areas of the empire along the trade routes of Ilde family¡¯s merchants.


    Imil Ilde smiled and opened his mouth.


    ¡°I will send them all as soon as possible, along with the other shipments bound for Torra. They should all have arrived by the time you return from the Loen Basin, Doctrinal General Dismas. But more than that¡­¡±


    Imil looked at the huge tower located to the west of Cabragh with a concerned look on his face.


    ¡°Please take care of His Holiness so that he can properly use Telgramm. Using the Telgramm and the Cainheryars, these two weapons from the Mythological era, we will be able to overpower and defeat any opponents in this world.¡±

 Chapter 205 – Advent of Mythology (1)

    <h4>Chapter 205 ¨C Advent of Mythology (1)</h4>


    Learo, the trade city connecting the West to the South and the Capital, had many rumors due to the high number of people.


    The rumor about the battle between the Order of Huginn and the Cainheryar on the southern boulevard of Torra was quickly spread throughout the city. This was because not only were there quite a lot of witnesses, but also due to the aftermath.


    This certainly wasn''t some good news for the trade city of Learo, since this meant that trade was about to be cut off once again as soon as it just barely started again.


    ¡°I heard that there was a huge fuss in Torra once again.¡±


    One of Learo¡¯s guards red at the peddler who casually made the unpleasantment.


    The peddler quickly closed his mouth as if he had realized that he made a mistake, but such a reaction was understandable. Life was the most thing owned by anyone, and it was only natural for the merchants to avoid crossing paths with those who have experienced the battlefield.


    ¡°Yes, there was. But it was quickly handled by the Order of Huginn, so there¡¯s nothing to worry about,¡± the guard answered in a cold tone.


    ¡°I heard that the Captain of the Order of Huginn died.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Duke Henna who died, not the Captain of the Order of Huginn. Also, she died in a ce that has nothing to do with Learo. So, stop talking nonsense and get lost already.¡±


    The peddler shrugged upon seeing the Guard¡¯s defensive attitude and hurried his steps. He was originally headed for Torra, but he figured that it would be a good idea to go to Hiveden instead when considering the current atmosphere of the empire.


    It was said that Hiveden, the southeastern area of the empire, had been actively revivedtely despite the fact that it had been in a state of turmoil for a while. In particr, Hiveden was more attractive to the merchants, since it had little to do with the Capital and the West which were currently in a conflict.


    The peddler who was passing through the gates came to a stop when he saw arge carriage parked behind the wall. A well-made carriage that any merchant or peddler would covet was entirely covered in dust.


    ¡°Hey, what is that? Why is there an abandoned carriage over here?¡±


    The guard looked at the peddler with an irritated expression on his face, but he sighed when he saw the direction the peddler was pointing toward; the guard also had a lot to say about the abandoned carriage.


    ¡°That¡¯s a carriage owned by the merchants of the Ilde family. They said they will be back soon to retrieve it, but I haven¡¯t heard from them for a long time. Perhaps they were stabbed to death somewhere. I don¡¯t know what to do with it either. I mean, I can¡¯t just throw it away.¡±


    The peddler nodded as he was convinced by the guard¡¯s answer.


    The Ilde family¡¯s merchants were the most powerful merchants in the empire and at the same time were also the biggest supporters of the Church. Despite their influence and power, even the Ilde family could not possibly have remained intact at a time when the emperor had returned and the Church had been abolished, with the Pope being kicked out.


    Themoners couldn¡¯t understand why the returning emperor had destroyed the Church that had been faithfully worshiping him, but they had assumed that His Majesty must have a reasonable cause.


    Anyway, it wasmon for the merchants to run away when their trade group copsed. Uponing to the conclusion that the merchant in charge of the abandoned carriage must have fled, the peddler began to greed for the carriage.


    ¡°Hey, if getting rid of that carriage is such a pain in the ass for you, why don¡¯t you leave it to me?¡±


    The guard seemed to be contemting the peddler¡¯s offer. Putting hands on the Ilde family¡¯s items was normally impossible, but not only did the Ilde family seem to be done for good, but the abandoned carriage was also quite difficult to deal with.


    When the guard seemed to be hesitant, the peddler handed a few pieces of silver to the guard. It wasn¡¯t much, but the guard dly beckoned at the carriage as he thought that he just got lucky.


    ¡°All right. But take it away as quietly as possible. Do you have a horse with you? I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be able to pull that carriage away with the donkey you just brought. Oh, by the way¡ªthat carriage smells quite terrible. Maybe they were carrying some food ingredients or something? But make sure to take care of all of them outside the city.¡±


    ¡°Of course! Haha!¡±


    The peddler joyfully hurried to the carriage.


    <i>¡®Thank goodness. There was no way I could have made enough to buy a carriage like that by selling the donkey I brought. I can¡¯t believe that such a small amount of money was enough for me to get such a high-quality carriage.¡¯</i>


    The peddler was happy when he thought that he would be going back to his hometown with his hands full of precious items for his wife and his children. Some rotten smell was not a problem for him at all.


    The peddler covered his nose with his hand as he approached the carriage that was reeking of a rotten smell, but he couldn¡¯t help smiling.


    The cloth covering the carriage was colored red and rotten water was dripping to the ground.


    ¡®<i>There can¡¯t possibly be some corpse inside, right?</i>¡¯


    The peddler decided to look at the condition of the carriage first, just in case there actually happened to be a corpse inside.


    The inside of the carriage was revealed to the bright sunlight when the peddler lifted the cloth covering the carriage.


    What he saw wasn¡¯t a corpse, but it was something much more grotesque than that.


    The peddler made a strange expression.


    ¡°What the¡­¡±


    However, his words didn¡¯tst long.


    ***


    Juan suddenly lifted his head due to a sudden feeling of sharp pain pricking at his head from all directions. He wrapped his hands around his head even before realizing it due to the sudden explosive headache.


    The moment Juan was about to copse to the floor due to the intense pain, Sina hurriedly caught him.


    ¡°Juan? Juan! What¡¯s going on? Juan!¡±


    After attending Dilmond and H¡¯s funeral, Juan and Sina were headed toward the conference room to announce the operation n of the first day of preparations to advance directly toward the West¡ªJuan was fully prepared to lead the army.


    However, at that moment, Juan suddenly realized that a great disaster that was not evenparable to Dismas was approaching him.


    Juan suppressed his fluctuating heart and began to run in a hurry.


    Seeing this, Sina rushed to follow him.


    When Juan stormed into the conference room, people who had been waiting for him inside there immediately stood up from their seats.


    ¡°Your Majesty?¡± Haild asked, perplexed.


    Juan tightly clenched his teeth and pointed toward the ceiling.


    ¡°Check the fire beacon.¡±


    ¡®<i>Fire beacon?</i>¡¯


    Everyone was perplexed by Juan¡¯s unexpected words. However, Nienna and Horhell, the only ones who had lived through the mythological era, made a stiff expression.


    Nienna immediately ran outside to head toward the highest spot of the Imperial Pce.


    The others hastily followed her, but Juan called for Heretia and Pavan to stay.


    ¡°Heretia, messengers will start to arrive soon and they will continue toe for at least a few days straight. You¡¯ll have to n for support and distribution, since H isn¡¯t with us anymore. I¡¯ll give you the authority of the Regent so that you can pick out the necessary administrators. Also, don¡¯t even think about refusing.¡±


    Heretia couldn¡¯t even think about rejecting Juan¡¯s order upon seeing his firm attitude.


    Then, Juan immediately turned toward Pavan and gave another set of orders.


    ¡°Pavan, set up ns for evacuation and eptance of refugees that will being from the big cities. Order the Imperial Army not to confront the enemy until reinforcements arrive from the Capital; tell them to do their best to rescue and amodate the refugees. It will only be a matter of time before they all die if they are isted in this type of weather.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. Then, should we start with Torra?¡± Pavan asked in a calm manner.


    Juan shook his head.


    ¡°No, Torra is still pretty safe. Perhaps it¡¯s due to the early eradication of Iolin, but that¡¯s beside the point. However, other ces don¡¯t seem to be as lucky as Torra.¡±


    After leaving these orders, Juan hurried to the tower where Nienna and the rest of the party had gone earlier.


    Nienna and the party were looking at the horizon, but they had yet to find anything.


    Haild turned toward Nienna.


    ¡°Aunt Nienna, what does the fire beacon signify?¡± Haild asked.


    ¡°...Before His Majesty appeared, the appearance of gods and monsters approaching the empire was reported by using fire beacons. They had the purpose of catching everyone¡¯s eyes and giving them a warning. Those who raised the beacon risked their lives and were the first to die after reporting the appearance of a god or a monster.¡±


    Haild¡¯s expression turned pale upon listening to Nienna¡¯s exnation.


    ¡°Did you just say gods? But¡­ hasn¡¯t it been a long time since the gods disappeared? Is there anyone in the empire right now who knows about the tradition of the fire beacons? Even I found out what it means just now.¡±


    ¡°People always find a way out from referring to their history when they¡¯re in a crisis. I¡¯m sure there are some people who still remember,¡± Nienna answered.


    At that moment, Nienna quietly pointed to one side of the horizon. A thin pir of smoke was rising from the southwest.


    ¡°A city in the southwest¡­ maybe it¡¯s Learo. Do you think it¡¯s a fireing up from there by any chance?¡± Haild murmured, confused.


    ¡°There¡¯s smokeing up!¡± Horhell shouted.


    Haild wondered if Horhell had btedly discovered the smoke only now, but the direction he was pointing toward waspletely opposite to that of Learo.


    And right then, reports of smoke rising starteding from various directions simultaneously.


    Haild¡¯s face turned absolutely pale at the sight of the fire beacons rising from just about everywhere in the empire¡ªit looked as if the entire empire was burning.


    ¡°Juan, this is just¡­¡± Sina muttered while looking like she might faint at any time.


    ¡°Morguld, Arleyahir, Laboros, Ogustro, Aldeil, Rahab¡­¡± Juan quietly murmured the names of various gods.


    Everyone¡¯s faces turned pale when the names that they had only seen in the short excerpts about the mythological era were mentioned. While there were bad gods and generous gods, just hearing their names in this situation gave them the chills.


    Juan tightly bit his lips after muttering all those names and then turned his back. He red toward the West, the only direction from which there were no fire beacons rising. The western region seemed to be provoking Juan, as if it was telling him toe for it and at the same timeughing at him as it knew that Juan wouldn¡¯t be able to leave the burning empire unattended.


    ¡°Juan?¡±


    Sina called out Juan, but soon closed her mouth when she saw the look on his face¡ªhe was neither angry nor frightened. He just looked like he was barely holding back his nausea.


    ***


    Juan was able to detect a total of forteen Cainheryars.


    However, the number of Cainheryars which were reported ever since then through various means such as the fire beacons, messenger pigeons and crows, messengers, and the use of Grace were sixty-seven.


    ¡°The only Cainheryars I detected were those belonging to gods. I can¡¯t feel the rest of the weaker Cainheryars that don¡¯t have any divinity,¡± Juan clearly exined the reason for him detecting fewer Cainheryars.


    A big wave could be seen when stones were thrown into a pond, but nothing could be seen if small grains of sand were thrown into the sameke.


    Nevertheless, Juan figured the rest of the Cainheryars should still be those of legendary monsters, considering that Dismas went out of his way to revive them as Cainheryars.


    ¡°The monsters may be strong beings, but they are not something humans are incapable ofpeting with. They will eventually die if you stab and chop them, since they don¡¯t have any divinity.¡±


    ¡°But fourteen of them are still gods who have been resurrected, aren¡¯t they?¡± Horhell asked, concerned.


    Juan also had a lot of worries about the sudden appearance of the gods¡¯ Cainheryars. He would have postponed the punishment of Dismas and headed toward the Cainheryar if there was only one of them. But the various Cainheryas were spread throughout the entire empire made it hard for him to decide where he should go. After all, even the weakest among the Cainheryars of gods had enough power to destroy a whole city with ease.


    ¡°This is frustrating because we don¡¯t know how much control Dismas has over the Cainheryars. If he still has even the smallest amount of self control, he wouldn¡¯t allow Cainheryars that are so strong to go out of his control. So, I don¡¯t think they will be as strong as they used to be in the mythological era,¡± Juan said.


    ¡°Do you think the Imperial Army has a chance of dealing with them? There are still some divine weapons in the warehouse,¡± Pavan asked.


    ¡°All those weapons will do is temporarily bind their hands and feet. The strength of the Imperial Army alone won¡¯t be enough to deal with them,¡± Juan answered as he shook his head.


    Then Haild stood up and started to speak.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we try attacking the West with all our might? Ultimately, if Dismas is the one who controls the Cainheryars, we might be able to incapacitate all the Cainheryars just by getting rid of Dismas.¡±


    ¡°And we let the various Cainheryars run wild in the meantime?¡±


    ¡°...We can bear that much damage for the sake of a greater purpose, can¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t sit back and watch as the resurrected gods are running wild in my empire. By the time we are done, only ruins will be left in the empire even if all of us flock together and try to subdue Dismas. I do not wish to be the ruler of ruins,¡± Juan said with his eyes closed.


    Everyone waited in silence for Juan¡¯s decision. Whatever he decided, they had no choice but to tolerate bloodshed.


    Time was running out and Juan¡¯s agonizing silence didn¡¯tst long.


    The emperor¡¯s mouth slowly opened.

 Chapter 206 – Advent of Mythology (2)

    <h4>Chapter 206 ¨C Advent of Mythology (2)</h4>


    Arkul gate was a fortress located to the South of the Loen Basin, and functioned as the gateway to connect Torra and the West. Its original purpose was to act as the final fortress meant to prevent the Western Giants from invading the Capital, but now it was being guarded by the Giant ves to prevent the emperor from advancing to the West.


    The appearance of Giants who were lined up on top of the huge and thick walls that were originally designed to prevent Giants from being able to climb up was enough to make just about anyone feel pressured. It had already been a long time since tourists and merchants had stopped visiting the West, but the Western Army had no major problems due to ack of supplies, since they had collected enough food during the fall.


    ¡°This is wonderful. How spectacr!¡±


    Dismas made a satisfied smile while standing on top of the tallest tower at the Arkul gate. Numerous fire beacons could be seen rising over the horizon, indicating that his n was sessful.


    ¡°It¡¯s a huge sess, Imil!¡±


    ¡°All I did was to move around those carriages.¡±


    ¡°We wouldn¡¯t have been able to see such a spectacr view if it wasn¡¯t for the excellent tradework of your family. None of this would have been possible without you.¡±


    ¡°We could have pressed our enemies with the power of Cainheryars alone. I¡¯m afraid that our power might have be dispersed due to scattering them everywhere for no good reason. Besides, some of the Cainheryars look like they have lost their chance at resurrection due to the horsemen carrying their carriages running away in fear.¡±


    ¡°Oh don¡¯t worry about it; after all, we can¡¯t be perfect as long as we¡¯re human beings! That¡¯s why we need the eternal teachings of His Majesty.¡±


    Dismas¡¯s n was rather simple. When the Cainheryars attack the various parts of the empire and the power of the fake emperor is dispersed to take care of the Cainheryars, Dismas would appear to defeat the fake emperor. Then, by once again cing all the Cainheryars back to sleep as soon as the fake emperor¡¯s rebellion is over, Dismas will be able to regain the emperor¡¯s empire and also gain the respect of the humans who stillcked faith in the emperor.


    ¡°The fake emperor is not the only enemy we have, Imil. Those whock faith in the emperor are also going to be subjected to edification and punishment. Those types of people do not have any fear of gods, and at the same time, they have no respect for His Majesty. I think we should constantly remind them of how His Majesty saved us from bizarre beings like this.¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t agree more, Doctrinal General Dismas.¡±


    ¡°All right then. I¡¯ll go back to Cabragh for now. I need to make sure that His Holiness has learned how to properly make use of Telgramm. Then, I¡¯ll advance eastward as soon as I have confirmed it.¡±


    ¡°I must inform His Holiness that all of the Imperial people might die if he does not hurry.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not a bad result either. Starting anew on a white drawing paper where there¡¯s nothing drawn on it. The current empire is wrong and polluted right now, so it might be better to start over. Anyway¡­¡±


    Dismas, who was about to go down the stairs, suddenly came to a stop with a strange expression on his face.


    ¡°Doctrinal General? Is everything okay?¡± Imil asked.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ We might need to hurry more than I expected.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡±


    ¡°One of the Cainheryars has just been destroyed. And¡­ there¡¯s more than just one or two that are under attack right now.¡±


    ***


    Winter citadel had no specific name for it, and was simply called the winter citadel. The winter citadel of the North served as the Capital of the North, as well as thest bastion to protect the empire from the Crack.


    All the people living in the city except for the children were all trained to y the role of soldiers. Over the years, the winter citadel had been attacked by all sorts of mysterious monsters that had crawled up from the Crack, while at the same time, the chilly wind of winter wasn¡¯t new to them either.


    <i>Crash!</i>


    Walter from the Order of Fenrir hastily hid behind the wall upon hearing a deafening noise. Soon after, screams broke out from all directions as the ground started to tremble.


    Walter looked out of the window with a pale expression. One side of the wall which had protected the winter citadel for hundreds of years had copsed and redva was soaring into the air from everywhere. The earthquake and the heat that were unfamiliar in the north shook the winter mountains, causing avnches in the surrounding mountains.


    Countless people were burned to death or crushed to death by the avnches. And in the middle of all the surgingva stood a huge giant while looking down at all of them with burning eyes while holding a hammer in his hand.


    Walter recalled a record of that giant in the library.


    The giant¡¯s identity was Laboros¡ªhe was often confused with the god of fire due to his physical characteristics, but his exact title was ¡®the mountain builder.¡¯ Some also called him the master of all metals, the cksmith god, or the god of dwarves.


    He held many titles, but what was certain was thatva would soar from any spot that he struck with his hammer to form a mountain, be itnd or the sea.


    Walter didn¡¯t care about what that meant or why he was doing what he was doing.


    What was important was that a crazy giant was making a volcano in the middle of the city.


    The city was already covered with surgingva and volcanic ash in many ces.


    ¡°You son of a bitch!¡±


    Walter picked up the bag he had dropped and began to once again climb up the tower. It was unknown as to when the tower would copse amidst all the earthquakes and the flowingva, but he couldn¡¯t stop climbing.


    Walter wasn¡¯t the only person who was moving to stand up against the enemy. In fact, there was no one who was panicking or any fugitives in the entire winter citadel. The northerners guarding the winter citadel were ordered by Nienna to protect the winter citadel. They all had the mindset that if it has been ordered, then it must be protected.


    They had no intention of leaving the winter citadel even ifva filled up all the way up to their ankles. All they did was to quickly find whatever they could do to help. And if they failed, then their duty was to move on to the next thing that they could do to be of help.


    Right now, Walter was trying one of the many ways he could help.


    Finally, Walter was able to reach the top of the tower. The tower was inclined at an angle, and there were numerous battles going on underneath it.


    Once Laboros struck the ground with his hammer,va started to flow everywhere. That¡¯s when miniature dwarves jumped out of the thick and stickyva while emitting small amounts of heat, and spread everywhere to attack the people.


    Sharp des barely left any damage on the dwarves, since they were entirely made up of stones, but when the northerners noticed their characteristics, they started to strike the dwarves¡¯ heads with hammers.


    Such unexpected battles were rather familiar to the people of the North. After all, thousands of unknown monsters constantly popped out of the Crack, and the northerners had to be quick to adapt to be able to stand up to these monsters.


    Walter tightly clenched his teeth and took out the spears he had filled the bags with. Then he began to load them onto the huge crossbows ced on top of the tower.


    ¡°You think you¡¯re so special just because you¡¯re a god!?¡±


    <i>Crack!</i>


    The spear, which was fired with a sharp sound, narrowly brushed past Laboros¡¯ head. While it failed to injure him, it was enough to grab his attention.


    Laboros turned his head and slowly began to approach Walter.


    Meanwhile, Walter gritted his teeth upon seeing a huge burning giant half the size of the tower approaching him. But then he loaded another spear into the crossbow in a calm manner.


    ¡°Die, you bastard!¡±


    The spear did not miss this time, since it was fired at a much closer targetpared to the previous attempt.


    Laboros didn¡¯t seem to care too much about the small spear that was flying toward him, but the moment he was struck in the middle of the forehead by the spear, his neck was bent.


    ¡°Ugh, ha! Haha! How does that taste, you asshole?!¡±


    What Walter had fired toward Laboros was no ordinary weapon¡ªit was a divine weapon that was used in the mythological era. Back then, all gods were a threat to humans, but some gods were hostile to each other as well. They created weapons to attack each other, and those weapons that were created for such a purpose came in quite handy even during the emperor¡¯s era.


    The gods had disappeared, but the divine weapons that they left behind still remained in their warehouses.


    The left side of Laboros¡¯ head flew off due to the divine weapon¡¯s blow.


    This caused Walter to be delighted, since he thought that he had defeated Laboros; however, he soon felt a feeling of fear that made him freeze on the spot.


    Before he knew it, Laboros was already looking down at him from a higher position.


    Laboros aimed his huge hammer toward the tower.


    Amidst this situation where he was about to be crushed like a lump of iron ced on an anvil, Walter decided to load the crossbow one more time.


    ¡°Ha, haha! You think you¡¯re the biggest and hottest? You will also helplessly freeze and get destroyed once General Niennaes!¡±


    Laboros¡¯ hammer struck the tower at the same time as Walter¡¯s roar.


    Walter managed to dodge the hammer, but ended up being thrown into the air, and the tremendous height made it so that he couldn¡¯t guarantee his survival.


    Expecting his uing death, Walter raised his middle finger toward Laboros just before he was about to crash.


    ¡°Well done.¡±


    At that moment, something suddenly grabbed his middle finger. Even before Walter could realize what had grabbed him, the sight of a giant white wolf biting off Laboros¡¯ neck entered his eyes.


    ¡®<i>Fenrir.</i>¡¯


    A pir of steam immediately soared into the air as soon as Fenrir¡¯s icy fangs tore into Laboros¡¯ neck. Any part of Laboros¡¯ body that Fenrir bit and scratched turned gray and dull. While Fenrir¡¯s current appearance made it look like a lump of steam, Laboros¡¯ movements had also gotten quite sluggish.


    With a thud, Walter realized that he had once again arrived on a tower. Then he soon realized that he was riding on the back of another white wolf.


    A woman with silver hair and skin as pale as snow was holding onto his wrist.


    ¡°General Nienna!¡±


    ¡°All right. Fold your finger back down, will you? I¡¯m starting to get pissed off.¡±


    Walter nodded and folded his finger in a hurry.


    Nienna casually looked toward Laboros who was standing up in the middle of the winter citadel once again. The burning heat that was still being emitted by Laboros was bothering her.


    ¡°You¡¯vee to and that doesn¡¯t suit you. I¡¯ll let you know your ce.¡±


    ***


    The emperor¡¯s mouth slowly opened.


    ¡°Nienna. Head to the north with the Northern Army. You have left the Crack unattended for too long. The empire will definitely fall into a disaster if the Crack joins the battle to worsen the situation. Make sure to overpower the Cainheryars as much as you can as well,¡± Juan ordered Nienna right away.


    Nienna nodded with a relieved expression.


    Although Cainheryars were a huge threat to the empire, Nienna had confronted the Crack even in the days of the gods. Her true enemy was the Crack, rather than the gods. She was relieved to hear Juan¡¯s order, since she had been anxious that the northern city might lose its ability to deal with the Crack due to the arrival of the Cainheryar.


    ¡°Leave it to me, dad. I¡¯ll send every one of them back to their coffins.¡±


    ***


    The devastation that struck the Eastern coastal city of Orsk came without any warnings or foreshadowing.


    A huge deep sea creature called Rahab coiled its huge octopus feet over the wall, while a lump hung from its foot¡ªit almost looked as if a flower was blooming. Themp which was emitting green light erased the sunlight, as well as the moonlight, causing everyone¡¯s attention to be attracted by it.


    People stared nkly at the light, falling into a dream about a quiet, deep sea. Then a quiet whisper came from Rahab¡¯s mouth, causing the desire of wanting to breathe through their gills after swallowing the seawater slowly started to erode everyone¡¯s brains.


    [Come! Return to your true home to serve the master of the Abyss¡­]


    <i>Crash! Crash! Crash!</i>


    The sudden noise and heat that burst from nowhere caused people to copse to the ground. The people who were just released from the hallucinations were all gasping for air, and in pain as if they had forgotten how to breathe for a moment¡ªit was like they had suddenly turned back into human beings after they had been turned into a fish for a very long time.


    Those who just came back to their senses btedly found something beyond the wall and screamed in astonishment¡ªRahab¡¯smp that had been luring them in was now burning in the mes of a huge dragon.


    ***


    ¡°Horhell and Haild, you two head to the East with Entalucia. Entalucia, I know that you have decided not to intervene in this war and that your injuries have not yet healed. But I would like to ask you to do me a personal favor¡ªand I request this as the emperor. Please help to subdue the Cainheryars in the East.¡±


    Entalucia, who was still in an injured state, nodded easily upon hearing Juan¡¯s request.


    [When will there be another situation like this, where I can make the emperor owe me a debt? I have no choice but to ept it,] Entalucia answered.


    ¡°And Anya.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Everyone looked surprised upon hearing Anya¡¯s remark, since they had all thought that she would be thest person to disobey the emperor¡¯s orders.


    Anya was still entirely covered in bandages, and everyone btedly recalled that she had lost her necromancy due to the destruction of Umbra, as well as her mana heart upon seeing her appearance.


    In all honesty, she couldn¡¯t y any significant role in this war that could help lead them to victory.


    ¡°You were about to tell me to head to the South with the Order of Huginn, right? I always think Your Majesty is right, but I must refuse this. After all, if I have to die, I would like to die beside His Majesty,¡± Anya said with a firm expression.


    ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to go to the South. I have something to give you.¡±


    What Juan pulled out of his pocket was a ring.

 Chapter 207 – Advent of Mythology (3)

    <h4>Chapter 207 ¨C Advent of Mythology (3)</h4>


    At that moment, everyone in the room gasped and swallowed a gulp.


    Anya stared at the ck ring on Juan¡¯s hand for a while and then looked at Juan with a suspicious look on her face.


    ¡°There¡¯s something written on the ring. What does it say?¡± Anya asked.


    ¡°To a true knight,¡± Juan answered.


    The ck ring was the ring that Iolin had handed over to Juan earlier. The ring symbolized theke and it contained the power of Umbra inside it. Due to this, the ring was filled with not only Ras and Nigrato¡¯s powers, but also Iolin¡¯s power.


    ¡°I¡¯m giving this to you due to your courage. This ring will rece your mana heart. Go on and take it.¡±


    Anya hesitated for a second, but soon held out her hand to ept the ring while blushing.


    When she held out her hand toward Juan but didn¡¯t take the ring from him, Juan looked at her, wondering what she was trying to do.


    When he finally realized that she was asking him to put it on her finger with his own hands, Juan brought the ring close to her finger.


    The moment Juan tried to put the ring into her index finger, Anya quickly folded her index finger and pushed her ring finger toward the ring.


    ¡°I guess I have no choice now that I even got a ring,¡± Anya said triumphantly.


    Upon looking at people around him in shock, Juan btedly realized that his intentions had been mistaken.


    Juan ced his hand on his forehead and then opened his mouth.


    ¡°There¡¯s no time for jokes, Anya. I¡¯m serious. Now do me a favor and¡­¡±


    ¡°Head to the South. Got it.¡±


    Anya willingly agreed. Then she added with a smile on her face.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to bring a nice wedding gift on my way back.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t give you that ring with such an intention. I don¡¯t need a gift either. Juste back safely, will you?¡±


    Juan rified his intentions, but Anya didn¡¯t seem to care at all.


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill as many as I can to send them as gifts to Dilmond and Duke Henna. Then I can bring all of them back to life to give them to Your Majesty as a gift. I¡¯m frugal, you know.¡±


    ¡°Yes. That should be a good enough gift.¡±


    ***


    ¡°To be honest with you, I don¡¯t know how to kill a god,¡± Anya murmured with a devastated look on her face.


    Learo had already been turned into a mess by the time she arrived. The Cainheryar that had appeared in Learo was the one belonging to Morguld¡ªalso known as the god of war. He was the god of all warriors, as well as the ruler of all weapons.


    Morguld had conquered Learo in a chariot that smelled like gunpowder while wielding an oiled whip. Meanwhile, the irond knights summoned by Morguld quickly began to turn Learo into a fortress¡ªthat was until Anya arrived.


    ¡°So I have no choice but to cut him into small pieces like this for now. I¡¯m only asking because I¡¯m not entirely sure yet, but can you be said to be dead right now, by any chance?


    Anya cut Morguld into tiny pieces in less than an hour after her arrival at Learo. His fragments were scattered here and there all over the city, and Anya was running around chasing after his face after arranging the other body fragments in order.


    ¡°...Captain Anya? What are you doing? Why are you talking to yourself over there?¡± One of the knights from the Order of Huginn who was watching the scene asked with a fed-up look on his face.


    ¡°Oh, this is Morguld¡¯s ear. I was in the middle of asking his opinion.¡±


    Anya answered the knight and then ran toward Morguld¡¯s dismembered chin. After putting her ear close to Morguld¡¯s chin, Anya shook her head with a disappointed look on her face.


    ¡°I¡¯ve asked several times, but he¡¯s not giving me any answer. Hmm, I thought that he would still have some strength left to give an answer, since I had heard that gods don¡¯t really die easily. Oh, Perhaps hecks the intelligence to give an answer?¡±


    ¡°Or he could already be dead. I mean, you cut him into so many small pieces like this¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no way that he¡¯s already dead. He holds the mighty title of the god of war, after all. Come to think of it, he¡¯s not worthy of that title at all. His Majesty is actually much more suitable for the title of god of war and god of death.¡±


    Anya calmly made remarks that Juan would have been irritated by if he heard them in person. Then she raised her hand with a smile, looking at the ring that Juan had given her.


    ¡°It is quite unfortunate for the citizens of Learo, but I¡¯m d to have a lot of gifts to bring back to His Majesty. In fact, I think the Army of the Undead might be a better gift for him than living citizens.¡±


    Anya climbed up on the back of the bone crow as she vigorously bent her shoulders.


    ¡°But let¡¯s speed up and deal with everything as soon as possible, since His Majesty seems to prefer living citizens unlike me! Our mission is to sweep through the Cainheryars before anyone else and be the first to return to His Majesty before he burns them all!¡±


    ***


    Haild, who was listening to the conversation quietly, opened his mouth. His face was full of frustrations and concerns.


    ¡°Wait, Your Majesty. Then what are we going to do about Dismas? Please don¡¯t tell me that you¡¯re going to go alone. That¡¯s just¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no way that¡¯s happening. Dad, Dismas is much more dangerous than we had thought. And there is no guarantee that the Cainheryars we have detected so far are all that he has. I know how powerful you are, but you cannot face more than two gods at the same time on your own. Besides, we haven¡¯t even figured out the identity of the strong beam of light that caused Entalucia to fall down on the Loen Basin,¡± Nienna interrupted Haild to Nag at Juan.


    ¡°I understand. But don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not going alone¡ªSina and Pavan will being with me.¡±


    Pavan bowed his head in silence upon hearing Juan¡¯s words.


    Ever since H¡¯s death, Pavan hadn¡¯t been very vocal and often showed strong murderous intent. Juan couldn¡¯t tell what Pavan was thinking, but his murderous intent was exactly what was needed at the moment.


    ¡°I¡¯ll join you, Your Majesty.¡±


    At that moment, someone else opened the door and walked in.


    It was Captain Lenly Loen of the Imperial Guards. The Saintess Ivy Isildin also followed him with hesitation.


    Seeing them, Juan pointed toward the two and spoke, ¡°See? Even the Captain of the Imperial Guards will join me to protect me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen the Captain of the Imperial Guards properly y his role before. The previous Captain failed to protect Your Majesty and led to your death, and the current Captain allowed the enemies to take away Your Majesty¡¯s body. Am I wrong? Besides, he still looks blind.¡±


    Lenly¡¯s face stiffened upon hearing Nienna¡¯s cold voice.


    Then Juan stopped Nienna. ¡°Nienna, don¡¯t be rude. They tried their best and I won¡¯t me them for the inevitable events. Lenly¡¯s wounds have recovered considerably. He did be somewhat color blind, but he can still fight just fine.¡±


    ¡°...Fine. I apologize, Captain of the Imperial Guards. But is the Saintess who is standing behind him seriously joining you as well? She doesn¡¯t look like she¡¯ll be of much help. Do you even know how to ride a horse?¡±


    Ivy blushed out of embarrassment when Nienna pointed her out. However, she took a step forward and opened her mouth, determined.


    ¡°The Pope is obsessed with me, and Dismas won¡¯t disregard someone that the Pope is obsessing over. I have my worth as bait. Wouldn¡¯t that be enough of a reason for me to go as well?¡±


    ¡°Hah.¡±


    Niennaughed out loud. She hadn¡¯t expected Ivy to stand up for herself.


    It was known from many reports that the Pope was obsessed with Ivy, and Nienna nodded, since she figured that Ivy would serve as a good means to expose the enemy¡¯s weakness if she was to join them as they headed to the West.


    ¡°...Thisdy is more determined than I had thought. Hey, Captain of the Imperial Guards. Did you approve of this?¡± Nienna asked.


    ¡°...I objected, but I will respect the Saintess¡¯ decision,¡± Lenly answered in a worried voice.


    For some reason, all the people in the room thought that Lenly was only participating in the expedition to the West because he was afraid that the Saintess would die.


    Then, Haild opened his mouth as if he could not understand something.


    ¡°But we can¡¯t use a vulnerable woman as bait to¡­¡±


    ¡°Haild, do not look down on her courage. She is willing to fight as hard as she can,¡± Nienna cut off Haild¡¯s words.


    Haild closed his mouth, while Ivy nodded with her trembling, yet determined eyes.


    ¡°The Pope has already killed me once,¡± Ivy said.


    Lenly opened his eyes wide and looked at Ivy. No one had ever heard of such a story before.


    ¡°Then he brought me back to life right after. I saw my own brain fluids, blood, as well as pieces of my broken skull. I am aware that revenge is not a good thing, but I want him to experience what I went through as well.¡±


    ¡°You want him to see what color his own brain is?¡± Nienna chuckled.


    Ivy smiled awkwardly upon hearing Nienna¡¯s unexpected joke and nodded.


    ¡°That would be nice. I actually think that¡¯s what I want.¡±


    ¡°I like thisdy. It would have been nice if I had a chance to get close with her.¡±


    Juan stood up from his seat as he figured that they hade to a conclusion.


    ¡°It¡¯s an unexpectedbination, but it¡¯s the best we¡¯ve got. We arecking in everything right now, so we can¡¯t move as leisurely as we did when we attacked Torra. Above all, what weck the most right now is my mercy.¡±


    Juan continued to speak in a calm manner.


    ¡°Our tactic for the war against the West is simple. Burn everything before it burns us first. That¡¯s the end of our n.¡±


    ***


    A sudden vibration began to shake the spire of the Arkul gate.


    Dismas briefly came to a stop on his way to head down the stairs, then he climbed up the spire once again.


    At the same time, Imil looked toward the East with a puzzled expression¡ªa cloud of dust could be seen rising from the East.


    Imil gritted his teeth and shouted.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Capital Army!¡±


    The Capital¡¯s Imperial Army was fiercely running toward the Arkul gate with the intention of splitting it in half¡ªit looked as if they were going to resolve their resentment. Imil figured that they must be the knights of the Order of the Capital, as well as the elite among the elites of the Cavalry, considering their speed.


    ¡°They are moving much faster than we had expected. They got so close in just one day¡­ but that is¡­?¡±


    Imil couldn¡¯t help but be perplexed as he watched the scene. Although the Imperial Cavalry was strong, they wouldn¡¯t stand a chance in a confrontation against such a fortress¡ªunless the horses could climb over the wall.


    Imil looked back at Dismas in a hurry.


    ¡°What are they nning to do? Does the Cavalry have enough strength to split the wall in half just like the knight orders led by Temrs? Wait¡­ it can¡¯t be that the Bishops of the Capital have granted them a Grace, can it?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not possible. Granting a Grace is controlled by the Pope now. Bishops are only capable of giving Blessings. Blessings are limited to reinforcing someone¡¯s physical abilities, and that alone would not allow them to gain enough strength to break through the wall¡­ Wait¡­ Break through the wall?¡±


    Dismas turned his eyes to the top of the wall. Giant ves were rushing to prepare for defending upon finding the Cavalry.


    At that moment, Dismas found a bright spark in a hill near the Arkul Gate. It was something that he had mistaken for a fire beacon.


    Dismas suddenly felt a chill running down his spine.


    ¡°Everyone!¡±


    Dismas¡¯ loud roar rang throughout the entire Arkul Gate.


    Imil plugged his ears and staggered before copsing to the ground.


    ¡°Get off the wall!¡±


    Dismas¡¯ extremely loud voice reached not only the entire wall, but also the eardrums of the Capital Army¡¯s Cavalry. Of course, it also reached Pavan¡¯s ear, since he was charging at the very forefront of the cavalry.


    Pavan grinned as he revealed his teeth.


    ¡°It¡¯s already toote, you son of a bitch.¡±


    A sudden whip of me split the walls of the Arkul gate in half.


    ***


    Juan took a deep breath and raised his arm. His arm that was holding Sutra felt a pleasant amount of muscr pain.


    The ce Juan was standing at was the top of a small mountain overlooking the Arkul gate. Juan had climbed up the mountain much earlier and arrived way before the Capital Army¡¯s Cavalry. After waiting for the Cavalry to arrive, Juan swung Sutra at just the right time.


    In just a single blow, the Arkul gate lost its function as a fortress. Meanwhile, dozens of Giant ves rapidly turned into ashes and fell off the wall.


    The wall copsed as it was cut diagonally, but Juan had no intention of stopping after only one blow.


    ¡°All right¡­ One more time.¡±


    Juan lifted Sutra high into the sky. Sutra, which was glowing red due to the heat, began to burn even more fiercely and violently as it absorbed Juan¡¯s mana as much as it could. The red mes around it soon turned blue and then began to burn and melt everything around it.


    When Juan thought that enough force had been condensed within the Sutra, he swung the burning sword once again. Another disastrous wave of fire split the Arkul gate. This time, the gatepletely copsed and was fully exposed.


    The Giants and soldiers that were still alive hurriedly descended from the wall to prepare for the battle inside the gate, but now they had to face the Order of the Capital¡¯s spears and swords.


    In the meantime, there was one tall spire that did not copse even amidst all this.


    Juan kept his eyes on this spire. An invisible and intangible energy was pushing Juan¡¯s power away from around the spire, almost as if it was a btedly used defensive magic.


    But all this didn¡¯t matter to Juan, since he had no intention of wielding Sutra anymore.


    Juan let out a long breath.


    Sutra was an unsuitable weapon for arge-scale battle like this. Although it wasn¡¯t very efficient, it helped Juan to achieve the desired effect. Swinging Sutra one more time couldpletely destroy the Arkul gate for good, but Juan decided to save his strength.


    After all, he was yet to face his true enemy.


    ¡°Dismas.¡±

 Chapter 208 – Dismas Dilver (1)

    <h4>Chapter 208 ¨C Dismas Dilver (1)</h4>


    Dismas revealed his teeth as he looked at the Arkul gate, which had beenpletely destroyed in only two blows.


    ¡°Imil, head over to Cabragh,¡± Dismas ordered as he looked for Juan, who had disappeared from the mountain.


    ¡°Doctrinal General?¡±


    Imil looked at Dismas with a perplexed expression on his face, but soon realized his intentions.


    ¡°Doctrinal General, you muste with me! This is not your ordinary battlefield. The Order of Surtr isn¡¯t here and neither are the Cainheryars! Above all, Telgramm is not fully ready to operate just yet!¡± Imil shouted in a hurry to stop Dismas.


    ¡°He is still here, Imil. He has already done such terrible damage to our soldiers. We can¡¯t just let him leave him like this without getting revenge on him.¡±


    ¡°But you already know that we can¡¯t win!¡±


    Dismas turned his head and red at Imil with sharp eyes.


    Imil gasped when he met Dismas¡¯ gaze, but gritted his teeth and continued to speak.


    ¡°You¡­ muste with us¡­ without you¡­ we will not be able to hold out¡­ Doctrinal General¡­¡±


    Dismas frowned and lifted Imil up by the cor. Then, he pulled off the ne hanging around Imil¡¯s neck and forcibly put mana into it.


    Imil tried to shout something, but his body soon disappeared as if it had just been erased by that light. Only then did Imil realize that he was forcibly being sent to Cabragh.


    To prepare for the uing battle, Dismas took out the bleeding hammer that he carried on his back. The handprint on the hammerhead left by Juan was clearly visible. The hand that had left this handprint had also left a scratch on Dismas¡¯ pride.


    ¡°You should have just run away along with him.¡±


    Dismas immediately brandished his hammer at the sudden voice behind his back. The walls of the spire that were struck by his hammer burst like sand, but Dismas did not feel any bones breaking or flesh being torn.


    The moment Dismas¡¯ gaze turned toward his back, something ck had tightly grabbed his head.


    ***


    Juan used Blink and mmed against Dismas even before thetter could blink.


    Using Blink¡¯s tremendous eleration, Juan smashed Dismas¡¯ head against the spire wall. The spire wall instantly burst and scattered into debris everywhere. The two plunged down.


    Then, a loud bang rang throughout the entire Arkul gate; however, not a single person looked up.


    The Arkul gate had been turned into a battlefield when the Capital Army¡¯s Cavalry rushed in. The Cavalry rushed into the gate like a surging wave as they began to ruthlessly ughter the soldiers inside.


    Giant ves let out a few roars as they tried to punch a few of the cavalry to death, but soon, dozens of spears pierced through their heads, causing them to drop to the ground.


    Mid-flight, Juan grabbed Dismas¡¯ face with his left hand and punched him with his right. Dismas¡¯ jaw was shattered and fragments of his teeth flew out with every thud.


    But Juan did not stop or slow down until Dismas¡¯ head hit the ground.


    The impact of the fall made the stone pavement on the boulevard crack in all directions. The shock was so great that Dismas¡¯ head was almost buried under the stone pavement.


    Yet Juan didn¡¯t stop even then; he repeatedly punched Dismas.


    At that moment, the bleeding hammer that Dismas was holding in his hand struck Juan¡¯s side. Juan only felt a slight pain, but he was thrown into the air and flew to the other side of the boulevard before he even knew it.


    ¡®<i>The weight difference between him and me is so big that I won¡¯t be able to hold out if I don¡¯t prepare myself enough.</i>¡¯


    Dismas, who was lying as if he were dead, slowly raised himself up, using his hammer as a cane. His face was so badly damaged that it was hard to even recognize him, but it quickly recovered like a piece of y that was being molded.


    Juan clicked his tongue as he confirmed that Dismas¡¯ hand, which he had cut off thest time, had already grown back and was fully intact. It was only natural that Dismas had the ability to regenerate, since he had Juan¡¯s essence, but even taking that into ount, his rate of recovery was extraordinarily fast.


    ¡°You¡¯re a strong man, and yet you¡¯re still not letting your guard down. That¡¯s pretty impressive, fake emperor!¡± Dismas said as he spat out thest bits of his broken teeth.


    All the missing teeth had already grown back.


    ¡°You¡¯ve be a monster, Dismas,¡± Juan said with a frown.


    ¡°A monster? No¡­ All I did was train the abilities given to me by my father. Just as muscles grow when you constantly use them, skills also improve when you use them.¡±


    Juan was already aware of the fact that the catalyst used to revive a Cainheryar was Dismas¡¯ flesh. This meant that Dismas had voluntarily butchered himself hundreds of times.


    Juan had a fed-up look on his face as he imagined just how many pieces of meat would have been needed to revive a Cainheryar.


    ¡°You are just¡­ I don¡¯t even know if you¡¯re really Dismas at this point. Do you even feel pain? Do you have at least a little bit of your human heart left in you?¡±


    ¡°Of course I feel pain and of course I have a human heart within me.¡±


    Dismas ced his hand over his chest in a calm manner. His expression seemed somewhat sad and determined.


    ¡°My heart aches even now if I think about His Majesty¡ªmy father. It hurts as if I¡¯m about to die at any moment. But that¡¯s also why I¡¯m fighting. I¡¯m fighting to be healed. My physical body means nothing to me. If His Holiness hadn¡¯t shown me the way, I would have been nothing better than a piece of meat, rotting away slowly.¡±


    Juan clenched his teeth. His heart ached upon seeing Dismas calling himself a lump of rotting meat. He felt that everything was his own fault, and he knew that it was irreversible.


    ¡°There¡¯s only one thing I can give you now¡ªdeath.¡±


    Sutra¡¯s mes began to burn slowly but fiercely.


    ¡°But this is also a sin that I must bear.¡±


    ***


    A Giant ve struck down with his huge shield. The enormous weight bore down on a cavalryman, splitting him in half before he could react. Blood dripped down the shield as the Giant pulled it back.


    This Giant ve was rampaging more violently and intenselypared to the other Giants. It was not easy for the Capital soldiers to approach him, since he was standing between the cramped buildings.


    Pavan frowned at the Giant.


    ¡°Ureal, Orn. Take a detour with the soldiers. It''s a waste of time to be held back by this one Giant. Kilt, you check the rear of the Arkul gate. I¡¯m not getting any reports from there¡­ Don¡¯t give them breaks. Make sure to turn this ce into their graves. H, you go and catch the Giants¡¯ attention. I¡¯ll handle this myself.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Sina approached Pavan as he constantly gave orders to his subordinates. She was drenched in blood, but showed no signs of injuries. The same was also true of Pavan.


    ¡°We are being held back by a Giant ve.¡±


    ¡°But Giants have not been a problem so far, have they?¡± Sina asked.


    ¡°There are individual differences among the Giants¡ªit¡¯s just like how not all humans are the same. That guy is a pain in the ass.¡±


    Pavan raised his sword and pointed it at the back of the Giant in question.


    On the Giant¡¯s back was a dead soldier hanging upside down. Countless arrows had pierced through his body.


    Sina quickly judged the situation.


    Unlike other lethargic Giant ves that were still under control, this violent Giant was already out of the soldier¡¯s control and had thus begun to make a fuss once he had regained his true nature. Sina assumed that he had been one of the most outstanding warriors among the Giants in the past.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He will soon be overpowered. We can¡¯t have this guy slowing down the siege,¡± Pavan said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of him,¡± Sina answered briefly and jumped off her horse.


    Upon seeing Sina charging toward the Giant, Pavan made an order to the other soldiers instead of stopping her.


    ¡°Everyone, cover Dame Sina! Break through the road as soon as Dame Sina charges at the Giant!¡±


    The Giant didn¡¯t hesitate to swing his shield at Sina when he saw her approaching him. The shield didn¡¯t even brush against Sina, but the Giant swept the entire alley without stepping back. This blow left a long trail of blood on the road as all the remaining soldiers who managed to dodge the previous attack were swept away in an instant.


    It seemed like Sina had no way out of this attack either, but she quickly disappeared before the Giant¡¯s eyes the moment his shield struck.


    The Giant looked around with a perplexed expression.


    He saw Sina running on the wall from the opposite side of the road. To be exact, she was stepping on the fine bricks and decorations that were popping out of the wall, but to the Giant, that was no different from running on the wall.


    In spite of her heavy armor, Sina easily jumped up to meet the Giant¡¯s gaze, and her de came crashing down on his head.


    The Giant hurriedly raised his shield to block Sina¡¯s attack, but it was no use. Just as the shield appeared in front of her sword, the Giant split in half from his forehead all the way down to his belly button, with a grotesque ripping noise. The Giant copsed, while blood and intestines poured out from the long-cut wound.


    As soon as the Giant copsed to the ground, the cavalry immediately trampled on his body to rush forward.


    Then, a massacre began elsewhere as the siege began in earnest.


    Sina exhaled a long breath as she looked at the Giant¡¯s body getting helplessly crushed by the cavalry.


    ¡®<i>He was as powerful as the one-eyed Giant from back in Tantil.</i>¡¯


    Sina recalled Talter¡¯s avatar that was killed by Juan back in Tantil. Although a bit smaller than the Giant Juan had killed, the Giant that Sina had just killed seemed to be on the same level as Talter¡¯s avatar, considering that he was not only faster, but also armed. To think that she couldn¡¯t even see herself facing the one-eyed giant back then¡­ Sina realized that she had grown beyond imagination.


    ¡®<i>Perhaps it¡¯s all thanks to the gift General Nienna left for me, but still¡­</i>¡¯


    Sina clenched her pocket, recalling the items that Nienna had left her with before leaving for the North.


    Pavan approached Sina. ¡°That was incredible. I wouldn¡¯t have been able to take care of him as fast as you did, Dame Sina.¡±


    Sina hurriedly shook off the white frost on her hands.


    ¡°I just got lucky. Is the upation going well?¡± Sina asked.


    ¡°The east wing has not yet been cleared. I guess there¡¯s a troublesome enemy there¡­ but it¡¯s only a matter of time before it is fully upied, since the soldiers who took a detour to the rear are about to enter the fray as well. The left wing will be finished in less than ten minutes. You don¡¯t need to worry about the Capital, since His Majesty is there to take care of the situation. There seems to be a few remnants that have escaped, but I don¡¯t think they will be a big problem.¡± Pavan reported the current progress of the battle in a calm manner.


    SIna was surprised that Pavan, who had neither the ability to detect the enemy¡¯s presence like Juan, nor the ability to look down on the battlefield from the sky, was able to urately exin the situation of the battlefield.


    Pavan added an exnation upon seeing Sina¡¯s expression.


    ¡°Considering the ability and characteristics of the knights, the strength of the squads, the speed at which the enemy¡¯s support team arrives, the frequency of theunch signals and the messengers¡¯ arrivals, I can get a rough understanding of how things are going.¡±


    ¡°...I see. I can¡¯t imagine myself being able to do the same.¡±


    ¡°Given the speed of your growth in swordsmanship, it seems like you will be able to learn tactical skills just as quickly. Let¡¯s head over to His Majesty, since it looks like the Arkul gate will bepletely taken care of in forty to fifty minutes.¡±


    ***


    Dismas¡¯ hammer was damaged every time Sutra¡¯s mes shed against it. The hammer, which had already been damaged by Juan¡¯s hands, was no longer able to use the strong resentment of its past victims like before. The only ce the victims¡¯ souls could go to was hell, but Juan was already presenting them with fire even hotter than that of hell.


    ¡°Ahhhhhhhh!¡±


    Dismas burst into a roar and threw himself at Juan once again.


    Juan chose to dodge the attack this time, since he figured that there was nothing good about directly taking the attack of the bleeding hammer. Grabbing the hammer just once was good enough after all.


    After dodging Dismas¡¯ attack, Juan immediately charged at the group of soldiers wandering around, aiming to cut them down.


    A dozen of soldiers were instantly split in half and copsed to the ground.


    Dismas clenched his teeth and rushed toward Juan. Instead of focusing on the battle against Dismas, however, Juan continued to inflict damage on Dismas¡¯ subordinates at his leisure. Dismas couldn¡¯t help but burst into anger, since he had been expecting a thrilling fight with Juan.


    ¡°Fight with all your might, you son of a bitch!¡± Dismas roared.


    ¡°Would you be able to hold out if I did that?¡± Juan asked back with a smile.


    Dismas gritted his teeth and kept swinging his hammer.


    With that, Juan was convinced that Dismas was unable to use Spirit Calling. He didn¡¯t know whether Dismas was incapable of doing it or he simply wasn¡¯t doing it of his own will, but he was refusing to use Spirit Calling.


    Dismas¡¯ ability to summon the power of a god through his own body made Juan concerned beyond wonder. However, it was clear that the ability had some restrictions, considering that Dismas wasn¡¯t using it even though he was having a difficult time facing Juan.


    The moment the bleeding hammer flew toward his head, Juan quickly swung Sutra at it.


    <i>sh!</i>


    A corner of the bleeding hammer flew away with a sharp noise, and the scattered pieces knocked down several buildings with a loud noise.


    Dismas was bewildered.


    ¡°But how¡­?¡±


    In fact, Juan had not broken the corner of the hammer in a single strike; rather, he had struck the part that he had already scratched with dozens of shes. Even the power of Sutra was not enough to break the bleeding hammer in a single strike¡ªbut Dismas wasn¡¯t even able to perceive such a fact.


    ¡°You¡¯re slowly getting tired, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Dismas¡¯ expression hardened upon hearing Juan¡¯s question. It wasn¡¯t just the bleeding hammer that was damaged. Dismas was also burned here and there after being struck by Sutra several times. Even if he was granted the power of healing due to the emperor¡¯s essence, the burns caused by these mes couldn¡¯t be easily treated.


    Unlike Juan, Dismas had no innate resistance to mes. His healing abilities gradually declined, slowing down his recovery.


    Yet, that was not Dismas¡¯ only concern.


    Only now did Dismas realize that Arkul gate had already be quiet. The only things that Dismas could hear right now were the sound of the explosives, instead of the screaming and shouting. Dismas realized that all his soldiers that had been on standby at the Arkul gate had beenpletely wiped out during his short battle against Juan.


    Twenty thousand of the Western troops and eighty Giant ves had been ughtered in less than half a day.


    ¡°There is no one on your side now, Dismas,¡± Juan spoke slowly.


    But Dismas did not stop.


    ¡°Then we can finally focus on our battle now!¡±


    Dismas snorted and lifted his hammer toward Juan.


    At that moment, Dismas realized that his shoulder felt empty¡ªthe momentum of the hammer was carrying his right arm up into the air. Dismas¡¯ eyes widened at this sight.


    In front of him stood a blindfolded knight who was holding a sword.


    Dismas lost his bnce and stumbled, but tried his best to stand upright.


    Yet, a momentter, another female knight shed his knees.


    Dismas dropped down to his knees.


    When Dismas barely managed to look ahead, he saw Juan standing right in front of him.


    ¡°How pathetic.¡±


    At that moment, Dismas tried to use teleportation magic with his remaining hand. However, it was toote; Juan¡¯s Sutra had already pierced his throat .


    A hot me burned inside him and Dismas¡¯ vision turned white in just an instant.

 Chapter 209 – Dismas Dilver (2)

    <h4>Chapter 209 ¨C Dismas Dilver (2)</h4>


    Dismas, the head of the Western Army and the one who was the one to start this civil war, was overpowered on the first day of their advance to the West.


    This was quite an amazing achievement, but the atmosphere among the emperor¡¯s chief executives was not very celebrative, since Dismas was still alive.


    ¡°Why are we keeping him alive?¡±


    Pavan was particrly dissatisfied with this.


    ¡°We can¡¯t even torture Dismas to find out useful information because he¡¯s someone who regrly butchers himself. And, that makes him quite a bad hostage too, since he will definitely show his hostility toward His Majesty. Then what is the purpose of keeping him alive? To edify him or something?¡±


    ¡°Captain Pavan, calm down,¡± Lenly stopped Pavan from spouting out hisints.


    Pavan closed his mouth, but he wasn¡¯t the only person who didn¡¯t understand the situation. The same was also true of Lenly and Sina; they were also puzzled.


    Juan only tapped on the desk without a single word, causing Pavan to once again begin raising hisints.


    ¡°There are many people throughout the empire who are suffering due to the Cainheryars created by Dismas even now¡ªnot to mention ourrades who are still fighting against them. We must kill him right now to¡­¡±


    ¡°It is unclear as to whether killing Dismas will stop the Cainheryars or not,¡± Juan answered in a calm manner.


    Pavan closed his mouth once again and looked at Juan.


    ¡°Spirit Calling does not stop just because the user dies. It only slows down gradually. If Cainheryars are operated by some kind of Spirit Calling, we have to make that clear.¡± Juan exined.


    ¡°Then do you n to persuade Dismas, Your Majesty?¡±


    ¡°I mean, why not? After all, I¡¯ve never had a proper conversation with him.¡±


    Pavan opened his mouth wide and looked at Juan with a surprised expression.


    Meanwhile, Juan frowned upon understanding why Pavan was shocked by his decision.


    ¡°...I¡¯m not doing this due to my personal feelings toward my son. He will get the punishment he deserves for putting the empire at risk, and I will make sure that everyone is satisfied with his punishment. But we can¡¯t let him die while believing that he is a martyr, not to mention that we still have a lot to figure out about the Cainheryars. We need to make him realize his mistakes.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty probably already knows this, but¡­ whether one dies while reflecting on their actions, denying their sins, or being falsely used and getting killed unjustly, none of that matters once they are dead.¡±


    ¡°I can see that you prefer a quick and easy revenge,¡± Juan sighed.


    ¡°Master H taught me to triumphantly mock the enemies from right in front of their severed heads.¡±


    Pavan did not deny that what he wanted was revenge. Juan somewhat agreed with him; he also thought that he must urately and quickly kill the enemy when he had to¡ªalthough the part about ridiculing the enemy was not exactly to his taste.


    If someone asked him, Juan would not hesitate to say that Dismas did not deserve to live, but now was not the right time. If Dismas was being manipted by someone, he had to find out who it was that was manipting Dismas and how.


    It would make everything a lot easier if he was simply being manipted with the help of a mental domination magic, but in reality, there was a high possibility that Dismas was deceived by someone¡¯s false enticement.


    Although he had gone insane, Dismas¡¯ agony and will werepletely sincere. Yet he was an adult who was capable of making his own decisions and held a position where he shouldn''t be making reckless decisions. It was only right for him to take responsibility for his decisions.


    ¡°I will be the one to decide the disposition of Dismas,¡± Juan said firmly.


    Pavan did not hide his dissatisfaction at Juan¡¯s words.


    ¡°But Your Majesty, considering his ability to quickly regenerate, he will try to escape whenever he has a chance, despite the fact that we have fully unarmed him. After all, the Order of Surtr, Imil Ilde, and the Pope are still alive and intact.¡±


    At that moment, Pavan paused as if he had thought of something and then continued to speak.


    ¡°Is it because he can¡¯t be killed, Your Majesty?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°He has Your Majesty¡¯s essence, which has maximized his regenerative ability. Not only Dismas, but even General Nienna is also not aging at all. Does everyone who has the essence of the emperor have the power of immortality?¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty.¡±


    When Juan tried to open his mouth to answer Pavan, Lenly suddenly stepped forward.


    ¡°There is no need to answer him, Your Majesty. This is also a matter rted to Your Majesty¡¯s safety. It looks like Captain Pavan needs to calm down a little, considering that he made a recklessment about such a serious matter. I think it would be better for you to take a break for a while, Captain Pavan,¡± Lenly said as he red at Pavan with sharp eyes.


    Only then did Pavan realize that he was asking about the emperor¡¯s weaknesses and quickly admitted his fault. Pavan knelt in front of Juan and bowed his head to ask for forgiveness.


    ¡°Please forgive me for my careless question.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all right. Lenly, I appreciate youing forward for me, but I choose what I have to say. Not you,¡± Juan said firmly.


    ¡°Please forgive me, Your Majesty,¡± Lenly apologized.


    ¡°Pavan, this is probably one of the things you wanted to ask. Didn¡¯t I get revived after death? Doesn¡¯t that already go beyond not aging? I will answer this question.¡±


    Juan lit a small me at his fingertip.


    ¡°In conclusion, yes. Those with the emperor¡¯s essence can be killed. There is a very difficult but easy way and a veryfortable but difficult way. Of these, all you can try to do is the former. Even with the emperor¡¯s essence, one¡¯s regenerative ability is limited. What you can do ispletely neutralize them and then chop them up into fine pieces.¡±


    Lenly frowned and turned his head away.


    ¡°And this is true for any human being. The only difference is that those with the emperor¡¯s essence are much harder to kill. But those who simply took over my essence¡ªlike Nienna, would be easier to kill. Lenly, there¡¯s nothing to be offended about. Pavan won¡¯t put this knowledge in action,¡± Juan said as he looked around at Pavan, as well as everyone else gathered in the room.


    ¡°The reason why I answered this question is to answer a question that has been asked by many people for a long time. The question is: Is the emperor an immortal god? I was asked that question countless times even before I died.¡±


    No one in the room knew the answer to that question. Juan not only destroyed a fortress with the help of Sutra and destroyed the gods, but he also came back to life after his death. It was clear that he was no ordinary human being.


    ¡°The answer is no. I¡¯m just a human being like one of you, but the only difference is that I have reached the absolute peak, since I was given a special opportunity.¡±


    Juan recalled Aruntal telling him the exact same words ever since he was young. Aruntal was also being deceived by Dane at that time, but Juan lived by those words and considered it his life motto¡ªthat he was no god, but just a temporary agent and a guardian of humanity.


    ¡°My adopted children have only shared some of my power, but the power I shared with them is not a blessing. I didn¡¯t share my power with my children to make them immortal and reign like gods, nor did I share my power with them to make sure that they can govern the people well. That power is nothing more than a shackle. You¡¯ll know what I mean soon enough, Pavan.¡±


    ***


    <i>Crush!</i>


    Upon hearing a faint noise, Dismas opened his eyes while suffering from a headache. As he tried to take a big breath, he realized that he couldn¡¯t move his body at all. He blinked his eyes upon realizing that someone was right in front of him.


    The face of the man standing in front of Dismas was barely visible under the moonlight that shone through the window bars.


    ¡°Are you finally awake?¡±


    It was Juan.


    Dismas tried to say something, but he couldn¡¯t even speak, since he couldn¡¯t move his jaw properly.


    At that moment, Juan reached his hand out and pulled out something sharp from both of Dismas¡¯ cheeks. When the sharp metal rods that had been plugging the severed parts of the jaw were pulled out, the parts quickly healed to allow movement once again.


    ¡°What happened to me? I¡¯ve never fainted for this long before,¡± Dismas asked.


    ¡°I blocked those of your nerves that connect your brain and spine to make sure you can¡¯t regain consciousness even after you fully recover,¡± Juan shrugged.


    Restraining him was of no use, since no chains could ever bind Dismas¡ªhe was too powerful. Therefore, Juan chose a much more difficult and primitive method of embedding foreign substances into Dismas¡¯ joints, major nerves, and muscles throughout his entire body after cutting through them.


    Thanks to Juan¡¯s clever methods, Dismas couldn¡¯t feel anything, let alone move his hands and feet. The only thing that he could properly move was his tongue.


    Dismas tried to turn his head, but soon gave up and helplessly looked up at the ceiling as if he was in despair.


    Then, Dismas opened his mouth with a curious look on his face.


    ¡°Wait, we are not in Torra. We¡¯re still in the West, right? Where are we right now? I don¡¯t think we are at the Arkul gate right now.¡±


    ¡°I targeted Bangkang gate right after I caught you, since I figured that it would be good to finish everything while the enemy is still under-prepared. But how did you know that we are still in the West?¡±


    Dismas stuck out his tongue instead of answering.


    Upon realizing that he was pointing at something with his tongue and not ridiculing him, Juan looked at the direction where the tongue was pointing.


    In the direction pointed by Dismas¡¯ tongue was a symbol of the emperor that was made with wood hanging on the wall. However, it seemed a little different from the symbol that he usually saw.


    ¡°It is the symbol of the broken emperor¡ªit¡¯s supposed to symbolize His Majesty, who was betrayed by humans and suffered at their hands. I came up with it on my own and all the symbols in the West look like that. I also tried to make sure the broken pattern looks as natural as possible.¡±


    ¡°Well, the reason for my suffering is different right now.¡±


    ¡°¡®My¡¯ suffering, you say?¡±


    Dismas burst intoughter for a long time.


    ¡°You really are an interesting opponent, fake emperor. You¡¯re so shameless that I can now somewhat understand how you were able to trick my sister. Your appearance, your voice, your tone, your attitude, and your eyes¡­ it all reminds me of my father. It¡¯s just unbelievable.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you just acknowledge me as the emperor at this point?¡±


    Dismas was stillughing.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. I¡¯ve attended my own father¡¯s funeral, saw his corpse, and mourned him for forty-eight years. If you were put in my shoes, would you believe a stranger who just appeared out of nowhere is your father, just because he looks like your father? I even had his corpse next to me.¡±


    Juan felt something strange from Dismas¡¯ words.


    All the fanatics of the Church that he had met so far had believed that the emperor was still alive and the fact that his power was granted to them in the form of Grace was the evidence to support their belief.


    However, Dismas was convinced that the emperor was already dead. It was quite an odd stance for someone who worshiped the emperor the most other than the Pope.


    ¡°Even the Pope can bring the dead back to life as far as I know. Do you really think that the emperor can¡¯t ovee death?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°The Pope can bring back the dead, but His Majesty can¡¯t. To be exact, he won¡¯t. Resurrection is something that goes against not only His Majesty, but also against all living beings. His Majesty¡¯s lifelong pursuit was to build the empire for human beings only. It doesn¡¯t make sense for His Majesty himself to set up a false precedent, even if he was assassinated through unfair means.¡±


    Juan began to feel increasingly strange. Dismas was the first person who trusted and talked about Juan¡¯s values so seriously. Even now, everyone secretly hoped for Juan to continue ruling the empire, since they thought that he was strong and the resurrection of the emperor. Even his colleagues that were following him thought so.


    ¡°His Majesty is not a god¡ªhe is just a viceroy who has reached the peak of humanity. His only hope was for this empire of humans to stay intact. If he were to be resurrected ande back to life, then he would no longer be an emperor¡ªhe would be a god. Then, every time there is a crisis, humans will believe that the emperor will return and save them rather than looking for a solution on their own.¡±


    Juan remained silent, since there was nothing wrong about Dismas¡¯ words. But he couldn¡¯t understand how Dismas came to be so extremely twisted even when he understood Juan¡¯s will so well. After all, Dismas¡¯ actions were directly opposing his will.


    ¡°...It is up to you to believe whether I¡¯m really the emperor or not. I¡¯m not going to try to convince you about that. But what if I really am your father? How would you think and act if your father was watching you right now?¡±


    Dismas quietly closed his eyes upon hearing Juan¡¯s question.


    ¡°My father would be very angry. He would either kill me or beat me to death.¡±


    ¡°At least you know that you have messed up.¡±


    ¡°Of course I do. There¡¯s no way my father would approve of my n to thrust most of the people of the empire to the battlefield. But my father is no longer here to scold me; I¡¯m too deep in the mire now. Who knows? Maybe I¡¯m also waiting for my father toe back running to save the empire that is now in crisis¡­¡±


    Juan looked at Dismas without a word and slowly lowered his head. Dismas¡¯ eyes were filled with a mix of unbearable agitation and distress.


    Juan slowly pat Dismas¡¯ head and then ced his forehead against Dismas¡¯.


    ¡°Dismas.¡±


    Dismas did not answer.


    ¡°You lying piece of shit.¡±


    At the same time Juan swung his fist at Dismas, Dismas spat out something that he had kept hidden in his mouth. A sharp piece of metal brushed against Juan¡¯s cheek in an instant.


    At the same time, Juan¡¯s fist smashed into Dismas¡¯ right cheek, and then Juan red at Dismas while healing the wound on his cheek.


    Dismas, who had been lying quietly with his eyes closed, almost as if he was reflecting on himself, wasughing at Juan, mocking him.


    ¡°Ha, haha! I was so close to tricking you! Haha! How did you know that I was lying? I thought you werepletely convinced upon seeing that sad expression on your face!¡±


    Dismasughed to the extent he ran out of breath.


    ¡°I thought you just might fall for it when I saw just how obsessed you were with that stupid fake emperor act you are putting on! What a shame¡­ I had even expected you to just let me go if I pretended to reflect on myself like that!¡±


    Juan clenched his teeth and grabbed Dismas by the cor.


    ¡°Why?! Why are you doing this?! You even understand the will of the emperor so well¡­ So, why?!¡±


    ¡°The emperor is dead, you dumbass!¡±


    Dismasughed and snapped at Juan.


    ¡°My father was killed by my brother¡¯s sword while I was getting drunk and having fun! You think the emperor is the only one who died back then? No¡­ The entire empire died with him. Nienna, Ras, and I¡­ all of us died that day! That¡¯s when I realized that the empire established by an emperor also falls when the emperor falls. If you are truly the emperor, then it¡¯s not you who was resurrected, but it¡¯s the empire that died and found its ce right beside you! All I did was show everyone what hell is supposed to look like!¡±


    Juan trembled and red at Dismas. He could kill Dismas right away or he could torture him horribly. But neither of them held any meaning to him.


    ¡°Are you saying that you turning the empire into this hell has something to do with Gerard?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°Of course it has to do with Gerard? I have wanted to kill him every single day.¡±


    Dismas could lie as much as he wanted, but Juan was certain that this time he was telling the truth. Dismas truly didn¡¯t know anything about Gerard¡ªall he seemed to be interested in was how to passionately ruin the empire.


    Juan knocked Dismas to the ground and red at him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you a moratorium until the sun rises.¡±


    ¡°What kind of bullshit are you spouting?¡±


    ¡°Either tell me how to stop the Cainheryars or surrender. Otherwise, I will kill you.¡±


    Dismas snorted, dumbfounded.


    ¡°What makes you think that you have the right to judge me?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t. It will be the people you killed who will judge you, not me.¡±


    Juan whispered in a cold voice.


    ¡°My job is to send you to them.¡±

 Chapter 210 – Dismas Dilver (3)

    <h4>Chapter 210 ¨C Dismas Dilver (3)</h4>


    ¡°Are we doing it right?¡±


    Pavan turned his head toward Sina upon hearing her question.


    Sina was quietly looking at the burning stove as it made a crackling sound; her eyes sparkled whenever the firewood in the stove cracked and let out a spark.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Pavan asked back.


    ¡°I¡¯m talking about Dismas.¡±


    ¡°Of course we are not doing it right. We need to kill him as soon as possible, but those who are dying instead of him are the people of the empire.¡±


    Pavan still looked displeased at Juan¡¯s decision.


    ¡°But His Majesty has a point. If there really is no way to stop the Cainheryars right now, the empire will eventually suffer from irreparable damage. Think about it this way¡ªthe Cainheryars that are spread throughout the empire will be gone after a week if His Majesty can convince Dismas,¡± Sina said as if she was warning Pavan.


    ¡°But one more day of destruction will be added for every single day if we don¡¯t kill Dismas,¡± Pavan derided and made a cold smile.


    Sina didn¡¯t answer Pavan, but instead, she tried to approach the matter from a different perspective.


    ¡°What I was talking about was not Dismas or the Cainheryars, but about Dismas and His Majesty. We all know that Dismas is a human being who doesn¡¯t deserve to live. But¡­ I¡¯m afraid that we are asking His Majesty for too much.¡±


    ¡°Too much?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I mean the filicide.¡±


    Pavan did not answer. Although he did think that Juan was being too generous with Dismas, he hadn¡¯t once considered how hard it must be for Juan to kill his own child.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I would have considered killing Dismas a difficult thing to do if I was ced in His Majesty¡¯s shoes,¡± Pavan said.


    ¡°That¡¯s easy for you to say, Captain Pavan. But I would like to believe that His Majesty is a different person from you.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying that it is okay for someone who is the ruler of everything to be unable to make the right judgment just because of a family issue? Especially when they aren¡¯t even rted to each other by blood?¡±


    ¡°...I believe that His Majesty will make the right decision; he always has. In fact, I know that he will make the right decision in the end. But I just feel that we are pushing His Majesty too hard. His Majesty is already making many sacrifices¡ªhe is shedding his own blood for the empire right now, not to mention all that he did in his past life. Even his corpse is being used against his will. But now, we are asking His Majesty to kill his son with his own hands.¡±


    Pavan frowned and closed his mouth.


    There was nothing wrong about Sina¡¯s words. Juan was sacrificing too many things for the sake of the empire. Not only had all of his family members sacrificed themselves for the empire, but all of his acquaintances had either betrayed him or died. He had also lost two colleagues recently at the hands of his own child, and now he had to punish his own child with his own hands.


    Pavan thought that this was only natural, that it was something Juan had to bear as the emperor. But it was also true that it was too harsh on Juan.


    Pavan opened his mouth, almost as if he was trying to make an excuse.


    ¡°Nevertheless, Dismas deserves to die.¡±


    ¡°But His Majesty has no reason to go through such a harsh ordeal.¡±


    Pavan squinted his eyes at Sina.


    ¡°What are you trying to say, Dame Sina?¡±


    ¡°His Majesty said that those who have the emperor¡¯s essence aren¡¯t immortal. Then why should HIs Majesty execute Dismas with his own hands? I think it would be best to suggest to His Majesty to allow us to take care of him,¡± Sina said in a calm manner.


    ***


    ¡°What did you say? You want to meet Dismas?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    The Saintess Ivy Isildin approached Juan, who had been wandering around the hallway in front of the prison after interrogating Dismas.


    After hesitating for a long time, Ivy carefully approached Juan to tell him that she wanted to meet Dismas.


    Juan had an unwilling expression on his face.


    ¡°Just because Dismas is restrained right now doesn¡¯t mean that he can¡¯t kill you. He can easily pierce your neck by breaking his teeth and spitting them out.¡±


    Juan recalled thoroughly checking where the piece of iron that brushed against his cheek earlier hade from. As a result, Juan was able to find out that Dismas had pushed that piece of iron down his throat and forcibly threw it up when needed.


    Juan figured that Dismas wanted to annoy him, since they both knew that he couldn¡¯t kill Juan.


    However, things would be very different if Ivy was the one meeting Dismas. In Juan¡¯s eyes, Ivy looked so vulnerable that she could die simply due to Dismas coughing.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m going to be okay. I don¡¯t think he¡¯s going to kill me.¡±


    ¡°Do you know each other very well?¡± Juan asked.


    Ivy hesitated to answer, but soon nodded.


    ¡°He is from the West. Not only have I seen him from afar, I¡¯ve also met him a couple of times after I was appointed as the Saintess. He was always very polite to me. If he respects me as the Saintess as much as he respects the Pope, then I might be able to persuade him.¡±


    ¡°I feel like he would see you as a traitor instead.¡±


    Juan looked around, but Lenly, who always followed Ivy like a shadow, was nowhere to be found.


    ¡°Did Lenly agree to this?¡± Juan asked.


    Ivy shook her head, causing Juan to nod as if he already knew it.


    ¡®<i>Of course. There is no way he would agree with this.</i>¡¯


    But that was none of Juan¡¯s business. Juan¡¯smand of protecting the Saintess had already ended at the time when he had arrived in Torra, and Lenly was the only one who was still obsessed with that past order.


    ¡°I can see that you want to be alone when you talk to Dismas, considering that you didn¡¯t bring Lenly with you. It¡¯s your own decision, so I won¡¯t take responsibility for your life. Is that okay with you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty,¡± Ivy answered in a trembling voice.


    Juan was worried, but also somewhat relieved. No one other than Ivy wanted to talk to Dismas; everyone just wanted to kill him. The optimal result would be for Ivy to sessfully persuade Dismas into stopping the Cainheryars.


    ¡°He is a good liar, so do not trust him easily. And make sure that you don¡¯t touch him under any circumstances. All right?¡±


    Ivy nodded upon hearing Juan¡¯s warning.


    Juan opened the prison door to where Dismas was locked and stepped aside to allow Ivy to talk with Dismas on her own.


    When Ivy entered the prison, Dismas rolled his eyes to look at the entrance. His expression changed rapidly upon realizing that it was the Saintess who had entered, but he soon calmed down.


    ¡°Saintess, I had thought that you were in Torra.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Ivy¡¯s lips trembled, but she carefully continued to speak. ¡°I have met His Majesty and have decided to follow him.¡±


    Dismas remained silent instead of answering Ivy. He quietly closed his eyes, and Ivy cautiously approached him.


    At some point, upon seeing the pieces of iron embedded everywhere on his body, Ivy tried to reach out her hand toward Dismas without even realizing it.


    But at that moment, Dismas suddenly opened his mouth.


    ¡°Please do not touch me, Saintess.¡±


    Ivy flinched.


    ¡°I am dirty and covered with blood and dust. I don¡¯t want your hands to get dirty.¡±


    Ivy was relieved to hear Dismas¡¯ words. When Ivy confirmed that Dismas showed no sign of hostility toward her, she went closer to Dismas; however, she was still not touching him.


    Meanwhile, Dismas was trying to avoid making eye contact with Ivy.


    ¡°Have you talked to His Majesty?¡± Ivy asked.


    ¡°Do you mean the fake emperor?¡±


    ¡®<i>The fake emperor¡­</i>¡¯


    Ivy lost a little bit of her confidence when she saw Dismas¡¯ determined attitude.


    ¡°He is the real emperor who borrowed my voice to convey his will through me. I have experienced it many times even after meeting him in person. I have also gotten advice and help from him.¡±


    Despite Ivy¡¯s words, Dismas looked at her expressionlessly.


    ¡°Yes. All the Saintesses have delivered His Majesty¡¯s words. The Saintess announces the will of His Majesty and His Holiness acts upon the will of His Majesty. I am nothing but their agent, so how would I ever know the will of His Majesty?¡±


    ¡°Doctrinal General Dismas. I¡¯m just¡­¡±


    ¡°I know that you believe in him, Saintess,¡± Dismas answered in a quiet voice.


    Ivy grew impatient as soon as she heard Dismas¡¯ words.


    ¡°Then can¡¯t you just trust me and believe in him? There is no reason for us to fight in the first ce. We are all in a position to support and serve HIs Majesty, aren¡¯t we? We should be working together as one to serve His Majesty, not trying to consume each other like this¡­¡±


    ¡°Saintess, what do you think will happen if I show my loyalty to him now?¡±


    Ivy closed her mouth.


    The harm that Dismas had already done to the empire was indescribable. Even if he surrendered now, there is no way he could avoid an extremely harsh punishment, since the anger and resentment of the people of the empire was fierce. To tell Dismas to surrender now was no different than telling him to kill himself.


    ¡°But we can at least reduce the damage if you surrender now. If even one less person dies, that alone is worth it. Dismas, I¡¯ll talk to His Majesty and try my best to convince him. You might be able to avoid the most extreme punishment if you put everything down and humbly ept the punishment.¡±


    ¡°Saintess, you are trying too hard,¡± DIsmas smiled. ¡°If he really were the emperor, what value would you, the Saintess, hold when he hase back to the empire on his own? Now, you are nothing more than an ordinary maiden who is beneath him. How are you going to persuade the emperor? Do you intend to loosen your hair and beg from under his feet?¡±


    ¡°If that can persuade him, then¡­¡±


    ¡°If you want me to trust you, you should also be willing to trust me.¡±


    ¡°What do you want me to trust you with?¡±


    Dismas struggled to twist his neck with difficulty and turned his head toward Ivy. At that moment, his firm eyes met with Ivy¡¯s.


    ¡°Please listen to my secret. Then I¡¯ll think about epting your offer.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead and tell me.¡±


    But instead of answering, Dismas looked toward the door.


    Only then did Ivy realize what Dismas was worried about. While she suddenly remembered Juan¡¯s warning, Ivy decided to lower her head toward Dismas after a short hesitation.


    Ivy felt that giving up her own life to change Dismas¡¯ mind was worth it.


    When Ivy¡¯s ear got close to Dismas¡¯ mouth, he whispered in her ear.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to kill everyone here, except for you, Saintess.¡±


    Ivy¡¯s face turned pale as soon as she heard Dismas¡¯ whisper.


    At that moment, Juan hastily broke through the door. But it was toote¡ªDismas was already biting Ivy¡¯s neck.


    Ivy stepped back with a scream, but Dismas did not let go of her. When Dismas and Ivy fell down together as a lump, Dismas muttered.


    ¡°Burn it up.¡±


    When those short words were muttered by Dismas, Juan felt a strong wave of power, along with a beam of light¡ªit was the same power that had forced Entalucia to fall from the sky.


    But this time, Juan was not perplexed, since he had already been preparing for a situation like this from the moment he had captured Dismas on the battlefield.


    Juan used out the power of Kelegranon, which he had wrapped around himself. The power of the mana-eating devil quickly stretched out, while Juan adjusted the power of Kelegranon as much as he could in order to prevent any innocent victims.


    At the same time, Juan¡¯s body started overflowing with mes, causing the people in the fortress to feel an intense burst of heat for a moment.


    But Dismas¡¯ attack was powerful¡ªthe moment the sh prated into the fortress, screams broke out from all directions.


    Juan¡¯s eyes widened when he found out the identity of the alien sensation he felt when he was attacked by the same beam of light back at the Loen Basin.


    This attack was no simple magic.


    ¡°Telgramm¡­!¡±


    Juan was surprised by the unexpected magic contained within the beam of light. Within that beam of light, Juan could detect Telgramm¡¯s magic, which hadpletely melted into it.


    But what was even more surprising was how strong the beam of light was. This type of strength could only be extracted from Telgramm if Juan was the one wielding it and squeezing out all its power for a one-time use.


    But it was already the second time Dismas had used this beam of light.


    ¡®<i>Does he have at least two or three Telgramms with him?</i>¡¯


    But there was no time to find an answer to his question.


    Juan gritted his teeth upon seeing that his surroundings were melting like the inside of a furnace. However, thanks to Juan¡¯s defensive magic, the number of victims seemed to be quite small.


    However, at that moment Juan inadvertently realized that his defensive magic wasn¡¯t the only reason why the damage was not as severe¡ªfor some reason, the attack made using Telgramm¡¯s power was on an entirely different scale from the previous attack at the Loen Basin.


    Instead, the attack was aimed at the ground at an angle, and was much more concentrated, almost as if it was someone sniping a target.


    ¡®<i>I wasn¡¯t the target.</i>¡¯


    The target was at the ce where Dismas was standing.

 Chapter 211 – Sword and Poison (1)

    <h4>Chapter 211 ¨C Sword and Poison (1)</h4>


    As soon as Juan realized that the attack was targeted toward Dismas, Juan let out a roar and pushed away the smoke around him in a hurry.


    Dismas was still in the prison cell, but this time he was standing up. His back, which had certainly been struck by the beam of light, was already recovering itself amidst a gurgling sound.


    Only then did Juan realize that all the pieces of iron embedded throughout Dismas¡¯ body had melted away.


    ¡®<i>Did he attack himself all in order to get rid of the restraints keeping him in check?</i>¡¯


    Before anyone knew it, Ivy was already in Dismas¡¯ arms. She was bleeding from the back of her neck, but she didn¡¯t look like she was seriously injured.


    ¡°Stay back. Do note near me, fake emperor,¡± Dismas shouted, almost as if he was warning Juan.


    Although his recovery was already underway, his ability to recover was not the same as before due to the burns; not to mention that the iron pieces that were embedded inside him had not beenpletely removed.


    There was no other way for Dismas to stand up to Juan other than holding Ivy hostage.


    However, Dismas¡¯ n was not effective enough to restrain Juan. Juan simply ignored Dismas¡¯ warning and strode closer toward him with the intention of killing both Ivy and Dismas if need be.


    At that moment, someone threw a spear toward Ivy and Dismas. The spear that was clearly aimed at Ivy was bounced off by Dismas when it got close to Ivy¡¯s chest.


    Upon ring in the direction the spear came from, Dismas found Pavan preparing to throw a second spear straight toward them.


    ¡°Pavan!¡±


    At the same time, Lenly charged toward Pavan with a loud roar.


    Thanks to Lenly¡¯s interruption, Pavan stumbled and missed his chance to throw the next spear.


    Juan ignored the two and used Blink to rush toward Dismas.


    However, at that moment Dismas used his own hands to prate his chest.


    Just as Juan was feeling perplexed at the unexpected sight, Dismas pulled out a small ne containing teleportation magic from inside his chest.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you next time.¡±


    Dismas tightly held Ivy in his arms and in the blink of an eye disappeared amidst a burst of light.


    ***


    ¡°Your Holiness. How much do you happen to know about Telgramm?¡±


    A few days ago in Cabragh, Helmut and Imil Ilde were climbing up the tall tower on the outskirts of the city.


    Helmut was perplexed by Imil¡¯s sudden question. Although Telgramm was well known as a weapon that was used by the emperor, no one knew much information about it. Come to think of it, it was said that Sutra as well as Dismas¡¯ hammer were created by the emperor himself, while Nienna¡¯s Oberon was a weapon created by the king of the fairies.


    On the other hand, too little was known about Telegram other than its power.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know much, but I¡¯ve never really thought about it. Is there any other information on it besides the fact that it was a weapon used by His Majesty?¡±


    Imil smiled and looked back at Helmut.


    Helmut was irritated by Imil¡¯s smile, but he couldn¡¯t say anything since he owed far too much to the Ilde family; Imil was the one who introduced him to the Order of Surtr, and Ilde family was the one who made a counterattack against the fake emperor possible with the help of their enormous fortune and widespread distributionworks.


    Considering that Imil Ilde had even sacrificed his youngest son, who was a Temr, he had earned enough merit to even appoint him as a Saint of the Church.


    ¡°It is only natural that you don¡¯t know much about it, Your Holiness. After all, it¡¯s not a very well-known story. This is because those who created Telgramm disappeared even before they were recorded in history,¡± Imil Ilde said.


    ¡°Those who created Telgramm? Who are they?¡± Helmet asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure Your Holiness will find them to be familiar. They are the Hornsluines.¡±


    Helmut paused for a moment. The only Hornsluine he knew of was Barth Baltic.


    ¡®<i>Did Barth Baltic create Telgramm?</i>¡¯


    Helmut thought so for a brief moment, but he soon realized that Imil meant the ¡®Hornsluine race¡¯ itself¡ªa race that was extinct now.


    ¡°You should already know that the Hornsluines confronted the gods in the past and in return, their species went extinct. But it is not known specifically how the Hornsluine tried to confront the gods. At that time, Hornsluines did not try to face the gods alone; instead, they tried to join forces with a group of wise men called Aruntal. You might have heard of Aruntal already, Your Holiness.¡±


    ¡°Are you talking about His Majesty¡¯s teachers? Yes, I have. I know that one day they all suddenly disappeared.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Holiness. Hornsluine had a meeting with Aruntal before their extinction. The strongest and the most powerful race at the time had a meeting with Aruntal, the organization that had the most amount of information among all races, all in order to confront the gods together. The two groups thought of ways to fight against the gods on the spot. The Hornsluines came up with a weapon, while the Aruntal came up with the process of creating an adversary capable of fighting against the gods. However, their opinions shed, and in the end, they couldn¡¯t reach an agreement. So, the two groups decided to go their separate ways.¡±


    Imil continued to climb up the stairs, then paused to catch his breath. Climbing up the stairs was not as exhausting for Helmut, since he had undergone the same procedures as the Temrs, but he could still tell that the tower was quite tall.


    He could see the whole of Cabragh when he looked out of the window.


    ¡°Hornsluines hid from the eyes of the gods to make a weapon¡ªa spear that could stab gods to death. And finally, they stabbed one of the gods with that spear and drove him to the brink of death.¡±


    Imil exhaled a long breath and looked back at Helmut.


    ¡°That was theirst resistance. Upon feeling threatened, the gods started cing curses on them. That¡¯s how the empire¡¯s most supreme race went extinct in just an instant. At the same time, the spears made by them were abandoned on the outskirts of the empire¡ªexcept for one.¡±


    ¡°Is that what Telgramm is? The one that I handled?¡± Helmut asked.


    ¡°To be precise, what Your Holiness handled was not really Telgramm. That¡¯s only a fraction of it.¡±


    Finally, Imil and Helmut reached the top of the tall tower. Imil took a long time to catch his breath, and then slowly opened the door. What was revealed behind the door was a space where strange-looking pirs stood at an angle, while silver-colored vertical patterns covered the walls.


    Just about when Helmut was about to ask Imil what this space was for, he closed his mouth upon looking closely at the vertical silver-colored patterns on the wall.


    Those were not some simple inscriptions¡ªthey were all Telgramms.


    Hundreds of Telgramms covered the walls of this space.


    ¡°No way! Don¡¯t tell me these are all¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, your Holiness. They are all Telgramms. To be precise, Telegramm refers to the bow created to kill gods, and the ¡®spear¡¯ which Your Holiness used can be said to be an arrow of that bow. But for the sake of simplicity, let¡¯s call those arrows Telgramm. Those arrows alone have the power to change history, even if you just use them as spears. That should pretty much exin just how powerful Telgramm is,¡± Imil exined.


    ¡°But¡­ if it had such amazing power, why were the Hornsluines so helplessly destroyed at the hands of the gods¡­?¡±


    ¡°Gods are powerful beings. I can say with confidence that the power of the gods who are resurrected using Cainheryars is less than one-fourth of their original strength. Restraining their power is a necessity, since there¡¯s a chance that they¡¯ll free themselves from Doctrinal General Dismas¡¯ control. Even Doctrinal General Dismas doesn¡¯t want the divine to be truly resurrected¡ªhe just wants to use them as his ves.¡±


    Imil approached the nted pir in the middle of the round room. The pir was not embedded in the ground¡ªit was floating slightly above the ground.


    ¡°From now on, Your Holiness must learn how to properly handle Telgramm.¡±


    ¡°Handle Telgramm? Me?¡± Helmut asked back.


    ¡°Yes, Your Holiness. Who else could dare to use the weapon entrusted to us by His Majesty?¡± Imil said as he put on a thick glove made of some unknown material to pick up a Telgramm.


    Then he carefully held it out in front of Helmut.


    The in-looking and strange spear with no boundary between the de and its handle looked more like a needle than a spear. But Helmut knew that this was the true form of Telgramm that the emperor used in the past. The thunderbolts that spewed out its power in all directions were only a fraction of the power of this mighty weapon.


    ¡°For your information, this Telgramm is not bound to you like the Telgramm used by His Majesty or Your Holiness. For this reason, it won¡¯t respond to any of your summons. Even so, it still holds the purest form of the power of lightning.¡±


    Helmut was startled for a moment, but he started burning with desire upon hearing Imil¡¯s words that this was the true form of Telgramm, something that even the emperor himself had not touched before. Helmut¡¯s oldest desire was to be like the emperor after years of respecting and admiring him.


    Finally, it was the moment Helmut¡¯s dream woulde true¡ªthe dream to hold power in his hands that not even the emperor had ever held in his hands.


    Helmut¡¯s hand grabbed Telgramm. With a sharp shock, a sh of light spread throughout the surroundings for a moment.


    Upon seeing Telgramm, which was burning and emitting a subtle glow in Helmut¡¯s hand, Imil slowly stepped back while admiring quietly.


    ¡°Only Your Holiness, the representative of His Majesty, will be able to handle this weapon in the empire.¡±


    ¡°How do I¡­ How do I use this? Do I just wield it like Telgramm?¡±


    ¡°You can take the position of the designated shooter by standing in front of the pir and then throwing it toward the target. It is a weapon that can be shot from a long distance, but it will take a long time to learn how to use it properly. Let¡¯s stop here for today since everything will be in vain if we are caught by the enemy due to using it recklessly. We have done enough for today, since we found out that Your Holiness is capable of handling it safely.¡±


    Helmut alternated between looking at Imil and at Telgramm, almost as if he was disappointed to hear that they should stop for the day. Unlike the Telgramm that he used before, the one that he had not been able to handle properly, the refined light of the Telgramm in front of him gave him a strange sense of exaltation¡ªit was as if it acknowledged his authority as the only true authority.


    But Helmut knew that he had to be patient. He carefully handed over Telgramm to Imil.


    ¡°I hope that I will be able to handle it again in the near future,¡± Helmut said.


    ¡°By all means, you will, Your Holiness.¡±


    Imil took Telgramm from Helmut and carefully put it back on the wall. Upon looking at the scene, a sudden question popped up in Helmut¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Come to think of it, you told me that the Hornsluines made a weapon and the Aruntal made a great adversary capable of killing gods, right? If the weapon created by the Hornsluines is Telgramm, then what happened to the adversary that was created by the Aruntal? Did they seed?¡±


    Imil smiled at the question.


    ¡°Of course they seeded. That¡¯s why all the gods in the world are dead and gone now.¡±


    Helmut was horrified to realize who the adversary created by the Aruntal was and that he had asked a stupid question. The man who killed all gods was so famous that no one even had to say his name out loud.


    The moment Helmut thought that he had finally caught up to the emperor, he felt the gap between himself and the emperor widen once again.


    ¡°...I see. That¡¯s how it is all connected¡­¡± Helmut said as he turned back to look at Imil.


    ¡°How do you know all these stories? Even I didn¡¯t know any of this, and I¡¯m the Pope.¡±


    Imil did not answer him, only giving a strange smile.


    ***


    A group of lights suddenly began to gather in the middle of Cabragh¡¯s red fortress hall.


    Soon, Dismas and Ivy appeared in the middle of the hall as the light spread all around them like an explosion.


    Dismas copsed to the floor as soon as the teleportation magic was over. His half-melted body was bubbling as self-recovery was underway, repeatedly destroying and healing itself.


    Ivy had also immediately lost consciousness due to the heat from Telgramm, as well as the aftermath of the teleportation magic, despite being protected in Dismas¡¯ arms.


    Imil and the knights from the Order of Surtr hurriedly rushed into the hall.


    ¡°Doctrinal General!¡±


    Imil approached Dismas who was gasping for air with difficulty. Burns were difficult to heal even with Dismas¡¯ recovery ability. Although it would heal on its own over time, Dismas had to endure terrible pain until then.


    Imil pulled a thin bottle out of his pocket and sprinkled it over Dismas.


    Just when Ilil was about to bring the bottle to the corner of Dismas¡¯ mouth, Dismas grabbed his hand to stop him.


    ¡°Is it medicine?¡± Dismas asked.


    ¡°...All it does is relieve pain to some extent,¡± Imil answered.


    ¡°Pain gives me the feeling that I¡¯m being forgiven by His Majesty. So leave it alone.¡±


    Dismas chose to suffer through the pain, but there was no reason for Imil to not nurse him.


    Imil quickly instructed the knights to bring water and some towels to cool Dismas down. None of the knights refused to follow Imil¡¯s order, since he had already taken an important position in the Western Army.


    Meanwhile, Imil took a nce at Ivy who was still unconscious.


    ¡°Why did you bring her with you, Doctrinal General?¡± Imil asked.


    Dismas nced at Imil like he was talking nonsense.


    ¡°What kind of question is that? That¡¯s the Saintess. It is our duty to rescue the Saintess from the vicious enemies who have forced her toe to the battlefield. May His Majesty be our witness as both His Holiness and the Saintess are in our army.¡±


    Imil nodded with his mouth closed. Ivy was not only worthless as a hostage, but she was also a nuisance to the Western Army¡ªespecially for someone.


    At that moment, the door of the hall opened with a loud bang. Helmut, who had run all the way from the tower housing Telgramm, was approaching them while gasping for air.


    Imil sighed.


    ¡°If His Majesty is not really our witness, then those two being on the same spot won¡¯t necessarily mean a good thing for us.¡±

 Chapter 212 – Sword and Poison (2)

    <h4>Chapter 212 ¨C Sword and Poison (2)</h4>


    Helmut roared as soon as he saw Ivy upon entering the hall.


    ¡°You bitch!¡±


    Helmut jumped toward Ivy who had copsed onto the floor even before anyone could stop him. Then, he immediately grabbed Ivy¡¯s thin neck. Being as powerful as the Temrs, he could instantly break her neck.


    However, at that moment, someone strongly pushed Helmut away from Ivy.


    Helmut helplessly rolled around on the floor due to the enormous force that had pushed him. He looked forward with shocked eyes.


    ¡°Oh¡­ it was you, Your Holiness. I inadvertently used too much power without even realizing it. Please forgive me.¡±


    Only then did Helmut notice Dismas lying face down on the floor, protecting Ivy. Despite being terribly injured due to the burns all over his body, Dismas was much stronger than Helmut. Helmut could only grit his teeth, since he did not intend to fight against Dismas.


    Meanwhile, Dismas continued to apologize.


    ¡°Please forgive me, Your Holiness. I don¡¯t know what to say other than that I¡¯m sorry... But I would like to ask you to not touch the Saintess so recklessly.¡±


    ¡°Why are you protecting that bitch? That bitch is the fake emperor¡¯s confidant! She¡¯s nothing but a bitch making false prophecies, all in order to trick everyone!¡± Helmut shouted.


    ¡°Why would you say that, Your Holiness? Didn¡¯t you also say that the Saintess¡¯ prophecy was correct? It was you who said that the Saintess is sent to us by His Majesty, all in order to deliver his words to us.¡±


    Helmut was speechless, since it was true that he had said such a thing back in the days when he used the Saintess as his puppet to make false prophecies ording to his needs.


    ¡°But this bitch fell into the hands of the fake emperor in the end. She recited false prophecies and caused chaos within the empire after she fell for the temptation of the fake emperor,¡± Helmutined.


    ¡°Even so, it is still true that she was sent to us by His Majesty, all in order to deliver his words. While she has been deceived by the fake emperor, we can show her the truth and enlighten her once again. I would like to have a word with the Saintess. Who knows? Maybe she¡¯ll deliver His Majesty¡¯s advice to ovee this difficult situation,¡± Dismas answered.


    Helmut wanted to scream that ¡®the Saintess is my bloody creation and she is nothing more than a petty apprentice Priestess who I beat to death and then brought back to life.¡¯


    However, in the end he swallowed his words despite his unease.


    Helmut had used the existence known as the Saintess to give his own status as the Pope legitimacy and to cover up his faults all this time. The position of the Saintess could even be said to be equivalent to that of the Pope, or even higher¡ªat least in the eyes of the people of the empire.


    Of course, Helmut deliberately encouraged such an image, all so that he could control the Saintess and keep her at his disposal. But never once did he think that Dismas would believe in such nonsense. And due to this, Helmut couldn¡¯t do anything but shut his mouth.


    Meanwhile, Dismas seemed happy, almost as if he had interpreted Helmut¡¯s silent out dumbfounded response a little differently.


    ¡°Your Holiness and the Saintess are the two pirs that can revive the Church once again. The Saintess will deliver the words of His Majesty, while Your Holiness will put those words into action, and I will be your hammer that is swung whenever necessary. When that happens, I have no doubt that His Majesty¡¯s empire will surely rise again,¡± Dismas said.


    Helmut felt as if the floor was copsing upon hearing Dismas¡¯ words. He had thought of Dismas as some easy-to-handle fanatic, but he had never imagined that such a fact would get in his way like this.


    Ivy herself had no power, but no one knew what might happen if she messed everything up by speaking using the emperor¡¯s voice in front of Dismas.


    Helmut turned around and looked back at Imil, almost as if he was asking ¡®are you really going to sit back and do nothing about this?¡¯


    Imil seemed to be pondering with his hand ced on his head. There was nothing Imil and Helmut could do if Dismas decided to be stubborn, since there was no way logic would work on a fanatic.


    ¡°...How about we do this? Let¡¯s just ¡®protect¡¯ the Saintess in a safe ce for now. If the enemy knows the value that the Saintess holds, they might try toe and retrieve her. Although she might feel trapped, I think the tower of Telgramm would be the most adequate ce to¡­¡±


    Innread dot".


    ¡°No, I will protect her in the Red Citadel. His Holiness seems to be ufortable around the Saintess and I don¡¯t want him to be worried,¡± Dismas said firmly.


    Imil sighed once more, while Helmut bit his lips at the thought that he had only made Dismas even more wary.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s do that. Doctrinal General Dismas, you should take care of your wounds first. I will make sure to take Miss Ivy in a proper room and protect her. And Your Holiness, please allow me some of your time. I would like to discuss something with you.¡±


    Dismas headed toward his room with the help of the knights. At the same time, Ivy was also carried by a knight and taken somewhere.


    Helmut red at Ivy for a long time even after she had disappeared from his sight.


    It was not until the surroundings werepletely quiet that Imil approached Helmut.


    ¡°Why are you acting like that, Your Holiness?¡±


    ¡°You gave an order to kill that bitch, right?¡±


    Helmut didn¡¯t answer Imil¡¯s question, and only continued to show his hatred toward Ivy for no reason.


    Seeing this, Imil grabbed Helmut¡¯s hand strongly and turned him around. While Imil was only as strong as a flypared to Helmut, he turned around easily without realizing it.


    Imil opened his mouth once more.


    ¡°Your Holiness. I asked you why you¡¯re acting like that.¡±


    ¡°...Isn¡¯t it only natural for me to want to kill an apostatic bitch? The Church copsed from the inside all because of her. She is even involved with treason and¡­¡±


    ¡°The Saintess holds no power. She might have been a problem when she was inside the Church that you ruled, but she is nothing now. Neither is the Church loyal to the Saintess. Although not right now, the Church might be loyal to the self-proimed emperor in the future¡ªand that is only if he doesn¡¯t destroy the Church. Above all, the reason why Your Holiness copsed is due to the fake emperor, not the Saintess. Yet you are showing quite a bit of hatred toward the Saintess for some reason.¡±


    Imil red at Helmut with sharp eyes.


    ¡°Let me ask you again. Why do you hate the Saintess so much?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m more curious about the reason why you keep asking. I don¡¯t hate her in particr just because she¡¯s a Saintess. I hold the same hatred toward the fake emperor and would have tried to kill him as well if he was in front of me right now. How dare he refer to the emperor like that? He deserves to die and¡­¡±


    ¡°If Your Holiness had a chance to kill either the Saintess or the fake emperor, who would you kill?¡±


    Helmut was perplexed by Imil¡¯s question for a moment and hesitated to open his mouth.


    This brief silence was a good enough answer for Imil.


    Imil quietly red at Helmut and then opened his mouth.


    ¡°Remember that hesitation just now, and I want you to think again about whether the hatred you have toward the Saintess is reasonable.¡±


    Then, Imil immediately left the hall, leaving Helmut behind. Helmut red at the floor of the hall for a long time and then stomped his feet angrily on the floor.


    Helmut could not answer Imil why he hated the Saintess.


    ¡®<i>Why did His Majesty choose the saintess? Why did His Majesty decide to exercise his will through the Saintess? ¡­Why didn¡¯t he choose me? Why her?</i>¡¯


    Helmut couldn¡¯t answer Imil that the reason for his hatred toward the Saintess was jealousy.


    ***


    ¡°For His Majesty!¡±


    Loud chants rang from ce to ce within the burning fortress.


    Pavan felt as if he was going to lose his mind upon hearing the chantsing from all sides. The chants were being shouted not only by the Imperial Army, but also by the Western Army.


    Those who fought for the emperor under the emperor¡¯s name were stabbing and killing each other.


    Seeing this, Pavan decided that he would not shout the slogan praising the emperor¡ªit was out of his opposition to such a bizarre scene.


    ¡®<i>For revenge, blood, and punishment.</i>¡¯


    That slogan sounded much sweeter.


    He did not shout the slogan out loud, but Pavan impulsively rushed toward the enemies and cut their throats upon feeling his blood boiling with anger.


    In response to the sudden charge by theirmander, the Order of the Capital also charged together and fiercely ran forward.


    ¡°Kill everyone!¡± Pavan shouted. ¡°And do not leave a single man alive!¡±


    The Imperial Army followed Pavan¡¯s simple order.


    Fire, blood, and metal were all mixed together in the fortress. And amidst the Imperial Army was a man who was on a rampage even without Pavan¡¯s order.


    Lenly Loen was drenched in so much blood that it was hard to recognize his white-silver armor that represented the Imperial Guards. He jumped into the enemy line before anyone else and quickly made a mess.


    The moment everyone thought that Lenly would be crushed to death by the enemies, a fog of blood swept over the battlefield. Flesh and broken weapons sprang up into the air. When the enemy¡¯s screams and shouts finally stopped, Lenly, who waspletely soaked in blood, walked out of the crowd while breathing heavily. Then he rushed back into the battle to attack the remaining enemies.


    ¡®<i>He looks like one of the fanatic warriors of the north.</i>¡¯


    Pavan clicked his tongue when he saw Lenly running around the battlefield. The way he fought made him look more like a beast than a knight. While it was true that the battle got easier thanks to Lenly, the way he was fighting could easily get him killed.


    Yet many soldiers began to fight just like Lenly after observing him.


    The battle at the fortress ended quickly and with ease. Capturing the fortress without the Order of Surtr and the giant ves guarding it was easy.


    When the battle was over, Pavan sat on the copsed fountain in the middle of the square, with corpses scattered all around. He just sat there, chewing on a jerky.


    Then Kilt, the deputy of the Order of the Capital, approached Pavan.


    ¡°Captain, I found the enemies who had been hiding underground. There were about four hundred and sixty of them, but all of them have surrendered. What should we do with them?¡±


    Pavan pondered for a while as he chewed on the jerky, then he soon opened his mouth.


    ¡°Kilt, you probably already know this, but our priority is to increase the speed of our advance. We are already in a hurry and we are being rushed by someone over there.¡±


    Pavan pointed toward Lenly Loen, who was nervously wandering around the square, fully covered in blood. Lenly has been unable to sleep ever since Ivy was abducted and had begged for the quick advancement and special attack.


    ¡°His Majesty ignored his request, but it is true that we are advancing much faster than we had originally scheduled. We are moving so fast that I¡¯m actually getting worried about our supply line. Do you think we can afford to take care of the prisoners in this situation?¡± Pavan asked.


    ¡°Well noted,¡± Kilt answered.


    Kilt bowed his head toward Pavan and quickly headed somewhere. Pavan figured that he must be heading toward the prisoners.


    It was only natural for this type of bloodshed to ur in the wake of the emperor¡¯s footsteps, especially when he had to hurry to save his colleagues. It was not like Juan didn¡¯t know what was happening right now, but he was silently acquiescing with it for now.


    Juanforted himself that he had no self-interest in the decision he made about the prisoners.


    Meanwhile, Lenly Loen constantly walked back and forth from one corner of the square to another corner with a crazy look on his face. It was not until a long timeter that Juan appeared in the square, and Lenly hastily ran toward him.


    Juan had a dumbfounded expression upon seeing Lenly getting in his way out of nowhere.


    ¡°Your Majesty. Please resume our advance.¡±


    ¡°We are spending the night here,¡± Juan answered firmly.


    Lenly bit his lips.


    ¡°But Your Majesty, we need to hurry. Who knows where the Saintess is and what is happening to her right now¡­¡±


    ¡°Lenly, we have already upied two more fortresses in thest two days after Dismas abducted Ivy. Given that the main forces of the enemy have already been exhausted, Dismas is probably preparing for a showdown. I don¡¯t want the soldiers to be exhausted when fighting the Western Army, especially now that Cabaragh is just around the corner.¡±


    Despite Juan¡¯sforting words, Lenly nervously bit his nails.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you transferred your spirit into the Saintess¡¯ body before, Your Majesty? Could you at least check how she is doing?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not a difficult thing for me to do. But we have no idea about what the enemies will do when they find out that I¡¯m inside Ivy¡¯s body. Doing so would instead ce Ivy in even more danger. I¡¯m certain that Dismas will sense the sudden change.¡±


    Lenly looked hopeless. It seemed like he was aging day by day as time passed, causing Juan to also feel uneasy.


    ¡°Lenly, as I said. I have no problem with you going to save Ivy on your own. You can even go rescue Ivy right now if you want, but Ivy promised me that she would take responsibility for herself. I¡¯m just saying that you can¡¯t put the other soldiers in unnecessary danger.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t leave by myself, Your Majesty,¡± Lenly muttered in a frustrated voice.


    Lenly did not add any further exnation, but there was only one reason he insisted on staying¡ªit was because the Imperial Guards had pledged not to leave the emperor¡¯s side under any circumstances.


    It didn¡¯t matter when the emperor¡¯s body was still in Torra, but Lenly couldn¡¯t leave Juan¡¯s side now that he decided to serve Juan as the emperor. Lenly could only leave with Juan to go and save Ivy.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be bound by such a useless vow. I have neither received nor forced such a pledge from the Imperial Guards. It¡¯s my corpse that received that pledge.¡± Juan sighed. ¡°And I don¡¯t think you need to worry too much about this. Ivy didn¡¯t have a single wound on her even when Telgramm attacked her, and Dismas protected her when Pavan tried to attack her. It is clear that Dismas doesn¡¯t think of Ivy as some ordinary hostage.¡±


    ¡°But I cannot leave the safety of the Saintess to such luck.¡±


    ¡°Ivy is not the type to leave her fate to luck.¡±


    Juanforted Lenly.


    ¡°Maybe Ivy will create an unexpected twist. She came to this battlefield at the risk of her life from the very beginning. So, you should trust her judgment.¡±

 Chapter 213 – Sword and Poison (3)

    <h4>Chapter 213 ¨C Sword and Poison (3)</h4>


    Despite Juan¡¯s persuasion, Lenly only nodded in silence and didn¡¯t answer. Then, he headed somewhere with heavy steps while dragging his feet.


    Juan could understand where Lenly wasing from; however, he couldn¡¯t move the entire army for just one person. Not only was the Imperial Army already exhausted, but the speed of their current march was also way too fast.


    ¡°Your Majesty.¡±


    Juan saw Pavan upon turning his head toward the voice. Pavan was holding a leather bag toward Juan, and inside it was a liquid swaying around. Juan took the leather bag and drank from it. He frowned slightly at the bitter taste of the low-grade alcohol, but he drank it anyway since he was thirsty.


    After quenching his thirst, Juan handed over the leather bag to Pavan.


    ¡°Did I look like I needed a drink?¡±


    ¡°I know that Your Majesty doesn¡¯t drink often, but you looked thirsty.¡±


    Juan smiled bitterly at the fact that Pavan knew him very well despite having served him for only a little while. Just like he didn¡¯t need to eat, Juan didn¡¯t need to drink anything either.


    Yet the thirst he was feeling was psychological.


    ¡°This war is strange,¡± Juan said.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t all wars strange?¡± Pavan answered.


    ¡°Maybe. But a lot of the wars I¡¯ve been through have been much simpler than this. The gods who deserved to be destroyed were walking on ournd and there were people who stood up against them out of anger and for the sake of survival. It was a terrible war, but these days, I somewhat miss those days¡ªa time when a clear line was drawn between the good and evil.¡±


    Pavan tilted his head, unable to understand Juan¡¯s words.


    ¡°The enemy tried to annihte our people and killed several friends of Your Majesty. He even resurrected those terrible gods. So, do you still feel that there is no evil?¡±


    Juan sighed.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that they aren¡¯t evil. I¡¯m saying that it¡¯s unclear whether I¡¯m good or evil. Just because I¡¯m confronting evil doesn¡¯t mean that I¡¯m good.¡±


    ¡°Well, all the soldiers think of Your Majesty as the absolute good.¡±


    ¡°And I know better than anyone that they¡¯re wrong.¡±


    ¡°Then a philosophical debate will begin among the soldiers.¡±


    ¡°What we are talking about isn¡¯t suitable for the battlefield. It would be better to talk about thister.¡±


    Pavanughed in a low voice.


    ¡°Yes, it would. But Your Majesty, while the good is wondering if his sword is too sharp, the evil will have ten swords that are well maintained and ready¡ªall while thinking about ughtering the good with them.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Neither is there a shortage of swords on our side nor are our swords blunt.¡±


    Pavan bowed his head and stepped down in response to Juan¡¯s firm answer. He had no doubts about the ability of the sword held by Juan. In fact, he had already seen enough of what Juan was capable of and had also seen the miracles that he could perform.


    ¡®<i>But what¡¯s the use of a well-maintained sword if the holder of the sword is hesitant about using it?</i>¡¯


    Pavan thought that it might be better to prepare another sword, just in case. He grabbed one of the soldiers walking past him and asked.


    ¡°Where is Dame Sina Solvane right now?¡±


    ***


    ¡°A gift from General Nienna?¡±


    Pavan met up with Sina near the walls of the fortress which they had upied, at a ce where the traces of copse and burning were evident.


    As soon as he saw her, Pavan asked about the gift Nienna had given Sina.


    Sina was perplexed, wondering how Pavan had found out about it, but answered while maintaining a calm exterior.


    ¡°I have no idea what you are talking about.¡±


    ¡°I already know that General Nienna gave you a gift. No matter how much General Nienna believes in His Majesty, there is no way that she would send him off without a n B when the opponent is none other than Dismas. In fact, I even know what the gift is. I¡¯m only asking, since I¡¯m curious whether you know how to handle it.¡±


    Sina¡¯s expression distorted as she red at Pavan.


    ¡°Did you get the soldiers to search through my belongings?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t go that far. I only ordered them to keep their eyes on you. Please don¡¯t be offended. To be fair, you had no proper position in the Imperial Pce or in the Imperial Army. It was only a matter of course, for security purposes,¡± Pavan made excuses in front of Sina in a brazen manner.


    Sina bit her lips; she knew that there was nothing wrong about what Pavan had said.


    ¡®<i>But I thought that we wererades. I can¡¯t believe that he¡¯s been secretly monitoring me all along.</i>¡¯


    ¡°The item that General Nienna gave you is Oberon. Isn¡¯t it?¡± Pavan asked Sina once again as if to confirm.


    Sina clenched the pocket around her waist. The cold energy permeated through her and a thinyer of frost covered the back of her hand. However, it wasn¡¯t cold enough to make her feel pain.


    Oberon, the Ice Spirit spear that Nienna used to fight against Juan back at the fortress of Beldeve, was one of Nienna¡¯s primary weapons. Some people even considered Oberon to be on the same level as the emperor¡¯s Sutra, since it had the ability to attack with an unlimited number of ice spears, without any limit on size.


    ¡°Why do you ask when you already know?¡± Sina asked coldly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry¡ªI don¡¯t intend to take Oberon away from you or argue with you. How would I dare to do that when it¡¯s clear that General Nienna would cut my neck and decorate it on her spear if she finds out about this? I asked you this question earlier, but let me ask you again. Do you know how to handle Oberon?¡±


    Sina was hesitant, but opened her mouth to answer.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t even given a brief instruction. I¡¯ve been practicing whenever I have time, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Oberon has more abilities other than just making ice spears. There¡¯s a lot it can do, even on a muchrger scale. Of course, General Nienna wouldn¡¯t have needed to use such skills, since she can control the cold itself. But Dame Sina needs to be wise when using Oberon, since you are weaker than General Nienna.¡±


    While it was only natural for Sina to be weakerpared to Nienna, she still felt strange upon hearing Pavan call her weak.


    Meanwhile, Pavan drew his sword.


    Sina flinched and took a step back, but Pavan raised his other hand as if trying to reassure Sina.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have much time. Let¡¯s practice while we have some, alright?¡±


    ¡°...What do you mean practice?¡±


    Pavan looked at Sina with a dumbfounded expression¡ªit was as if he was asking ¡®why are you asking me such an obvious question?¡¯


    ¡°Practice how to kill Dismas.¡±


    Sina was startled. She had already told Pavan that Juan shouldn¡¯t be the one to kill Dismas, but from Pavan¡¯s point of view, it didn¡¯t matter who killed Dismas. Yet Sina had no choice but to suspect him, especially when he offered to help her all of a sudden.


    ¡°Do you believe that His Majesty won¡¯t be able to kill Dismas even when the timees?¡± Sina asked.


    ¡°To be honest with you, it¡¯s hard to trust His Majestypletely. What happened back at the Loen Basin might just be a coincidence. But losing him even at Arkul gate doesn¡¯t feel like a coincidence to me. His Majesty did say that he kept Dismas alive to stop the Cainheryars, but as a result, Dismas ended up escaping. That¡¯s not like His Majesty, is it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a useless distrust. His Majesty won¡¯t hesitate¡ªhe will firmly cut his own child¡¯s neck when the right timees.¡±


    ¡°And I bet that¡¯s what Lenly Loen thought as well.¡±


    Sina closed her mouth and remained silent.


    Lenly also believed in Juan¡¯s judgment at first and entrusted him with everything. But now that Ivy had been abducted, he was almost out of his mind.


    Pavan shrugged his shoulders and continued to speak.


    ¡°Sina, to be honest with you, I really don¡¯t care who kills Dismas. All I need to see is Dismas'' neck falling off his shoulders. I cannot and will not see him running away in front of my eyes a third time. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust His Majesty. But isn¡¯t it true that the more swords there are to stab Dismas, the better?¡±


    ¡°...I mean, you¡¯re right. But¡­¡±


    ¡°The one who cuts an enemy general on the battlefield does not necessarily have to be the general. An ordinary soldier can also step up and pull him down as well, don¡¯t you think? Didn¡¯t Dame Sina tell me that it would be right for someone other than His Majesty to kill Dismas? So, Dame Sina will be the one to take on that role. You have both the will and power. I think you are the most suitable person for the job.¡±


    Sina sighed. Thest thing she wanted was to see Juan being ruined by revenge, ughter and filicide while fighting this war. Sina believed in Juan, but decided to warn him if he was headed the wrong way.


    Juan might regret killing his child with his own hands, and it would be better if there was someone else to exact his revenge. In that regard, Pavan¡¯s words were absolutely right.


    However, it was also true that Sina felt uneasy upon thinking that Pavan must have manipted a lot of people.


    Sina hesitated and opened her mouth with difficulty.


    ¡°We haven¡¯t even figured out how to stop the Cainheryars yet¡­¡±


    ¡°The Cainheryars willst for longer if Dismas is able to flee alive. In the meantime, the empire might fall back to the state of the mythological era again¡ªwhen it was split into smaller kingdoms. Perhaps it would be better to kill Dismas first and have His Majesty quickly destroy the rest of the Cainheryars.¡±


    ¡°...That¡¯s only easy to say, Pavan.¡±


    ¡°I know what you¡¯re worried about, but what I¡¯m thinking about is much simpler than what you think. I just want to kill Dismas, that¡¯s all. I just want to prepare a lot of swords to stab him. We all have different reasons¡ªDame Sina doesn¡¯t want His Majesty tomit filicide, and Sir Lenly is trying to rescue the Saintess. Meanwhile, I¡¯m just seeking simple revenge and victory.¡±


    Sina nodded with unease as she came to a conclusion¡ªthat Pavan wasn¡¯t hiding anything from her. She hesitated for a long time even after deciding to agree with Pavan, but soon grabbed something out of her pocket.


    It was a white brooch that was shaped like a snowke.


    Pavan stared at the brooch.


    ¡°Is that Oberon?¡± Pavan asked.


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s what General Nienna gave to me.¡±


    Sina quietly sped the brooch. A subtle light leaked through Sina¡¯s fingers and disappeared a littleter like the fog.


    Pavan looked at Sina with a suspicious look.


    Meanwhile, Sina quietly looked down at her palm and stretched her index finger up.


    At that moment, an awl made of ice that was about thirty centimeters long appeared along with a cracking sound.


    Seeing this, Pavan shook his head in admiration.


    ¡°What an amazing weapon¡­ it allows you to use this much magic just by holding it. Do you think you¡¯ll be able to handle it well?¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll need a little practice.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have much time, so I guess all we can do is trust in Dame Sina¡¯s capabilities.¡±


    ***


    Ivy was standing in the middle of a purple valley.


    ¡®<i>It¡¯s this ce again.</i>¡¯


    Ivy realized that she was dreaming. Rocks that emitted bright and shiny lights rose everywhere and formed a valley.


    Ivy stomped her feet to find out if the ground she was standing on was real or not. Fortunately, the ground was hard.


    However, it did not seem to be real when she saw the architecture scattered everywhere¡ªthe architecture that made it hard for her to know what era she was in. Ivy couldn¡¯t figure out why this strange space kept appearing in her dreams.


    It was difficult to estimate the time it started, but she figured that it must have been before the time she was appointed as the Saintess.


    Ivy felt like she could see the images of her brain fluid and skull scattered all over the purple rocks. She didn¡¯t know how, but it felt like something strange had entered her when she was forcibly revived by the Pope.


    She didn¡¯t know where this ce was, but she decided to take a step forward; she thought that she would eventually wake up when the time came.


    The purple valley was quiet, and it was neither cold nor hot. She couldn¡¯t even tell if there was any air, since there was no wind.


    After walking for a long time, Ivy came to a sudden stop as she found something.


    Someone was sitting in a chair.


    Ivy, who almost let out a scream without even realizing it, quickly covered her mouth. The man sitting in the chair had purple moss growing all over his body and it was hard to tell how long he had been sitting there for.


    ¡®<i>Is he even alive?</i>¡¯


    Then the man slightly turned his head in response to the sudden noise.


    Seeing this, Ivy¡¯s face hardened.

 Chapter 214 – Sword and Poison (4)

    <h4>Chapter 214 ¨C Sword and Poison (4)</h4>


    ¡°Are you awake?¡±


    Ivy opened her eyes upon hearing the voice. She was startled to see Dismas looking down at her, but she soon wrapped her arms around her head due to a terrible headache. Ivy had a feeling that she saw something important in her dream, but she couldn¡¯t remember anything now that she was awake.


    Dismas held out a ss of water in front of Ivy when she quietly groaned.


    Ivy hesitated for a moment, but took the ss to her mouth. Upon ncing around at her surroundings, Ivy saw walls made of red granite and countless symbols representing the emperor built outside the window.


    There was only one ce like this throughout the entire empire. It was Cabragh, the capital city of the West. To be exact, Ivy was in the Red Citadel, the base of the Order of Surtr.


    ¡°I know that you¡¯re worried. But you are safe here, Saintess. I promise you that there is nothing to worry about,¡± Dismas said.


    Ivy bit her lips.


    ¡°Am I a hostage?¡±


    ¡°Hostage? No way. How could I dare to treat the Saintess as a hostage? All I did was rescue you. I apologize for taking advantage of your good intentions in the process of doing so. I will ask for forgiveness by getting myself whipped a hundred times.¡±


    Ivy looked slightly fed up. She had seen a knight of the Order of Surtr getting whipped as a piacr rite before. They borrowed the hand of a fellow knight, since punishing themselves on their own could weaken the intensity of the whipping. She recalled not being able to watch the piacr rite until the end due to its violent nature.


    ¡°Um, no. You really don¡¯t have to¡­¡±


    Ivy wasn¡¯t cold-hearted enough to openly say ¡®Yes. Go ahead and whip your back until you be drenched in blood.¡¯


    On the other hand, Dismas opened his eyes wide at Ivy¡¯s words and soon nodded.


    ¡°Thank you, Saintess. It seems like you are slowly turning back to normal after you¡¯ve escaped the evil spell of the fake emperor. I appreciate you for your understanding that I was moving for a greater purpose.¡±


    Only then did Ivy realize that Dismas had misunderstood her words. Ivy frowned and opened her mouth again.


    ¡°I¡¯m not saying that I forgive you. I¡¯m just saying that your habit of trying to be easily forgiven using pain is inappropriate. You are just trying to be forgiven quickly andfortably by choosing to endure simple pain.¡±


    Dismas slightly opened his mouth and looked at Ivy with trembling eyes. After remaining silent for a while, Dismas lowered his head.


    ¡°...That is something I need to think deeply about. But I appreciate you for your considerate advice.¡±


    Ivy wondered if she had made a mistake. She could have bought Dismas¡¯ trust by lying and telling him that she agreed with him. But she had a feeling that she ended up making him even more wary by saying unnecessary words.


    ¡°Are you nning to lock me up in here?¡± Ivy asked.


    ¡°No. I have ordered the knights to honor the Saintess and treat you the same as His Holiness. You can freely ess any location, but please understand that it is limited to the inside of Cabragh. It is for the sake of your own safety, since we are at war right now. Also, one of the knights will always be with you to guarantee your safety.¡±


    In other words, Dismas was telling her that he will always have a watchman to keep his eyes on her. Yet, Ivy was surprised to see Dismas offer her more freedom than she had expected; she thought that she would be locked inside this fortress until His Majesty or Lenly came to rescue her.


    ¡°You seem to be quite surprised. As I already said, you were only deceived by the fake emperor. I was shocked at first, but now I understand after meeting him in person. He looks remarkably like His Majesty, doesn¡¯t he? No wonder you fell for his tricks. After all, my sister Nienna and the majority of the empire also fell for it. False prophets always tend to appear with apuse.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s never been apuded,¡± Ivy answered in a cold voice.


    Dismas looked back at Ivy. Ivy couldn¡¯t figure out why she was standing up for the fake emperor. She was in a dangerous situation where her neck could be cut off at any moment if she was not careful with what she said.


    However, due to being someone who had already heard a lot about Juan through Sina, Ivy couldn¡¯t help but stand up for Juan.


    ¡°His Majesty has returned after being sold to a ve merchant to roll around in blood, dust, and mud in the Colosseum. No one apuded him until he set his foot in Torra. He had to prove to everyone that he was the true emperor, all the way until the end.¡±


    Dismas looked at Ivy without saying a word.


    ¡°It seems like his grip over you is much stronger than I had expected, Saintess.¡±


    Innread dot".


    Ivy realized that even the little freedom she had been allowed was now gone due to her words just now. She could have found a better chance of escape, but her chance quickly disappeared as soon as she opened her mouth to say a few words in the emperor¡¯s defense.


    ¡°I think we¡¯ll have to talk about this for a while until we reach an agreement. I¡¯m preparing for a showdown with the fake emperor in Cabragh anyway. Before this, I was nothing but His Majesty¡¯s sword that was being used to destroy evil, but I promise to do my best to save you from the fake emperor¡¯s evil tricks.¡±


    ***


    The hammer narrowly brushed past Sina¡¯s nose.


    Even though her face was on the verge of being ttened by the hammer, Sina didn¡¯t even seem to perceive this situation as dangerous. This was only because she had purposely dodged it by a narrow margin.


    In fact, the knight from the Order of Surtr who was swinging his hammer in front of Sina¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t even leave a scratch on her¡ªhis hammer was just too slow for Sina, and he couldn¡¯t hurt her even after getting two more knights to help him.


    ¡°Are you ever going to do anything other than dodging!?¡± the knight from the Order of Surtr shouted angrily.


    Of course, Sina didn¡¯t intend to do anything. She was just patiently waiting for the right moment to draw the picture she wanted.


    Uponing to the conclusion that Sina was an opponent stronger than the three of thembined, the knights from the Order of Surtr acted quickly.


    Right as one of them charged forward while risking his life, the other two quickly fell back. Their night raid had already failed and retreat could no longer be dyed further just because of Sina.


    And this was the moment when the picture that Sina had been waiting for was finallypleted. The moment she stamped her foot down, an ice spear soared from the ground and prated through the abdomen of the knight charging toward her.


    The knight who was charging toward Sina struggled in the air, then soon drooped down helplessly. Then, the long ice spear grew and extended toward the heart of another knight from the Order of Surtr.


    Meanwhile, thest knight was cursing at Sina from atop his horse.


    Seeing this, Sina stared at the knight for a brief moment, and raised her empty left hand in the air. Instantly, seven ice spears popped out and pierced through the knight¡¯s neck, lungs, heart, and other vital organs. The knight finally fell off of his horse, unable to even let out a scream.


    The battle was still ongoing in the dark, but there would be no more tricky opponents once the knights from the Order of Surtr were overpowered. The fact that the sounds were dying down alone showed that the battle was already in its final stages.


    At that moment, Sina heard the sound of horses approaching her.


    It was Pavan.


    He had been observing Sina ever since the night raid began.


    ¡°You¡¯re already pretty good at handling it. Connecting three different forms of attacks in a row, huh? You are a bit slower than when you practiced, but I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll improve quickly considering your learning speed.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not doing this forpliments,¡± Sina answered coldly.


    But she also realized that she had be much stronger than before. Her mana heart wasn¡¯t fully trained yet, but she wouldn''t have to worry about shortage of mana in a battle like this as long as she had the essence of the emperor.


    When Pavan trained with Sina, he also trained her on how to use the Baltic Sword using Oberon as well. Its effects were beyond imagination. It was only natural that Sina wasn¡¯t as good as Nienna, but even so, she could now be considered to be a huge threat to the enemy.


    Sina was proud of her improvement, but it was hard for her to erase the thought that her achievements were not entirely thanks to her own abilities.


    She decided to change the subject; she didn¡¯t wish to talk about her improving skills anymore.


    ¡°By the way, everything went ording to your n. I can¡¯t believe that you anticipated all their moves. They really did conduct a night raid to attack the supply forces tonight.¡±


    ¡°It was only natural for them to do so if they had a brain. As soon as they started abandoning their fortresses, only leaving the bare minimum number of troops behind, I knew that the enemy would try to destroy our supply line. They probably thought that this would elerate our advance.¡±


    However, at that moment, Pavan raised the corners of his mouth and shook his head.


    ¡°Heh. I am just kidding¡­ it¡¯s nothing more than a bluff. It wasn¡¯t me who anticipated the enemy¡¯s next move, but His Majesty. I don¡¯t know if His Majesty had the same thoughts in mind, but he asked me to keep an eye on the rear supply unit today. Perhaps he sensed something before any one of us.¡±


    ¡°...I see.¡±


    ¡°His Majesty¡¯s abilities never fail to amaze me every time I see them. But we can¡¯t always count on him and expect him to do everything for us.¡±


    ¡®And now we are back to this story again.¡¯


    Pavan looked at Sina. It was almost as if he was hinting something to her, but Sina just turned her head away. Pavan was suggesting that they had to kill Dismas with their own hands in case of an emergency, since they couldn¡¯t always rely on the emperor.


    ¡°I already know. You don¡¯t have to keep telling me that,¡± Sina said.


    ¡°Cabragh will be just around the corner by tomorrow. Dismas is not going to give up on defending it, so this is going to be a siege war. He has concentrated all his elite soldiers in Cabragh¡ªwhich means that the fortress attacks that we have done so far will be considered nothing but a jokepared to what we are about to face tomorrow.¡±


    Pavan drove his horse closer to Sina.


    ¡°His Majesty will not be able to fully concentrate on Dismas. While we might see more Cainheryars, there¡¯s also the Pope. Oh, and don¡¯t forget about the existence of Telgramm. One thing that is clear is that it might be a difficult battle for His Majesty to handle on his own.¡±


    ¡°Oh my goodness¡­ I know! I already know all this. How many times do I have to tell you?¡± Sina answered irritably.


    ¡°I¡¯m d that you know.¡±


    Pavan smiled and slowly drove his horse away from Sina.


    ¡°I don¡¯t wish for you to hate me any more than you already do, so I¡¯ll go on and track down the remnants. Dame Sina, I wish you the best of luck.¡±


    Sina red at Pavan as he disappeared beyond the darkness.


    ***


    ¡°That¡¯s the n, Your Majesty.¡±


    Juan looked at Pavan with a dumbfounded expression.


    ¡°Dame Sina can be considered to be capable enough to kill Dismas. It¡¯s actually more than enough. Your Majesty would also have thought the same if you looked at her skills andbat capabilities while handling Oberon¡ªalthough she seems to underestimate herself.¡±


    ¡°This is quite confusing, Pavan. Isn¡¯t this supposed to be something you nned behind my back? Why are you telling me this?¡±


    ¡°Because there¡¯s no way that I can deceive you, Your Majesty.¡±


    Juan sighed and shook his head. Pavan¡¯s words were true. Juan already knew quite early on that Nienna had given Oberon to Sina and that Sina was training with it. He also knew that Pavan was helping her do so.


    ¡°What¡¯s the point of letting me know after you¡¯ve already done it?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°It is to motivate Dame Sina. She wants to simply be someone who observes Your Majesty, but she also wants to be of help. Who would want to kill Your Majesty¡¯s child? No matter how much Dismas deserves to die, he is still Your Majesty¡¯s son. Who knows whether or not Your Majesty wouldter punish the person that kills Dismas? In that sense, this is the most perfect duty for Dame Sina.¡±


    ¡°Perfect, huh?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps she might think that it is only fair for her to kill Your Majesty¡¯s child, since Your Majesty annihted the Order of the Blue Rose,¡± Pavan added.


    ¡°Do you realize that H¡¯s irritating and unpleasant tone has rubbed off on you? Even H couldn¡¯t be forgiven if she talked to me like that. And you¡¯re not even H, are you?¡±


    Juan grabbed Pavan by the face.


    Pavan was feeling extreme pain from Juan¡¯s hand grabbing his cheeks.


    However, Juan soon sighed and let go of Pavan¡¯s face.


    ¡°I guess I shouldn¡¯t pull out themander¡¯s teeth with the battle just around the corner. You should be sleeping and eating well. Don¡¯t think about ying dirty tricks, and just lead the battle well, will you? Don¡¯t worry about Dismas anymore.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Juan red at Pavan with displeased eyes.


    Pavan swallowed a gulp upon facing Juan¡¯s eyes that were rife with murderous intent, but he managed to barely stand without copsing to the floor.


    ¡°I will be the one to kill Dismas. It¡¯s a shame that your work will go to a waste, but Sina won¡¯t have the chance to y an active role. This is the answer that you wished to hear, isn¡¯t it? That I¡¯ll hurry up and kill Dismas without any hesitation to keep Sina out of danger?¡±


    Pavan bowed his head instead of answering.


    Juan looked at Pavan for a while and chewed his words.


    ¡°You really want to kill Dismas that badly, huh. Are you trying to manipte me at the cost of your own life? Do you have a life to spare or something?¡±


    ¡°The weak have their own ways. No matter how disciplined I am, I¡¯ll never even be able to reach even the feet of Your Majesty¡¯s children. So what else can I do?¡±

 Chapter 215 – Cabragh (1)

    <h4>Chapter 215 ¨C Cabragh (1)</h4>


    Dismas was standing in the tower housing Telgramm as he looked out the window with anxious eyes.


    Imperial gs could be seen waving in the air between the rocky mountains outside Cabragh. In just less than a week, Juan¡¯s imperial forces had managed to break through the West and were just around the corner of reaching Cabragh¡ªthe furthest point in the West.


    .


    While the imperial forces must be suffering from a lot of umted fatigue, they would still be full of morale, since they had won consecutive battles. Furthermore, all of them also wanted revenge for H Henna, a well-respected noble.


    It was clear that the Capital Army would recover from their fatigue and that they will also get more reinforcements as time goes by. If the Imperial Army decided to just block Cabragh as it is, the Western Army would have no choice but to surrender in less than half a year.


    Of course, the blockade would not seed.


    After all, Dismas¡¯ side had the Telgramm, the Cainheryars, and the Pope.


    However, the enemy¡¯s side had the emperor. While it was unknown whether the emperor was real or not, it was true that he had enough power to make such a im and had even sessfully convinced everyone. At the same time, the fortress would be meaningless if Nienna and the dragon joined the battle as well.


    At most one or two major battles will be fought, each of whose oues will be very critical to each other.


    At such an urgent time, Dismas, themander in chief of the Western Army, did not even show up on the wall.


    Helmut stood in front of Telgramm, looking irritated. Telegramm required two people to operate¡ªone had to be the shooter whounched the Telgramm, and one had to be the observer, who observes the target point.


    While Helmut was appointed as the shooter to handle Telgramm, Dismas was appointed as the observer. Helmut could see and hear Dismas from the end of the obliquely erected cylinder in the center of Telgramm.


    On the other hand, Dismas had been engaged in a heated debate with Ivy for two days straight. They constantly held conversations and voiced their opinions at every meal and stroll.


    Helmut couldn¡¯t understand Dismas¡¯ bizarre enthusiasm to convince Ivy. Up until now, Dismas would simply torture any discredited men and burn them if they resisted.


    ¡®<i>But why is he making an exception for the Saintess?</i>¡¯


    ¡°You look nervous.¡±


    Helmut turned his head at the voiceing from behind him.


    He could see Imil slowly approaching him.


    ¡°It¡¯s frustrating that the Doctrinal General is only focusing on this type of doctrinal dispute when the enemy is just around the corner,¡± Helmut answered.


    ¡°I understand your frustration, Your Holiness. The soldiers also seemed quite puzzled. While the preparation is going well because the Order of Surtr is quitepetent, it would be nice for him to show up and say something to the soldiers now.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him? As far as I remember, Doctrinal General Dismas is not the type of a person to try and persuade or convince someone.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps that¡¯s the reason why it¡¯s taking him so long. It¡¯s probably because he respects the Saintess, don¡¯t you think? Unlike other humble unbelievers, the Saintess is above everyone when ites to listening to His Majesty¡¯s noble voice.¡±


    Helmut felt like he wanted to cry; after all, it was him who had created such an image for the Saintess.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that there¡¯s a chance that she¡¯ll persuade the Doctrinal General to¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not going to happen. I overheard their conversation once, but it¡¯s the same story every time. They are reluctant to hear each other out and keep going nonstop like squirrels running non-stop on a wheel. Doctrinal General Dismas¡¯ faith is quite strong. But I gotta admit that I was surprised to see the Saintess have such strong faith as well.¡±


    Imil smiled and continued to speak.


    ¡°To be honest, I think it would be more effective to torture the Saintess rather than trying to persuade her. I bet a little pinch on her arm would change her position really quickly¡ªeven if she just tells a lie.¡±


    ¡°Well, we at least need that right now¡­¡± Helmut bit his lips. ¡°It would be nice to keep that bitch away from Dismas, even if it¡¯s just for a little while. If I could spend some time with her alone, I could put some sense into her.¡±


    ¡°Your Holiness.¡±


    Imil sighed and approached Helmut.


    ¡°Even if the Doctrinal General Dismas is failing toe to his senses, at least you should remain rational¡ªyou are the Pope. Please set your priorities straight. This is not the time to cause internal strife just because of one girl. Disaster is just around the corner.¡±


    Then he pointed outside the window.


    ¡°I can feel Your Holiness has be quite skilled in handling Telgramm and is now much more urate. As long as you can handle Telgramm with uracy, the fake emperor will be of no match against us. Without the fake emperor, their traitorous party is like a group of ants in front of Your Holiness.¡±


    Helmut did not answer. He wondered whether the empire would reallye into his hands again even if the fake emperor were to disappear. There were many things that Helmut did not know about¡ªsuch as the truth behind the appearance of Telgramm or the Cainheryars created by Dismas.


    Helmut couldn¡¯t figure out how many more secrets there were, and it urred to him that maybe he had been nothing more than a puppet for thest few decades.


    ¡°Your Holiness,¡± Imil put a hand on Helmut¡¯s shoulder and whispered. ¡°Fulfill His Majesty¡¯s will. That is the right thing to do.¡±


    Helmut nodded as Imil¡¯s hand patted him on the shoulder.


    ***


    Cabragh was a fortress built to fight against the giants beyond the western border.


    The fortress built around the Giant¡¯s Backbone mountain range was particrly tall and hard toward the west, but rtively gentle and shallow toward the east. Even so, it was still bizarrely tall. The reputation of the fortress city that was challenged by numerous giants, but never copsed even once was quite famous within the empire.


    ¡°But for some reason, now it seems like it has be a fortress that belongs to the Giants,¡± Pavan answered joyfully.


    Huge Giant ves stood there with iron armor and iron shields in both of their hands. The huge Giants that were standing up tall made the wall look at least several tens of meters higher than it actually was. The number of Giant ves surrounding Cabragh seemed to be several times as many as the number of Giant ves that were seen at the Loen Basin.


    Juan frowned upon thinking that there must be more of them lurking behind the wall.


    ¡°I heard that Giants value their honor more than anything. I bet it must be hard for them to stand being ridiculed like that,¡± Juan said.


    ¡°I heard that they use magic through the use of medicine or nerve maniption on the Giants. Apparently some of theme back to their senses, but it¡¯s very rare. Oh, yes¡­ we might be able to turn them to our side if Your Majesty knows how to make theme back to their senses,¡± Pavan answered.


    Pavan¡¯s idea was not a bad one, but unfortunately Juan didn¡¯t know how to release the Giants from the spell. The Emperor¡¯s voice wouldn¡¯t work on the Giants, since they were of a heterogeneous race.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to make theme back to their senses, but I can grant them freedom.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if we would have the time to do so, but¡­¡±


    In other words, Pavan was stating that they had to kill all of the Giant ves. He let out a sigh and scratched his head.


    ¡°Giant ves are not a big problem for skilled knights, but they are definitely problematic to the ordinary soldiers. There are fewer than ten knights who are skilled enough to deal with the Giant ves. To be honest, even if the Cainheryars make an appearance, they will not be the ones killing the highest number of our soldiers¡ªit will be the Giants.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s Cainheryars and then there¡¯s also Telgramm. I have no idea how the hell Helmut is able to handle Telgramm like that. It¡¯s going to be a tough battle. Pavan, use any and all means to break into Cabragh as quickly as possible¡ªeven if that means making a few sacrifices. No matter how strong Telgramm is, it will be hard for them to use it when their allies are on the battlefield as well.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if the Pope has enoughmon sense to consider his allies, but I guess that¡¯s the only way.¡±


    ¡°And Lenly.¡±


    Lenly, who had been listening to Juan and Pavan¡¯s conversation in silence, quickly raised his head.


    ¡°The moment you have been waiting for all along has finallye. We must have a siege to finish the Cainheryars as soon as possible. We cannot afford to waste time on a blockade. I¡¯d like you to be in charge of a special attack,¡± Juan ordered.


    ¡°But I must stand by Your Majesty¡¯s side as a member of the Imperial Guards¡­¡±


    ¡°I will already be in Cabragh by the time the siege begins. Wouldn¡¯t that be enough? Pick out the soldiers you need and begin the operation from within. But keep in mind that your mission is to infiltrate, and not to rescue.¡±


    Lenly¡¯s expression hardened again.


    But Juan clicked his tongue and added some more words.


    ¡°So I would like you to secure an ¡®important person¡¯ from within in advance, before everything turns into chaos. I¡¯ll leave it up to you to decide who¡¯s the important person.¡±


    Lenly¡¯s face brightened up. Others would consider this a suicide mission, but it didn¡¯t seem to matter much to Lenly.


    Then Juan turned his gaze toward Sina. Sina, who held no specific position in the Imperial Army, had remained silent throughout the meeting.


    ¡°Sina, you stay out of this battle.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Everyone looked at Juan with surprised eyes. Although Sina did not have an official position in the Imperial Army, her exquisite fighting capabilities and performance was so famous within the Imperial Army that there were soldiers saluting her when she wasn¡¯t even officially their superior.


    However, Juan continued to speak in a calm manner.


    ¡°You¡¯re basically a civilian since you don¡¯t have a position in the Imperial Army. I¡¯ve made an exception and considered you an observer until now, but not anymore. You will not be participating in this battle.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? I¡¯ve been¡­¡±


    ¡°If not, then make up your mind. You¡¯re the Captain of the Order of the Blue Rose. All knight orders belong to the Imperial Army, and the Imperial Army is loyal to the ruler of the empire. And I am the ruler of the empire. Sina, can you be loyal to me?¡±


    Sina flinched. Although she was the Captain of the Order of the Blue Rose, she had not yet pledged her allegiance to Juan. Her ambiguous position as Juan''s trustedrade who is not loyal to him had already been maintained for a long time now.


    Even Sina couldn¡¯t tell how that had been possible until now. Yet the reason was quite simple¡ªit was because Juan wanted Sina to maintain such a position. He wanted her to be the watchman rather than a subordinate.


    If Juan had told her to be loyal to him, Sina would have pledged her allegiance to him a long time ago.


    ¡°I am¡­¡±


    ¡°My friend,¡± Juan cut Sina off and said in a firm voice. ¡°This was what forced me to make a decision more than ever. All of my colleagues, subordinates, enemies, and family are all trying to fulfill their will through me. Yes¡ªthe emperor is always forced. And that¡¯s why, more than ever, I need a friend to watch over me.¡±


    Sina couldn¡¯t open her mouth at Juan¡¯s pleading words for a long time.


    ***


    A g with a hand-holding hammer pped over the walls of Cabragh.


    The western soldiers lined up atop the wall and silently looked at the Imperial gs glittering over the ridge with anxious eyes.


    The Capital Army was on standby beyond the hills and rocky mountains; they were wary of Telgramm. This was the same force that went to support Barth Baltic when he issued an order to convene not long ago. Back then, they surrendered without shedding a single drop of blood, but they were attacking the West as soon as the emperor returned.


    ¡®<i>Is the man sitting on the throne the real emperor?</i>¡¯


    Most of the soldiers had simr thoughts. They had already heard of the new emperor¡¯s achievements and power. It was known that he used Sutra and was able to magically raise the walls of Torra. But even if he was the real emperor, they couldn¡¯t understand why he drove the Pope and themselves¡ªthose who supported him most passionately¡ªinto a corner. They had no doubt that they, the Westerners, had always been the most loyal to the emperor all this time.


    Then there was only one more question left for them to ask.


    ¡®<i>If the man who appeared is the real emperor, then who is the emperor that we served all this time?</i>¡¯


    Then one of the soldiers suddenly began to tremble. His faint groan and anxiety quickly began to spread to the other soldiers as well.


    At that moment, a thick and huge hand was ced on that soldier¡¯s hand. The soldier flinched and turned around.


    A huge man in red armor was quietly looking over the wall. With his hand ced over the soldier¡¯s hand, Dismas opened his mouth.


    ¡°His Majesty simply wants faith.¡±


    The soldier breathed heavily, but soon calmed down and looked ahead. There was no need to think about unnecessary things¡ªHis Majesty just wanted simple faith, and it was their duty to understand His Majesty¡¯s will and carry it out. Otherwise, all their lives that they had spent believing the emperor would be deniedpletely.


    As soon as Dismas appeared, the agitation and anxiety that had spread amongst the soldiers disappeared in an instant. After all, Dismas, the emperor¡¯s own son, was on their side. Instead of pondering any further, the soldiers decided to believe in him.


    Imil, who was looking ahead while standing on the wall, felt the change in the soldiers¡¯ morale. He smiled bitterly and approached Dismas.


    ¡°As expected. Our soldiers¡¯ anxiety reduced as soon as the Doctrinal General showed up.¡±


    ¡°I apologize for leaving everything to my subordinates until now.¡±


    Dismas looked visibly tired, but it didn¡¯t seem to be physical exhaustion.


    Imil decided to test the waters.


    ¡°So? How did the debate go? Was it meaningful?¡±


    ¡°Not really.¡±


    Dismas¡¯ face was absolutely expressionless.

 Chapter 216 – Cabragh (2)

    <h4>Chapter 216 ¨C Cabragh (2)</h4>


    ¡°The Saintess was very firm in her opinions¡­ It doesn¡¯t seem like she has been threatened, but maybe she has been brainwashed. Ah¡­ If only I had better talking skills to convince her,¡± Dismas said, sighing.


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying that there is no change in your opinion, Doctrinal General Dismas?¡± Imil asked.


    Dismas looked at Imil with a strange expression.


    ¡°Change in my opinion? Why would there be a change in my opinion? There is no doubt that the holy body that we are serving in Cabragh right now belongs to His Majesty, and His Holiness acting on behalf of His Majesty to execute his will is proof of that. But the Saintess is not listening to me when I say so¡­¡±


    Dismas clicked his tongue and looked out of the wall.


    ¡°Well, that will change after I cut off that fake emperor¡¯s neck. Defeating the fake emperor is an important matter for everyone.¡±


    The Capital Army was in the midst of the preparations for the charge, ready to attack at any moment. Siege equipment that was usually only seen in the siege war was nowhere to be found in the Capital Army. This was not only due to their rapid advance, but also because they did not need it, since they had Juan on their side.


    ¡°But it won¡¯t be that easy this time,¡± Dismas muttered to himself.


    The wall wouldn¡¯t be easily destroyed by magic attacks this time, since it had already been blessed by Helmut. At the same time, Helmut had be quite ustomed to using Telgramm. In addition, only the elites of the Western Army were gathered in the fortress of Cabragh.


    ¡°Please begin, Your Holiness,¡± Dismas spoke briefly.


    ***


    ¡°They are moving.¡±


    Pavany down atop the ridge to keep his eyes on Cabragh.


    The Capital Army hadpleted the preparations for the charge, but they couldn¡¯t rush toward the wall, since they were without any help from Juan. Although Juan wasn¡¯t with them at the moment, they knew that his signal for them to begin the attack would be clear enough to be visible to everyone.


    At that moment, a huge spire built to the West of Cabragh began to tilt. The tower tilted at an angle and cast a huge shadow across all of Cabragh.


    Seeing this, the Imperial soldiers grew perplexed, while Pavan focused on the reaction of the western soldiers.


    The western soldiers barely showed any reaction¡ªwhich meant that they had already seen such a thing several times.


    ¡°Everyone in the cave!¡±


    A brown g was raised at Pavan¡¯s instruction. A procession of brown gs soon rose like a series of dominoes along the ridge. The imperial soldiers quickly ducked into the caves that they had burrowed out, but Pavan stood up to stare at the tower instead of hiding like the others.


    ¡°Captain! That¡¯s dangerous!¡±


    Despite the knights¡¯ concerns, Pavan refused to take his eyes off of the tower. The tower was tilted at such a sharp angle that any other ordinary tower would have already copsed, but it was still standing strong as it aimed toward the East.


    Just as Pavan was wondering when the attack might begin, a terrible wave of heat suddenly surged along with a huge clump of light. The hot wind swept over the ridge along with a roar that was loud enough to rip one¡¯s eardrums.


    At the same time, Pavan was pushed down the ridge by a sudden gust of wind.


    ¡°Captain!¡±


    However, Pavan soon raised himself up once again and stared at the location where the beam of light passed by. A small rocky mountain hadpletely disappeared. Despite the soldiers hiding in the caves, all that remained in that ce was ash and melted rocks that were boiling to form a stream.


    The surroundings were full of soldiers screaming in chaos. A small troop was wiped out in an instant, and so, Pavan¡¯s reaction was simple.


    ¡°There is no point in hiding. Get ready to charge right away.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry? But Captain¡­ We have yet to receive His Majesty¡¯s instruction to¡­¡±


    ¡°His Majesty probably knows better than anyone that now is the right time to charge if he doesn¡¯t want to see the whole army getting wiped out. Charge!¡±


    At the same time, the knights ordered the soldiers to charge upon hearing Pavan¡¯s instruction.


    Soon, the Imperial soldiers rose like wildfire from atop the ridge and began to advance fiercely toward Cabragh.


    Meanwhile, Pavan followed the soldiers on his horse, since it was better to directly jump into the battle and lead from the field in a battle where the situation could be changed due to the interference of powerful beings.


    Pavan charged forward while shouting an insincere slogan.


    ¡°For His Majesty!¡±


    The soldiers and the knights repeated the slogan in a single loud voice. The scene of such a huge number of troops charging toward the huge wall looked like a flock of moths jumping into mes.


    Meanwhile, Telgramm slightly changed its position to aim toward the Imperial soldiers again.


    Meanwhile, Juan watched the whole scene from the wall of Cabragh which was the target that the Imperial Army was charging toward.


    ¡°Well, I guess Pavan is doing things his own way.¡±


    Juan muttered to himself, but he had noints; he too would have ordered the charge if he was in Pavan¡¯s position. Although preparations were not yetplete, there was no time to hesitate in a situation where the troops waiting on standby over the mountain could be wiped out in an instant.


    Just then, Juan shook off his hands and was getting ready to move, when he suddenly encountered the western soldiers.


    ¡°Who is it!?¡±


    Juan stopped upon hearing the voice asking for his identity.


    Meanwhile, the western soldiers were perplexed to see a ck-haired man wearing unusual-looking armor while standing with iron pins stuck all around him. It was only after they saw the bodies scattered all over the ce that they realized all the ¡®iron pins¡¯ were actually the armors and weapons of the dead western soldiers.


    The western soldiers¡¯ mouths widened in shock, since they couldn¡¯t understand how Juan had managed to ughter dozens of people without making a single sound.


    ¡°What¡­ what¡¯s going on¡­?¡±


    ¡°I rmend jumping down the wall if you wish to live,¡± Juan said.


    The western soldiers looked under the wall without even realizing it. The wall seemed to be at least tens of meters tall, causing the soldiers to turn their heads back toward Juan, thinking that he was crazy.


    However, Juan was nowhere to be found. Then the soldiers btedly spotted Juan, who was running down the wall.


    ¡°But how¡­¡±


    At that moment, another beam of light was fired from Telegramm with a loud bang. Although Telgramm was the subject of fear among the western soldiers in the beginning, they were no longer impressed to see it fire; they had already seen their enemies getting ripped apart by Telgramms¡¯ enormous power numerous times.


    Yet, at that moment, beyond anyone¡¯s expectations, the beam of light fired by Telgramm was bent at an irregr angle. And that was thest thing these soldiers ever saw.


    The obliquely bent beam of light swept through the wall of Cabragh in a blink of an eye.


    ***


    <i>Crash! Crash! Crash!</i>


    Screams broke out from all directions when the beam of light fired by Telgramm swept through the wall of Cabragh.


    Meanwhile, Dismas, who was smiling contentedly at the power that blew up a whole mountain up until just a moment ago, couldn¡¯t understand what had happened just now.


    Many soldiers and Giants helplessly disappeared without even leaving behind any ashes, while the soldiers whose bodies caught on fire jumped down the melted and broken walls with terrible screams.


    Although the Pope¡¯s blessing alleviated some of the damage, Telegramm was powerful enough to ignore such a blessing.


    Shock and anger filled Dismas¡¯ face.


    ¡°What is going on! Didn¡¯t you tell me that His Holiness had already mastered how to handle Telgramm?¡±


    Imil¡¯s face turned beyond pale. He looked like he couldn¡¯t understand this situation at all.


    ¡°It seems like something has gone wrong. I saw Telgramm bending in the air for a brief moment. Perhaps the enemies have messed with the Telgramm.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re telling me that the enemies can get their hands on Telgramm?¡± Dismas grabbed Imil by the cor.


    ¡°You said that Telgramm is a weapon that is capable of killing gods, you bastard! But I had been thinking that it¡¯s power was not as strong as I had expected. Yet, I entrusted you to do whatever you wanted with it, since it looked useful enough, but you¡¯re telling me that other people can use Telgramm as well now that the battle has begun!?¡±


    Imil tapped on Dismas¡¯s hand while hanging in the air. He couldn¡¯t say a word, as he was being suffocated. When Dismas angrily threw Imil to the ground, Imil finally opened his mouth with difficulty while gasping for air.


    ¡°The only ones who can use Telgramm¡¯s power to its maximum capability are the Hornsluines. Even if an ordinary human borrows the power of the emperor¡¯s Grace, they can only use a part of Telgramm¡¯s power. Although it¡¯s true that Telgramm is a powerful weapon, its principle only uses a natural phenomenon. If we have enough energy and preparation, we can still¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough with your excuses.¡±


    Dismas pushed Imil toward the stairs.


    ¡°Go to His Holiness and assist him right away. There better be no more mistakes¡­ or else.¡±


    Dismas nced angrily at the wall. Cabragh¡¯s wall, which was swept through by the beam of light fired from Telgramm, had turned into a total mess. One-third of the wall was destroyed and the Imperial forces were climbing along the copsed area.


    Seeing this, Dismas burst into a rage and directly jumped into the battlefield.


    ***


    ¡®<i>Telgramm¡¯s bombardment has stopped.</i>¡¯


    It was only natural for the enemy to be unable to use Telgramm again until they found out the cause behind it attacking their own allies and inflicting a fatal blow on their defensive line. Furthermore, the western army¡¯s morale must have sunk to rock bottom, since they now knew that Telgramm could end up attacking them as well.


    This was a relief for Juan. Changing Telgramm¡¯s trajectory was only possible once, since Juan¡¯s magic circle had beenpletely destroyed after one use.


    In the meantime, Telgramm needed to be neutralized as quickly as possible.


    At that moment, Juan flinched and paused for a moment upon finding Dismasmanding from atop the watchtower of the opposite wall. It was true that he had to kill Dismas. However, Telgramm¡¯s bombardment could end up resuming if he were to go fight against Dismas at this moment.


    Juan couldn¡¯t help butpare the strategic value of both the choices.


    Dismas wasn¡¯t strong enough to change theplete situation of the battlefield, as long as he didn¡¯t use Spirit Calling. At the same time, Telgramm was a very dangerous weapon.


    Juan came to the conclusion that it would not be toote to return and face Dismas after he hadpletely disabled Telgramm, especially when considering that Sina did not participate in the war.


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡± Pavan shouted from a distance upon finding Juan. ¡°Now!¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    The Imperial Army was climbing over the copsed walls to gradually attack Cabragh step by step, but the Imperial Army¡¯s primary enemy was not there. At the same time, the Imperial Cavalry was fiercely charging toward the gates under Pavan¡¯smand.


    .


    Juan felt bitter upon seeing Pavan urately following his instructions. Pavan was a talented man who was not only good at swordsmanship, but also had remarkable intelligence as a leader.


    At that moment, Juan flew through the sky like an arrow released by a bow. The soldiers couldn¡¯t even see Juan flying over their heads.


    Juan slowly ignited Sutra, while stomping a few times in the air to gain more eleration. Meanwhile, the soldiers had an illusion of a meteor passing over their heads.


    In the meantime, the knight running at the forefront of the line could see the thick grain of the gate. His heart was beating so loudly that it was almost as if it could blow up at any moment. He was also out of breath. He suddenly thought that he might just end up bing a part of the gate¡¯s pattern if he mmed against the gate at such a speed.


    Then the knight shouted loudly without even realizing it and crashed into the gate after panting for a while.


    ¡°For His Majesty!¡±


    At that moment, Cabragh¡¯s gate was smashed and shattered into pieces with a loud bang. The knight running at the forefront of the line was the first to jump into Cabragh while facing the debris of the broken gate. The soldiers who had been waiting on stand by behind the gates were instantly trampled by the knight¡¯s war horse and copsed.


    The Imperial Army quickly began to flood in through the broken gate. Their attack was clean and well-connected, with no separation between the time the gate was broken and the time the soldiers charged in.


    The knight in the lead could see Juan holding the burning Sutra in front of him. The knight shouted the emperor¡¯s name while constantly ughtering the western soldiers he could see all around one by one.


    That¡¯s when the knight saw something strange standing in front of him.


    It was a Giant.


    The knight thought that it was one of the Giant ves, but the Giant standing in front of him was so huge that he was quite a bit bigger than the ordinary Giants. The moment the knight looked up at the Giant in bewilderment, the Giant also looked down at the knight.


    The Giant had a shaggy ck beard and was wearing an eyepatch on one of its eyes.


    At that moment, the knight remembered a name that he had only read in fairytale books.


    ¡°Helgrim¡­¡±


    Then, the knight was trampled beneath the Giant¡¯s foot and disappeared in just an instant.


    The Giant let out a loud roar.


    At the same time, the Giants who had helplessly copsed to the ground, as well as the giants who had been fighting unconsciously raised their heads at once. All of them also let out a loud road¡ªit was almost as if they were responding to the roar of the Giant with the eyepatch.


    ¡°It¡¯s King of the Giants! Giant King Helgrim!¡±


    A fearful cry broke out among the soldiers. The identity of the Giant was Helgrim, the king of the Giants, known to be the first among those killed by Dismas and turned into Cainheryars. While he wasn¡¯t as strong as resurrected gods, his strength did not need to be lowered forcibly unlike the other gods¡ªthe resurrected gods needed to have their strength forcibly lowered in order to prevent theplete resurrection of the gods.


    Helgrim, who had yed the role of the viin in all kinds of stories for hundreds of years, caused everyone on the battlefield to be immensely fearful¡ªto them, it was as if he had popped out of the fairytale books they read as children.


    Few of the Giants shook off the people who had been controlling them and ran toward Helgrim.


    Meanwhile, Helgrim looked around and upon finding Juan, started heading toward him.


    However, Juan was not even looking at Helgrim.


    Helgrim tried to follow Juan as soon as he saw Juan moving, but he came to a stop when he felt a sudden paining from his left calf.


    Upon turning his head, he saw Pavan ring at him with a grotesque smile.


    ¡°Do you think you are worthy of His Majesty¡¯s attention? <i>I?</i>am your opponent. I¡¯ll make sure to chew you up thoroughly and then spit you out.¡±

 Chapter 217 – Cabragh (3)

    <h4>Chapter 217 ¨C Cabragh (3)</h4>


    ¡°You dirty apostatic bastards!¡±


    The Imperial soldiers¡¯ heads were falling as soon as Dismas wielded his hammer.


    Every time Dismas swung his hammer, the Imperial soldiers copsed like wheat being harvested. Despite their high morale as the emperor¡¯s army, the soldiers couldn¡¯t hold out against Dismas anymore¡ªespecially when shields were of no use against him and he showed no response even after being stabbed by their swords.


    In fact, the Imperial soldiers chose to jump on top of the Giant ves to attack them rather than deal with Dismas.


    This caused Dismas to re at his surroundings with a growl as the soldiers faltered away in fear.


    Dismas was not interested in dealing with ordinary soldiers. He gritted his teeth upon thinking that his true opponent must be ughtering more of his allies even as he was dealing with these trivial soldiers.


    At that moment, a loud roar rang out from the gate.


    The corners of Dismas¡¯ mouth went up when Helgrim¡¯s roar was heard. As someone who had spent a long time fighting against the Giants, Dismas knew better than anyone else what this type of roar meant.


    It meant that an enemy worth fighting against had finally appeared.


    ¡°Fuck off!¡±


    The imperial soldiers hesitantly retreated upon hearing Dismas¡¯ fierce roar.


    Then, Dismas strode through the encirclement of Imperial soldiers to head toward the main gate, assuming that the fake emperor had certainly appeared there.


    ¡®<i>This war will simply be over after I cut off his neck.</i>¡¯


    It didn¡¯t matter to Dismas that he had been constantly defeated by the fake emperor until now. After all, he hadn¡¯t been fighting with all his might until now. Although it had been for strategic reasons, things were different now.


    After having a long discussion with Ivy, Dismas was confident that killing the fake emperor would solve everything.


    ¡®<i>Because of that, first of all I should¡­</i>¡¯


    Dismas quickly raised his right arm even before he could finish thinking. His right arm was cut off in an instant, while a feeling of cold and sharp pain assaulted him.


    Then, the ice spear that cut off Dismas¡¯ arm in the blink of an eye brushed against his neck.


    Dismas was shaken by the opponent¡¯s clean and powerful attack that came so suddenly.


    There was only one person in his memory who could use such powerful magic against him.


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    ¡°Older sister Nienna?¡±


    There was no answer to his question. Instead, more ice spears poured over him one after another with a sharp trajectory. Despite the attacks being quick and strong, they were all meaningless.


    The ice spears that continued to fly toward him non-stop were blocking Dismas¡¯ view and prating his legs, leaving scars that looked like someone had thoroughly minced him.


    Dismas gritted his teeth and swung his hammer with a roar. Numerous ice spears that were waiting to be thrown toward Dismas exploded and instantly burst at his loud roar. At the same time, his opponent was helplessly pushed back as well.


    The space where Dismas¡¯ hammer passed through was strangely distorted, but soon recovered on its own. It was an attack so powerful that it could never be endured without dodging.


    Only then did Dismas have a chance to look and re at the opponent who had attacked him.


    ¡°I thought it was my older sister Nienna. I¡¯m not going to lie¡­ You have surprised me.¡±


    ¡°...Doctrinal General Dismas,¡± Sina snapped back sharply. ¡°I am Sina Solvane from the Order of the Blue Rose. I will summarily dispose of you on the charge of treason.¡±


    A stream of cold sweat ran down Sina¡¯s forehead. This was not only because of the tension over the fight making her nervous, but also because she was viting Juan¡¯s words by stepping out right now.


    Juan had asked Sina not to step up if she considered herself as his friend and not his subordinate.


    However, that was why Sina had no choice but to step up.


    ¡®<i>What he said was basically an order.</i>¡¯


    Sina doing just as Juan told her was no different from obeying his orders.


    As Pavan said, it didn¡¯t matter who it was that cut off the neck of an enemymander on the battlefield. However, Juan couldn¡¯t be allowed to be the one to kill his own child.


    Sina couldn¡¯t sit back and watch as Juan was forced by the world to make such a harsh decision.


    Sina let out a shout and once again raised her sword against Dismas. The two started shing on the steep wall.


    Dismas punched out the two extended des of Sina¡¯s ice spear with his left hand. The ice spear was instantly smashed and scattered everywhere, but the fragments of the ice spear managed to pierce through Dismas¡¯ forearm. Then, those pieces melted down instantly, but the wound was left behind.


    However, such a wound would not affect Dismas in the slightest.


    The walls burst like y and the debris scattered to the surroundings every time Dismas¡¯ hammer swayed violently.


    Sina gritted her teeth. She knew that there was no way she would be unscathed after being hit by just the scattering debris, let alone Dismas¡¯ hammer. If she stopped moving for even just a second, she would instantly be trampled under Dismas¡¯ hammer.


    Although Juan had given Sina his essence, she had no idea how strong its power was or how to use its power. One might assume that it would give her the phenomenal ability to recover like the children of the emperor, but she didn¡¯t seem to be as strong as them by any means.


    ¡®<i>What is it that you wanted from me, Juan? Did you just keep me alive because you didn¡¯t want me to die back then?</i>¡¯


    But that was not what Sina wanted in the first ce.


    ¡°What are you waiting for, knight? Did you onlye to drag out this fight and waste my time?¡±


    Dismas shouted and quickly stamped his hammer down toward Sina. The hammer was incredibly fast despite its heavy weight, and brushed past Sina¡¯s head by a narrow margin, mming against the ground.


    With an explosive sound, the ground under Sina¡¯s feet disappeared¡ªthat part of the wall had copsed with a single attack from Dismas. But Dismas did not stop there. He quickly jumped toward Sina who was falling after losing bnce.


    What he didn¡¯t realize was that Sina had been waiting for him to move from the moment the ground under her feet had copsed. At the same time as Sina created a horizontal ice spear over the wall, she also created a huge hell of ice thorns for Dismas who was falling toward her.


    Dismas burst intoughter upon seeing more than a hundred ice spears aimed toward him and curled up to avoid as much damage as possible, giving up on attacking Sina.


    On the other hand, Sina didn¡¯t hesitate to relentlessly throw the ice spears toward Dismas.


    Only a few among the hundred ice spears were powerful enough to pierce Dismas¡¯ thick and muscr body. If Nienna was here, she would have been able to create ice spears harder than steel, but Sina was not good enough to handle Oberon to such an extent just yet.


    However, Dismas fell to the ground, looking like a hedgehog even with only a few of the ice spears piercing him.


    Sina didn¡¯t let her guard down; she figured that it wouldn¡¯t bete to speak after cutting off the enemy¡¯s neck.


    Sina pulled out one of the ice spears stuck all over Dismas and stabbed him non-stop. When Dismas finally fell, Sina directly jumped toward him to cut him.


    A dull crashing sound rang out throughout the wall.


    ***


    Juan turned his head toward the loud roar that shook all of Cabragh.


    Parts of Cabragh¡¯s wall were copsing, and Juan could only think of one person who had the strength to break down the wall. Juan figured that Dismas must be fighting in the direction where the sound came from.


    But Juan couldn¡¯t afford to focus his attention on the sound.


    ¡°And I¡¯m stuck here again,¡± Juan sighed.


    His path to where Telgramm was located was blocked by a huge man with long ck hair. He was wearing a ck fur cloak, and stood with his back toward Juan. He seemed just as tall as Barth Baltic, but Juan felt an intense divinity from him.


    Juan instinctively realized that the opponent standing before him was a Cainheryar. The Cainheryar looked a little bit smallerpared to the other gods, but was emitting a dangerous presence.


    Seeing that the opponent was not moving at all, Juan briefly contemted whether he should just turn around and go back toe from a different direction. There was no way Juan would walk past his enemies at normal times, but the situation right now was urgent.


    There was no reason for Juan to do anything about a Cainheryar that wasn¡¯t working properly. But as soon as Juan tried to jump past him, the man suddenly opened his mouth.


    ¡°Kneel.¡±


    Juan¡¯s legs trembled and his knees almost bent for a short moment. A heavy weight was weighing down on his shoulders. Juan looked around the surroundings with a shocked expression, but the buildings did not copse nor was the ground crushed. The sound was only affecting Juan.


    Juan clenched his teeth and surrounded himself with mes.


    ¡°Hah.¡±


    As the heat began to burn up the path, the man btedly turned his head, surprised. Only then did Juan notice the two huge and sharp horns that soared out of the man¡¯s forehead toward the sky. The horns immediately reminded Juan of the Hornsluines.


    ¡°...Gepelude?¡± Juan muttered, dumbfounded.


    ¡®<i>Gepelude, the god of arrogance and domination¡­</i>¡¯


    Gepelude was the first god who created life just to use as his soldiers and was obsessed with biological desires. Juan remembered the endless conflicts between Gepelude and Morguld, the god of war. Yet there was a clear difference between the two¡ªif Morguld¡¯s purpose was to partake in an endless battle, Gepelude¡¯s purpose was to conquer and dominate.


    The result of the war was Gepelude cing most of the continent under the control of the Hornsluines. In a sense, one could say that Gepelude was the first emperor of the continent. However, he was also the first god to be killed by Telgramm, a weapon created by Hornsluines¡ªthe race that resembled him not only in his appearance, but also his arrogance.


    ¡®<i>But now, he is protecting Telgramm after his resurrection.</i>¡¯


    Juan felt that it was quite ironic.


    ¡°State your name,¡± Gepelude spoke in a calm manner.


    But Juan felt the intense shock that shook his very soul even from Gepelude¡¯s calm words. This was a force that drew out the answers from within Juan¡¯s lungs.


    Juan clenched his teeth and answered.


    ¡°Juan.¡±


    Juan noticed that Gepelude¡¯s reaction was a little different from that of other Cainheryars.


    ¡®<i>Maybe the god whose very nature is domination and arrogance can¡¯t be controlled by anything.</i>¡¯


    As soon as he answered Gepelude, Juan immediately ignited Sutra. Juan raised the corners of his lips when he saw the shock and anger begin to seep into Gepelude¡¯s face.


    Gepelude burst into an angry roar.


    ¡°The arrogant emperor who stole my throne!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t speak as if I stole your throne. After all, what you ruled was the kingdom of the Hornsluines. It¡¯s unfair for you to me me, especially when it was <i>you</i> who ruined the Hornsluine¡¯s kingdom,¡± Juan shrugged.


    The Hornsluines had three kingdoms in total, and all three had been ruled by Gepelude from behind the scenes. But Gepelude has been urging the three kingdoms to fight against each other and encouraged war among them.


    ¡®<i>But at the same time, the Hornsluines had also been nning to bring down their own god behind his back¡­ They certainly resemble their own creator.</i>¡¯


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Gepelude screamed.


    Juan bit his tongue to stop his tongue that almost rolled back into his throat by force. Then, he spat blood out of his mouth. He had dealt with all kinds of gods before, but he couldn¡¯t help but think that Gepelude¡¯s ability to dominate all things was quite difficult to handle. The ability to give orders to all living things was an especially tricky ability for Juan to deal with, since he didn¡¯t have divinity.


    But that was all. Juan smiled with blood dripping from his mouth.


    ¡°I remember the time I cut off your neck, Gepelude. Oh, how excited Barth Baltic was¡­ he was like a child when he kicked your head. It was a shame that I couldn¡¯t pull out your tongue back then; however, this time around I¡¯ll make sure to pull out your tongue and stick it up your ass.¡±


    Gepelude burst into a rage and spat out unintelligible words¡ªit was a Hornsluine curse.


    This curse was a disaster for those under Gepelude¡¯s domination since he was an ungodly god, but it was rather fortunate at this moment since the curse was not exactly an order.


    The legendary sh between the former emperor and the current emperor as they confronted each other began in the back alley.


    ***


    Sina quickly retrieved her sword; she didn¡¯t feel any thrilling sensation from cutting the opponent.


    She soon realized that Dismas had already disappeared.


    ¡°Geugh, Keuk, Guek!¡±


    Huge amounts of ice fragments scattered like snow as they fell apart. A grotesqueugh came from inside the lumps of snow and dust from the copsed wall.


    Dismas was walking toward Sina with ice spears embedded everywhere, causing his limbs to bend. He seemed to be incapable of making a proper voice due to the ice spear stuck in his neck. Dismas smashed the ice spears stuck in his body and managed to barely straighten his back to look at Sina.


    After fiddling with the hole left in the middle of his neck like y, Dismas soon smiled and looked at Sina as if her attack hadn¡¯t even harmed him a little.


    ¡°You¡¯re pretty good.¡±


    Sina bit her lips; she realized that she couldn¡¯t hurt Dismas even if she fought with all her might.


    There was a chaotic and bloody battle being fought all over Cabragh. Imperial forces managed to tear down the wall and broke through the gate, but the Western army was still dominating inside Cabragh, since the Imperial soldiers were held back by the Giant King Helgrim.


    But that didn¡¯t mean that Dismas could let his guard down just yet. Dismas was nervous, since he didn¡¯t know when Juan would appear and turn the tables around.


    Meanwhile, Sina was nervous because she didn¡¯t know when Juan would arrive. But it was true that both of them were exhausted.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that there was a strong knight like you in the Imperial Army. I gotta admit that you deserve sister Nienna¡¯s gift. Have you been designated as the sessor of the North or something?¡± Dismas asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m from Tantil in the south. I can¡¯t live in the cold.¡±


    Sina wasn¡¯t in the mood for a joke, but she answered Dismas while searching for the right timing to attack again. Despite Oberon assisting her, there was a limit to Sina¡¯s own ability.


    She groaned as her chest felt stuffy. Sina knew that she had to kill Dismas, but she had hoped for Juan and Dismas to meet up and have a sincere conversation and solve the issue. She could understand Dismas¡¯ rebellion and betrayal, but she hadn¡¯t expected Dismas to unconditionally deny that Juan was the real emperor.


    Dismas showed no change in his stance even after he had abducted Ivy.


    ¡°Why are you going against His Majesty?¡±


    When Sina opened her mouth, Dismas looked at her with an expression like he was asking her what the heck she was talking about in the midst of the battle.


    However, Sina just poured out her words, almost as if she was expressing her frustrations.


    ¡°He is the real emperor who came back to our side. In addition to the numerous Imperial citizens, even General Nienna has acknowledged him as the real emperor¡ªand she is His Majesty¡¯s daughter. So why are you being stubborn without even considering the possibility that he might be the real emperor?¡±


    Dismas frowned.


    ¡°You speak just like the Saintess and I¡¯m sick of it. You guys must have a tradition to fight with only your mouths. I will never fall for it even if the rest of the world does.¡±


    Sina couldn¡¯t understand Dismas¡¯ stubbornness and distrust. It was true that Sina herself had also found it hard to believe that Juan was the emperor when she first met him in Tantil, but by now, Juan had almostpletely gained back his appearance and power.


    At that moment, Sina felt a cold chill running down her spine.


    ¡°Why do you think that? Do you have some proof to support your distrust?¡±


    Dismas looked at Sina in silence. After pondering deeply about something for a while, he soon opened his mouth.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t say this before, since I feltplicated after having a conversation with the Saintess, but¡­¡±


    Dismas red at Sina and continued to speak.


    ¡°...I guess it doesn¡¯t matter if I tell you, since you will die soon anyway. That fake emperor you have so much faith in can never be the emperor in the first ce¡ªafter all, I have already resurrected the real emperor¡ªHis Majesty.¡±

 Chapter 218 – Cabragh (4)

    <h4>Chapter 218 ¨C Cabragh (4)</h4>


    Sina¡¯s expression froze upon hearing Dismas¡¯ answer.


    ¡°Did you just say that you have already resurrected His Majesty again?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Do you think that Gerard, that meticulous son of a bitch, really failed to assassinate His Majesty in the past? No¡ªhe was sessful and His Majesty really did pass away at that time. I have no idea where that asshole is right now, but I hope that he will be cursed for the rest of his life.¡±


    ¡°But Barth Baltic said that the assassination had been a failure and His Majesty had only been unconscious until now¡­¡±


    ¡°He only said that to prevent the empire from copsing. Do you think the empire could have been maintained like this without His Majesty¡¯s authority? His Majesty is at the center of the empire¡ªthat doesn¡¯t change, whether he is alive or dead. It was only a matter of time before the empire would be torn apart, since we no longer had amon enemy.¡±


    Sina grew confused upon hearing Dismas¡¯ words. Until now, she had just assumed that Juan¡¯s body sitting on the Eternal Throne must have been maintained by some mysterious power of the emperor.


    Most of the people from the empire, including Sina, grew up hearing about the emperor¡¯s achievements, as well as his tragic death from the moment they were born. It was said that His Majesty was not really dead¡ªthat he was just asleep, and that one day he would wake up once again and take care of the empire.


    ¡°Wait, then what do you mean when you say that you have resurrected His Majesty? How did you¡­¡±


    At that moment, Sina¡¯s pupils widened as if she had just realized something. She swallowed a gulp upon recalling the resurrection of the dead gods.


    ¡°No way¡­ did you¡­ actually¡­¡±


    Dismas felt both frustration and anger when he saw Sina¡¯s expression. He didn¡¯t know why, but he felt an unknown feeling of guilt surging into his mind when he saw Sina¡¯s shocked expression.


    Dismas tightly clenched his hammer and changed his position.


    ¡°It¡¯s time for you to die, knight. I¡¯ll make sure to silence you forever.¡±


    With a loud roar, Dismas raised his hammer and charged straight toward Sina.


    Meanwhile, Sina quickly dodged away from the hammer which was being swung much more viciously and faster than before.


    At that moment, a tremendous sound suddenly rang out throughout the wall. It was the sound of Telgramm releasing another beam of light. Yet, neither Sina nor Dismas had any time to pay attention to the sound.


    ¡°Dismas, wait! What the heck have you done¡­!¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Dismas shouted.


    Dismas¡¯ face was red with anger. Even he himself couldn¡¯t figure out why he shouted in such an impulsive way. But the more he saw Sina, who seemed to be the peak of innocence, the more he could not hide his lies.


    ¡®<i>Why, Dismas? Why do you believe that His Majesty, who has finally returned, is fake?</i>¡¯


    He felt as if he could hear the Saintess¡¯ whisper in his ears. The Saintess¡¯ question was something that he couldn¡¯t answer. Dismas believed that while he had failed to change the Saintess¡¯ attitude, his stance hadn¡¯t changed either.


    But he was wrong.


    The emperor¡¯s death had left a small crack on him from the moment of the assassination. The Saintess had scanned him thoroughly and found this fact, and Sina had just stabbed him directly in that crack.


    The wall that Dismas had built inside him was about to break.


    ¡°My father died that day!¡± Dismas cried out furiously.


    An ice spear brushed against his cheeks and drops of blood scattered everywhere. Despite the freezing cold that even froze the scattered drops of blood, Dismas swung his hammer once again.


    ¡°And it was I who brought him back to life!¡±


    Sina¡¯s expression distorted as she tried to shout something. But she didn¡¯t have the time to speak, since she was facing a much more intense and fierce attack than before. Even if she had an opportunity to speak, her voice would have been drowned out by Dismas¡¯ voice, since he was constantly shouting.


    ¡°So how could it be possible that the fake emperor is my father!? My father is still present in this world with his holy body! How am I supposed to tolerate the fake emperor¡¯s madness of referring to himself as the emperor when His Majesty is still alive?¡±


    ¡°Then tell me. Has His Majesty ever said a word to you!?¡± Sina shouted in a desperate voice.


    Dismas flinched upon hearing Sina¡¯s question, but he did not stop swinging his hammer. He continued to push Sina¡ªit was as if he was ready topletely destroy the wall of Cabragh.


    ¡°No, my father did not say a single word to me. But my father has spoken through the Saintess¡¯ mouth! He said to obey His Holiness, to defend the Church, and to spread his doctrine throughout the empire!¡±


    ¡°<strong>That wasn¡¯t Juan!</strong>¡±


    Dismas suddenly stopped upon hearing Sina¡¯s voice.


    Sina took advantage of Dismas¡¯ pause and quickly prepared the ice spears for a counterattack.


    However, Dismas did not budge.


    But his two eyes were full of shock and astonishment.


    ¡°What¡­ who are you?¡±


    Dismas¡¯ spoke in a trembling voice.


    ¡°How did you make my father¡¯s voice¡­? How do you have my father¡¯s essence?¡±


    To ess the premium content, go to [


    ***


    Juan dodged the de flying toward him and struck a soldier¡¯s chest. The soldier vomited blood at Juan¡¯s attack, but continued to swing his sword toward Juan while trembling.


    Juan frowned at the sight of the soldier charging at him even though his attack should have burst the soldier¡¯s guts. Juan¡¯s attacks targeted at injuring the soldiers to such an extent that they couldn¡¯t fight anymore were of no use. The soldiers even tried to bite Juan when their arms were pulled off of their bodies, and they crawled to approach Juan despite their legs being cut off.


    The soldiers that were already sabotaged were constantly charging toward Juan despite their injuries, all due to a single word shouted by Gepelude: fight. Everyone, including the Imperial as well as the Western Army were charging toward Juan with murderous intent.


    Juan felt as if their murderous intent was stabbing his skin.


    Meanwhile, Gepelude was simply looking at the scene leisurely without moving a single inch. He knew that the soldiers were no match for Juan and that they could never hurt Juan; he just wanted to see Juan ughtering humans.


    ¡°I see that you still have a bad habit.¡±


    Juan growled and raised the power of his mes. The soldiers suffered from the terrible pain caused by the burns as they stubbornly tried to attack Juan, but soon turned to ashes.


    Juan tried to approach Gepelude again, but Gepelude simply ordered the soldiers, almost as if he was annoyed.


    ¡°Get stronger and kill him.¡±


    The soldiers roared like lunatics with a single order from Gepelude and fiercely charged toward Juan. Then, one of the soldiers grabbed Juan¡¯s arm through the burning mes.


    Juan was so dumbfounded that he couldn¡¯t even speak. For a moment, he wondered if he was in a nightmare, but what was happening was certainly real.


    In fact, the soldiers weren¡¯t actually getting stronger¡ªGepelude was just squeezing out their potential to the very limit. It was clear that the soldiers that were following Gepelude¡¯s orders would end up like dry rags with all the water squeezed out in an instant.


    In the blink of an eye, countless soldiers suffered from burns as they held onto Juan¡¯s arms and legs to drag him down. They were constantly cursing and screaming¡ªit was to the extent that even their tongues almost caught on fire.


    Nevertheless, Juan did not stop walking toward Gepelude.


    Seeing this, Gepelude once again opened his mouth.


    ¡°Stop.¡±


    Juan suddenly felt his steps be heavy once again; it was as if his feet had been nailed down to the ground with just a single word from Gepelude. He felt like his feet would fall off if he moved his legs.


    Despite this, Juan still managed to move slowly.


    The fact that Juan could still move after hearing Gepelude¡¯s order was quite shocking, but Juan was annoyed by the fact that he was affected by Gepelude¡¯s order at all. Juan had been ordered to ¡®stop¡¯ several times already, and the battle was being dyed for nothing.


    On the other hand, for Gepelude, a god who was born to be the ruler of all things and had the habit of being arrogant, facing Juan directly seemed to be quite unpleasant for him.


    ¡°Hold him and make hime to a stop.¡±


    A rattling sound broke out among the soldiers. The soldiers who were holding and dragging Juan by his limbs began to connect themselves to each other to form a long chain. At least a hundred soldiers held onto Juan, making him feel like his muscles were being ripped apart.


    Finally, Juan began to slow down, causing him to grit his teeth as he red at Gepelude.


    ¡°Get down on your knees.¡±


    Juan stumbled as if it was difficult for him to even stand anymore. Soon, Juan let out a long breath and slowly leaned down.


    The moment Gepelude made a satisfied smile, Juan quickly bounced forward in the blink of an eye.


    <i>Bang!</i>


    With the sound of air being torn apart, the muscles of the hundreds of soldiers who had formed a chain to bind Juan exploded at once. Waves of blood instantly engulfed the surroundings.


    Juan was so fast that Gepelude couldn¡¯t even see him. Just as Gepelude was feeling perplexed as he tried to find Juan, Juan suddenly appeared right under his nose.


    Juan quickly jumped up to Gepelude¡¯s chest which was much higher than Juan¡¯s height, and then shoved his hand inside Gepelude¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°You¡¯ve be much more pathetic aftering back to life. I remember having a hard time fighting back against you in the past.¡±


    Juan tightly grabbed Gepelude¡¯s tongue and clenched it as hard as he could, crushing it.


    Only then did Gepelude begin to struggle in a hurry and try to get Juan off of him. But Juan just grabbed Gepelude¡¯s horn with one hand and refused to fall off.


    ¡°You¡¯re not so arrogant now, are you?¡±


    Juan clenched his teeth and raised the power of his mes with all his might. Even his eyes began to burn. At the same time he let out a loud cry, Juan pulled his hand that was still holding on to Gepelude¡¯s tongue.


    <i>St!</i>


    With a grotesque sound, blood gushed out from Gepelude¡¯s mouth. Then, Juan struck Gepelude¡¯s face with his hand that was holding the fluttering tongue.


    Gepelude gave up on being arrogant and struggled as he tried to push Juan away.


    The cloak that has been covering Gepelude was torn as he tried to push Juan away. There was a huge hole in Gepelude¡¯s body that had been covered by the cloak, and Juan was able to recognize the wound at just a nce¡ªit was a wound left behind by Telgramm.


    Despite being revived as a Cainheryar, the wound did not seem to have beenpletely recovered.


    ¡°Hah, it wasn¡¯t just your mouth that had a huge hole.¡±


    Juan repositioned himself, aiming to end Gepeludepletely. It was his second time ending Gepelude¡¯s life, but the feeling of killing gods always felt new to him.


    At that moment, Juan looked up upon sensing something. His original target, the tower housing Telgramm, seemed to have moved a little toward him.


    Just when Juan bit his lips as he realized that he had let his guard down, a new beam of light flew directly from Telgramm.


    The beam of light covered everything around him. The street with the stone pavement, as well as the groaning soldiers all turned into ashes and scattered away.


    There was nothing left in the wake of the beam of lightunched from Telgramm.


    After the powerful force that prated the wall outside Cabragh passed, hot air rushed into the void, ripping the surroundings.


    There was no one standing there anymore¡ªexcept for Juan.


    ¡°...I feel like I¡¯m getting stronger as more and more time goes by,¡± Juan groaned with a fed-up look while looking at Gepelude, who lookedpletely tattered.


    Although Juan had managed to use Geplude as a shield to block the beam of light, it was questionable whether or not he would be able to avoid it again in the future. Juan felt sorry upon seeing Gepelude being attacked by Telgramm once again, since he already had a history of dying to Telgramm.


    But Juan was not the type to be generous just because he felt sorry for his opponent.


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s better than nothing.¡±


    Juan held Gepelude¡¯s throat and kept his eyes on Telgramm while continuing to use Gepelude as a shield. Juan nced at Gepelude¡¯s lower body; there was nothing left under his waist.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to break my promise to stick your tongue up your ass. I promise to fulfill my promise if you end up being revived once again.¡±


    It was unknown as to whether or not Gepelude had heard Juan¡¯s words.


    Meanwhile, Juan didn¡¯t take his eyes off of Telgramm as he started dragging Gepelude. Due to the incredibly fast speed of the beam of light, there was no way to avoid getting hit if he didn¡¯t prepare in advance.


    However, at that moment, a strange voice filled Juan¡¯s ears. Juan quickly turned his head.


    ¡°Sina?¡±


    Sina Solvane¡¯s cry that contained the power of the emperor could be heard.


    ***


    It was true that Telgramm¡¯s bombardment had stopped, since Helmut was perplexed to see Telgramm destroying the wall of Cabragh due to Juan¡¯s trick.


    Helmut was frustrated and did not know what to do upon seeing the wall of Cabragh being turned into a sea of mes. It was Helmut¡¯s first time seeing Telgramm¡¯s destructive power up close.


    ¡®<i>But I can¡¯t believe that I hit my own allies¡­ Can I even handle this? Should I just take a Telgramm outside and swing it like a spear like I did back in Torra?</i>¡¯


    Just when Helmut was doubting himself, amotion came from outside the window.


    Gepelude and Juan were fighting.


    Telegramm couldn¡¯t be aimed properly without an observer. However, Dismas was not ying his role of an observer, since he was fighting a knight called Sina. Helmut had basically been blind until now, since he was only relying on Dismas, but it didn¡¯t matter if he could observe the situation on his own, aim and shoot.


    Helmut quickly loaded Telgramm andunched a beam of light at Juan who was fighting against Gepelude. But the result was Geplude almost dying instead of Juan. Juan was still walking steadily toward the tower while looking perfectly intact.


    ¡°Ah, Ahhh! No, no, no! Why!¡± Helmut started screaming.


    Juan was still approaching the tower. Helmut ran back to the many Telgramms disyed on the wall. Then, he prepared tounch another beam of light.


    ¡°Just die! Die already!¡±


    Telgramm¡¯s light stretched out toward Juan once again.

 Chapter 219 – Cabragh (5)

    <h4>Chapter 219 ¨C Cabragh (5)</h4>


    Juan looked toward the outside of Cabragh upon suddenly hearing Sina¡¯s voice. However, he could feel a strong energy gathering in the tower. Juan hurriedly protected himself using Gepelude¡¯s body and at the same time whispered to Kgrenon wrapped around him.


    ¡°Eat it up.¡±


    Telegram¡¯s beam of light swept over Juan once again. The heat emitted from Telgramm covered Juanpletely; it was almost as if it was trying to strike him down to the ground. The rocks on the ground melted in an instant to form a boiling puddle, but the heat itself was not that big a deal for Juan.


    The real problem was the destructive nature of Telegramm. Every time a thunderbolt prated his muscles, Juan twitched and felt as if he was about to copse at any moment.


    Juan clenched his teeth.


    ¡°Fuck off!¡±


    Finally, Juan parried the beam of lightunched by Telgramm to the side with his hand, causing the beam of light to be bent and bounce off to the side.


    Helmut, who had been watching the scene from above the tower, was shocked by Juan¡¯s unbelievable move and almost fell off the railing.


    ¡®<i>He just bounced off the beam of light¡ªno, the thunderbolt? But that¡¯s impossible.</i>¡¯


    Then, a sudden gust of wind removed the steam from the puddle of liquefied boiling rock. Juan¡¯s appearance revealed amidst the steam was very different from before. The dark lump he was holding in his right hand seemed to be a part of Gepelude¡¯s body, while white-colored thorn-like things floated around him.


    The white thorns almost looked like they were made from shards of bone and moved along Juan¡¯s body. At first nce, the thousands of thorns that were pointing in the direction of Telgramm and resembled wings.


    Thunderbolts could be seen rapidly running through them.


    Meanwhile, Juan repeatedly clenched and unclenched his stiff fist while feeling the power of Telgramm that was flowing through Kgrenon.


    [It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve had a feast like this. It¡¯s quite a burdensome diet.]


    ¡°Can you have some more?¡±


    [Maybe one more time? And another one after that if I get a half day of rest.]


    ¡°It¡¯ll all be over before then.¡±


    Activating Kgrenon¡¯s power to eat up mana put a considerable amount of burden on not only the allies, but also on Juan as well. However, using it to defend at just the right time was no problem and didn¡¯t cause anyone to suffer. The question was how long Kgrenon would be able to hold out against Telgramm¡¯s power.


    ¡®<i>I guess twice is the limit¡­ It¡¯s as expected.</i>¡¯


    The fact that Kgrenon could withstand the power of Telgramm twice was already quite remarkable. After all, Kgrenon was not a god; it was only a god¡¯s pet beast.


    Juan looked up at the tower. Considering the amount of time before the second beam of light wasunched, Juan figured that the third beam would beunched again quite soon.


    However, Juan wouldn¡¯t be caught off guard again regardless of whether Kgrenon was able to hold out or not.


    Juan¡¯s feet stomped on the ground. The stone pavement cracked the first time Juan stomped on the ground. The second time Juan stomped on the ground, the area around Juan sank down with a loud noise. As soon as Juan stomped on the ground for the third time, the entire area copsedpletely and Juan jumped into the air.


    In an instant, the lightning running through the white thorns that were Kgrenon split apart and spread like wings. The white thorns then followed the trajectory left behind by Juan, leaving lightning-like traces that soared toward the tower.


    Juan, who jumped to the top of the tower in the blink of an eye, turned around and flipped in the air. He could see Helmut¡¯s shocked face while flying in the sky.


    Meanwhile, Helmut hastily tried to grab another Telgramm and throw it toward Juan.


    ¡°I¡¯ll never get used to how ugly his face is no matter how many times I see him,¡± Juan muttered to himself.


    Even before Helmut could throw Telgramm, Juan lightly shook his hand that was wrapped by Kgrenon toward the tower. At that moment, Telegram¡¯s energy which had been absorbed by the white thorns of Kgrenon, was shot straight toward the tower.


    Shadows throughout all of Cabragh disappeared for a moment. The energy of Telgramm that was released indiscriminately instead of being purified and shot concisely toward a point covered the skies above Cabragh.


    Although it onlysted for a short moment, all the ongoing battle stopped at once due to the intense light that took away everyone¡¯s sight. Soon after, all the light in Cabragh disappeared, and a series of explosive roars swept through the surrounding areas. All the windows burst, without a single one remaining intact.


    A short period of silence filled Cabragh after the huge noise swept through the entire fortress. Not long after, Juannded on the spot where he had first jumped off from.


    Meanwhile, Kgrenon was now returning back to its original form as an armor after releasing all of the energy absorbed from Telgramm.


    Juan lifted his head to look up at the tower again. The tower, which had been directly hit by Telgramm¡¯s energy from such a close distance, had not yet copsed but was destroyed around the middle level.


    The tower had already been tilted to the point of instability even before Juan¡¯s attack. Probably, it had only been maintained by magic until now; however, now it was only a matter of time before it copsed, since it could no longer maintain its original shape. Considering that its huge size towered over all of Cabragh, it was clear that Cabragh would turn into aplete mess when the copse happened.


    At that moment, Juan sensed the presence of the Pope at the top of the tower. It was only a faint presence, but Helmut still seemed to be alive. Juan had a lot of questions that he wanted to ask Helmut, but he couldn¡¯t waste any more time here. He had to settle things and disable Telgramm.


    It was certain that Sina was inside Cabragh. If she had been left with no choice but to join the battle, that could only mean one thing.


    ¡°Dismas.¡±


    Juan tried to move to where Sina might be in a hurry.


    However, at that moment, Juan found a ck lump that was squirming and breaking apart on one side of his field of vision. He had almost ignored the presence of the ck lump, but soon came to a stop as he realized something important.


    The ck lump was a remnant of Gepelude¡¯s Cainheryar, and it was copsing on its own. In fact, the remainder of Gepelude¡¯s body wasn¡¯t the only thing that was copsing on its own. All the Cainheryars throughout the empire were disappearing.


    This was a positive sign, but for some reason, Juan had an ominous feeling.


    ***


    ¡°Tell me right now! How do you have the essence of my father?!¡± Dismas shouted at Sina again.


    Sina tried her best to respond in a calm manner upon seeing the sudden change in Dismas¡¯ emotions.


    ¡°He gave it to me himself.¡±


    ¡°He? Are you talking about my father? No way, that doesn¡¯t make any sense. His Holiness can only borrow my father¡¯s power to share and grant it to others. No one other than His Majesty can give that essence to someone. That is the true power of His Majesty¡­¡±


    Dismas stammered and realized what he had just said. He stared nkly at Sina for a moment and then slowly opened his mouth.


    ¡°You are talking about the fake emperor.¡±


    ¡°Yes. You didn¡¯t recognize his voice, his face, or his philosophy, but you did recognize this one thing¡ªthe essence of the emperor. I guess this must be some kind of guarantee about His Majesty, huh?¡±


    Dismas tightly bit his lips, feeling humiliated.


    ¡°You¡­ you don¡¯t understand and never will. You don¡¯t know just how many people have tried to mislead me or deceive me. I have been deceived and betrayed countless times¡­ until His Holiness taught me about the way to resurrect His Majesty¡­ but His Holiness is¡­ His Majesty¡¯s holy body is¡­¡± Dismas continued to speak gibberish.


    At that moment, another beam of light was suddenlyunched toward Sina and Dismas. Sina was startled and prepared to attack again, but Dismas¡¯ hammer continued to hang low¡ªit was as if he had lost his will to fight.


    Sina remained vignt while keeping her eyes on Dismas. Her heart was beating fast.


    Meanwhile, the bombardment of the beam of light continued. If the beam of light was allowed to continue attacking as it was, Juan might fall in danger. However, it was no exaggeration to say that the battle would just end if Dismas reflected on his mistakes andy down at Juan¡¯s feet.


    It would be hard for Dismas to avoid being given a heavy punishment, but at least the Cainheryars could be stopped if he surrendered now.


    So, Sina decided to provoke Dismas further.


    ¡°The only emperor is the man that you call the fake emperor. The emperor you have resurrected is¡­¡±


    Sina swallowed a gulp. It was hard for her to speak thest word, even though she already knew the truth.


    ¡°¡­it¡¯s nothing more than a shell. It¡¯s no different from any of the other Cainheryars.¡±


    As soon as Sina uttered thatst word with difficulty, Dismas'' head turned with a grotesque twist.


    In Sina¡¯s view, not only the holy body, even the empire was nothing more than an empty shell. That was what Sina felt after traveling around the empire with Juan. The entire empire was shallow, pretending to be a normal country under the emperor¡¯s name. The emperor and the empire were just empty shells, with nothing inside the shells.


    And out of everyone, Dismas was the craziest lunatic, the one who was the most obsessed with that empty shell.


    ¡°No! It¡¯s different! He is different! His Majesty¡¯s body is not just a Cainheryar! It is nothing like those dirty and disgusting beings! The whole process was done reverently with blessings from His Holiness! I embroidered it with gold and silver, then decorated it with jewels and silk! Do not make such unpleasant and disgusting¡­ remarks about the¡­ noble figure of¡­¡±


    Dismas screamed fiercely in denial, but his cries slowly died down. His eyes were empty and clouded.


    Sina figured that Dismas must have already known that there was a simrity between the ritual used to resurrect the Cainheryars and the ritual used to resurrect the holy body. However, he had buried his doubts deep inside his heart and tried to resolve his suspicions by insulting the remains of the gods, since he could not admit such a truth.


    ¡®<i>It¡¯s different. It¡¯spletely different. The gods came back to life in a dirty and unpleasant environment, but His Majesty was resurrected reverently in a holy environment, decorated with gold and jewels¡­</i>¡¯


    But no matter how much gold he covered the emperor¡¯s body with, he could not hide the disgusting scent of the corpse. Dismas felt the inside of his head rustling and copsing. Then, he recalled the image of Ivy who was looking at him with a determined and firm gaze.


    ¡°The Saintess really was conveying His Majesty¡¯s words to me.¡±


    Dismas turned his head slowly¡ªtoward the direction where the tower housing Telgramm was. From there, Dismas felt a huge energy and heat. The warmth he had ignored and considered as nothing more than just a deception until now suddenly felt so hot that it almost stung.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    Dismas faintly groaned.


    ¡°Ah, Ahhh! Ahhhhhhhhhh!¡±


    The guilt that he had buried deep in his heart began to soar. Horrible emotions drowned him in an instant.


    In the meantime, beams of light suddenly spread all over Cabragh. However, Dismas didn¡¯t even notice the lights. All he could do was roar and cry.


    However, his despairing cries were drowned out by the loud bang, making it so that no one could hear him.


    Only one person¡ªSina, was looking at him with a sad expression.


    ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhh!¡±


    Dismas¡¯ tragic howls sounded like he was trying to squeeze out his lungs only stopped after he had vomited blood everywhere. Then, Dismas knelt down to the ground and looked at Sina with cloudy eyes.


    ¡°Kill me as painfully as you can,¡± Dismas murmured in a weak voice.


    He slowly raised his right hand. At that moment, Sina suddenly felt something leaving her body.


    Although it was just by a little bit, Sina''s hand holding the sword felt a little heavier than before.


    Sina immediately noticed what had happened. A minor reinforcement Grace that she had received back in the knight school was gone.


    ¡°Give me pain for all my sins,¡± Dismas said.


    Sina didn¡¯t even realize what was going on, but Dismas¡¯ body suddenly began to swell. Then, tree branches split Dismas and rose up. A huge tree soared out of Dismas¡¯ stomach, while red,va-like tears poured out of his eyes.


    Dismas was constantly shouting something, but it was no longer a humannguage.


    Dismas was already distorted beyond the point of destruction.


    He did not know how to ask for forgiveness.

 Chapter 220 – Pain

    <h4>Chapter 220 ¨C Pain</h4>


    Pain gives one a feeling of forgiveness.


    Dismas, who often acted out arbitrarily, was frequently scolded by the emperor. But even such a trait of his was defended by others, since he was well known for his good nature and not being able to hurt people easily.


    To Dismas, battle was nothing more than a fun game and it was very rare to see his battles getting bloody. It was even rarer to see someone dying. Even if any of the enemies lost their lives under hismand, he treated them as honorable warriors and held a polite funeral for them.


    There were mixed evaluations about Dismas¡ªsome said that he was not suitable to be the ruler in charge of one of the corners of the empire, while some said that they wanted to be ruled by such a generous leader.


    Yet none of that really mattered to Dismas. The only person he admired and looked up to with a simple and upright mind was the emperor.


    But then, Dismas lost the only person who could scold him. It was even when he was wrestling with the Giant King Helgrim for fun and had gotten drunk after the battle. Dismas had never once imagined the emperor could be defeated or killed by someone.


    Dismas suffered greatly from guilt and regret, but there was no one left to forgive him now. Pain made him feel like he was being forgiven. It didn''t take long before he constantly started inflicting self-harm. The most basic ability of the essence given by the emperor was the ability to regenerate one¡¯s body, and this ability caused Dismas to go through strange hallucinations.


    In that instant, his upright mind became bent.


    And that was the moment when the Pope came to visit him with a magician that gave off a strange atmosphere. Until then, Dismas didn¡¯t attach much value to the Pope. Although he had heard that Gerard had been showing interest in the Pope, Dismas had been busy respecting and admiring the emperor.


    But the story told by the young child that the Pope had brought along with him was something that Dismas could not listen to in a calm manner. The young child told him that there was a way to revive the emperor and it required Dismas to suffer from pain.


    Fortunately for Dismas, pain was something that gave him a feeling of forgiveness.


    ***


    ¡°-----!!¡±


    There was no meaning in Dismas¡¯ unintelligible cry and wailing that could be heard from a distance. However, Sina felt like she was about to shed tears upon hearing his desperate screams. No one could tell just how many gods¡¯ spirits had descended into Dismas¡¯ body, but even all those gods were vomiting from pain and sadness in a single voice. It was a long wail that contained all the pain and despair in the world.


    Sina stumbled and tightly clutched her sword. She felt a strong urge to stop Dismas¡¯ cries right away; she had a feeling that her heart would also sink to the bottom if she kept listening.


    ¡°Dismas Dilver!¡±


    At the same time as Sina let out that scream, she summoned the biggest ice spear she could and threw it toward Dismas. An ice spear the size of a huge battering ram soared from the ground and prated Dismas¡¯ abdomen. Then, Dismas¡¯ body that had swollen to a huge size rose into the air with Sina¡¯s attack.


    ¡°Stop this right now! This is not what His Majesty wants!¡±


    But Dismas did not stop. He was recklessly using Spirit Calling and summoning the powers of gods way beyond the limit of his capabilities. His physical body was already copsing, unable to maintain its original form due to the overflowing divinity that was encroaching upon him. He was slowly transforming into something that should not exist in the world.


    Dismas was suffering from terrible pain, but he did not stop. Before resurrecting the emperor, the young magician had warned him to never use Spirit Calling after the emperor had been resurrected. This was because the power of Spirit Calling that was granted to Dismas¡¯ used his flesh for the process, and so the resurrection of the emperor would stoppletely if the gods were to descend into Dismas¡¯ body through Spirit Calling.


    What Dismas was doing right now was basically giving up the ability that has been supporting him throughout his life¡ªthere was no hesitation in his actions. He had never really liked Spirit Calling anyway. He had always preferred to train his pure physical strength.


    When Dismas had begun to insult the gods by creating Cainheryars, he noticed that the process of reviving them was very simr to the process of reviving the emperor. However, Dismas deceived himself. He told himself that the Cainheryars and the emperor were different, since the emperor was not resurrected in a vile and disgusting environment like the Cainheryars.


    Nevertheless, he already knew that all the Cainheryar would copse if he used Spirit Calling. Dismas could sense that all the Cainheryars that he and Imil had scattered throughout the empire had been destroyed as soon as he used Spirit Calling.


    But none of that mattered to Dismas anymore.


    The resentment of being used, the revenge on the Pope, as well as his anger, all of that meant nothing to him now. All that remained was a desire to punish himself. He thought that being killed by his father, who he had believed to be the fake emperor until now, would be the only way to be forgiven.


    ¡°----!¡± Dismas continued to roar in an inaudible cry.


    ¡°Dismas!¡± Sina shouted desperately.


    She repeatedly summoned more ice spears to throw at Dismas, but his grotesque transformation did not seem to subside no matter what she did.


    Dismas was now crawling through the city of Cabragh as a huge unidentified mass, with only his barely recognizable face left. Meanwhile, the Western soldiers hastily attacked the monster with shocked expressions when they saw it appearing out of nowhere.


    However, such crude and weak attacks could not attract Dismas¡¯ attention at all. Sina was the only one who was barely able to cause some damage to him, but Dismas wanted to die at Juan¡¯s hands, not Sina.


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    Sina let out a curse and pushed Dismas with all her might. Her heart was filled with desperation¡ªshe could not let Juan see what Dismas had turned into. She suddenly felt like all this was her own fault.


    Sina grit her teeth and directly stabbed her sword into Dismas¡¯ abdomen. At the same time, she made a huge flower of ice blossom around her sword. The des of ice that blossomed in an instant caused Dismas¡¯ organs to burst. Then, the des stretched out while scattering Dismas¡¯ body fluids everywhere.


    Meanwhile, Dismas roared and struggled, almost as if he could actually feel an intense pain from this attack unlike all the previous ones.


    Meanwhile, a hammer that was glowing a burning red struck down toward Sina. While she was able to barely dodge it, she backed away while freaking out when she saw theva soaring from the spot where she had been standing.


    ¡®<i>Is this one of the powers of the gods that Dismas has drawn into his body?</i>¡¯


    At that moment, Dismas had stopped advancing forward and began to attack Sina. He was still letting out unintelligible words, but Sina could somewhat understand what he wanted to say.


    Dismas was looking for Juan. Sina was no longer meaningful to him and was nothing more than a distraction.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t let you go,¡± Sina said as she bit her lips.


    She would have no chance of winning if Dismas started to attack her using the various gods¡¯ powers. Thus, she had to do her best to fight with all her might to stop him while Dismas was ignoring her and considered to be just a distraction.


    Sina ran ahead of the path that Dismas was crawling on and stood in front of him to block his way. She looked like a tiny bug in front of Dismas who had swollen up and be as huge as a building.


    At that moment, Sina¡¯s eyes shed as she took a step forward. Sina began to move her sword in the air as she continued to walk forward. The trajectory of the tip of the sword produced a strange distortion, produced by an unknown sword dance.


    Sina recalled all the movements and sword dances she had seen from the moment she first met Juan in Tantil, all the way to the most recent battles without even realizing it. She didn¡¯t know how, but all of the images of Juan¡¯s steps and his sword prating the enemy came into her mind.


    The sword dance that was used by Sina with extreme concentration began to emit a strange heat. Sina¡¯s image became blurry for a short moment, and then she instantly jumped toward Dismas¡ªit was like her body was made of fog.


    Sina recalled the fog she saw on the day long ago when the Order of the Blue Rose was annihted. In this terrible battle against Dismas, Sina had turned into fog itself.


    Meanwhile, Dismas was not aware of the tangled fog, but a huge afterimage suddenly bloomed across the middle of his path.


    It was the fourth stage of the Baltic Sword: Fog Dispel.


    Even before a stream of blood burst out of Dismas, Sina had closed her eyes to focus and stretch out her sword, preparing for the next movement. Sina remembered witnessing the sh that no one else could see on the day Nienna and Juan fought at the Fortress of Beldeve. Every second was split apart and divided indefinitely, stretching it.


    Sina, who had be transparent like fog, felt the sharp pain of her own body evaporating in an instant.


    But she wasn¡¯t the only one suffering from pain.


    Starting with the first afterimage, hundreds of stab wounds appeared throughout Dismas¡¯ body, almost as if flowers made of blood were in full bloom.


    This was the use of Fleeting Moment, the fifth stage of the Baltic Sword.


    But Sina still felt like it was still insufficient. While she had managed to make Dismas suffer from terrible pain, it was not enough to kill him.


    ¡®<i>I need to be faster.</i>¡¯


    Her attacks had to be faster, more detailed, more sophisticated, and performed in movements even smaller than now.


    On the day of the showdown between Juan and Barth Baltic, all their attacks went against thews of physics. Such attacks were more of a disy ofws of physics being broken than a fight.


    At that moment, Sina felt a familiar heat over her face. mes red over the letters engraved on her left eye. Her tattoo began to burn and crack in mes, and then, Sina¡¯s eyelids slowly opened.


    Finally, scarlet eyes that seem to contain a small sun within them were revealed.


    All of Dismas¡¯ vital organs that Sina had failed to cut were now being split apart and burst ording to her will. If she wanted to cut something, it was already cut, and whatever she thought about doing was already done¡ªit was like magic.


    Sina was starting to use Causality Denial, the sixth stage of the Baltic Sword.


    Dismas btedly let out a scream upon noticing the unexpected change in Sina. However, he was still alive and breathing.


    ¡®<i>Please¡­ Just a little more.</i>¡¯


    But Sina was already at her limit. She felt like she could copse at any moment and that her organs were already ruined. Her muscles were ripped and her nerves had burned up.


    Nevertheless, Sina clenched her teeth and pumped strength into her body.


    The fire in her eyes was burning more fiercely than ever, and her fluttering blonde hair rose like mes. She threw herself into the air for the final blow at the risk of her life.


    However, at that moment, her attack was blocked by a sword that suddenly appeared out of nowhere.


    ¡°...What?¡±


    Sina couldn¡¯t understand the current situation, since her vision had only been focused on Dismas until now.


    The sword that blocked her was scattered like ss as soon as it met Sina¡¯s sword. Then, the sharp fragments of shattered de prated Sina all over, and her blood vessels that had already been heated to the limit began to madly pour out blood from the wounds.


    Amidst the soaring bloodstreams, Sina stood there with an unbelievable look on her face when she saw the person who was blocking her way.


    ¡°...But why?¡±


    The person who had blocked Sina was Lenly Loen, the Captain of the Imperial Guards.


    Lenly Loen, who was not supposed to be here, was standing in Sina¡¯s way. Sina nkly stared at him for a while and stretched out her trembling hand. Then, she removed the hood that had been covering Lenly¡®s eyes until now as if scratching him. Lenly did not shake off her hand.


    His two eyes that were revealed under the hood were clearly shining. He seemed to be clenching his teeth and in pain¡ªbut Sina couldn¡¯t tell if this was due to the pain of blocking Sina¡¯s sword or something else.


    At that moment, she remembered Lenly saying that he was keeping his eyes covered for training purposes, despite having recovered his eyesight a long time ago.


    Only then did she realize that Lenly¡¯s words had been a lie.


    Lenly Loen¡¯s eyes were shining with an amber light.


    ¡®<i>The swordsman with amber eyes¡­</i>¡¯


    He was the swordsman who fought Sina on the day when Dane tried to assassinate Juan in the Magic Tower.


    ¡®<i>He is a member of Aruntal.</i>¡¯


    There were no other witnesses and all Sina could remember about him were his amber eyes. Although she had thought that he must be hiding within the Imperial Army, she didn¡¯t think he was someone who had volunteered to be the Captain of the Imperial Guards.


    ¡®<i>No, perhaps he took advantage of his position as the Captain of the Imperial Guards from the beginning, since that would allow him toe into contact with the emperor¡¯s body everyday.</i>¡¯


    Sina, who had been pushing herself to the limit, began to slowly copse. Her life was already in jeopardy because of pushing herself past her limits. The moment her attack was forced toe to a stop by Lenly, the aftermath of pushing herself started tearing her apart.


    Meanwhile, Lenly backed away with a painful look as he listened to Sina¡¯s scream.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Dame Sina,¡± Lenly gasped for air as he whispered.


    His hand that was holding the broken sword was trembling.


    ¡°I had no choice but to do this for everyone.¡±


    Lenly turned his head and looked back at Dismas. Uponing to the conclusion that he didn¡¯t have to be the one to finish Dismas off, Lenly strode forward and disappeared.


    After Lenly left, Sina finally copsedpletely. She looked forward with a weak breath. All she could see was the crumbling city, a pale sky, and the corpses scattered everywhere. There was nothing she had to be ashamed of, since she was dying as a knight on the battlefield, but the fact that she couldn¡¯t end Dismas¡¯ life lingered in her mind and held her back.


    ¡°Juan,¡± Sina muttered with herst breath.


    She tried to say a few more words, but she couldn¡¯t make a voice no matter how hard she tried.


    ¡®<i>Live for yourself. I root for all the paths you will walk.</i>¡¯


    Dismas'' distorted body slowly went over Sina, who had fallen to the ground. The sound of flesh being torn apart rang out.


    Finally, Sina no longer felt any pain.

 Chapter 221 – Ruins

    <h4>Chapter 221 ¨C Ruins</h4>


    With Juan¡¯s every step, the ground beneath his feet seemed to be crumbling down.


    Juan¡¯s mouth was dry like the desert and grains of sand flowed down through his hair. The city was flooded with sand and the bodies scattered everywhere had no meaning. All the blood, screams, aspirations, pain, fear, and joy that had once been part of the city had all turned into a meaningless desert.


    Amidst all this, Juan stood still¡ªit was as if he had be a stone statue in the middle of the desert.


    Sina Solvane was lying in the middle of this desert.


    Juan had given Sina his essence. The essence granted some of Juan¡¯s power and abilities to Sina, but it did not grant her immortality; after all, even Juan himself wasn¡¯t immortal.


    A dry sandstorm blew into the city. Amidst this sandstorm, Juan was the sun that was burning red. Everything around him had miserably dried up in the wake of his zing mes.


    Everything had turned into ruins.


    ¡°Dismas.¡±


    Juan nkly looked up. Dismas was restoring his own vitality by squeezing out the lives of all the living things around him and turning them into dust. He desperately wanted to die, but the gods that had descended into his body did not. The gods yearned for life, destroying everything around them.


    Juan¡¯s expression twisted even more upon witnessing Dismas¡¯ distorted appearance.


    ¡°Do you realize just who it was that you killed?¡±


    There was no answer. Only meaningless murmurs and groans were carried by the wind.


    Juan stumbled toward Dismas. When Juan approached him, Dismas slowly looked up and showed a small reaction. The only part of him that still remained somewhat intact was his face, but even his face was full of wounds. Bloody pus flowed down from his eye, which was strangely swollen.


    ¡°You just killed the only person who made me believe that I was still capable of loving humans.¡±


    Juan stumbled, feeling a rush of emotions after uttering those words. He had already reached his limit and it was difficult for him to even stay standing.


    Juan stood still and nkly looked up at Dismas.


    ¡®<i>Can Dismas even understand what I¡¯m saying? I hope that he can.</i>¡¯


    Juan wished for Dismas to understand the sense of despair and fear that he was feeling.


    ¡°The possibility of your long-awaited return of the emperor has now disappearedpletely.¡±


    Dismas¡¯ only reply to Juan¡¯s groan was an unintelligible murmur.


    But neither could Juan understand Dismas, nor was he interested in what Dismas had to say.


    He continued to approach Dismas and slowly opened his arms.


    ¡°The emperor has disappeared, and the only thing that remains is me, a lunatic desperately craving revenge.¡±


    Dismas flinched at the sight of Juan, who was approaching him. At that moment, a part of Dismas¡¯ body suddenly moved on its own and struck Juan, regardless of his intentions.


    Juan was flung into the air and mmed against the wall. Seeing this, Dismas let out a painful roar and bit down on his own body part that attacked Juan.


    Nevertheless, the gods who now resided in all parts of Dismas¡¯ body went on a rampage and poured out all their hatred toward Juan.


    Juan slowly got up and walked back toward Dismas, lookingpletely unaffected by the previous attack.


    The gods who took control of Dismas tried to strike Juan, but Juan did not let them do so this time. Juan firmly blocked the sharp nails and fists that were flying toward him and continued to approach Dismas.


    When Juan finally stood in front of Dismas¡¯ huge swollen body, he held Dismas in his arms, almost as if hugging him.


    When he finally fell into his father¡¯s arms, Dismas struggled and finally let out a murmur.


    ¡°Ugh¡­ Your Majesty¡­ hah¡­ f-father¡­¡±


    Dismas hunched his shoulders as if to ept Juan¡¯s hugs.


    But at that moment, Dismas felt like something was suddenly slipping out of his body. Dismas¡¯ body began to copse immediately, almost as if the foundation that was upholding a huge structure had been pulled out.


    Dismas screamed at the pain of all his flesh and bones melting away. This was a type of pain that he had never felt before in his life; even the pain he felt when he cut out his own flesh to create Cainheryars couldn¡¯tpare to this.


    Meanwhile, Juan continued to hold Dismas, who was spurting pus and body fluid from all over his body, in his arms.


    ¡°Now, I retrieve my essence from you,¡± Juan whispered.


    The gods inside Dismas¡¯ body struggled and tried to escape from Juan. However, Juan had no intention of letting Dismas go.


    Dismas had only managed to maintain his form until now despite summoning so many powerful gods due to the essence of the emperor. As soon as Juan retrieved his essence from Dismas, Dismas¡¯ entire body was torn apart like a broken water tank, and everything inside him began to flow out.


    Blood and pus were sprayed everywhere, and the stench began to permeate through the streets of Cabragh.


    ¡°You are no longer my child.¡±


    Soon after, Dismas¡¯ body which had swelled to the size of a huge house, disappeared. Instead, only the dry rag-like face of Dismas was left in Juan¡¯s hands.


    Yet, Dismas was still alive even in such a state. Now, it was only the vitality of the gods drawn into his body that was keeping him alive¡ªbut it was clear that he wouldn¡¯tst long.


    Juan looked at Dismas with empty eyes.


    ¡°You were full of hate, but now that all of it has disappeared, you look like a ruin.¡±


    Dismas puffed his lips to say something in reply, but Juan didn¡¯t even bother to pay attention to him.


    ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll also turn into a ruin like you after all of this is over.¡±


    Juan dropped the dying Dismas on the ground and turned his back.


    Sina¡¯s corpse was in front of Juan¡¯s eyes.


    Juan tripped and stumbled while trying to carry Sina. But he did not stop walking. He continued to stumble and walk in pain.


    Not everything was finished yet.


    But he didn¡¯t know if all that was important anymore.


    ***


    ¡°Your Majesty.¡±


    Juan, who was walking with Sina in his arms, ran into Pavan on the street.


    Pavan also looked exhausted after facing Helgrim. He was entirely covered with blood and dust, but his eyes were still burning with fierce desire. Pavan¡¯s eyes turned to Sina for a brief moment, but decided to ask Juan the most important question first.


    ¡°Is Dismas Dilver dead?¡±


    Juan walked past him without giving an answer.


    Pavan tried to ask again, but he turned his head instead.


    The road where Sina and Dismas had fought was full of blood. Then, Pavan noticed something that had copsed in the middle of the road. Pavan, who was holding a sword dripping blood, approached the road with a look of madness.


    It was Dismas who had yet to die.


    .


    It was only after staring at the grotesque figure for a long time that Pavan realized that it was Dismas.


    Dismas was constantly muttering something, but there was no sounding out of his mouth.


    After observing Dismas¡¯ lips closely, Pavan made a derisive smile.


    ¡°Hah.¡±


    Pavan mmed Dismas on the head with the sword in his hand. Then, he mmed Dismas down several times without stopping. The blood and flesh scattered everywhere soaked Pavan, but Pavan continued to smash Dismas down like a dedicated miner.


    Pavan rested for a while whenever his back became stiff but diligently continued to swing his sword over and over. When there was finally no sign of Dismas¡¯ presence left, Pavan wiped the sweat off of his forehead. Pavan¡¯s sword, which had struck the stone pavement countless times, was chipped and bent all over.


    Then Pavan threw away his sword and untied his belt. Soon, a stream of urine began to flow down and wet the ce where Dismas had been.


    Then, Pavan looked up at the sky with a lighthearted face.


    ¡°Master, who said that the taste of revenge was bitter? Nothing can be sweeter than this.¡±


    ***


    Ivy looked out the window with a pale expression.


    She could see a panoramic view of Cabragh. It was a scene that would make anyone exim at normal times, but the only emotion Ivy felt right now was fear.


    When the battle was about to begin, Ivy had witnessed the beams of light beingunched from the tower she was in. She already knew that the huge beam of light beingunched from the tower was Telgramm from the previous conversation she had with Dismas¡ªit was thanks to Dismas telling her all the confidential information due to his confidence in being able to turn Ivy to his side.


    Ivy thought that there was nothing she could do to stop this madness, but she couldn¡¯t stay still the moment she saw the beam of light sweeping over the imperial forces that were beyond the wall. That¡¯s when Ivy remembered that when the Pope used Telgramm on her, she wasn¡¯t affected by it at all.


    Ivy figured that she might be able to stop the Pope. This was the reason why she took advantage of the confusion of war to secretly head to the Pope; however, the tower was already on the verge of copse even before she could reach the top.


    ¡°Why¡­ why does everything get so twisted every time I try to do something¡­?¡± Ivy muttered.


    It was not easy for Ivy to walk inside the shaking tower. She thought that it would be better to stop now and go back down, but such thoughts immediately left her mind as soon as she saw the path she had walked on copsing and breaking.


    Now she had no choice but to move forward.


    ¡°Lenly¡­¡±


    Ivy murmured the name of the person who had always protected her. But he wasn¡¯t here now.


    ¡®<i>He must be fighting somewhere outside Cabragh.</i>¡¯


    Ivy tightly bit her lips and clutched the railing to stand up. Although she had been protected by Lenly until now, he was no longer obligated to protect her. Lenly was the Captain of the emperor¡¯s Imperial Guards, not the Saintess¡¯.


    And Ivy hade here as a subordinate of the emperor, while knowing all the risks.


    Ivy gasped for air and continued to climb up the tower with difficulty. The way down had beenpletely cut off, but Ivy didn¡¯t know what was waiting for her at the top of the tower.


    ¡®<i>Maybe I can find a way to rebuild the tower back to its original form.</i>¡¯


    Just when Ivy was getting close to the top of the tower, she heard a groaning from the room at the top.


    ¡°Keuk, ugh, ah, ahhh¡­¡±


    Ivy peeked into the room and quickly hid herself, shocked.


    Pope Helmut was groaning painfully with burns all over him. The top of the tower was copsing slowly and revealing the sky.


    ¡°You look in pain, Your Holiness.¡±


    Then, a familiar voice other than the Pope¡¯s was heard. Ivy soon found Imil Ilde on the other side of the room.


    Ivy had seen Imil, the biggest supporter of the Church, several times before. She had heard that he left Torra to join the Western Army, but she hadn¡¯t expected to see him at the top of the tower.


    ¡°What happened? Why the heck isn¡¯t my Grace working!¡± Helmut howled loudly and raised both of his arms.


    The burns all over him were quite severe, but what was even worse was that both of his arms had been burnedpletely ck and almost turned into ashes.


    Imil looked at the Telgramm rolling on the floor.


    Helmut had been exposed to the destructive power of Telgramm while trying to hold it, without realizing that the power of his Grace had disappeared.


    When Helmut shook his arms, his burnt fingers snapped one by one and fell to the floor. Helmut screamed and tried to pick up his fingers, but they ended up getting crushed.


    ¡°What do you mean what happened? It simply means that your era has endedpletely.¡±


    Imil¡¯s voice that was answering Helmut was calm¡ªit was as if he knew that this would happen.


    Helmut¡¯s eyes rolled like a lunatic as he red at Imil.


    ¡°Right when Doctrinal General Dismas used Spirit Calling, all the Cainheryars were destroyed. His Majesty¡¯s holy body that we have been forcibly holding onto until now must also be copsing right about now. There is no more Grace, Your Holiness. All of His Majesty¡¯s power has returned to him,¡± Imil said.


    Helmut gasped for air.


    ¡®<i>There is no more Grace?</i>¡¯


    Only then did Helmut feel that the heat that was flowing throughout his body had disappeared. His skin suddenly felt cold and his exhausted body felt heavier than ever. The inability to use the emperor¡¯s Grace meant that Helmut no longer had a chance of winning or even a future.


    ¡°No,¡± Helmut groaned. ¡°No! I- I still have a lot of work to do for humankind! There are achievements that must be made on behalf of His Majesty! Without me, humanity will¡­ it will¡­!¡±


    ¡°It will be well off¡ªjust as how it was in the days when His Majesty wasn¡¯t here.¡±


    Helmut red at Imil with his eyes wide open.


    Meanwhile, Imil looked down at Helmut with a pathetic expression and continued to speak.


    ¡°To be honest with you, I never thought you would be this pathetic, especially when you could have monopolized the power of His Majesty. It is quite a sight to see you trying to hide in the back room like a senile old man with dementia when you have such great power. You know what that means? It means that you were not even worth housing His Majesty¡¯s power inside you in the first ce.¡±

 Chapter 222 – Bug

    <h4>Chapter 222 ¨C Bug</h4>


    ¡°You-you bastard! I am the Pope of this empire! I am the agent of the emperor who united the empire!¡± Helmut shouted.


    ¡°Yes, there was once a time when I really liked that slogan. Perhaps it was your passion and blind loyalty that Master appreciated so much¡­ but I wanted to make my youngest son the next Pope aftering to the conclusion that you had no hope,¡± Imil shrugged his shoulders.


    Only then did Helmut remember that Imil Ilde¡¯s youngest son used to be a member of the Order of the White Crow. Helmut had allowed him to be a Temr at an earnest request; however, he ended up getting killed by Juan, the devil of Tantil who had just appeared around that time.


    ¡°I would have killed you and handed over the position of the Pope to my youngest son a long time ago if it hadn¡¯t been for the fake emperor who suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Originally, I had thought you were the one who killed my son after figuring out my intentions. Things may have been very different from now if that was the case.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ you really think I¡¯m going to copse so easily to¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you mean copse? Both you and I are nothing more than puppets controlled by the master. In the first ce, without Master, you could not have had the power of His Majesty. Oh, of course¡­ It was only thanks to you that I was able to convince Dismas and Gerard. I do appreciate you for that.¡±


    Imil smiled and looked at Helmut, who was lying on his stomach.


    ¡°It¡¯s the same for me, since I¡¯m about to go down as well, but I don¡¯t feel too bad about it after seeing you like this.¡±


    Helmut let out a roar and jumped at Imil, but Imil simply took a step back to dodge him. Helmut stumbled and broke his remaining arm, which looked like a lump of charcoal. After screaming in pain for a long time, Helmut groaned and then opened his mouth.


    ¡°You¡­ you bastard¡­ what happened to Lenly?¡±


    Ivy, who had been eavesdropping on the conversation, gasped upon hearing Lenly¡¯s name.


    Imil¡¯s eyes briefly turned toward the door of the room, before once again turning to Helmut.


    Helmut gasped for air and continued to speak.


    ¡°I saw Lenly before I held Telgramm in my hand. Lenly was protecting Dismas from that female knight¡¯s attack¡ªI saw it through the vision shared between me and Dismas. Why was Captain Lenly Loen of the Imperial Guards trying to protect Dismas? Was he also a part of this dirty n to destroy me?¡±


    ¡°Hah, you¡¯re hrious,¡± Imil snorted, dumbfounded. ¡°A dirty n to destroy you? Damn, your ego is on an entirely different level. But you¡¯re somewhat right. Lenly is also a member of Aruntal, but you¡¯re nothing more than a Pope who doesn¡¯t even belong to Aruntal.¡±


    Helmut gritted his teeth and red at Imil.


    ¡°Then Ivy¡­ Ivy, that bitch must also be a member of Aruntal. You bunch of assholes have been trying to screw me up all along. The fake emperor, Nienna, and H were all on your side from the very beginning!¡±


    Imil made a dumbfounded expression, not even bothering to answer Helmut.


    Meanwhile, Helmut continued to shout at Imil in anger.


    ¡°How?! How can you do this to me! You know how hard I tried to fulfill His Majesty¡¯s will! But how can you help that bitch ruin me like this!?¡±


    ¡°This is just ridiculous. Did you really think that you could even reach the level of His Majesty¡¯s foot? How did you think that such a trivial man like yourself could fulfill such a noble will? You were nothing more than a stepping stone. But now that I think about it, you couldn¡¯t even y that part properly.¡±


    Imil snapped back in annoyance, but soon sighed.


    ¡°I¡¯d rather talk to the wall than talk to you. I¡¯m not doing this anymore.¡±


    Imil turned his back.


    Helmut continued to shout vulgar curses at his back while throwing up blood and suffering from pain. His joints were not moving properly, and all his entire muscles were twitching. When he felt the movement of his ruined intestines from his stomach, Helmut realized just how old he was. This was a sensation that he had never felt ever since he experimented on the Temrs as his test subjects.


    The fear of death suddenly surged into Helmut¡¯s mind.


    ¡®<i>Have I always had so many wrinkles?</i>¡¯


    Helmut suddenly felt an even more intense sense of loss than when he lost the emperor¡¯s Grace. The drooping skin, the wrinkles, and the ck age spots all over his face made him feel devastated.


    Then Helmut btedly shouted in a frightened voice.


    ¡°Wait! The magician! Let me speak to the magician!¡±


    Imil stopped walking and looked back.


    ¡°He said that the future of humankind is in my hands! That¡¯s why I agreed to a n to assassinate His Majesty¡ªbecause humankind can only shine under the leadership of an emperor who is eternal! What happened to that n and that will?¡± Helmut asked in a desperate voice.


    ¡°Oh, that n is still solid.¡±


    Helmuty t on his stomach and begged with a distorted smile upon hearing Imil¡¯s answer.


    ¡°I-I can still go on! If I can meet the magician again to persuade him, I might be able to¡­!¡±


    ¡°But you are out of the n now. That was actually decided a long time ago. We are already ready to greet the new emperor. It¡¯s better for you to die now rather thanter.¡±


    Then, Imil ignored Helmut and walked on.


    Seeing this, Helmut, who had been lying on his stomach, immediately ran toward Imil with an angry shout.


    Although Imil wasn¡¯t weak enough to be attacked by an old man with no arms, he sighed and briefly muttered.


    ¡°Igel, Ioshiff.¡±


    <i>Swoosh!</i>


    Two people suddenly appeared out of nowhere. The two people were wearing ck robes and quickly passed by the Pope¡¯s left and right like the wind at the same time.


    Without even being able to realize what was going on, Helmut fell down to the floor with a loud thud. Then, Helmut, who was trying to raise himself up while screaming and rolling around the floor, felt an intense paining from his lower body.


    When he slowly looked down at his legs, he realized that even the remainder of his legs were cut off all the way up to his thighs¡ªand one more body part other than his legs was also rolling on the floor.


    ¡°Ugh, Ahhhhhhh! Aghhhh!¡±


    At the same time, the man and woman with white hair both looked at each other with displeased expressions as they listened to Helmut¡¯s screams.


    ¡°Hey sis, that was unnecessarily cruel of you.¡±


    ¡°I didn''t do that because I wanted to. I just didn¡¯t expect him to keep it on his left side. Ugh, my sword is dirty now.¡±


    ¡°Well, most men keep it on the left.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s something I didn¡¯t want to know about.¡±


    The man sighed and approached Helmut, who was still screaming. Right when he lifted his sword to finish Helmut off, Imil stopped him.


    ¡°Just leave him, Igel. I want this pig to drown in his own blood and die alone.¡±


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll have to get out of here now. I think he¡¯s going to die quite soon.¡±


    ¡®<i>Die? Me?</i>¡¯


    Helmut gasped for air and tried to move, but all he could manage was wriggling like a bug.


    Imil frowned at the pathetic sight of Helmut crying and moved on. Helmut¡¯s current state was an overly ugly sight for someone who was said to be the Pope of the empire.


    Meanwhile, Helmut, who once again tried to stand up, slipped on his own blood and hit his face against the floor.


    <i>Crack!?</i>


    With a terrible sound, Helmut¡¯s body lost all its strength. His face fell into a shallow pool of blood and the stagnant blood entered his nose and mouth. While it was a shallow puddle of blood that was only as deep as a finger joint, Helmut couldn¡¯t lift his head up.


    ¡®<i>This is ridiculous. This is how I will die? By falling into a puddle of my own blood¡ªa puddle the size of a small dish, struggling like a trivial worm?</i>¡¯


    ***


    ¡°It¡¯s beer!¡±


    The soldiers hurriedly shared their sses when they found a beer barrel that someone had thrown away in the barn. The inside of the barn was damp and muddy with feces due to the rain that had continued for several days.


    The beer also smelled strange, but to the starved soldiers, it tasted sweeter than ever. The soldiers rushed to pour beer into their sses and proposed a toast.


    ¡°For Greg, Olie, and Heartmal.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget about Dowd. That punk¡­ he only volunteered because of me¡­¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s give up a ss for all the idiots who died because of all the bloody gods.¡±


    The soldiers murmured and raised a gloomy toast. When one soldier shouted for a toast, everyone emptied their ss all at once. Then they shared another ss of beer to wait for the next soldier to shout for a toast. The soldiers were getting drunk fast, but none of them forgot to mourn their fallenrades.


    ¡°Hey, Priest! Say something, man! It¡¯s your turn!¡±


    .


    Someone shouted at a man when it was finally his turn. The man, who was just emptying his ss with a nk mind, suddenly came to his senses.


    This was not the tower housing Telgramm. All of his arms and legs were still intact.


    Only then did Helmut slowly look around as he came to his senses. He was in a dirty and damp barn that smelled of poop.


    ¡®<i>I remember.</i>¡¯


    It was the time when he was on his way to overthrow Ainheryar, the god of beasts. The soldiers were attacked by a group of Beastmen. The troops were defeated and only a few of the defeated soldiers managed to escape. Even the soldiers in front of Helmut right now died less than a week after this feast.


    In the end, Helmut was the only one who survived.


    ¡°Hey, are you serious? There¡¯s beer right in front of you, but you can¡¯t drink it because you can¡¯t raise a toast? Come on, Priestman. You used to talk a lot. What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Helmut hesitated when the soldiers urged him, but soon raised his ss and opened his mouth.


    ¡°Long live His Majesty.¡±


    Everyone repeated Helmut¡¯s toast in a loud voice. Finally, there was no one else left to raise a toast, and so the soldiers began to drink as they willed.


    At that moment, a person started talking to Helmut.


    ¡°Hey, mister Priest.¡±


    ¡®Mister Priest¡¯ was Helmut¡¯s nickname. It was a nickname given to him by his colleagues, since Helmut praised the emperor every single time he opened his mouth. In an era when gods were despised by humans, being called ¡°Priest¡± was never a good thing.


    But Helmut didn¡¯t think bad of the nickname; he felt like he was serving the emperor as his closest aide.


    ¡°You say long live His Majesty all the time. So how long do you want him to live?¡±


    This was a question the soldiers wouldn¡¯t normally ask, but at the moment, they were all drunk and willing to chat about anything.


    ¡°Ten thousand years¡ªso basically forever,¡± Helmut answered.


    ¡°Hah, you want His Majesty to live for ten thousand years? I mean, it would be nice, but is that even possible? His Majesty himself said he is a human. I don¡¯t think he would be a human being if he could live until he became ten thousand years old.¡±


    ¡°Nothing is impossible for His Majesty. Anything is possible if HIs Majesty decides to do it.¡±


    ¡°Haha, what are you saying? Anything is possible if His Majesty decides to do it? That¡¯s a little¡­ god-like.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. His Majesty is the god of humans.¡±


    The barn fell silent for a moment.


    The soldier who had asked the question was squinting while looking at Helmut.


    Before he knew it, all the soldiers in the barn were looking at Helmut. Everyone here had lost a family member or someone precious to the gods.


    The soldiers patted Helmut on the chest and started speaking in a tone that seemed like they were picking a fight.


    ¡°His Majesty is the best of all human beings. It is true that he is so strong that even gods are no match for him, but calling him a god is kind of messed up. We¡¯re doing this crap to escape the domination of gods , but you¡¯re saying that we are being ruled by a god once again?¡±


    ¡°But not all gods are¡­¡±


    Helmut couldn¡¯t finish his words. The soldier punched Helmut, while the rest of the soldiers joined in as well; some of the soldiers tried to stop the fight, while the others began to kick Helmut.


    All Helmut could do was roll around in a pile of feces and get beaten helplessly.


    ¡°Stop!¡±


    At that moment, the soldiers immediately stopped upon hearing a loud voice. Someone had opened the door to the bar.


    A man with shining blond hair like the golden sun entered the barn. As soon as the soldiers recognized the man¡¯s face, they quickly prostrated themselves.


    There was only one man that looked like the emperor and had blonde hair.


    It was Gerard Gain, the eldest son of the emperor.


    ¡°I heard that there were fallen soldiers, so I came to see you all. While Ipliment all of you for fighting so bravely, I didn¡¯t expect you all to be drinking and even beating up your ownrade.¡±


    The soldiers looked at each other with perplexed expressions. They all felt more sober than ever.


    Gerard approached Helmut, who was still lying on the ground, and reached out his hand to help him up.


    Helmut hesitantly opened his mouth.


    ¡°Your hand will get dirty, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    Gerard raised Helmut up from the dirty ground and then asked the other soldiers.


    ¡°Why were you beating this man up? Did he break any rules? As far as I know, private scuffles between soldiers are prohibited.¡±


    The soldiers only looked at each other and did not open their mouths. There was no way they could say in front of the emperor¡¯s own son that they were not happy with Helmut¡¯s wish for the emperor to live forever.


    As the soldiers remained silent, Gerard turned to Helmut.


    ¡°You tell me first. They will speak up if they feel anything you say is unfair.¡±


    Helmut hesitated for a while, but soon spoke about what happened.


    For a moment, Gerard had a dumbfounded expression, but soon became angry. He even ced his hand on the handle of his sword at one point of the story. As the conversation dragged on, Gerard opened his mouth with a serious look.


    ¡°This is a serious matter. Are there many soldiers in the military who think like you?¡±


    ¡°I understand that there are more than just a few. Your Highness, if you would just listen to me for a little longer¡­¡±


    ¡°What you¡¯re saying goes against His Majesty¡¯s will. But I¡¯m worried that there are a lot of people who think like you. Come with me¡ªI don¡¯t think this matter can be solved by simply punishing you. I¡¯ll have to listen to your story in more detail to prepare counter arguments and to persuade you.¡±


    Gerard went out of the barn after speaking.


    While Helmut was discouraged, the other soldiers wereughing and ring at him from behind.


    The figure of Gerard began to grow far away as he walked on.


    When Helmut hurriedly opened the door of the barn to catch up with him, a sudden terrible smell of blood assaulted him. It was the disgusting smell of stale blood.


    Helmut tried to cover his nose to avoid the stench, but he btedly realized that he had no arms to do so. He tried to scream, but he could only hear the sound of blood bubbling. The only thing that entered his nose was blood no matter how hard he tried to breathe.


    None of his limbs could move ording to his will. Helmut felt like he had be a worm-like young boy, once again crawling in a mining cave like a long time ago.


    Soon, Helmut stopped twitching.

 Chapter 223 – A Wish

    <h4>Chapter 223 ¨C A Wish</h4>


    Not long after Helmut died from drowning in a puddle of his own blood, Igel shrugged and sheathed his sword.


    The n to let Helmut die alone had failed, but his death already seemed lonely enough.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen a lot of people die before, but I¡¯ve never seen anyone die like a disgusting bug like this,¡± Igel muttered.


    ¡°Well, he finally learned his ce right before he died. Come on, we gotta go.¡±


    Ioshiff took a ck robe out of her pocket and handed it over to Imil.


    Imil put on the robe and even wore a hood to cover his face. As soon as he wore the robe, his presence disappeared in an instant. Even Ivy, who was hiding right outside the door and watching the scene from the beginning, could hardly sense Imil¡¯s presence even though she was already aware that there were people inside.


    Then, Imil began to move toward the door.


    Seeing this, Ivy panicked and looked for a ce to hide, but there was no where she could hide. Soon, Imil strode out of the hallway.


    Ivy looked at Imil with a stiff expression. She thought she would either be held hostage once again or killed, but Imil looked at Ivy in silence and then walked past her.


    The moment Imil walked past Ivy, he quietly murmured.


    ¡°Take care of her on your own. The master is waiting for us.¡±


    Igel passed by and winked at Ivy, while Ioshiff pinched Ivy¡¯s cheek before leaving. It wasn¡¯t until a little while after they passed by Ivy that she slumped to the floor with a puzzled expression.


    At that moment, Ivy felt someone carefully touching her shoulder.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    It was Lenly Loen.


    Only then did Ivy realize that Imil wasn¡¯t talking to her but to Lenly, who had been standing behind Ivy all along. Ivy almost ran into Lenly¡¯s arms, but stopped herself.


    Lenly was no longer covering his eyes. His amber eyes were quietly staring at her.


    ¡°I apologize for beingte. I thought that you were in the Red Citadel, but I couldn¡¯t find you there. Are you okay?¡±


    As soon as Lenly reached his hand out toward Ivy, she flinched and stepped back. Based on the conversation she eavesdropped, she already knew that Lenly was a traitor.


    It didn¡¯t take long until all sorts of rumors about Lenly came to Ivy¡¯s mind. Lenly was known to be a man who gave up his chance to be a Temr and instead volunteered to join the Imperial Guards, just to faithfully serve His Majesty. He was even at odds with the Pope due to his loyalty to the emperor and controversy over the empire¡¯s current doctrine.


    Lenly was known to be more principled and doctrinal than even the Pope. Nevertheless, many Priests and Temrs from the Church admired Lenly for his integrity and reverent attitude. After all, the Captain of the Imperial Guards did not hold much power¡ªon the surface, his role was nothing more than a corpse cleaner.


    ¡°Saintess?¡±


    ¡®But what if all of that was a lie? Did he be a member of the Imperial Guards just to get ess to the emperor¡¯s body from the beginning? What if he was used by the Pope and became a member of the Imperial Guards just to make it easier for those in the shadows to make evil ns?¡¯


    ¡°Saintess, you don¡¯t look too well. This tower is shaking. It might copse at any moment, so let¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡®<i>Even the reason why we were hiding underground for days after the failed rebellion might have been a part of their n to proceed with their next step.</i>¡¯


    Lenly used to leave Ivy behind and go away for hours back in the underground structure, and it was also through Lenly¡¯s persuasion that Ivy had attempted to rebel against the Pope.


    ¡®<i>I was being used all along.</i>¡¯


    That was all Ivy could think of.


    ¡°Go away.¡±


    Lenly flinched and paused his hand that was trying to reach Ivy. Lenly dropped his hand with trembling eyes upon seeing Ivy¡¯s cold re.


    Before, Ivy would have thought of Lenly¡¯s current appearance as heartbreaking, but not anymore. His white skin made him look like a skeleton, and his mouth that puffed up to try to say something felt like a snake pping its tongue at her. It was hard to even read any emotion from his trembling eyes.


    ¡°...You traitor.¡±


    ¡°Saintess, I¡­¡± Lenly tightly bit his lips and managed to continue speaking. ¡°Other people probably can¡¯t understand me, but you have to understand. After all, you are the Saintess.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not some Saintess and you know that. I¡¯m just a woman who was killed at the hands of the Pope then luckily brought back to life. The position of the Saintess is nothing more than the Pope¡¯s marite!¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re wrong!¡±


    Lenly shouted in a violent voice without even realizing it.


    Seeing this, Ivy flinched and stepped away from Lenly.


    Lenly gasped at the thought that he had frightened Ivy and tried to approach her, but this only scared Ivy even more.


    Lenly raised both of his trembling hands and opened his mouth.


    ¡°I understand that you are surprised. But you will know soon enough¡ªwhy you were chosen as the Saintess and why you are a true Saintess. The prophecy you made came from His Majesty¡ªit came down from a man who will be the true emperor.¡±


    ¡®<i>The true emperor¡­</i>¡¯


    Those crucial words made Ivy confirm that Lenly was indeed a traitor. Ivy¡¯s eyes were wet with despairing tears.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care anymore. Tell everyone to die whether they are the true emperor or not. If there¡¯s another life, I hope to be born in a world where everyone is dead,¡± Ivy red at Lenly and answered.


    Ivy turned around and began to run as soon as she finished speaking. The ce she was headed to was an opening left behind by the copsed wall.


    Lenly screamed and tried to catch up to her, but it was toote.


    Ivy began to fall down the tower as soon as she threw herself into the air.


    ***


    Juan looked closely at Sina¡¯s body that was in his arms as he walked in the city center.


    Her pale skin, the numerous wounds, and her chest which was no longer rising, all indicated that she was dead.


    Juan couldn¡¯t tell exactly what it was that killed Sina, since there were far too many wounds on her body that were fatal.


    Her limbs were still attached to her body, but all her muscles and nerves were ruptured and her internal organs destroyed.


    Then, Juan discovered something familiar from her wounds¡ªit was the side effects of forcefully using higher stages of the Baltic Sword.


    Even a well-trained person had to be fully prepared to be injured if they used one of the higher stages of the Baltic Sword, since failure could result in fatal damage. Juan was able to confirm that Sina had used the Baltic Sword¡ªshe went beyond the fifth stage, using the sixth stage.


    It was an incredibly high stage for an ordinary human, and it would be no exaggeration to say that she was the first human being to use the Baltic Sword at such a level.


    But she was probably also thest human being to do so as well.


    It was then.


    <i>Crack! Crack!</i>


    A ck space suddenly began to appear as the air was torn apart. It was a temporary phenomenon caused by the Crack.


    However, Juan just passed by without even looking at the ck space when the Crack opened up right next to him.


    Then, someone btedly ran out of the Crack. It was Haild. He was no longer wearing a bandage on his face. After looking around as if he was searching for someone, Haild found Juan and quickly rushed toward him.


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡±


    Haild, who was hastily running toward Juan, btedly saw Sina in Juan''s arms. Haild covered his mouth with his hand and looked at Sina in silence for a while, then carefully looked up at Juan.


    Meanwhile, Juan was just walking with an emotionless face.


    ¡°...I see that Dame Sina Solvane fought bravely.¡±


    Juan did not answer Haild.


    This caused Haild to be perplexed; he had never seen Juan like this. However, he continued to follow Juan in silence. Although it was difficult to know the exact rtionship between Sina and Juan, Haild knew that it was beyond that of an ordinary peer rtionship.


    However, they weren¡¯t lovers either. Haild felt that there was a stronger bond than that between the two of them. It was not simply a normal rtionship between a woman and a man. It was something much more than that¡ªit was a sense of solidarity that almost connected them as one.


    But Haild couldn¡¯t just stay still and watch Juan in this state. It was clear that the battle was still going on, and so, he had to inform Juan about the situations in other regions.


    ¡°Your Majesty, please forgive me for disturbing you in this situation, but the Cainheryars have suddenly disappeared. I thought that they might have only disappeared in the East, but it is assumed that the Cainheryars have also disappeared in the rest of the regions. It is assumed that they have disappeared throughout the empire. But that doesn¡¯t mean that the situation ispletely resolved¡ªmost of the troops will remain where they are, and only some of them wille to the West. I was the first to be able to move thanks to the ability to teleport, but Captain Anya and Aunt Nienna will also arrive as soon as possible.¡±


    Haild exined as quickly and simply as possible, but Juan did not seem to be listening to him at all. Haild tightly closed his lips. No matter how shocked Juan was, he was the emperor and the supreme leader of the empire. It was utterly ridiculous for him to be in a state of shock in the midst of such an important battle.


    ¡°Where is Captain Pavan? Is he the one currently inmand of the battle?¡±


    Once again, Juan did not answer. Feeling frustrated, Haild stood in front of Juan to block his way. Only then did Juan stop walking.


    ¡°Your Majesty, where the heck are you going?¡±


    ¡°To my body.¡±


    Juan opened his mouth for the first time.


    Haild was perplexed by Juan¡¯s answer, but was still d to have gotten a response.


    Innread dot".


    ¡°Your Majesty¡¯s body? Then you must be talking about the holy body. Do you know where it is?¡± Haild asked.


    ¡°Inside the Red Citadel. I can feel that it¡¯s there.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll cover you, Your Majesty. If you do find your body there¡­ you will finally regain your power as the true emperor. Um, I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s what¡¯s going to really happen, but I am assuming that it will. After all, it was said that it was Mananen McLeir¡¯s heart thatpleted Your Majesty.¡±


    Juan looked back at Haild.


    Haild was perplexed by Juan¡¯s emotionless eyes, but quickly bowed his head.


    ¡°There were many heartbreaking sacrifices along the way, but Your Majesty will finally return to your rightful ce. No one can stand in your way now. Of course, there will be a lot of work to do. But first of all, we will need to find my father, I mean Gerard Gain¡­ Uh, please forgive me. I know that you¡¯re not in the mood to hear this, but I keep talking too much at the thought that everything is over now¡­ It would have been nice if my mother was here to see this as well.¡±


    ¡®<i>A lot of work¡­</i>¡¯


    Haild continued his gibberish, but there was only one sentence Juan paid attention to. Juan was numb as he was heading toward his body¡ªhe thought that getting his body back was another ¡®work¡¯ that had to be done.


    He had just been moving without any thoughts, but what Haild said inspired him in a strange way.


    A distorted and twisted idea popped up in his mind.


    ¡°No, Haild.¡±


    When Juan suddenly opened his mouth, Haild looked at him while blinking.


    ¡°I am going to bring Sina back to life.¡±


    ***


    <i>Crash! Bang!</i>


    The city center was devastated when the huge tower finally copsed over Cabragh.


    The soldiers who had been fighting all over the city had slowly stopped fighting when, at some point, theirmanders were nowhere to be found, and came to aplete stop now that they saw the tower copse.


    The soldiers of the Western Army had alreadypletely lost their will to fight from the time when the tower copsed. Starting with the surrender of the Order of Surtr, the various divisions of the Western Army began to surrender to the Capital Army one by one.


    It was not until a long timeter that the Order of the Capital epted the Western Army¡¯s deration of surrender under themand of Pavan who had returned.


    It was through Pavan¡¯s report that the news of Dismas¡¯ death was announced.


    The Western, and the Capital¡¯s forces started working together to rescue the people stuck under the rubble of the copsed tower.


    It was a terrible disaster, but there were many signs of relief among the soldiers at the thought that there was no need for them to kill each other when they belonged to the same Imperial Army.


    At the same time, something major was discovered at the scene of the copse¡ªPavan was able to rescue an unexpected person.


    ¡°Are you awake, Saintess?¡±


    Ivy slowly opened her eyes. Pavan was looking at her. She slowly realized that she was being carried somewhere.


    Ivy nkly looked up at the sky and muttered in a quiet voice.


    ¡°Am I alive?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Saintess. Perhaps you had the protection of His Majesty or you simply got lucky. Or maybe there was a guardian angel who saved you.¡±


    ¡°A guardian angel?¡±


    ¡°Pieces of stones were cut in a circr form around the ce you were found. I don¡¯t know who it was that showed off their skills on this rubble amidst the copsing tower, but that person wasn¡¯t there by the time we found you. I think that person might be slightly injured based on the blood stains in the surroundings, but I¡¯m sure that he¡¯s safe, since no corpse was found around that area.¡±


    Pavan looked as if he knew that it was Lenly who saved Ivy.


    But Ivy¡¯s face quickly turned pale. She screamed in pain as she tried to quickly get up, causing Pavan to hastily press down on her shoulder.


    ¡°I did tell you that you got lucky, but that doesn¡¯t mean that you weren¡¯t injured. Your left leg is broken and you have a lot of bruises here and there, so please stay still. I need to check where else you might have gotten hurt,¡± Pavan said.


    ¡°His Majesty¡­ I need to meet His Majesty. We need to hurry up and¡­¡±


    ¡°I will let him know if there is anything urgent. But the Western Army has surrendered and we also found Dismas and the Pope¡¯s bodies. There is no need for us to be in such a hurry to¡­¡±


    ¡°Lenly Loen is a traitor! His Majesty doesn¡¯t know that yet!¡±

 Chapter 224 – Face to Face

    <h4>Chapter 224 ¨C Face to Face</h4>


    Haild doubted his own ears; he thought he was hearing wrong.


    However, Juan¡¯s voice was clear and his expression was firm. He no longer seemed to be out of his mind, this caused Haild to feel a cold chill run down his spine.


    ¡°Your Majesty, are you in your right mind?¡±


    Haild asked without even realizing that he was being rude.


    However, Juan only looked back at him in silence.


    ¡°Is there any reason why I shouldn¡¯t do that, Haild?¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty refused to regenerate Heretia¡¯s amputated legs and my mother¡¯s arm! But Your Majesty is going to bring Dame Sina back to life? What happened to Your Majesty¡¯s will that we talked about earlier!?¡±


    ¡°My essence is still burning inside Sina¡¯s body and it is constantly restoring her. All I have to do is bring back her soul into her body.¡±


    ¡°Do you mean to say that resurrection is easier than regeneration?¡±


    Hearing Haild¡¯s sarcastic remark, Juan shook his head.


    ¡°No. I¡¯ll fix them too.¡±


    Haild bit his lips tightly, while Juan continued to speak.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make it so that Heretia can walk and run once again. I will also fix your left eye so you can see properly. I promise to bring H and Dilmond back to life as well. It will be difficult because all that is left of them are ashes, but I¡¯m sure that I can do it. No¡­ I promise to make it work no matter what.¡±


    Haild was no longer perplexed. Instead, he was petrified with fear.


    ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous¡­ Your Majesty, such a thing is just¡­¡±


    ¡°Is it a matter of equality? Then I will revive all the soldiers who died due to this war. I will also bring back those who died before all this. I will bring back the families of all the orphans and bring back the children of all the grieving mothers in the world. No, I willpletely get rid of life and death for humans, so that everyone is free of this shackle. I will pick out the good and the evil, and then separate those who should be rewarded and those who should be punished.¡±


    Haild looked at Juan while gasping for air. It was difficult for Haild to even estimate the scale of Juan¡¯s n. Juan was talking about erasing the boundary between mortality and immortality so calmly¡ªit was as if it was as easy as counting one two three.


    ¡®<i>Is such nonsense possible even if His Majesty gets his body back?</i>¡¯


    Finally, Haild managed to open his mouth with difficulty.


    ¡°Are you trying to be a god?¡±


    ¡°Is that all that it takes?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡±


    Juan quietly asked back upon seeing Haild¡¯s confusion.


    ¡°If I be a god, then can I bring Sina back to life?¡±


    Juan refused to be a god and was stabbed by his own child due to that.


    Finally, after enduring countless sacrifices, he was able to get up and return to his rightful ce once again.


    But now, he was hesitating about whether or not he should be a god. He was giving up his entire philosophy and ideology that he had kept until now just because of one person.


    Haild was having a hard time breathing after hearing Juan¡¯s words, but at the same time, he was quite tempted at the same time¡ªhe wanted to see Juan bing a god. If Juan became a god, Heretia may be able to regain her legs and it might be possible for his mother to be revived.


    Not only would it be possible to regain the countless innocent lives that had been sacrificed, but those that deserve to be rewarded would be rewarded and those that deserve to be punished would be punished. There would be no more war, since no one would dare to stand up to Juan who had be a god.


    Under an absolute being like the emperor, humanity will be blessed for ever and ever.


    Haild felt that he couldn¡¯t stand in the way of such a blessing. Regardless of the reason Juan was trying to be a god or Haild¡¯s personal desires to bring back the loved ones, he couldn¡¯t stop Juan¡ªfor the sake of humanity and for all the people that willeter.


    ¡®<i>How can I deprive humanity of an opportunity to escape from the pain of life and death, war, and the war between good and evil?¡¯</i>


    Haild unknowingly stepped out from Juan¡¯s way.


    Juan walked past Haild, causing a cold sweat to run down Haild¡¯s forehead. Juan¡¯s drooping shoulders looked frighteningly huge in Haild¡¯s eyes.


    Only then did Haild think about the possibility of ¡®Juan bing a god.¡¯ Juan had been continuously fighting against and rejecting such a possibility until now.


    It was no wonder Juan had finally broken down now¡ªhe just had a small wish. After all, it could be said that resurrecting one person is trivialpared to the absolute blessing that all of humanity and its future descendants would receive.


    Haild staggered, following after Juan. He couldn¡¯t help but think that this was not the right thing to do upon seeing Juan deny his own will.


    But he couldn¡¯t stop Juan. He wished for Nienna, H, or even Heretia toe here and convince Juan. But Haild was the only one with Juan right now.


    Finally, Juan and Haild entered the Red Citadel. The magnificent citadel made up of red granite was the product of thebor of the Giants and was miraculously still intact despite the fierce war.


    In the middle of the citadel was where Juan¡¯s holy body was located. Juan slowly headed toward his own body like a dog being dragged on a leash.


    ***


    Pavan rode his horse as fast as he could.


    However, it was difficult for his horse to speed up due to fatigue from the battle and the fact that people were cluttered on the streets for restoration and rescue purposes. Above all, it was difficult for the horse to find a road to run on, since the tower housing Telgramm had copsed right in the middle of Cabragh.


    Ivy groaned behind Pavan every time he roughly rode the horse and jumped over the obstacles. Although Ivy had been given first aid and her broken leg was being supported with a splint, she was not in a condition to ride a horse. But she had no intention of getting off the horse.


    ¡°Please hurry, we need to go faster than this!¡±


    ¡°I am trying my best, Saintess.¡±


    Pavan and Ivy were on their way to find Juan. Pavan ordered the soldiers to fire a signal and wave a g, but there was no sign of a response from Juan anywhere. In the end, they had no choice but to anticipate where Juan would go and wait for him there.


    The ce they were headed to was the red fortress.


    Meanwhile, Pavan looked back at Ivy to ask her a question.


    ¡°Saintess, we are searching for His Majesty because you told me we had to go, but is it really that dangerous for His Majesty that Lenly Loen is a traitor?¡±


    Pavan thought his own question was quite bizarre. Lenly Loen was certainly a powerful man¡ªhe may even be stronger than Pavan. But he was nowhere close to His Majesty. If he were exaggerating a little, Pavan even thought that Lenly would lose if the emperor simply blew his nose loudly.


    The corners of Pavan¡¯s lips slightly went up at the thought of Lenly being blown away by the wind. But Ivy¡¯s expression was firm as she had no idea what Pavan was thinking about.


    ¡°Lenly Loen going out of his way to volunteer to join the Imperial Guards definitely had a meaning behind it. It may have been just to hide the fact that His Majesty¡¯s body was a Cainheryar, but it is still true that he is dangerous to His Majesty. What if he poisoned His Majesty¡¯s body¡­¡±


    ¡®<i>But that¡¯s just your assumption.</i>¡¯


    Pavan grumbled and muttered in his mind. All Ivy told Pavan about was the secret conversation that Imil and Helmut had with each other in the tower. Immediately after that, Ivy appeared, looking quite normal, considering that she had fallen from the copsing tower. Pavan felt that Imil might have intentionally leaked false information.


    However, it was also true that Lenly had not shown up anywhere. This was certainly strange, considering the rtionship between Ivy and Lenly.


    ¡°Well, I guess there¡¯s no harm in being careful.¡±


    Pavan kicked the horse to make it run even faster. Ivy had to clench her teeth due to the pain of her left leg shaking every time the horse jumped over the obstacles. But she couldn¡¯t sit back and do nothing. She had been fooled for too long, and she thought that she had to do something to atone for her mistakes.


    However, Pavan wondered if it would even be possible to catch up with Juan in time. There was a considerable time difference between when Juan disappeared and when Pavan rejoined the army to meet Ivy after finishing off Dismas.


    Even if Juan was slow in crossing the city of Cabragh, it was certain that he would have already reached the Red Citadel by now.


    Pavan decided that he had to prepare for the worst, just in case.


    ¡°Saintess, with all due respect¡­ what kind of trick do you think Captain Lenly Loen has yed? In the first ce, Lenly Loen is a man who abandoned his family and his path to sess just because of his loyalty to His Majesty. So why would he betray His Majesty by giving up what he had worked for all his life?¡±


    Ivy could not answer Pavan. This was the same question that Ivy had already asked herself countless times.


    But she couldn¡¯t find the answer to the question either.


    ***


    The hall was structured in the form of a huge arch.


    Juan noticed that the structure inside the Red Citadel was simr to the Imperial Pce in Torra; only bricks made of red granite were used.


    ¡®<i>Perhaps there is a simr type of structure in the underground, since it¡¯s a magical formation used to draw power from my body.</i>¡¯


    The structure was quite clean, almost as if it was newly built, but the stagnant air showed that it had been built quite a long time ago.


    Juan stood still in the middle of the hall. ¡®It¡¯ was there at the end of the hall¡ªthe holy body of the emperor. It was Juan¡¯s true physical form, his old body, and the emperor that everyone in the empire believed in.


    Juan felt like he was being sucked in more and more with every step he took to approach his body. He thought that he had be strong enough by now, but the power contained in his old body was still quite powerful. Juan felt that the power contained in his old body was trying to sweep him away.


    However, Juan proceeded slowly, crushing and breaking the stone pavement on the floor. mes slowly rose above his head as he took another step. The red me was not intense, but it slowly turned white and started burning fiercely. It let out such a strong glow that the red walls around him started looking white.


    But all this had no effect on Sina¡¯s body that was held in Juan¡¯s arms.


    Before he knew it, Juan stood right in front of his body. Then, he carefully ced down Sina¡¯s body at his feet.


    Juan¡¯s old body looked like a skinny mummy, to the point where Juan had to wonder if it really was his body.


    Gold was used to cover the wrinkled area, and colorful jewelry was inserted into every hole created by dry skin. The hair that was once ck like ink was now white in color.


    Juan could not understand how such a body was regarded as the emperor until now.


    Then, Juan tightly bit his lips and slowly reached his hand out. His fingertips were just about to touch the unhealed wound left behind by being pierced by Elkiehl.


    ¡°If you be a god, Your Majesty could do whatever you want!¡±


    Haild suddenly shouted out from behind. Juan turned his head to face Haild.


    ¡°Being able to revive someone means that you will be able to decide who will live and who will die, and to be able to easily give eternal life would mean that you would also be able to easily take it back as well! All of that would simply depend on Your Majesty¡¯s mood!¡±


    ¡°Do not talk to me like I¡¯m some whimsical child, Haild.¡±


    ¡°I do not want Your Majesty to be a god!¡± Haild shouted in a desperate voice.


    Haild¡¯s body was trembling.


    ¡°The great are not those who wield power, but those who can endure even though they have great power. Your Majesty would be great if you remain as the emperor. Why do you want to undermine yourself and be a god?¡±


    Juan quietly looked at Haild and looked down at Sina. After staying silent for a while, Juan slowly opened his mouth.


    ¡°You don¡¯t even know what you¡¯re talking about right now.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m talking about and I don¡¯t think I can handle this either. But¡­¡±


    Haild tightly bit his lips and drew out Elkihel. The bandage wrapped around Elkiehl was cut off in an instant without even making a sound, revealing a ck branch-like sword.


    Seeing this, Juan¡¯s face distorted.


    Haild¡¯s hands were trembling, but he firmly raised his sword at Juan.


    ¡°If I don¡¯t stop Your Majesty from bing a god, we will all live under Your Majesty¡¯s standards forever.¡±


    ¡°And you are against that?¡±


    ¡°No, I am not. How can I be unhappy under Your Majesty¡¯s reign?¡± Haild clutched Elkiehl and continued to speak. ¡°But, but¡­ I don¡¯t know if our descendants will want that either. We can¡¯t decide on the choices they will have to make in the future. Humans go through tremendous change in just ten years. Then what about a hundred, or a thousand years? Do you believe that they will be happy under the same values forever?¡±


    Juan inhaled a deep breath as if to answer, but soon sighed. Then he answered in a quiet voice.


    ¡°You are right, Haild. I want to say I¡¯m different, but many of the heroes who became rulers and gods have repeated the same history over and over. I promised myself not to fall into that cycle, but now that I look at myself, I don¡¯t even know what I¡¯m doing now.¡±


    Haild¡¯s face brightened up upon hearing Juan¡¯s words.


    However, Juan once again turned his head toward his old body.


    ¡°So, from now on, don¡¯t call me the emperor. I am neither an emperor nor the god of humans. I¡¯m nothing more than a selfish idiot.¡±


    Then, Juan stuck his hand into the holy body.


    As soon as Juan¡¯s hand dug into the holy body¡¯s chest, Haild jumped in with a loud scream. But when Haild took another step forward, he couldn¡¯t take the next step; Juan just began to drift away in the distance.


    The hall inside the huge Red Citadel began to open into a space evenrger than infinity. The interior of this space turned white from the huge amount of light being emitted from the emperor¡¯s body.


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡±


    Haild shouted, but his voice couldn¡¯t catch up to the speed of the space that was drifting away.


    Even amidst all this chaos, Juan remained calm and dug deep inside the wound of his old body. Soon, Juan was able to find what he was looking for.


    It was solid like a jewel, but it felt more like grabbing at light rather than a jewel due to the intense lighting from the body.


    It was Mananen McLeir¡¯s heart. Juan grabbed the heart which was still beating.


    At that moment, something suddenly grabbed Juan by the wrist. Juan raised his head. The holy body was looking at Juan while holding Juan¡¯s wrist with its dry hand. The holy body¡¯s lips, which had been silent for decades, opened with a cracking sound.


    The voice that came out of those lips seemed toe out of rotten vocal cords.


    ¡°Finally.¡±


    When the heart within Juan¡¯s hand emitted a light brighter than before, Juan could feel his vision growing distant.


    The voice was rough and crude, but Juan could tell who the voice belonged to.


    He could never forget the voice of Gerard Gain, his first son.

 Chapter 225 – Gerard Gain (1)

    <h4>Chapter 225 ¨C Gerard Gain (1)</h4>


    Juan couldn¡¯t understand the situation.


    This holy body was certainly his own. However, the arm that was clutching his wrist and the eyes that were staring at him clearly belonged to Gerard.


    Juan initially thought that Gerard might have transferred his spirit into the holy body for a moment, but that didn¡¯t seem to be true.


    Juan realized that his inner mental world that he had opened up to absorb his original body was the one being sucked in now. The abilities that he absorbed from Talter and Nigrato were now being sucked into Gerard.


    Juan¡¯s consciousness began to drift away as his inner mental world started being absorbed. At the same time, fragments of Gerard¡¯s memories also appeared in Juan¡¯s mind.


    Only then did Juan realize that the holy body belonged to himself, but at the same time, also belonged to Gerard as well. Juan bit his lips as he grasped the fact that Dismas had revived his original body as a Cainheryar. Then, Gerard took over the emperor¡¯s body in a way different from that of Dismas.


    Gerard had cut off parts of the emperor¡¯s body and attached parts of his own body in their ce. When the emperor¡¯s body was healed, he repeated the same process over and over. In this manner, Gerard was able to rece most of Juan¡¯s body with his own.


    Almost every body part except for the head and Mananen McLeir¡¯s hearts belonged to Gerard, and it was Captain Lenly Loen of the Imperial Guards who had helped him do this. After a long process, Gerard was finally able to take control of Mananen McLeir¡¯s heart.


    Nevertheless, Gerard did not stand up even when he could. Instead, he waited in silence for many years¡ªwaited for Juan to show up.


    ¡°The crown!¡±


    He waited for the holder of the crown to appear, whether it was the monster or the emperor who had it.


    ¡°Give me the crown!¡± Gerard roared at Juan.


    Juan¡¯s consciousness became even more distant as the power he tried to absorb was swept away by a huge flow.


    At the same time, Gerard¡¯s memories that had been sunk into the abyss until now began to rise to the surface like contaminants in the ocean.


    ***


    In the East, just outside the city of Arbalde, Gerard trembled as he received a letter.


    Next to Gerard was Deputy Bekelt Bekelsus of the Order of Lindwurm ring at the ground while tightly biting his lips. The same was true for everyone in the barracks; they all showed signs of extreme anger.


    With extreme patience, Gerard managed to quietly put down the letter without tearing or crumpling it; a letter with the Emperor¡¯s Seal could not be handled recklessly under any circumstances.


    ¡°...Make way for the Order of Fenrir,¡± Gerard muttered.


    ¡°Captain!¡± Bekelt burst into a rage.


    If Nienna was the type to control her subordinates with overwhelming charisma, Geard was the type to maintain a rtively equal rtionship between everyone in the knight order.


    But today was the first time he was envious of Nienna¡¯s way of handling things.


    ¡°Already over ten thousand civilians have been killed by the bastards from the Order of Fenrir! If we make way for them in this situation, it will¡­¡±


    Gerard drew his sword and struck the desk before Bekelt could even finish his words. The desk that was struck forcefully broke into pieces rather than being split in half. The fragments of the broken desk scattered all over the faces of the knights inside the barracks, making them bleed.


    But there was not a single knight who blinked their eyes.


    ¡°It is an order from His Majesty. Are you going against his will right now?¡±


    Bekelt did not answer.


    Gerard continued to speak with his sword raised and aimed at the rest of the knights from the Order of Lindwurm.


    ¡°If any of you have any impure feelings toward His Majesty, tell me now. I promise to kill you in a more merciful way than I would if you act on your feelings.¡±


    None of the knights could answer. After ring fiercely at the surroundings, Gerard finally turned his gaze toward Bekelt once again.


    ¡°Bekelt. Answer me.¡±


    ¡°...I will obey your orders, Captain.¡±


    Gerard breathed heavily and sheathed his sword upon hearing Bekelt¡¯s answer.


    ¡°As of today, Deputy Bekelt will be demoted to an ordinary knight. He will also be prohibited from riding the dragons and he will be whipped two hundred times at every noon until further orders. I will not be disclosing his charges to the other soldiers considering the achievements he has made until now.¡±


    The knights showed signs of agitation over the disciplinary action that was much harsher than they had expected. However, some thought that the fact that Gerard was not disclosing Bekelt¡¯s charges was no different from giving him a grace period rather than punishment. After all, showing disobedience to His Majesty was not a charge that could be forgiven with a simple demotion or whipping. It meant that Gerard would quietly handle this matter internally.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave it at that, but this is a one-time thing. Do not doubt His Majesty¡¯s orders, ever.¡±


    ***


    ¡®<i>His Majesty is always right.</i>¡¯


    Gerard thought so as he sat on top of the pile of corpses that extended all the way to the horizon.


    Gerard¡¯s skills were much more useful than Nienna¡¯s when it came to killing people and disposing of the corpses; after all, Nienna controlled the cold, while Gerard could control mes just like the emperor. His mes were not only quick and instantaneous, but also adequate for killing people painlessly.


    The lightning that was scattered all over the sky even found those hiding in the underground and instantly turned them into ashes. It was a merciful death considering that they were unconscious at the time of their death.


    But it was a death that no one wanted.


    ¡°Hey, are you okay?¡±


    Upon turning his head, Gerard found Nienna with bruises on her forehead and chin. He didn¡¯t think she looked funny or weird; he was certain that he didn''t look much better than her. In fact, they were looking better now; both had been in a worse condition before the emperor¡¯s letter arrived.


    The road Nienna walked on was frozen white. When Gerard didn¡¯t answer her, Nienna shrugged and looked around at the surroundings.


    ¡°Are you okay? I don¡¯t think anyone is alive anymore. So don¡¯t waste your energy.¡±


    Only then did Gerard realize that he was still creating lightning.


    ¡°Are they all dead? How many have died in total?¡±


    Instead of answering, Nienna raised two fingers. Then she folded one and continued to speak.


    ¡°I think you killed half of them by yourself. It¡¯s probably because of the rain, but¡­¡±


    Nienna had drawn over the clouds in the sky to briefly cause winter, while Gerard summoned lightning without any hesitation, pouring it over the people. The result was heavy rain and terrible thunderstorms.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe that two hundred thousand people died,¡± Gerard muttered, feeling disheartened.


    Nienna looked at Gerard with narrow eyes and snapped.


    ¡°It¡¯s two million, you idiot.¡±


    Such arge number felt unreal to Gerard. It didn¡¯t matter if it was two hundred thousand or two million, because the fact that they were both huge numbers didn¡¯t change. Either way, the corpses were enough to line up to the end of the horizon and block everyone¡¯s view.


    Gerard suddenly began to tremble.


    ¡®<i>Just how many memories, feelings, and dreams did each of the two million people that died have? What about their hopes and fears?</i>¡¯


    The moment he felt a chill running down his spine, Nienna covered his eyes with her hands.


    ¡°Stop. Don¡¯t imagine anything.¡±


    Gerard breathed heavily and gasped for air. Nienna¡¯s cold hands slowly calmed him down. As Gerard¡¯s breathing began to return to normal, he closed his eyes and opened his mouth.


    ¡°Was there really no other way?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Nienna answered firmly.


    ¡°But we don¡¯t even know anything about the Crack.¡±


    ¡°Do you think I wouldn¡¯t have thought about that when I killed my own family and tribe members?¡± Nienna continued speaking in a quiet voice. ¡°My tribe has been fighting against the Crack for a long time. If they have decided that there¡¯s nothing that could be done, then there¡¯s nothing that can be done. I was the only one among my tribesmen who had not been encroached upon by the Crack, so they ordered me to execute all of them with my hands.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°Gerard, think about adults ordering a five-year-old girl to kill all the members of her tribe. Then think about a girl who had to stab hundreds of her acquaintances to death, including her parents, brother, grandmother, and neighbors. Just imagine what she would have gone through every single day as she grew up.¡±


    Gerard closed his mouth.


    ¡°At that time, I decided to stop thinking about everything except for my hatred toward the Crack. When I think about other things, all that remains is regret. My heart has frozen over ever since I had to kill my own parents when I was only five years old. So you should also remember this scenery today¡ªthe moment when you had no choice but to burn your people to death with your own hands.¡±


    ¡®<i>But¡­ ah, but¡­</i>¡¯


    Gerard hoped for redemption. He wanted to believe that there would be salvation somewhere.


    He believed that His Majesty could be his salvation.


    ***


    ¡°Bekelt.¡±


    Gerard lifted his head and looked up.


    The man who walked into the office inside the fortress of Beldeve was Belkelt, the former Deputy of the Order of Lindwurm. He was no longer wearing a cape, now that he had been demoted to a lower rank.


    ¡°It¡¯ste, Captain. You should take a rest.¡±


    ¡°I was nning to go to bed soon.¡±


    ¡°I heard that you haven¡¯t slept a wink for the past three days.¡±


    Gerard sighed and leaned against the back of the chair. He rubbed his eyelids with his hand and thought about the past few days.


    ¡®<i>Has it already been that long?</i>¡¯


    Gerard closed the book he was reading. When the cover with a strange pattern was revealed, Gerard hurriedly put a different book over it.


    Bekelt did not miss the sight.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I saw you. Has it been around four months since we left the Northeast for a thorough search? I heard that there are no more signs of anyone encroached upon by the Crack,¡± Gerard said as if trying to change the subject.


    ¡°Yes, Captain. People will no longer be able toe back and live in the Northeast anymore, but¡­ I don¡¯t think we have to worry about it spreading any further. But the aftermath willst for a long time.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I guess so¡­¡±


    Not only did the crops fail to grow due to the polluted atmosphere caused by the energy leaking from the Crack, but the appearances of demonic beasts were also soaring in numbers. In addition, the brutal rumors spreading among the civilians yed a huge part in making the empire unstable.


    It was the rumor that a massive amount of carnage had beenmitted in the East. Even H had asked Gerard several times whether the rumor was true, but Gerard could not say anything to her.


    ¡°What book were you reading, Captain?¡± Bekelt asked.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing. I¡¯ve already received a report stating that you¡¯ve returned, but what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°I prepared a small gift for you after hearing that you¡¯ve been feeling down.¡±


    ¡°A gift?¡±


    Bekelt took a small package out of his pocket. Inside the package was a disproportionately distorted purple gem. Gerard felt an unknown displeasure as soon as he saw the gem, but he was more curious than repulsed.


    ¡°It¡¯s my first time seeing a gem like this. What is it?¡± Gerard asked.


    ¡°Its identity is not clear, but I heard that this gem has the property of absorbing and storing dark energy. No wonder everyone feels unpleasant when they look at it. After all, it is a lump of negativity. But I understand that it is good for purifying a person¡¯s mind and body.¡±


    Gerard received the purple gem from Bekelt. As soon as the gem touched his hand, he could feel the negative thoughts that had piled up in his mind for a while loosening slightly. As the emotions that had been suffocating him disappeared, he lowered the boundary he had made around his own heart and let his guard down.


    ¡°It looks strange, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s just some superstition, since I can actually feel its power.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d you think it¡¯ll be of help. Then I¡¯ll get going now.¡±


    Bekelt saluted and turned around to leave the office.


    At that moment, Gerard called out to stop him.


    ¡°Bekelt, wait.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Captain.¡±


    ¡°I know that you have been quietly carrying out your duties as an ordinary knight for the past four months. Both you and I were emotional at the time¡ªand that was true for everyone. So I¡¯m thinking of lifting the disciplinary action as of today.¡±


    Bekelt looked at Gerard with a surprised expression and bowed his head.


    ¡°Thank you for your generosity, Captain.¡±


    ¡°You can wear the cape of the Deputy once again starting from tomorrow. However¡­¡± Gerard dragged his words on, as if he was giving a stern warning. ¡°¡­you must never doubt His Majesty or say anything that seems to be disobeying His Majesty¡¯s orders in the future. You won¡¯t get another chance after this.¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯ll keep that in mind, Captain.¡±


    Bekelt saluted once again before leaving the office.


    After Bekelt left, Gerard red at the closed door for a long time. He couldn¡¯t tell whether thatst warning he had just given was for Bekelt or for himself.


    Then, he once again took out the book he had covered with a trembling hand.


    It was one of the books that he had found in the ruins of Arbalde.

 Chapter 226 – Gerard Gain (2)

    <h4>Chapter 226 ¨C Gerard Gain (2)</h4>


    Gerard could immediately tell from the moment he touched the cover¡ªthat the book was not like any other ordinary books that were made with animal skin cover¡ªit was made with a human¡¯s skin.


    The letters engraved on the cover were in anguage that even Gerard could not recognize, despite the various kinds of knowledge he had acquired. But the more he read it, the more he could feel the letters, interpreting the meaning itself.


    Gerard intuitively knew that this book was something from the Crack.


    ¡®<i>What are you doing Gerard? Why are you even reading this?</i>¡¯


    Gerard looked at the cover of the book with a troubled expression. However, he could not stop reading. The amount of knowledge contained in the book was quite enormous. The knowledge consisted of the world inside the Crack, the creatures living in it, and the culture and customs of those creatures.


    It was knowledge that would be of great help in dealing with the Crack if he informed His Majesty or Nienna about it. But he could not do so, since the existence of the book would be revealed if His Majesty or Nienna asked how he came to learn of such knowledge.


    ¡®<i>It¡¯s not time yet. Just a little more. Just a little¡­</i>¡¯


    Gerard thought that there must be a way to save humanity from the Crack in this book. He strongly believed that he would be the one to make up for His Majesty¡¯s only shorings, and that His Majesty will be even more perfect through his existence.


    Then, Gerard inadvertently remembered a soldier he had met a long time ago. He was a man who used to instill fanatical ideas into the other soldiers within the unit by praising the emperor. Although Gerard thought highly of the man¡¯s loyalty, Gerard had no choice but to kick the man out, since problems would rise if people like him grew in number.


    Gerard also thought that the man and his group were ridiculous. What they did was contrary to the will of His Majesty, yet they were ironically praising him more than anyone else.


    However, it was their passionate loyalty and simple faith that somehow intrigued him.


    ¡®<i>Is there any reason why His Majesty cannot be our god?</i>¡¯


    In order to make that happen, Gerard had to make His Majesty more perfect than he was now.


    Gerard opened the book once again while fiddling with the purple gem in his hand.


    ***


    ¡®<i>If there is salvation, will it be onnd or in the sky?</i>¡¯


    Gerard stabbed a sword into the man¡¯s heart. It was already his fifth time inflicting a fatal wound, but the man continued tough and tried to charge at Gerard rather than dying. The man¡¯s distorted and clumped hands had a bizarre form, and it would be more suitable to call them tentacles.


    ¡°You¡¯re a tough one to kill,¡± Gerard murmured.


    Gerard tried to fight while trying to avoid blood sttering the surroundings with blood, but was eventually forced to cut off the man¡¯s waist and arms at once.


    The man fell to the floor in a grotesque motion, but continued wriggling relentlessly as he tried to bite off Gerard¡¯s boots.


    Gerard raised his foot with a frown.


    ¡°May there be a miserable death to the usurper,¡± the man muttered as he looked at Gerard¡¯s foot stepping down on his face.


    Gerard crushed the man¡¯s face in an instant. Only after the surroundings became quiet was Gerard was able to look around.


    Gerard was in an ancient dungeon somewhere in the Northeast. He had heard that the surrounding area had turned into a bloody forest after His Majesty caught and killed a god near this dungeon.


    However, the traces of the Crack could be found in the dungeon hidden here. Gerard lit a me on his fingertip, while lightning shed between his fingers. The surrounding area was a library full of old books. Gerard carefully looked at the books while making sure not to cause any damage to them.


    ¡°Here it is.¡±


    As expected, the books in the library were about the Crack as well.


    Gerard had heard of a group called the ¡®Thornbush Priest Organization¡¯ consisting of humans that had been encroached upon by the Crack. It was clear that they also had the book that Gerard found and read in Arbalde.


    ¡®<i>This is one of their libraries¡­</i>¡¯


    To keep everything confidential, Gerard had visited the dungeon alone, without informing the other knights from the Order of Lindwurm. Only one of them, Bekelt, hade with Gerard to guard the entrance to the dungeon.


    Gerard rummaged through the books and searched for what he was looking for. Gerard was now able to easily read the unfamiliarnguage used beyond the Crack. There were still many words that he found difficult to read, but he was good enough to read the things he needed.


    Gerard, who was concentrating on reading the books while even forgetting to eat, finally stopped at a page. His eyes were filled with excitement.


    ¡°As expected. It exists.¡±


    ¡®<i>A type of material from another world that allows one to evene in contact with abstract concepts.</i>¡¯


    ¡°As long as we have this, even the Crack won¡¯t be able to¡­¡±


    ¡°Captain.¡±


    Instantly, Gerard leapt to his feet, drew his sword and quickly swung it at the opponent. The tip of the sword stopped at a close distance from Bekelt¡¯s throat.


    Gerard red at Bekelt with a distorted expression.


    ¡°I thought I told you to guard the entrance.¡±


    ¡°I came inside to tell you something.¡±


    Gerard¡¯s face was full of embarrassment, shame, and confusion. His sword trembled, almost as if he would stab Bekelt in the throat at any moment.


    Now, Gerard had no choice but to prepare himself for the uing punishment; after all, he was caught coveting the knowledge from the Crack.


    But that also meant that Gerard had to prepare himself to stab Bekelt. The knowledge that he had found was something that he could never give up.


    ¡®<i>If one life can save all of humanity, then¡­</i>¡¯


    ¡°Forgive me, Bekelt. But this knowledge must be told to¡­¡±


    ¡°To whom?¡±


    ¡°To all of humanity, of course¡­¡±


    Only then did Gerard realize the mistake he had just made. It was a ridiculous mistake caused by the shock and confusion of the moment. This knowledge had to be hidden. Talking about it to the others was no different from directly criticizing the emperor.


    There was no reason to attack Bekelt in the first ce. Gerard lowered the edge of his sword.


    ¡°I made a mistake because I was perplexed for a moment, Bekelt. But you will have to give me a reasonable exnation for breaking my order.¡±


    ¡°His Majesty shouldn¡¯t find out about this.¡±


    Gerard fell silent upon hearing Bekelt¡¯s firm voice. After looking at Bekelt with suspicious eyes for a while, Gerard barely managed to open his mouth.


    ¡°Do you know what I saw?¡±


    ¡°I do.¡±


    Gerard tried his best to stay calm, but his hand holding the sword was already trembling. It took him a considerable amount of time and effort to finally find this knowledge.


    ¡®<i>But Bekelt already knew about this all along and he was just watching me until now?</i>¡¯


    Meanwhile, Bekelt continued speaking in a quiet voice.


    ¡°It is also from this dungeon that I found the gem that I gave to you as a gift, Captain. In fact, what I gave you is just a tiny fraction. But there¡¯s a reason why I didn¡¯t tell you about it.¡±


    ¡°Tell me,¡± Gerard said.


    ¡°It is because you need to be prepared to ept this kind of knowledge. Think about what would have happened if I had told you all of these things out of the blue, Captain. You wouldn¡¯t have thought or understood that this knowledge was even necessary for the empire. But now, you do.¡±


    ¡°...You¡¯re right.¡±


    ¡°Captain Gerard, you came to know how useful this knowledge is because you were prepared to fully understand the Crack and epted the knowledge only after that. But do you think His Majesty will be willing to do the same? And I¡¯m talking about His Majesty here, someone who even made it a felony to show an interest in the Crack?¡±


    ¡°...It¡¯s all for a reason. If I give him good advice before¡­¡±


    ¡°You will be severely scolded and imprisoned. If you¡¯re lucky, you might be locked up in that prison where not even a single ray of sunshine reaches for the rest of your life. Though, if you¡¯re unlucky, Captain Nienna mighte to visit you in person.¡±


    If it was Nienna, she would even mercilessly raise her sword against her own family. She already had an experience of executing her own family members with her own hands.


    ¡®<i>She held a sword against her own blood rtives. Of course she would kill me, since I¡¯m not even rted to her.</i>¡¯


    Gerard opened the book with a desperate look on his face. In the book, something was drawn¡ªsomething that looked like a ck thornbush.


    ¡°Bekelt, do you know what this is? This is called Elkiehl. It is a material that can even allow one toe into contact with abstract ideas. If we have this, we can drive out not only curses, but also abstract concepts and even the Crack. With this, humans can conquer and purify the Crack. This means that we don¡¯t have to suffer from the threat of the Crack anymore.¡±


    Bekelt closed his mouth when he heard Gerard¡¯s desperate voice.


    Until now, the Crack was treated like an unstoppable gue. The Crack was a ce where the creatures from an unknown world constantly moved about and it was a great threat to humanity even after the gods had all disappeared.


    But with Elkiehl, there would be no need for Nienna to go to war, nor would there be a need for carnage.


    ¡°I know that what I did was wrong, but there¡¯s no way that His Majesty wouldn¡¯t understand the value of this knowledge. With this, I can fill the gaps in His Majesty and make him even more perfect than he is now.¡±


    ¡°Why do you want to make the emperor even more perfect?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Bekelt looked down at Gerard with somber eyes.


    ¡°There is already a perfect emperor standing in front of me right now¡ªthe man who loves humanity more than anything, who is strong, and also has the necessary knowledge to conquer even the Crack. So why is such a great man tied to someone else? You are the true emperor who will lead the ignorant humanity, forever.¡±


    ***


    ¡®<i>No. I¡¯m not suitable to be the emperor.</i>¡¯


    Gerard had always thought so. He thought that he was nothing but a trivial human beingpared to His Majesty.


    However, such thoughts onlysted until he found out about ¡®its¡¯ existence¡ªabout the existence of the crown.


    The Thornbush Priest Organization¡¯s remark about the emperor being an ¡®usurper¡¯ had constantly bothered Gerard for a long time.


    ¡®<i>Whose seat did His Majesty steal? Does that mean that humans have taken over the world that used to be dominated by the gods? But there¡¯s no reason for the Thornbush Priest Organization to say that on behalf of the gods.</i>¡¯


    There was barely any mention of the Crown in the book. However, there was an existence that was always mentioned together with the Crown.


    It was Qzatquizail¡ªa dragon monster wearing a crown.


    ¡°What is Qzatquizail?¡±


    ***


    Gerard brought the knights from the Order of Lindwurm, who supported him, to raid the home base of the Thornbush Priest Organization.


    Gerard had set up an atmosphere where the rebels could be killed and the survivors could be gathered in one ce to kill them all at any moment.


    Then he asked a question about Qzatquizail after he had sheathed his sword.


    One of the Priests from the Thornbush Priest Organization responded to Gerard¡¯s question.


    ¡°He is a nine-headed dragon wearing a crown; he is as big as several universes. He is infinity itself. Hundreds of millions of civilizations and creatures crawl in the space where he lies. There are even those who do not know of his existence, even when they are living on his body.¡±


    Gerard tilted his head.


    ¡°Is he like the ruler of the Crack?¡±


    The Priest from the Thornbush Priest Organization burst intoughter upon hearing Gerard¡¯s question.


    Gerard patiently waited for the answer, but he didn¡¯t intend to put up with it twice.


    Right when Gerard drew his sword, the Priest stoppedughing.


    ¡°Sorry¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ He doesn¡¯t rule; he only exists. Although we serve him, he doesn¡¯t even know of our existence. Just by stretching one of his tens of thousands of his legs, he can make a hole in space and split the world in half. The Crack is just one of those countless holes. The Crack you¡¯re all so afraid of is nothing more than the traces left behind by the slightest of movements from Qzatquizail.¡±


    Gerard found it hard to imagine a story of such magnitude. He had never even heard of any gods being described so grandly. While it might just be a madman¡¯s delusions, training and knowledge would all bepletely worthless if such a powerful existence truly existed.


    Gerard finally opened his mouth again.


    ¡°Then what is the Crown?¡±


    The Priest opened his eyes wide and looked at Gerard.


    ¡°At first, I thought it was just an expression used to refer to that thing called Qzatquizail. I thought it was supposed to mean the king of kings or the monster among monsters. But the more I looked into it, the more I came to realize that it wasn¡¯t as simple as that. It must be something important, especially when you consider that His Majesty took it away. I thought it might be the source of His Majesty¡¯s infinite power,¡± Gerard went on in a calm manner.


    The Priest red at Gerard instead of answering him.


    Gerard sighed when he saw that the Priest had no intention of giving him an answer.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t answer me, then that means you¡¯re useless. You guys keep crawling out of nowhere like cockroaches, so I¡¯m sure I can find someone else to answer my question.¡±


    Gerard beckoned at the knights behind him, and all of them drew their swords in unison.


    The ughter, which had been stopped for a while, unfolded once again.


    Meanwhile, Gerard continued to ponder amidst a sea of sshing blood and screams.


    ¡®<i>The crowned dragon, Qzatquizail.</i>¡¯


    The Thornbush Priest Organization was referring to the emperor as an usurper.


    ¡®<i>His Majesty stole the monster¡¯s crown and wore it, huh?</i>¡¯


    Of course, it was not strange for anyone to kill monsters and take their belongings as a trophy. The Order of Lindwurm also had some artifacts collected in the same way. But Gerard wondered if such a thing was possible when facing the existence called Qzatquizail. And if it was possible, Gerard couldn''t tell why the emperor had stayed silent about it until now.


    ¡®<i>If he created the Crack, then it should also be possible to close the Crack.</i>¡¯


    Gerard¡¯s agony did not stop there. Another possibility came to his mind.


    ¡®<i>Is it possible for someone else to wear the Crown?</i>¡¯

 Chapter 227 – Gerard Gain (3)

    <h4>Chapter 227 ¨C Gerard Gain (3)</h4>


    Gerard finally stabbed his opponent in the chest.


    The old elf tightly clutched the de that had pierced his chest and muttered something to Gerard even as he was dying. Whatever he muttered sounded violent, but Gerard didn¡¯t feel the need to interpret what he meant.


    The elf scratched Gerard¡¯s arm and managed to hold out for a long time, but eventually dropped. A long scratch mark with drops of blood was left behind on Gerard¡¯s arm. He breathed heavily and wiped the sweat off of his forehead.


    There were bodies everywhere in the surroundings. Gerard killed most of his opponents by striking them with powerful lightning, but some survived and rebelled against Gerard.


    Among them, the old elf swordsman had been the most powerful. He had been so powerful that Gerard had never seen such a skilled man before. If the elf swordsman hadn¡¯t been injured before their confrontation, it might have been Gerard who was lying on the ground.


    However, the elf swordsman eventually died at Gerard¡¯s hand.


    Gerard inadvertently felt the chills running down his spine at the thought that each and every one of the fallen opponents here were heroes and historical geniuses, unlike when he overthrew the Thornbush Priest Organization.


    The bodies scattered everywhere belonged to those who had saved countless people from disaster and led the empire by finding and teaching the emperor.


    Aruntal, a group that consisted of the emperor¡¯s teachers, were not people who would die in vain.


    Gerard shuddered and pped himself in the face toe to his senses. He had to pull himself together.


    Gerard rushed to find the documents hidden by Aruntal. Within the document was the secret about not only the emperor, but also the Crown.


    ¡°You have made quite the mess.¡±


    Gerard quickly turned around and raised his sword upon hearing the voiceing from the back. Before anyone knew it, a young boy had appeared and was sitting on the desk.


    The boy was looking at Gerard while holding a cane as big as himself in his hand.


    ¡°You¡¯re not as determined as I had thought. Is it because you were nervous when dealing with Aruntal? Well, it shouldn¡¯t matter, since no one is alive anyway. Don¡¯t worry¡ªI¡¯ll take care of the traces you have left.¡±


    The boy came down from the desk and tapped his cane on the traces left behind by Gerard. Every time the cane touched the corpses, their wounds either burst or fell off in huge chunks as if someone had cut them out.


    When he saw the bodies of the heroes being horribly mutted and torn apart, Gerard shouted a loud roar.


    ¡°What are you doing! Who are you!?¡±


    ¡°Dane Dormund,¡± the boy answered immediately without any hesitation.


    For some reason, the name felt familiar, and then Gerard instantly realized who the boy was.


    ¡®<i>The Grand Magician Dane Dormund.</i>¡¯


    He was the former master of the Magic Tower who was expelled from the empire around the time when Gerard was adopted.


    Gerard swung his sword without even realizing; he recalled that Dane was also a member of Aruntal.


    But as soon as Dane¡¯s cane met with Gerard¡¯s sword, the space between the two expanded, widening the distance between them.


    Gerard was perplexed at the sight he had never seen before. The ground stretched out as if someone was pulling it from both sides, and Gerard¡¯s sword, which met with the cane, was cut in half.


    Dane grabbed the de of Gerard¡¯s sword that was stuck in the cane with his hand.


    ¡°You were smart to pick up a new sword to cover up your traces. But a powerful swordsman like you can¡¯t help but leave behind a unique mark. If you were going to erase all traces and hide the evidence, why didn¡¯t you bring a blunt weapon or a spear? Or, you could have even used magic,¡± Dane murmured.


    Upon hearing Dane¡¯s words, Gerard realized that Dane was in favor of him.


    Gerard looked at Dane with suspicious eyes, but Dane was silently focusing on erasing the traces left behind by Gerard.


    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing? What¡¯s your intention? I heard you were expelled formitting a major crime against His Majesty. But you were still active as a member of Aruntal?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve always considered myself a member of Aruntal, but I don¡¯t know if the rest of the members of Aruntal think so. Anyway, it is true that I felt the need to get Aruntal out of the way since they were starting to get in the way.¡±


    ¡°Get in the way of what?¡± Gerard asked.


    ¡°Who do you think told you about the location of Aruntal? Does Aruntal look that easy of an opponent to you?¡±


    Gerard tightly closed his mouth. How Gerard came to find out about the location of Aruntal and the fact that Aruntal had information about the Crown were the result of pure coincidence.


    But when he thought about it now, all of it was clearly done by someone using a precise n from behind the scenes.


    ¡°Is all of this part of your n?¡± Gerard asked.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just say that we were meant to work together,¡± Dane shrugged.


    ¡°Do you even know what I want?¡±


    Dane grinned and lifted his cane. His cane seemed to hang around in the corner of the conference room for a moment, then soon began to engrave letters with unknown meanings on the ceiling.


    Not long after, the t ceiling split in half and scrolls started pouring from there. The scrolls stuck to the end of Dane¡¯s cane, and then Dane held out a bunch of the scrolls toward Gerard.


    ¡°...What are these?¡±


    ¡°The thing that you¡¯re looking for.¡±


    Gerard red at Dane. The fact that Dane knew what he was looking for meant that Dane had been watching him for a long time.


    ¡°Since when have you been watching me, Magician?¡±


    ¡°Since a long time ago, even beyond your imagination, Gerard. You couldn¡¯t possibly imagine,¡± Dane answered with a smile.


    Gerard looked down at the scrolls and then looked back at Dane.


    ¡°Do you know what¡¯s written here?¡±


    ¡°Of course. How could I not know? It''s something Aruntal worked on for hundreds of years¡ªit has everything, all the way from the Crack, Qzatquizail, the Crown, the emperor, and finally, you.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± Gerard asked back with a perplexed expression.


    ¡®<i>There is something about me written in these scrolls?</i>¡¯


    ¡°Take your time and read through them. If you don¡¯t want to read them all, I¡¯ll summarize them for you. I¡¯ve read them enough times to have memorized the contents. First of all, you wanted to know about the Crown. Right? The Crown is a metaphor that refers to the heart of Qzatquizail. We, of the Aruntal, stole Qzatquizail¡¯s heart by coincidence¡ªand that was done by the first member of Aruntal¡ªthe one who created Aruntal.¡±


    ¡°The first member of Aruntal?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Mananen McLeir, the Mana God.¡±


    Gerard looked shocked. Mananen McLeir was a god, but he had voluntarily offered his own heart and gifted his divinity to the emperor. For this reason, he was treated specially by the emperor and even called a friend, despite him being a god.


    Yet Gerard had never imagined even a god to be a member of Aruntal.


    ¡°It was something only Mananen McLeir could do. The n to create the emperor was also designed by him. At the end, hepleted the emperor by giving up his own heart. That¡¯s how the emperor was created, and this time, it¡¯s not a metaphor. It literally means ¡®creation¡¯ through the use of magic and sorcery.¡±


    ¡®<i>The emperor was created.</i>¡¯


    This was not a metaphor, and in fact, had a direct meaning.


    Gerard was surprised by the shocking remarks that kepting out of Dane¡¯s mouth, but Dane didn¡¯t seem to have any intention to stop.


    ¡°But the creation of the emperor is not what¡¯s important. It is said that children are made of sweet dreams, cat tails, and all kinds of things that smell good. Then, what do you think the emperor is made of?¡±


    Gerard dropped the scroll he was holding upon hearing Dane¡¯s teasing tone.


    Mananen McLeir stole the crown of Qzatquizail, and the Crown refers to Qzatquizail¡¯s heart. Aruntal created the emperor, and the emperor was called the usurper who stole the Crown.


    All this information could only mean one thing¡ªthe emperor, the guardian of mankind and the ruler of the empire, was made from a monster that could destroy the world.


    ¡°The emperor was made using the heart and the crown of a monster,¡± Gerard murmured.


    Dane smiled and flicked his finger upon hearing Gerard¡¯s answer.


    ¡°Correct.¡±


    Gerard thought that the reason why he managed to stay standing after hearing such a big secret might be due to the fact that he had also known about it to some extent already. As he found out more and more about the Crown and Qzatquizail, the emperor¡¯s identity started to feel ambiguous and sinister to him.


    As Gerard stood there absent-mindedly, Dane approached and looked up at him.


    ¡°Are you content knowing the truth? Maybe so. But if you still have the will to take another step forward, then I¡¯ll introduce you to my friends.¡±


    ***


    ¡®<i>Everything is for His Majesty. Everything is for humankind, and everything is for stability and prosperity.</i>¡¯


    All lies were worn out, broken, and rusted away at the tip of the tongue.


    Gerard closed his eyes while feeling the tattoo being engraved on his forehead. A man wearing a crown made of thornbush vines was engraving a thornbush tattoo on Gerard¡¯s forehead with fingers that were as long as Gerard¡¯s arm.


    The wound remained only for a moment, and then quickly healed and disappeared even before the drops of blood could form.


    But it didn¡¯t matter, since the tattoo was engraved on the soul, and not on the body.


    The knights from the Order of Lindwurm were all watching the scene in a row. A tattoo of a thornbush crown symbol was also engraved on their foreheads as well, and they made up almost half of the Order of Lindwurm.


    In front of the knights from the Order of Lindwurm stood Bekelt.


    ¡°¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö.¡±


    The iprehensiblenguage of another world came out of the mouth of the man who engraved the tattoo on Gerard¡¯s forehead when everything waspleted. Among all the people here, only Gerard could understand the meaning of those words.


    Gerard knelt down and opened his mouth to answer.


    ¡°I offer my loyalty to the king.¡±


    Thenguage of another world was heard once again, and this time, everyone could understand the meaning right away.


    ¡°And how can I trust that you won¡¯t double-cross us?¡±


    ¡°I will get rid of the fake emperor who stole the Crown and the throne. I will ensure that a legitimate heir can ascend to the throne.¡±


    The man grinned upon hearing Gerard¡¯s firm answer. The man who was known to be the leader of the Thornbush Church looked surprisingly normal, unlike the other Priests from the Thornbush Priest Organization. He had gray hair with gray eyes, and in a way, he almost looked like he could be an elegant aristocrat.


    However, his smile was quite grotesque; it was almost as if he was awkwardly imitating a human being.


    Gerard faced the man¡¯s smile without turning away.


    The leader of the Thornbush Church was in a hurry to involve the eldest son of the emperor in his n.


    The emperor was currently preparing for a war against the Crack after having wiped out all the gods and demons in the empire. Although the Thornbush Priest Organization¡¯s power was somewhat on par with Nienna, they were no match for the emperor¡¯s family as a whole.


    The Thornbush Priest Organization was trying their best to tilt the scales, and Gerard joining the Thornbush Priest Organization would be enough to break the bnce.


    The leader of the Thornbush Church opened his mouth with a satisfied smile.


    ¡°That¡¯s good enough. You are now a member of the Crack, since you made an oath.¡±


    After encouraging Gerard, the leader gestured at him¡ªit meant that Gerard was free to leave now that the ceremony was over.


    But Gerard stayed still at his seat instead of moving. There was no way he didn¡¯t know the next procedure of the ceremony, since he had already watched the ceremony several times.


    ¡°What about Elkiehl?¡±


    The leader flinched at the cold words that came out of Gerard¡¯s mouth. He could feel a depth that was difficult to gauge from Gerard¡¯s eyes.


    The leader bit his lips upon facing Gerard¡¯s purple eyes that resembled the cold universe inside the Crack.


    ¡°I need Elkiehl in order to kill the emperor. It is also a necessity to get the crown out of him.¡±


    ¡°...You will get it in due course.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying that you can¡¯t trust me for now?¡±


    The leader did not answer. Instead, it was the other Priest standing next to him who was angry.


    ¡°How arrogant of you. How dare you talk to the leader of the Thornbush Church like that¡­¡±


    Gerard simply flicked his finger before the Priest could finish speaking. At the same time as Gerard flicked his finger, Bekelt drew his sword. The Priest¡¯s body was then split in half in an instant and his purple bodily fluids were sttered all the way up to the leader¡¯s cheek.


    The other Priests immediately transformed their bodies, while the remaining knights from the Order of Lindwurm also drew their swords.


    The leader of the Thornbush Church and Gerard red at each other amidst this dangerous situation where a battle could break out at any moment.


    ¡°Are you telling me to trust you in a situation like this?¡±


    ¡°What are you going to do if you can¡¯t trust me? Don¡¯t you need me to kill the emperor anyway? Or are you confident enough to deal with the emperor¡¯s family after killing me and the knights from the Order of Lindwurm?¡±


    The leader of the Thornbush Church red at Gerard in silence. What Gerard just said was true, even if he could not trust him. Although the Thornbush Priest Organization could borrow the power of the Crack, it was quite difficult for them to attract the real creatures of the Crack.


    Compared to the empire, the Thornbush Priest Organization was nothing more than a cult of considerable size. If the emperor¡¯s family confronted them, then it would only be a matter of time before they were destroyed.


    ¡°I have already dered that I will kill the emperor and even promised to find the Crown. Betraying someone once is enough in my lifetime and therefore, it is an insult to doubt my words. I will kill the emperor and you will have the Crown. That was the deal, was it not?¡±


    ¡°...I will hand over Elkiehl to you on the day you decide to kill the emperor. I promise,¡± the leader of the Thornbush Church answered as if he couldn¡¯t help it.


    ¡°Bring it in time,¡± Gerard said as he turned his back.


    The tension inside the Church, which seemed like it would result in bloodshed at any moment, quickly subsided.


    Then, the knights from the Order of Lindwurm exited the room right behind Gerard.


    The leader of the Thornbush Church red at Gerard¡¯s back and finally opened his mouth.


    ¡°Do you really believe that you can be the emperor?¡±


    Gerard came to a stop. Then he turned around and looked back at the leader of the Thornbush Church with fierce eyes.


    ¡°I can be a monster beyond the emperor if that¡¯s what my people need. But a trivial bastard like you would never know what the difference between the two is. You¡¯re nothing but a dirty parasite who will stick to the Crack and suck its blood for the rest of your life.¡±

 Chapter 228 – Gerard Gain (4)

    <h4>Chapter 228 ¨C Gerard Gain (4)</h4>


    The guard was strangelyx in the area, but Gerard did not doubt anything.


    His opponent was none other than the emperor, the guardian and the savior of humanity. No one was arrogant enough to say that they could ¡®protect¡¯ the emperor¡ªeven Winoa Weaver, the Captain of the Imperial Guards, considered himself to be a nagger rather than the emperor¡¯s guard.


    Gerard could see the emperor¡¯s back before his eyes. The emperor¡¯s back looked very big and dependable. All of humanity relied on that back and the emperor carried all of humanity on his shoulders.


    With every step Gerard took amidst the silence, he began to feel a growing sense of sin weighing down on his shoulders.


    ¡®<i>Is this okay? Is this really the right thing to do? Am I capable of bearing the weight that the emperor carries on his shoulders? What if all my bones break and I end up being crushed to death as soon as I decide to carry all of humanity on my back?</i>¡¯


    Gerard tightly bit his lips to the point of bleeding.


    ¡®<i>Get it together, Gerard.</i>¡¯


    The wide and reliable back in front of Gerard¡¯s eyes was the result of stealing the heart of a monster.


    Of course, Gerard thought that this would not damage the emperor¡¯s greatness or noble will.


    But that didn¡¯t change the fact that the emperor was unstable right from birth. If the emperor realized himself to be a monster, humanity would instantly perish. Gerard thought humanity could not be ced on such an unstable pedestal. In fact, the emperor¡¯s refusal to rule the empire forever could even be considered proof of his instability.


    The emperor <i>had?</i>to be eternal. If he refused to be the emperor forever, at least the Crown had to be inherited.


    Gerard recalled hearing from Dane that Dane had created him as a replica of the emperor. Dane told him that he was created purely as a result of taking only the good parts of the emperor, which was the reason why only Gerard could be the true emperor.


    Gerard bit his lips once again.


    ¡®<i>I will stab the emperor and take out the Crown. Then I will take over the power of the Crown to protect humanity andpletely wipe out the Crack using Elkiehl.</i>¡¯


    Gerard was told that the emperor would turn into an ordinary human after losing the Crown. He thought that the emperor could still live if he were given first aid immediately after being stabbed. Of course, the emperor would definitely feel betrayed by Gerard, but Gerard believed that this was the only way and it couldn¡¯t be helped, even if the emperor ended up dying.


    ¡®<i>His Majesty will understand that I did it for the sake of humanity.</i>¡¯


    This was Gerard¡¯s n. He had no intention of letting the Thornbush Priest Organization take advantage of him easily. A chance to obtain the power of the emperor <i>and?</i>the Crack¡¯s power by betraying both of them at the same time was the only way to make ¡®the perfect emperor.¡¯


    Gerard believed that the empire would be reborn as a safer and more perfect ce through this secret session.


    The emperor had too much faith in humanity¡ªincluding those who joined the Thornbush Priest Organization, the Order of Lindwurm who had been inspired by the Crack, the heretics who still served the dead gods, the foolish ones who thought that the emperor should be a god, and even Gerard himself.


    They were all unstable human beings¡ªthey needed governance. Therefore, they needed an eternal emperor¡ªa perfect emperor who would rule over humanity forever.


    ¡®<i>Only you can be the true emperor.</i>¡¯


    Gerard flinched, horrified by the feeling that he had suddenly heard a whisper in his ears for a moment. Gerard felt like he had heard the same voice when he was very young. This voice was etched deep in his memory¡ªit was a voice he had heard for a long time, but didn¡¯t even realize until now.


    Gerard, who was agitated for a short moment, identally revealed his presence, at the same time revealing that he was hiding using the power of the Crack.


    The emperor quickly turned his head upon feeling a sudden presence.


    ¡°Who is it?¡±


    Without any thought, Gerard immediately swung Elkihel toward the emperor.


    Then, Gerard felt that something had gone very wrong as soon as he felt Elkiehl prating the emperor¡¯s flesh.


    It was impossible to separate the Crown from the emperor¡ªthe power of the Crown was pushed out at the same time as the emperor¡¯s soul. It was like they were connected to each other.


    Gerard was perplexed. A huge me started burning brightly outside the emperor¡¯s body, but it was nothing like what the Priests from the Thornbush Priest Organization had said. Instead, the me of the Crown that leaked out of the emperor¡¯s body burned brightly. The sun-like mes lit up the night sky, turning it white.


    The bright light that even erased the shadows made Gerard feel like he was being dried up. Compared to the emperor¡¯s sun-like appearance, Gerard, who hid like a thief to stab the emperor¡¯s back, looked uglier than ever.


    Gerard begged for forgiveness while feeling like a trivial bug that was suddenly ced under the bright sun.


    However, he wasn¡¯t given any chance to turn back.


    The emperor slowly copsed to the floor.


    ***


    ¡°I knew it.¡±


    Gerard, who was rubbing his head against the floor, raised his head and turned around at the sudden voice.


    He could see a huge man looking down at him with a heavy gaze. The man had horns that surrounded his head like a crown. It was the Great General Barth Baltic.


    ¡°I knew that you¡¯d eventually end up stabbing your own father. What a perfectly suitable way for the emperor¡¯s life to end.¡±


    Gerard couldn¡¯t understand Barth¡¯s attitude.


    ¡®<i>Did he know that the emperor was made using the heart of a monster? Is that why he despises the emperor?</i>¡¯


    However, it was hard to find any sign of joy or relief from Barth Baltic¡¯s expression. Rather, only a thick and heavy murderous intent could be felt from him.


    ¡°But, your life will end here as well. I can¡¯t let a depraved son who killed his own father stay alive.¡±


    Barth Baltic let out a roar and immediately charged toward Gerard. Gerard, who was helplessly lying down with Elkiehl dropped on the floor, didn''t even have a chance to dodge such a fierce attack.


    However, at that moment, something suddenly pulled Gerard out of the way. But the tip of Barth Baltic¡¯s sword had already grazed his chest by then.


    Blood sttered in the surroundings.


    ¡°Get it together!¡± shouted the person who pulled Gerard.


    Upon looking back, Gerard saw an old man with a cane confronting Barth. It was a face he had never seen before.


    Meanwhile, Barth frowned at the old man.


    ¡°Dane Dormund? You were banished by the emperor and kept out of the vicinity of the empire as far as I know¡­ Oh, I see. The restriction must have been lifted since the emperor is now dead.¡±


    Barth took a nce at the emperor¡¯s body and then turned his gaze back to Dane once again.


    Dane was on high alert, but Barth did not show any sign of nervousness at all. Seeing this, Dane anxiously tapped Gerard on the head with the tip of his cane.


    ¡°Come to your senses and get up now. I can¡¯t hold out against this bastard for long on my own!¡±


    Gerard did not answer. He couldn¡¯t perceive this situation as reality even though blood was gushing out of his chest. This was because the light of the Crown emitted by the emperor made him half unconscious. But even in that situation, Gerard wondered why Dane¡¯s current appearance was that of an elderly man rather than a young boy.


    As Barth jumped toward Dane, Dane mmed the floor with his cane. The surrounding floor shook violently, the surrounding space being lengthened and shortened at Dane¡¯s will. There was no one who could stand properly on the shaking floor¡ªonly the space where Dane and Gerard were standing remained intact.


    Barth flinched for a brief moment, but soon used his horns.


    <i>Bang!</i>


    With a thud, Dane stumbled and almost fell to the floor. Dane muttered a curse and tried to use magic once again, but it was no longer working on Barth.


    ¡°I said wake up! Damn it, where¡¯s the Crown?¡± Dane shouted at Gerard.


    ¡°The Crown¡­¡±


    Only then did Gerard react and nkly point at the emperor¡¯s body.


    Dane¡¯s gaze hurriedly followed the direction Gerard¡¯s finger was pointing to, but soon made a puzzled face as if he was confused. After a short moment, Dane tightly bit his lips.


    ¡°You failed to take out the Crown? Why? Even Elkiehl couldn¡¯t do it? We can¡¯t separate the Crown from the emperor even with Elkiehl? No, it can¡¯t be. I¡¯m sure that it came out of the emperor¡¯s body¡­¡±


    Dane¡¯s face became distorted as kept asking himself questions.


    ¡°You missed it, you idiot.¡±


    Dane swung his cane and pped Gerard on the cheek.


    At the same time, Barth Baltic broke the magic that Dane had used on him and charged once again.


    Dane swung his cane and attempted to dodge, but Barth Baltic was not slow enough to be struck by the simple attack of a magician. As soon as Barth Baltic¡¯s fist struck Dane¡¯s chest, Dane¡¯s upper body burst, scattering all the way to the ceiling like a firecracker.


    But Barth could immediately sense that the opponent was strangely lighter than he had expected.


    As soon as Barth looked back at Gerard, he saw a middle-aged woman he had never seen before standing by Gerard. She quickly supported Gerard on her shoulders and raised him to his feet.


    Barth hastily sent out a kick, but she was able to get a hold of Elkiehl before that. Barth momentarily saw the two moving away in the distance. In the blink of an eye, the two had disappeared from Barth¡¯s sight.


    Barth clicked his tongue and looked down at the ce where they had disappeared.


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡±


    At that moment, the voices of the Imperial Guards and Winoa Weaver, who had arrived btedly, were heard. Winoa Weaver, who waste due to the earthquake that was invoked by Dane, looked beyond pale.


    But Barth Baltic knew what he had to do.


    ¡°An assassin managed to attack His Majesty.¡±


    Then, Barth raised his hand and pointed toward Winoa Weaver.


    ¡°Arrest him for neglecting his duty as the Captain of the Imperial Guards. I¡¯ll interrogate him separately.¡±


    ***


    ¡°You fucking bitch! You lied to me!¡±


    Gerard angrily screamed and choked the middle-aged woman. His grip was strong enough to break her neck and suffocate her. The middle-aged woman¡¯s body drooped helplessly, but Gerard didn¡¯t stop and tore her body apart.


    The room soon turned red with blood. Gerard destroyed everything he could see and howled loudly.


    Nevertheless, what he had done could never be undone.


    ¡®<i>I stabbed the emperor.</i>¡¯


    The moment Gerard stabbed the emperor with Elkiehl, he definitely felt life escaping the emperor¡¯s body.


    Gerard¡¯s n was to only pull out the Crown while keeping the emperor alive. But the emperor died when the Crown was taken out of his body.


    That¡¯s where the problem began.


    The emperor was not a monster.


    Innread dot".


    As soon as Gerard faced the brilliant light, he was certain that the emperor was not what he had thought. Gerard could read the emperor¡¯s spirit, morality, philosophy, and anguish inside that light.


    At that brief moment, Gerard was closer to the emperor than anyone had ever been. But the emperor had now died to Gerard¡¯s own hands.


    ¡°Ahhhhhhh!¡±


    Gerard screamed and mmed his fist against the wall. The walls instantly turned to powder which scattered into the air.


    Gerard gasped for air and btedly looked outside the broken wall. He was at an oddly high ce, and only after looking at the surrounding scenery did he realize that he was at the Magic Tower.


    ¡°Have you calmed down yet?¡±


    Gerard immediately drew his sword and turned around upon hearing the voice that came from behind. Behind him stood an old man¡ªthe same old man who had showed up when he stabbed the emperor earlier.


    ¡®<i>Dane Dormund.</i>¡¯


    Gerard fiercely charged at Dane with a shout, but Dane simply held out his cane while letting out a sigh. The moment Dane swung his cane through the air like a paddle, Gerard fell to the floor while feeling like the sky and the ground had turned upside down.


    He violently rolled around on the floor, to the extent that ordinary people would die from breaking their necks, but immediately stood up once again and charged toward Dane.


    But after the same situation repeated itself several times, Gerard no longer attempted to attack Dane.


    ¡°You won¡¯t be able to kill me by simply running around like a wild boar.¡±


    ¡°The only reason why I didn¡¯t kill you¡­¡± Gerard breathed heavily and went on. ¡°¡­is because I think that you¡¯re the only one who can take care of this situation right now.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I know. That¡¯s why I couldn¡¯te out as my <i>true?</i>self.¡±


    Dane, who currently looked like an old man, stroked his beard and looked around at the bodies scattered everywhere. When he raised his cane and tapped the floor, all the bodies melted away like a shadow and disappeared, almost as if they had never been there in the first ce.


    Gerard groaned and opened his mouth.


    ¡°What happened to the Crown?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea. It disappeared while you were trembling and mming your head against the floor.¡±


    ¡°...Is His Majesty dead for good?¡±


    ¡°For now, yes. But that might change depending on how we deal with it afterward.¡±


    Gerard slumped to the floor and sobbed. He had ruined everything because of his own stupidity, but he was given no time to grieve¡ªeverything would change rapidly now that the emperor was dead. The empire was in jeopardy.


    Dane stood right in front of Gerard and opened his mouth.


    ¡°Until now, a powerful and terrifying monster¡ªthe Crown was stored and contained safely inside the emperor. But not anymore¡ªthe container has been broken and the monster hase out of it. We have to retrieve it again.¡±


    ¡°Dane, you son of a bitch. I¡¯ll kill you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not toote to do that after we have taken care of everything. As you already know, my purpose was not to kill the emperor. I was only trying to transfer his Crown to a safer and moreplete ce. But it¡¯s you who failed, is it not?¡±


    ¡°His Majesty was already perfect! More perfect than a punk like me!¡±


    ¡°You might be right. Maybe I was mistaken.¡±


    Dane bent down toward Gerard and faced him at a close distance.


    Gerard felt chills running down his spine upon facing Dane¡¯s wrinkled and grotesque face that had purple eyes.


    ¡°But the container is already broken. Are you going to let the poison flow into the empire like this? Or will you lick the floor and swallow it up, even if you¡¯re miserable?¡±


    Gerard gasped for air. It was true that he was in enough pain to want to die. He had a realization that he had made a huge mistake, and he also knew that Dane¡¯s whispers to him were like a snake¡¯s whispers.


    However, his guilt was too great to ignore Dane¡¯s words. He had to somehow sort this situation out.


    ¡°What do I need to do?¡±


    ¡°The Crown will reappear again one day. Such great power doesn¡¯t just go away that easily. I will try to advance the timing of the Crown¡¯s reappearance as much as I can. So you have to wait until the Crown reappears. Now that the emperor is dead, you¡¯re the only one who deserves the Crown.¡±


    Gerard slowly raised himself to his feet. He suppressed his sadness and resumed his thoughts in a calm manner, returning to his calm and cold gaze before he knew it.


    Gerard red at Dane¡ªhis gaze filled with murderous intent and doubt.


    ¡°How do I know that you¡¯re not deceiving me again?¡± Gerard asked.


    ¡°What¡¯s the point of saying anything when you have already started to doubt me?¡±


    ¡°If you fail to convince me, I¡¯ll finish everything by killing you and killing myself as well. I promise to chase you to the ends of the world to kill you. I¡¯ll let you know now that your dirty tricks won¡¯t work when such a timees. So answer carefully.¡±


    Dane erased the smile on his face upon hearing Gerard¡¯s cold voice.


    ¡°I can¡¯t say anything; you¡¯re just scaring me too much. Then let¡¯s do this¡ªwhenever the Crown reappears, I will leave it entirely to you to judge whether it is a monster or the emperor. Of course, you won¡¯t be able to tell right away when you see it. You¡¯ll have to wait and see until youe to a conclusion. But when it appears in front of you, you will eventually have to decide whether you want to ask for forgiveness or kill him and take away the Crown.¡±


    Dane lifted his cane and gently tapped Gerard on the shoulder.


    ¡°Until then, I need you to be the emperor.¡±

 Chapter 229 – Gerard Gain (5)

    <h4>Chapter 229 ¨C Gerard Gain (5)</h4>


    The sword danced on the white beach.


    It cut through the air, sending countless white particles flying with each swing. Not grains of sand, but bits of bone¡ªthe entire beach was made up of the minuscule fragments of dragon bones that had been ground to dust by the sea breeze.


    Many inds in the Kaliduk Archipgo had appeared in the same way, as wind and waves eroded the bones of who knew how many dragons.


    While Gerard was the true creator of this beach, since he had killed countless dragons, he actually very much liked the dragons. He liked their hot breaths, their wisdom from the bygone eras, their hard scales, and even their huge wings.


    Dragons were beautiful beasts, and it was only natural to be fascinated by them. However, Gerard had always been convinced that he had to subdue them if they ever threatened humanity.


    Or so he had thought. Now, he no longer knew if that had been the right mindset.


    All he could do was watch as the young man swung a sword on the beach. Every time the young man stepped on the bones of the dragons and jumped into the air, memories of the olden days came to his mind. That was a distant past that Gerard could no longer go back to.


    [I believe that I am bing ustomed to this.]


    Gerard raised his head to the source of the voice, which wasing from a far higher position. A huge dragon was crouching on top of a hill and watching the young man with Gerard.


    ¡°Getting used to what?¡± Gerard asked.


    [This idyllic life of catching fish, farming, and watching the youngling prance about.]


    Gerard agreed with the dragon that they were living an idyllic life, but he felt the need to point out and correct the part about the kid running around the beach.


    ¡°The kid you are talking about will be the one to inherit the empire. What I¡¯m teaching him is swordsmanship that His Majesty himself devised and taught me, and inside his eyes is the sealed power of the Crack.¡±


    [There is indeed splendid potential in the young, is there not?]


    Gerard nodded in agreement. It was Gerard himself that had been the most surprised when he had found out about Haild¡¯s existence, to the extent that he had almost fainted. His Majesty didn¡¯t have any biological children, and none of Gerard¡¯s siblings had any children either. Gerard was the only one who happened to have a child.


    ¡°To be honest, I had thought that all of the emperor¡¯s children were infertile.¡±


    [Wherefore such inauspicious thoughts?]


    ¡°It¡¯s because neither His Majesty nor my siblings have any children. But there¡¯s more to it than that¡ªHis Majesty and his children are all so different and powerful that they seem downright inhumane. I had even thought that we might be a different species.¡±


    Due to this reason, Gerard had been suspicious about H in the beginning. Of course, he did not me her for choosing to get married quickly. After all, the Henna family had to erase their rtionship with Gerard as soon as possible.


    It went without saying that it would be dangerous if anyone found out that H was pregnant with Gerard¡¯s child. Fortunately, the man H got married to was kind enough and very understanding of her situation.


    But as he grew older, Haild¡¯s appearance became a problem. Some were already talking about the possibility of Haild being Gerard¡¯s child ever since he became twelve years old, and it was to the point that Haild had to be cautious about his looks when he reached puberty.


    Gerard could no longer stand by and watch. He even felt that Haild getting pierced by an arrow on the battlefield was a good thing. It was not a fatal wound, but Gerard made it seem like it was: he immediately rescued Haild using Dane¡¯s magic, leaving behind a fake corpse. Then, he stopped Haild¡¯s growth using a magic spell from the Crack.


    To find that magic spell, Gerard had even visited the leader of the Thornbush Church for the first time after a long time.


    The Thornbush Priest Organization was controlled by Dane, just like many other groups in the empire, but theypletely fell out with Gerard after he failed to take the Crown out of the emperor. This was because the Thornbush Priest Organization believed that Gerard, in fact, had the Crown in his possession but was hiding it to monopolize it.


    That didn¡¯t affect Dane all that much, since the Thornbush Priest Organization had be useless to him as well. Thus, Gerard visited the leader of the Thornbush Church to torture him, interrogate him, and finally kill him.


    When he returned, he plucked out his own eye and imbued powerful magic into it. Then, he nted his eye into Haild''s empty eye socket.


    [I was rather bewildered seeing thee act thus,] Entalucia murmured. [Didst thou indeed have to pluck out thine own eye to cast magic? However little I know about the Crack, I feel that thou shouldst not have gone to such lengths.]


    ¡°It was necessary.¡±


    In addition, unlike Gerard, who had the essence of the emperor, Haild ended up with his face covered in cracks, since he couldn¡¯t handle the power of the Crack. It was unfortunate, but Gerard muttered to himself over and over that it was necessary.


    Gerard had a job to do. His son, Haild, couldn¡¯t be free from it either.


    At that moment, Haild suddenly seemed to be blurry for a moment. In the blink of an eye, he had moved a few steps forward.


    Seeing this, Gerard leaped out of his seat.


    The white bone powder on the beach that Haild passed by was burnt ck, while Haild threw himself into the sea as if he was on fire.


    [Oh? The youngling has achieved what thou hadst in mind, I see. How very swift!]


    ¡°...Yes, he is.¡±


    However, contrary to his words, Gerard¡¯s expression was not bright. Watching Haild, he grit his teeth and muttered, ¡°This is enough, Haild will be my eyes.¡±


    <i>And when the Crown reappears one day, Haild will be the one to make the judgment on my behalf.</i>


    Gerard had finally finished all his preparations. It was now time to visit Dane.


    ***


    The emperor¡¯s skinny body was covered with gold and decorated with colorful jewels, but it gave off a grotesque energy.


    The first emotion Gerard felt when he saw the emperor¡¯s body that was enshrined on the eternal throne was disgust. Since he respected the emperor more than anyone else, the sight was all the more of a shock to him.


    Gerard endured the surge of nausea and looked around. Dane was standing beside him with a knight he had never seen before.


    ¡°This is His Majesty?¡± Gerard asked as if to confirm.


    ¡°To be exact, this is His Majesty, who was revived by Dismas using Spirit Calling. The power of the emperor¡ªno, Mananen McLeir is being squeezed out and distributed throughout the Church. Consider it to be some kind of expensive and fancy mana pump,¡± Dane answered in a calm manner.


    Gerard covered his mouth with his hand and managed to hold back the urge to vomit. Gerard could not understand how Dane could remain calm in the face of something so horrible even if he didn¡¯t have any respect for the emperor.


    ¡°Don¡¯t give me that look. The bastards from the Church did it purely out of respect. If you want to me someone, then me them for having terrible beauty standards. Some of them even shed tears of emotion at this sight,¡± Dane shrugged.


    ¡®<i>This is not respectful¡­ it is insulting.</i>¡¯


    This kind of treatment was not a pleasant sight, regardless of who received it. As for the emperor, he was the one who had saved and protected all of humanity, so how could he be subject to something like this?


    Dane noticed Gerard feeling unpleasant.


    ¡°It is up to you whether or not you think this is His Majesty or not. But you¡¯d better think practically. What I will have to do from now on is even more terrible than this.¡±


    Gerard remained silent and barely managed to stop himself from wanting to vomit.


    No matter how badly the emperor¡¯s body was insulted, it was not as bad as his own sin of stabbing the emperor with his own hands. He didn¡¯t deserve to say a single word.


    When Gerard finally seemed ready, he gestured to the knight standing next to Dane, a man with amber eyes.


    ¡°This is Lenly Loen. He is a talent that the entire empire is paying attention to.¡±


    Lenly silently bowed to Gerard, but his face was full of distrust.


    ¡°Lenly Loen is the current Captain of the Imperial Guards. Thanks to him, I was able to meet His Majesty again like this. It was through the same type of maniption through which Barth Baltic made Winoa Weaver into the one who assassinated the emperor.¡±


    Dane looked back and forth between Lenly and Gerard while giggling as if he found all of this to be funny. However, neither of them wasughing with him.


    Seeing this, Dane pouted and approached the emperor.


    ¡°Alright. Now¡­ we will make you the emperor.¡±


    ¡°...What?¡± Gerard¡¯s expression turned ugly.


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®what?¡¯ We already talked about this.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we did talk about it before. But how?¡±


    Dane smiled and tapped one of the emperor¡¯s fingers.


    ¡°As you know, those who have the essence of the emperor have boundless regenerative power. There is no need to worry about problems like mana contamination either, since the regenerative power is brought forth by stimting one¡¯s own potential and not mana. We¡¯ll take advantage of that.¡±


    ¡°Take advantage of that?¡±


    Dane pulled a dagger out from his pocket.


    Seeing this, Gerard had an ominous premonition.


    Before he could even say anything, Dane quickly cut off one of the emperor¡¯s fingers.


    Gerard jumped at Dane and grabbed him by the cor.


    ¡°You son of a bitch! What kind of game are you ying now!?¡±


    ¡°I told you¡ªthink practically. This is just a corpse that is sharing its power with us. Don¡¯t attach any unnecessary sentimental values to it. Come on, we are running out of time. Stick out your finger.¡±


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    Gerard shuddered and red at Dane.


    But at that moment, Lenly approached Gerard and put his hand on Gerard¡¯s shoulders. Seeing Lenly¡¯s eyes, Gerard understood that the man was just as angry and wanted to draw his sword at any moment as well.


    ¡°Hurry up and stick out your finger. I will have to cut off another one if you keep wasting time like that.¡±


    Gerard bit his lips and stuck out his finger in front of Dane. Dane quickly cut off Gerard¡¯s finger without the slightest hesitation, and then he ced it in ce of the emperor¡¯s severed finger.


    Soon, only a red scar remained, which also disappeared in moments. It was utterly bizarre to see only one of the skinny emperor¡¯s fingers looking fresh, as if it had been alive until just recently.


    Gerard started to breathe heavily.


    ¡°What the heck are you trying to¡­¡±


    ¡°I will slowly transnt you into the emperor¡¯s body using this method.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°From fingers to arms, legs, shoulders, and finally the head. I¡¯m going to glue all of your body parts except for the heart to the emperor¡ªthe heart will remain Mananen McLeir¡¯s. Both of you have the same face and there won¡¯t be any adverse reaction, since you are a clone of the emperor. Thus, Mananen McLeir¡¯s heart will finally be yours. My n is to destroy the old castle called the emperor and build a new castle called Gerard on top of its foundation.¡±


    Hearing all this, Gerard started to wonder whether Dane was right in the head.


    ¡°You are doing all this just to get Mananen McLeir¡¯s heart?! Can¡¯t we just pluck it out and nt it inside me? What kind of crazy shit are you trying to do?!¡± Gerard shouted.


    ¡°Enough with your ignorant remarks. This is the only way to obtain Mananen McLeir¡¯s heart as quickly as possible. If we plucked out Mananen McLeir¡¯s heart as it is, the emperor¡¯s body would immediately copse. Not only would the Church fall into chaos, but Barth Baltic would alsoe after you to kill you. Although he doesn¡¯t care about the emperor¡¯s body, he still cares about the safety of the empire. Besides, this body will be destroyed immediately if Dismas uses Spirit Calling. You <i>need?</i>to be here so that we don¡¯t get caught.¡±


    Gerard looked back at Lenly; he needed someone who could sympathize with him and thought that all of this was utterly crazy.


    However, Lenly waspletely calm, as if he had already heard of Dane¡¯s n beforehand.


    Gerard felt like his blood was starting to flow in reverse.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to be the Captain of the Imperial Guards? And you agreed with this insane n!?¡±


    ¡°That is exactly why I agreed with this n,¡± Lenly answered firmly.


    ¡°What?¡± Gerard¡¯s expression distorted as he asked back.


    ¡°I¡¯m the Captain of the Imperial Guards, not a corpse cleaner. The magician promised me a living emperor who would rule humanity forever. As far as I know, you also agreed to this n. Gerard Gain, you are the one who assassinated the emperor. Right now, not only do you have no value, but you¡¯re a liability instead. The only way for you to be forgiven for your sins is to be a true and eternal emperor.¡±


    Gerard¡¯s face twitched. He wanted to kill these two and get out of this crazy ce.


    At that moment, Dane opened his mouth before Gerard could do anything.


    ¡°Gerard, you¡¯re not as determined as Dismas.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°It took Dismas¡¯ efforts to revive His Majesty, even in this form. Chopping yourself into pieces is nothingpared to what Dismas did. Do <i>we?</i>seem like the only crazy ones? Who among those here <i>isn¡¯t?</i>crazy?¡±


    Gerard remained silent.


    ¡°No one has been sane ever since we found out there was a creature that could destroy the entire world with just a slight turn of its body. Didn¡¯t you stab the emperor just to stop that? Are you trying to act like <i>you¡¯re?</i>normal now?¡±


    Gerard clenched his teeth and red at Dane for a while, then soon released the strength he was gathering in his fist. Dane was right¡ªthis was nothing more than a corpse. The real emperor had been stabbed to death by Gerard himself, and he was inside the Crown that no one knew when it would reappear.


    On the other hand, Gerard himself was nothing more than a chunk of meatpared to the emperor.


    ¡°...Fine.¡±


    Dane grinned.


    ¡°For your information, the pain of cutting off parts of your body is nothing. The real pain will start after that. Some powerful magician might try to look into your soul, so I¡¯ll set up a magic spell to restrain your consciousness and make sure that you don¡¯t end up moving by ident. So, you won¡¯t be able to move or talk even though you will be fully conscious. It might take decades or even hundreds of years until the Crown finally finds you.¡±


    ¡°You think that lightly of me?¡±


    ¡°Yes. To be honest with you, I can¡¯t even imagine being trapped inside a body like that. I¡¯ll leave your consciousness to the Saintess. Then it won¡¯t be a problem even if you end up talking in your sleep sometimes. It wouldn¡¯t be too strange, since it¡¯s not like the emperor¡¯s voice would being from a random person.¡±


    ¡°The Saintess?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The pope came up with it. Apparently, she will impart the emperor¡¯s will or whatever. So I¡¯m just making use of that.¡±


    Gerard realized that Dane had prepared everything meticulously¡ªall he had to do was give up his body and sit still.


    Then, Lenly approached Gerard with something that he had set aside by the pir. It was a mop, a wet towel, and a bucket full of water. Only then did Gerard realize what role Lenly had to y.


    ¡°I thought it would be better to leave the butchering to an expert while I focus on the magical part,¡± Dane said with a shrug.


    ¡°...You,¡± Gerard said as he looked at Lenly. ¡°Are you¡­ are you sure about this n? I have been deceived by this magician several times already. I can tell by your eyes that you truly respect and love His Majesty. But how are you certain that it is okay to mutte His Majesty¡¯s body?¡±


    Gerard¡¯s conviction had all but disappeared from the moment he stabbed the emperor. All that was left within him now were excuses and hesitation.


    For a moment, Lenly made a pained expression upon hearing Gerard¡¯s words and then he slowly opened his mouth.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure about it either.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­?¡±


    ¡°I have studied and heard testimonies about His Majesty countless times. And I have done my research on you as well. As a result, I came to the conclusion that it is better to have an emperor who would stay with us humans forever, and share destiny with us despite being unstable rather than a perfect emperor who would leave us one day. In that respect, I think you¡¯re more suitable to be the emperor.¡±


    Gerard looked at Lenly, then closed his eyes. Lenly¡¯s firm attitude was very much like Gerard¡¯s old self; however, Gerard no longer had the will to decide anything.


    Lenly¡¯s sword whistled as it left its scabbard.


    Dane whispered in Gerard¡¯s ear, ¡°I¡¯m warning you in advance, but instead of your body being destroyed, you should be wary of your mind being destroyed.¡±


    ¡°Dane, don¡¯t look down on me like that.¡± Gerard closed his eyes. ¡°When I finally meet him again, if he turns out to be His Majesty, then I will give him everything with joy. Then, His Majesty will kill you even if I don¡¯t. This n you worked on will just be a small apology to His Majesty from me.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. What if he is a monster?¡±


    ¡°If he is a monster, ¡± Gerard answered in a quiet voice, ¡°then I will be the emperor after taking away the Crown. Then, I will find you, and I will kill you.¡±

 Chapter 230 – Completion (1)

    <h4>Chapter 230 ¨C Completion (1)</h4>


    ¡®<i>Gerard.</i>¡¯


    It was Gerard Gain.


    Juan¡¯s eldest son and the assassin who he had been searching for a long time was sitting on the throne on his behalf. After waiting for decades for Juan to arrive, Gerard finally faced Juan once again.


    Juan had imagined the situation where he would encounter Gerard again countless times. However, this was nothing like he had imagined. There was no way that Juan could imagine Gerard attaching his own body¡¯s parts to Juan¡¯s corpse and waiting for him within it.


    Juan wanted to scream, but he couldn¡¯t move even a single inch.


    Gerard roared and refused to let go of Juan¡¯s arm¡ªit was as if he would break it.


    ¡°Give me¡­ the Crown!¡±


    Juan had a hard time understanding this situation. In Juan¡¯s memory, Gerard was a knight who tried his best to be noble despite being imperfect.


    But now, he couldn¡¯t understand why Gerard was standing in front of him looking like a monster.


    Then, it suddenly urred to Juan that Dane might have ruined Gerard.


    ¡°I trusted you! I trusted you, but this is what I get?!¡± Gerard shouted desperately.


    Juan couldn¡¯t understand Gerard¡¯s words.


    ¡®<i>What did he believe in me for? In fact, I am the one who believed in him and was betrayed.</i>¡¯


    Juan lit up his mes in his best attempt to hold out against Gerard. The white mes around him burned in a rough and unstable manner. Nevertheless, the mes slowly spread toward Gerard.


    The jewels nted in Gerard¡¯s eyes dropped to the floor and his faint, gray-colored eyes were revealed. Those eyes were burning fiercely with rage.


    ¡°I believed that you might be the real emperor! I desperately wanted you to be who I believed you to be!¡±


    Gerard¡¯s anger and despair that was being poured out surged in as if to crush Juan.


    Upon facing Gerard¡¯s despair, Juan realized that he wasn¡¯t fully ruined yet.


    Just like he himself said, Gerard wasn¡¯t as weak as Dane thought him to be. Gerard was only disappointed in Juan. But Juan couldn¡¯t figure out what it was that he was disappointed about.


    Gerard stood up and pressed down upon Juan as if to attack him. The gold foil and jewelry that had decorated the body broke down and scattered away as the body stood up for the first time in decades. Gerard¡¯s muscles werepletely dried up, looking pathetic, and he was onlyposed of skin and bones.


    Amidst the scattered gold dust, Gerard grabbed Juan¡¯s arm and pressed down on him. At the same time, Gerard¡¯s furious roar pushed away the mes released by Juan in an instant.


    ¡°It was thest stage! You betrayed my beliefs when everything was about to finally end! How could you give up on your identity as the emperor! How!?¡±


    ¡®<i>Ah¡­ was that it?</i>¡¯


    Juan remembered Sina and Haild, who must be standing behind him¡ªhe also sensed the trace of the power of the Crack left on Haild¡¯s eye.


    That eye belonged to Gerard.


    Only then did Juan realize that until now, Gerard had been watching Juan¡¯s each and every move through Haild¡¯s eyes.


    And thest thing Gerard had seen was Juan giving up on being the emperor, because of a single woman.


    ¡®<i>So don¡¯t call me the emperor anymore. I am neither an emperor nor the god of humans. I¡¯m nothing more than a selfish idiot.</i>¡¯


    Juan had given up on his responsibility to all humans.


    ¡°You are not the emperor! There is no way you could ever be the emperor! His Majesty is not such a weak man like you!¡±


    For Gerard, Juan announcing that he was not the emperor anymore looked no different from the appearance of a monster.


    After all, the emperor was a man who was fair and just, someone who only raised his sword for the sake of justice.


    Gerard could willingly offer his own neck to the emperor if that were what it took to undo all of his mistakes. However, the man standing in front of him had the power of the Crown, yet abandoned his responsibility to humanity.


    ¡°Because of just a single human being!¡±


    Gerard¡¯s roar was loud enough to shake the entire red fortress.


    Juan felt the pain of his skin being peeled off as too much of his power was being sucked into Gerard. The entire Crown was being moved, and this immense pain made Juan feel as if his soul was being torn apart.


    ¡°It¡¯s not just a single human being.¡±


    However, Juan couldn¡¯t help but answer, despite the terrible pain he was in.


    ¡°Only Sina believed in me when everyone suspected that I might be a monster,¡± Juan gritted his teeth and continued to whisper. ¡°Only she believed that I could still love humans even when I really became a monster¡ªunlike a bastard like you who betrayed me after constantly doubting me!¡±


    Sina was neither a fanatic nor did she have unconditional loyalty toward Juan. Sina watched everything within Juan and made a judgment regardless of the fact that Juan had burned down her hometown and annihted her entire knight order, which she considered to be her family.


    Nevertheless, Sina still believed that Juan was the emperor and had a character that suited such a status, even if that was not the case.


    Despite Juan¡¯s answer, Gerard¡¯s anger didn¡¯t subside.


    Juan could feel the Crown leaving him much faster than before. Everything that made Juan who he was, was slipping out of him and filling Gerard.


    As his consciousness grew distant, Juan recalled Sina.


    ¡®<i>Would it have been a mistake to revive Sina? But could I have be a proper emperor if I decided not to save her?</i>¡¯


    Juan thought that he might have turned into a ghost of vengeance that was filled with divine power if he was without Sina.


    ¡®<i>Would everyone have been satisfied if I had remained an eternal emperor even in that form?</i>¡¯


    Juan could not tell what the right answer was or whether there even was a right answer.


    But Juan couldn¡¯t think anymore.


    <i>St!</i>


    With the sensation of being stabbed, something suddenly popped out of Juan¡¯s chest.


    It was Elkiehl, with a de that resembled a ck thornbush.


    Gerard screamed and let go of Juan¡¯s arm, which he had been holding onto until now.


    ¡°Go away, you devil!¡±


    At the same time, Haild¡¯s roar came from behind.


    ***


    Juan barely managed to free himself, and then copsed to the floor, just before the power of the Crown was taken away from him for good.


    Haild supported him before he fell down.


    When the absorption of Juan¡¯s power was stopped, Gerard¡¯s power, which had prated into Juan deeply, was expelled at the same time. At the same time, the white light that filled the red fortress disappeared in an instant and the surroundings returned to their original color.


    Haild pulled Elkiehl out of Juan¡¯s back, ring at Gerard.


    Only then did Gerard recall that Elkiehl was the only thing that could repel his power.


    Gerard red at Haild while looking at his hand that was injured by Elkiehl.


    ¡°Haild.¡±


    Haild did not answer¡ªhe only red at Gerard while pointing Elkiehl toward him.


    Haild was breathing heavily. From the very beginning, Haild directly used Elkiehl against Gerard. This meant that he had already known that the opponent was Gerard.


    Gerard inhaled a deep breath and then exhaled.


    All of a sudden, the decorations that were messily clinging to Gerard¡¯s body fell off. Then, flesh and muscles began to grow on his body¡ªit was as if someone was blowing up a balloon.


    Gray hair fell off and new hair grew in its ce. As the pieces of dead skin and bodily waste were peeled off, Gerard¡¯s real form began to appear.


    Gerard, who had regained the perfect appearance of his heyday, looked exactly like the emperor. The only difference was that he was blonde.


    Gerard looked at Haild in a calm manner and opened his mouth.


    ¡°It seems that you stabbed me even though you had recognized me.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Father,¡± Haild muttered while gritting his teeth. ¡°Will you just stop and fuck off? I could have killed you.¡±


    Haild¡¯s words were true. Gerard could have died when he was cut by Elkiehl, just like Juan in the past.


    Hearing this, Gerard red at Haild, feeling displeased.


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember teaching you to behave like that.¡±


    ¡°Maybe betraying our own fathers runs in the family.¡±


    Gerard sighed and stepped down from where the throne was.


    Seeing this, Haild did not hesitate to attack Gerard with the most powerful skills he had ever learned. He directly used Fleeting Moment, the fifth stage of the Baltic Sword.


    However, in the next moment, Haild was the one rolling on the floor in the center of the hall. He couldn¡¯t even understand what had just happened.


    Meanwhile, Gerard clicked his tongue upon seeing Haild¡¯s confusion.


    ¡°Did you think that you could win against just anyone as long as you had Elkiehl? Neither do you know magic, nor is your swordsmanship any good. You have no intrinsic ability, no regenerative ability, no nothing. I don¡¯t even need to mention yourck of practical experience. Honestly, it¡¯s a little disappointing that hardly anything has changed from the time when Ist taught you.¡±


    Haild coughed up blood. Based on his wound, he figured that had been kicked by Gerard. He had used neither the Baltic Sword nor magic.


    Haild looked at Gerard with confused eyes¡ªhe still couldn¡¯t understand what had happened.


    ¡°But the fact that you are my son remains unchanged,¡± Gerard said, sighing.


    At that moment, Gerard appeared behind Haild in an instant¡ªHaild couldn¡¯t even see him moving. The only thing that Haild was able to see was a brief sh.


    Then, Gerard stepped on Haild¡¯s hand, causing Haild to helplessly drop Elkiehl from his hand. At the same time, the sound of bones being broken rang out


    Gerard picked up Elkiehl from the floor.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take back what belongs to me.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Then, Gerard touched the back of Haild¡¯s hand with his finger. For a moment, Haild felt a numbing pain, and then his broken wrist bone quickly began to stick together on its own. Even the internal injuries caused by Gerard¡¯s kick from earlier were healed in an instant.


    ¡°I believe that you won¡¯t do anything reckless now, since you must have realized that you¡¯re still quitecking.¡±


    Haild was still ring at Gerard. In the face of this gaze, Gerard took a step away from Haild with a heartbroken expression.


    Then, in the next moment, Gerard was once again sitting on the throne with his hand ced on his forehead.


    ¡°All right, forget it. I wouldn¡¯t have anything to say even if you wanted to kill me. My sins are heavy and indelible, so you can try to kill me as much as you want. But you saw what this man was trying to do earlier as well, didn¡¯t you? Didn¡¯t you also get angry enough to draw out Elkiehl?¡± Gerard asked Haild while looking at Juan who was still lying on the floor.


    Haild hesitated but soon approached Juan to support him. Juan¡¯s breaths were weak, and Haild could sense that Juan¡¯s strength was now iparably weaker than before. Blood was still flowing out of the wound caused by Elkiehl, even though it should have already been healed on its own.


    ¡°Is that your excuse for betraying your own father?¡± Haild derided.


    ¡°If you have to choose between the birth of a monster that can fiddle with the lives of all humanity and betraying me, then you should betray me¡ªjust like I did.¡±


    It was then.


    ¡°Was that why?¡± Juan, who was drooping and shedding blood, suddenly opened his mouth.


    Haild and Gerard¡¯s eyes turned to Juan at the same time.


    Juan opened his mouth, muttering while drooping helplessly.


    ¡°Are you saying that you stabbed me because I¡¯m a monster?¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t you I stabbed!¡± Gerard shouted. ¡°It was His Majesty who I stabbed! The sins Imitted against him are irrevocable, but the responsibility cannot be abandoned! His Majesty has passed away, and you have proven yourself to be the monster through your own mouth! You are nothing more than a monster!¡¯


    Juan stared at Gerard for a moment.


    Gerard felt an unknown weight from Juan¡¯s silent gaze.


    ¡®<i>I don¡¯t understand¡­ this doesn¡¯t make sense.</i>¡¯


    Juan had already lost most of the power of the Crown and had barely enough power to sustain his own life.


    On the other hand, Gerard had sessfully seized the power of Mananen McLeir, the Crown, and even had Elkiehl. Gerard¡¯s current strength exceeded the emperor¡¯s from his heyday.


    Even so, he couldn¡¯t understand why Juan was looking at him with such eyes.


    At that moment, Juan once again opened his mouth.


    ¡°I am neither an emperor nor a monster.¡±


    Right now, he could speak with more conviction than ever.


    ¡°I am Juan Calberg Kennosis.¡±


    However, at that moment, a man¡¯s voice denying Juan¡¯s words rang out.


    ¡°No. Sorry to break it to you, but you¡¯re wrong. I¡¯m sorry that I couldn¡¯t tell you about it when I first met you.¡±


    Haild quickly turned toward the voice.


    A little boy was walking into the hall of the Red Citadel while dragging a cane. Haild could immediately identify who he was.


    ¡®<i>Dane Dormund.</i>¡¯


    The magician grinned as he passed by them and looked down on Haild and Juan.


    ¡°Your real name that was given to you by Aruntal is Qzatquizail Calberg Kennosis. That¡¯s what you were named in the beginning.¡±

 Chapter 231 – Completion (2)

    <h4>Chapter 231 ¨C Completion (2)</h4>


    ¡®<i>Qzatquizail Calberg Kennosis¡­ even my name was giving me a hint right from the time of my birth. How did I not notice it until now?</i>¡¯


    Only then did Juan realize that his name ¡®Juan¡¯ was fake and used to hide his real name. Although he had always felt that his name was different from the way others were named, he simply thought that it was due to the fact that he didn¡¯t know his parents. It wasn¡¯t until now that he thought deeply about it.


    Aruntal gave him the name ¡®Juan Calberg,¡¯ and ¡®Kennosis,¡¯ which meant that ¡®a god has descended in a human body.¡¯ Juan suddenly thought that this was enough to answer all the questions he had. It was a grand enough name to be given to an orphan boy who had no name.


    ¡®<i>So my real name is that of a monster¡¯s.</i>¡¯


    Juan no longer knew anything. He couldn¡¯t tell where Dane¡¯s n began or where it ended. He began to wonder whether he would have still ended up in this situation if SIna hadn¡¯t died and he sessfully regained his powers from the holy body.


    <i>¡®Should I not have started the journey of revenge in the first ce? If this journey was supposed to end like this from the very beginning, then why did I evene back to life?¡¯</i>


    Juan stared nkly at Sina, but she remained silent.


    ¡®<i>Sina, I tried my best.</i>¡¯


    Juan had tried as hard as he could, and now he was exhausted.


    <i>¡®The moment I lost you, I was already broken. Now, breaking one more time in this state won¡¯t mean anything anyway. Maybe the journey you and I began together was only meant to lead us to our deaths from the beginning.¡¯</i>


    Gerard¡¯s gaze turned toward Dane when he saw Juan fallpletely silent.


    As soon as Dane¡¯s eyes met with Gerard¡¯s, he dropped down on one knee before Gerard and bowed his head.


    ¡°I pay my respects to Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°...Dane.¡±


    Gerard stared at Dane, who was paying his respects. Gerard had already gained enough power to kill Dane at any moment, and he had not forgotten the oath that he made before being transnted into the emperor¡¯s body.


    ¡°I couldn''t be happier if my first duty as the emperor was to stter your blood everywhere.¡±


    ¡°How could I refuse an order from you, Your Majesty?¡± Dane smiled and raised his head. ¡°However, I believe that you will fully understand the reasoning behind my actions now that you have be the emperor, Your Majesty¡ªand also how useful I am.¡±


    Gerard red at Dane for a while and soon sat back down on the throne. There was no more murderous intent in his eyes.


    ¡°Yes, it is exactly as you say. The world looks much wider and bigger now,¡± Gerard said as he looked at Dane with a distant look.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure how useful you are, but I can tell just how trivial you are. I can see how worthless it would be to kill you. I can also see just how narrow and crude our ideals and values had been.¡±


    For a moment, Dane was taken aback by Gerard¡¯s words¡ªa shallow sense of disharmony passed by Gerard. Yet, Dane felt that there was nothing bad about the way Gerard perceived him when he saw Gerard staring into the distance with a calm face.


    It was only natural for the emperor to be a great being whenpared to Dane himself. Dane had tried his best to create such a being, and Gerard was above all the closest to his ideal.


    It didn¡¯t matter even if Gerard¡¯s creator looked worthless in Gerard¡¯s own eyes.


    However, Haild didn¡¯t seem to think so.


    ¡°You!¡±


    Haild carefully ced Juan down on the floor and shouted at Gerard.


    ¡°That man instigated you to kill your own father and even convinced you to betray everyone! Does that really mean nothing to you?¡±


    ¡°Haild,¡± Gerard frowned. ¡°I won¡¯t stop you if you want to kill this man with your own hands. But¡­¡±


    At that moment, Gerard¡¯s expression distorted and he turned his head toward the other direction.


    Dane looked up at Gerard with a perplexed expression when his words suddenly stopped.


    Gerard was frowning with his hand ced over his forehead.


    ¡°I feel dizzy.¡±


    ¡°You have moved for the first time in decades, Your Majesty. We need to examine your physical condition. Perhaps it¡¯s because of suddenly epting such a great power? Let¡¯s wrap up all this unpleasant talk and get going,¡± Dane said.


    Gerard lightly rubbed his forehead and stood up. Haild nervously fumbled around, trying to find Elkiehl from his waist, but it was no longer there.


    Gerard stood in front of Haild and then looked at him with sad eyes.


    ¡°I thought that at least you would understand me despite all my sins, Haild. I have also been watching him from the beginning to the end of his journey through your eyes. I felt just as betrayed as you. But why are you looking at me with those eyes now¡­?¡± Gerard murmured.


    ¡°What I saw was that he is the true emperor. I believe in him, just as my mother did,¡± Haild answered as he red at Gerard.


    Gerard nodded in a calm manner upon hearing Haild¡¯s answer.


    ¡°Yes. Your other eye definitely resembles your mother¡¯s.¡±


    At that moment, Elkiehl pierced Haild¡¯s sr plexus in an instant.


    Haild¡¯s eyes opened wide as he looked ahead. As soon as Haild inhaled a deep breath, his left field of vision suddenly went dark.


    A long shadow spread out like a and ripped out from the ce where Elkiehl had pierced through him¡ªit was the power of the Crack nted within him by Gerard a long time ago, a power which Gerard had said to be too deeply embedded within him to be pulled out.


    ¡°As expected. I can pull it out with the help of the power of the Crown.¡±


    Gerard pulled Elkihel out of Haild¡¯s body and fiddled with the power of the Crack at the end of Elkiehl¡¯s tip. Then, he lightly squeezed and crushed it.


    Meanwhile, Haild copsed to the floor and screamed in pain as he clutched his left eye. As the flow of time that had been paused for his body began to flow once again, the wound he had gotten in his childhood also returned to how it used to be¡ªblood began to flow out of his hollow eye.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take back what I had nted within you. Back then, your wound was fatal, but probably not anymore. You might be able to live if you get lucky enough,¡± Gerard sighed deeply.


    Then, his eyes turned to Dane.


    ¡°Maybe you¡¯re the only one who can understand me.¡±


    Dane smiled and tried to answer Gerard in a calm manner.


    However, it wasn¡¯t Dane who answered Gerard.


    ¡°No¡ªthat bastard can¡¯t understand you.¡±


    Gerard turned his gaze toward the back beyond Dane. Juan, who had been lying on the floor like a corpse until now, was slowly standing up.


    ¡°No one else will be able to understand you¡ªI¡¯m the only one who can.¡±


    ***


    Juan stared at Gerard with dead eyes.


    Gerard could not figure out why and how Juan managed to stand up when he had thought Juan to have copsedpletely. But Gerard didn¡¯t feel that that to be very important. What was important to him was that Juan was a remnant of the monster that should be punished and still had some of the power of the Crown, which Gerard had yet to absorb.


    Meanwhile, Juan continued to speak as he watched Gerard, who was approaching him.


    ¡°You will realize just how insignificant, small, and trivial human beings are.¡±


    Gerard frowned; humans being insulted like that was unfamiliar to him. However, for some reason, Juan¡¯s words felt like they were poking at his heart.


    ¡°Humans are weak enough to make one feelpassion for them and nasty enough to make one feel a seething anger when watching them. They¡¯re so small that you would think that you could just crush them to death, but there are certainly moments when you feel proud of them. Of course, it is not often¡ªit is only sometimes.¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡±


    Gerard revealed his teeth as he growled and grabbed Juan by the cor.


    Juan just smiled at Gerard while hanging in the air.


    ¡°It must be an unfamiliar concept for you. After all, you have never seen a human being while holding my power. You probably just feel like your vision has widened. No, maybe you can find a little bit of a familiar feeling¡ªthe feeling of looking down at the world from atop the back of the dragon while soaring above the clouds. Did you ever think that humans were lovely and that you wanted to protect them at that time?¡±


    Gerard could not answer Juan¡¯s question.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. You probably just felt liberated. No one cares about the lowest part of the world when you are that high up,¡± Juan continued speaking in a calm voice. ¡°Pity, affection, as well as respect for humans spring up only when watching them from the lowest of points. I already felt that, so I tried to be like them as much as possible.¡±


    ¡°What are you¡­ what are you talking about?¡± Gerard asked in a trembling voice.


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to teach you the disciplines of kingship that I couldn¡¯t teach you before, since I died too early,¡± Juan said in a calm manner. ¡°These are the things you <i>should?</i>know if you want to be the emperor. It is the education that you deserved from the very beginning. I can¡¯t stop you if you want to be the emperor like this. Instead of stopping you, I will teach you what thoughts and values the emperor should have.¡±


    Gerard looked like he didn¡¯t know what to say.


    Then, Juan shouted while ring fiercely at Gerard.


    ¡°Do you think that I will let a bastard like you be the emperor as you are now!? Get it together and listen carefully to what I say if you still have the slightest bit of love left for humanity!¡±


    It was then.


    Dane swung his cane and struck Juan under his chin.


    Juan closed his mouth for a moment as his throat was struck, and Gerard ended up dropping him without even realizing it.


    Dane threw Juan to the floor and Gerard btedly burst into rage.


    ¡°What are you doing!?¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, these are the unnecessary words uttered by the remnant of a monster. There is no need to listen to him,¡± Dane said politely.


    ¡°Listen to me, Gerard¡­ I cannot¡­ ept you¡­ bing the emperor the way you are now¡­¡±


    Dane shoved his cane inside Juan¡¯s mouth.


    Juan could no longer say anything anymore as his mouth was blocked.


    Dane wiped off the sweat from his forehead and hurriedly opened his mouth to whisper to Gerard.


    ¡°Your Majesty, absorb the power of the Crown still remaining within his body. Then this man will be absolutely nothing more than a trace of the Crown.¡±


    Gerard remained silent.


    ¡°Your Majesty! This man ispletely broken; there is no need to listen to his disciplines of kingship! Your Majesty¡¯s thoughts will only end up being contaminated if you listen to him! Your Majesty is feeling confused because you have absorbed the power of a broken man¡ªthat¡¯s all!¡±


    Gerard clenched his teeth and clutched his own head. Strands of hair were pulled out but that didn¡¯t seem to matter to Gerard.


    After breathing heavily for a long time, Gerard opened his mouth as he red at Dane and Juan.


    ¡°You are right. I have already risen to the throne and I do not think that Ick any learning. I will not stop at simply following in the emperor¡¯s footsteps. I will be a better being than him.¡±


    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s right, Your Majesty! You are the one to¡­¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s why¡­¡±


    Gerard reached his hand out and grabbed Dane¡¯s head to throw him to the back.


    Dane was flung away with a bright smile on his face. Blood sshed all over the wall, but it wasn¡¯t very clear, since the wall was already red in color. Dane¡¯s body twitched for a while but soon drooped.


    Everything happened in the blink of an eye.


    Gerard slowly approached Juan and looked down at him.


    ¡°...I will keep you alive.¡±


    ¡°Gerard¡­¡±


    Then Gerard started moving toward Sina¡¯s body that was lying in front of the throne. He slowly lifted her body from the floor.


    ¡°You called this woman a watchdog and a counterweight. By being acknowledged by her, you became closer to aplete emperor. You also gave up on being the emperor only because of this single human being.¡±


    Gerard stared at Sina, then soon turned his gaze toward Juan.


    ¡°Now, you will be my watchdog and counterweight. I will be the perfect emperor, one that even you will not be able to deny, and I will wait for the day you kneel before me on your own. By then, you will have no choice but to admit it¡ªadmit that I am the true emperor and that the world needs me.¡±


    Juan couldn¡¯t figure out what to say.


    At that moment, the sound of the horse hooves began to ring throughout the red fortress. As the sound of the horse hooves approached closer and closer, Gerard muttered quietly toward Juan.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure that I¡¯ll be acknowledged by you, Father.¡±


    Before Juan could stop him, Gerard disappeared in an instant, taking Sina Solvane¡¯s body with him. The only thing left at the spot he had been standing on were some scorch marks.


    Not long after Gerard disappeared with Sina, someone hurriedly burst into the hall with a bang.


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡±


    It was Pavan and Ivy.


    Ivy jumped off the horse first, almost as if she was rolling, and Pavan hastily followed her.


    Pavan¡¯s expression stiffened when he saw the situation in the surroundings. Most of the situation could easily be grasped just by looking at the traces left behind.


    Meanwhile, Ivy slowly crawled toward Juan, since her leg was broken.


    But Juan shook his head.


    ¡°Examine Haild¡¯s condition rather than me.¡±


    Haild¡¯s condition was already being examined by Pavan. Realizing that the wound in Haild¡¯s eye was simr to a wound that one would get when pierced by an arrow, Pavan began first aid right away.


    Taking care of a wound caused by an arrow was a piece of cake for Pavan, someone who had spent years on the battlefield.


    However, Haild wasn¡¯t the one who was the most severely wounded.


    Pavan opened his mouth as he took a nce at Juan.


    ¡°Your Majesty, it seems like you are severely injured.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m all right.¡±


    Juan didn¡¯t seem to be visibly injured¡ªthere were only traces left on Juan from being stabbed on the arm and the chest.


    ¡°It seems to me that Your Majesty¡¯s injuries are worse than the limbs amputations,¡± Pavan said.


    Juan realized that Pavan had already noticed his condition. He figured that it would have been enough for Pavan to notice what had happened just by looking at the blood that was still flowing out of the wound on his chest.


    The essence of the emperor was what allowed Juan to recover from wounds in an instant. The fact that he was still bleeding meant that his regenerative ability had fallen to a level close to that of an ordinary human being.


    But Juan simply smiled as he looked at Pavan.


    ¡°Do you want to check?¡± Juan asked.


    Pavan also smiled.


    ¡°How could I, Your Majesty? I¡¯ll go and call Captain Anya and General Nienna right away.¡±

 Chapter 232 – Juan Calberg (1)

    <h4>Chapter 232 ¨C Juan Calberg (1)</h4>


    It was raining in the holy city of Torra.


    The raindrops that fell after the long winter did not feel as cold as before. As the moisture containing the spring breeze surged North, the spring arrived throughout the empire.


    People of the empire felt relieved to see the end of the seemingly eternal winter and the start of spring. Above all, it was the news of the emperor¡¯s victory over the West that made everyone feel the warmth of the spring.


    The civil war, which had been keeping people on edge, had finallye to an end.


    When people first heard the rumor of the returning emperor, they had all been skeptical and felt uneasy about the feeling of the empire being attacked for the first time.


    Then, the emperor finally returned and established his rule once again. But then, the emperor¡¯s third son, Dismas Dilver, made a fuss, causing the people to feel at risk once again.


    Unlike the battle against Barth Baltic, which ended more peacefully than anyone had expected, the dead gods were raised up and two of the emperor¡¯s direct subordinates ended up dying.


    There was a massive amount of damage and there was a rumor the civil war would get even worse.


    However, as if to quench the anxiety of the people, the emperor instantly brought with him an army to barge into the West and crack down on the rebels.


    Amidst all this, the emperor¡¯s Grace which was controlled and distributed by the Church disappearedpletely after the Pope¡¯s death.


    Thus, there was no one left to resist the returned emperor now.


    The empire had its peace restoredpletely when nobles from all over the empire took their vows of loyalty.


    Everything seemed to be perfect¡ªat least on the surface.


    ¡°Dad!¡±


    Nienna hastily broke into the conference room of the Imperial Pce located in the holy city of Torra, and rushed to find Juan.


    ¡°You almost broke the damn door. I¡¯m going to charge the North for it if it breaks,¡± Juan answered with a frown.


    Nienna¡¯s eyes widened. Contrary to her expectations that Juan would be ill and on his sickbed, he looked to be perfectly fine as he sat on the chair in the conference room in a normal state; however, he looked a little tired.


    Nienna red at Pavan, who was sitting next to Juan.


    ¡°Pavan told me toe here as soon as possible because something had happened to you, Dad. So I left everything behind, including the army, and came all the way here on my own. There¡¯s still a lot of restoration work left in the North.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Pavan did well. I ordered him to call all the people who I could trust to Torra.¡±


    Most of the people that were considered close to Juan, including Heretia, seemed to have already arrived at the conference room.


    But there were far too many empty seats.


    In addition, Horhell was sitting on the right side of Juan. Nienna thought that such a scene was strange. Now that Haild¡¯s identity had been revealed, his official position was that of the leader of the East. But Horhell was sitting on the seat that belonged to the leader of the East instead of Haild.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I feel like a lot of people are missing,¡± Nienna murmured.


    Nienna immediately noticed the absence of one person¡ªshe couldn¡¯t find Sina Solvane, the female knight who was always following Juan.


    Juan remained silent for a moment and then opened his mouth.


    ¡°Haild is currently recuperating. He has passed through the immediate crisis, but we are still examining his condition. Anya is still in the South. I received a message that she will arrive a littleter than expected.¡±


    ¡°Haild is recuperating? Was there someone capable of hurting Haild? I thought I wouldn¡¯t have to worry about him even if he were facing Cainheryars as long as he had Elkihel with him.¡±


    ¡°You are right. He didn¡¯t get hurt at all when he fought against one of the Cainheryars. He got hurt when he teleported to me through the Crack after all the Cainheryars had been destroyed.¡±


    Nienna frowned upon hearing Juan¡¯s exnation.


    ¡°Did he fight against Dismas or something?¡±


    ¡°No. Dismas was¡­ dealt with by someone else. And he ended up dying. I retrieved my essence from him when he was dying. He will no longer be able to recover ore back to life. The fact that all Cainheryars have copsed is evidence.¡±


    ¡°...I see,¡± Nienna murmured bitterly.


    She had little contact with Dismas ever since the emperor¡¯s assassination, but the death of her brother was still heartbreaking for her.


    Nienna purposefully showed a casual smile and opened her mouth.


    ¡°I guess the only brother I have left now is Gerard¡ªthat is if he is still alive.¡±


    ¡°He is alive.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Gerard is still alive. He has been sitting on the throne for thest few decades, pretending to be me. I found out about it a little toote.¡±


    Nienna¡¯s mouth opened slightly in shock. She looked around her, since she thought Juan was joking, but everyone had a solemn look on their faces.


    Nienna puffed her lips as if to say something, but inadvertently found that blood that was oozing out from under Juan¡¯s clothes. She strode up and grabbed Juan¡¯s hand as soon as she saw his blood.


    Then, her eyes widened even more than before.


    ¡°Dad, you are¡­¡±


    ¡°He stole most of my power, including the power of the Crown and my mana. Fortunately, he didn¡¯t take away Sutra and Kelegranon from me. Not that I¡¯d be able to use them anyway, but¡­¡±


    Juan slightly grabbed at Sutra which was hanging around his waist and lifted it. The sword of mes, a sword that should be burning softly, waspletely unresponsive. It would also be absurd to use the power of Kelegranon, especially when his mana was so faint.


    The fact that Sutra, which burned down anyone it did not recognize as its owner, was not burning down Juan could be understood as him still holding the position of the emperor.


    But even that was ambiguous.


    Seeing all this, Nienna clutched her head as if she had a headache.


    ¡°And Lenly betrayed me. No, he was a traitor in the first ce and had infiltrated us. No one knows where he is right now,¡± Juan added.


    ¡°But that bastard was chasing after the Saintess like a dog! What the heck was the Saintess doing!?¡± Nienna said as she mmed the desk with a bang.


    Pieces of ice scattered all over as her fist smashed into the desk.


    Seeing this, Ivy, who was sitting down, turnedpletely pale.


    It was Juan who stopped Nienna.


    ¡°Ivy had no idea either. Both Ivy and all of us were deceived by that bastard. Dane Dormund had been plotting everything from behind the scenes. Dane¡­ was then attacked by Gerard, but he does not seem to be dead just yet.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean he¡¯s not dead yet?¡± Nienna asked.


    ¡°We weren¡¯t able to find his body. The ce he was at didn¡¯t show any signs that pointed to his death. He is probably using magic and ying another dirty trick. He has always been that way anyway. But he won¡¯t be able to be as active as he was before, since thest part of his n was ruined.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter and I don¡¯t care. I¡¯m just happy that I still have a chance to kill him with my own hands!¡±


    Juan sighed upon hearing Nienna¡¯s angry shout.


    ¡°Nienna. The reason I called you and everyone else here is not that I¡¯m scared or because I want to kill those bastards¡ªit is because I¡¯m afraid Gerard will kill all of you now that he¡¯s got the power to do so. He has power so enormous that nothing can stop him now. He will eliminate anything and anyone that he thinks will interfere with his ideals.¡±


    ¡°So? Let him do whatever he wants! Do you really think I¡¯m going to lose to Gerard?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly, Nienna! He took all of my power! The Crown, Mananen McLeir¡¯s heart, and even Elkiehl! He took everything and holds even more power than I used to have before!¡±


    ¡°Then what am I supposed to do!? Do you want us to dig a cave and hide there for the rest of our lives? I¡¯d prefer to m myself against that bastard and die right this moment instead of seeing him, an asshole who stabbed his own father to death, be the emperor!¡±


    ¡°Then what about the Crack?¡±


    Nienna closed her mouth when Juan asked her as if he was growling. There was still some lingering anger in her eyes, but Juan¡¯s question prated her heart deeply.


    ¡°Your responsibility is to handle the Crack. Are you going to abandon your duties and die?¡±


    ¡°...Fine. I¡¯ll kill all the bastards in the Crack and then go on my way to kill Gerard after that.¡±


    Juan looked up at the ceiling with his hand ced on his forehead. Then, his eyes slowly turned toward everyone sitting inside the conference room. He looked from Pavan, to Heretia, to Ivy, to Horhell, and finally, to Nienna. The many empty seats made him feel profound pain.


    ¡°I can no longer watch any of you die after this,¡± Juan let out a groan. ¡°Even H, who was the oldest among all of you, used to be a little girlpared to me. Why do you guys have to die? Why do you guys have to be sacrificed in the quarrels of us old men that have been going on since the mythological era¡­¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, it was just a sacrifice that was necessary for a better world,¡± Pavan said.


    ¡°Yes, Pavan. To be honest with you, I don¡¯t think I would care too much if you ended up dying. But the others here are different. Do not force the sacrifice onto others,¡± Juan snapped back at Pavan, who had opened his mouth as if to console Juan.


    Pavan looked tantly disappointed.


    Then, Juan looked at Nienna.


    ¡°Nienna, I have no choice but to pass on the throne to Gerard if hees back to Torra. I am no longer the emperor. I¡¯ve let too many people down, including Haild and¡­¡±


    At that moment, Juan, who was speaking slowly, suddenly copsed to the floor.


    Nienna lifted Juan up in a state of panic.


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡±


    Juan tried to continue speaking, but he couldn¡¯t even see clearly. He had a massive headache and his limbs refused to move ording to his will. His tongue felt like it was freezing.


    Amidst his blurring consciousness, the voices of the people calling out his name could be heard.


    ***


    ¡°...A cold?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Say that again. Did you actually say that he has a cold? His Majesty has caught a cold?¡±


    ¡°Yes. He has a terrible fever. I think he has been sick for a long time¡­ you might have felt that he was burning hot as a ball of fire when you grabbed his hand. But have you really not noticed at all?¡±


    Nienna bit her lips with a perplexed expression upon hearing the words of the doctor who was invited to the Imperial Pce.


    ¡°I did think that his body temperature was a little lower than usual, but¡­ how¡¯s his condition? Is it dangerous?¡± Nienna mumbled and asked.


    ¡°...I¡¯m not sure what his normal body temperature is like, but he would continue to be unconscious for a while if he was a normal human being. I¡¯ve done everything I can for now, so please keep your eye on him and make sure that he isn¡¯t skipping meals. Also, make sure he rests well.¡±


    The doctor stepped back after he finished speaking. Before he left, Nienna grabbed him and opened her mouth with her index finger over her lips.


    ¡°Once again. This has to be¡­¡±


    ¡°This has to be kept a secret, and even my family could be in danger if anyone finds out about it. I think I¡¯ve already heard it at least a hundred times on my way here. And I heard it from a lot of different people. So there is no need to worry, General.¡±


    The doctor patted himself on the chest with an exhausted expression on his face.


    ¡°My son is a soldier. When I heard that he was being drafted by Barth Baltic to fight against the returning emperor, I thought he would eithere back dead or at least be crippled. But he came back safe and alive. So how could I betray His Majesty, who was so benevolent?¡±


    Nienna nodded.


    The doctor bowed and headed out of the Imperial Pce. After watching the doctor leave, Nienna entered the room once again.


    Inside the room was Ivy who was sitting alone.


    Nienna looked around at the surroundings and asked.


    ¡°Where did everyone else go?¡±


    ¡°Miss Heretia kicked all of them out when she heard that His Majesty had a cold. Captain Pavan went to check the status of the Imperial Guards, and Sir Horhell went to check on Mr. Haild. As for Miss Heretia, as far as I know, she went to crack down on the nobles,¡± Ivy answered.


    ¡°I see that you naturally took on the burden.¡±


    Nienna sat down face to face with Ivy in front of Juan.


    Meanwhile, Ivy quietly looked down at Juan.


    ¡°I was given the most important job.¡±


    Nienna nodded and looked down at Juan¡¯s face, which was red with fever. Juan¡¯s shallow groans reminded Nienna of the time right after his battle with Barth Baltic. As always, Juan¡¯s weak appearance felt quite unfamiliar to her.


    Nienna slowly reached out and ced her hand on Juan¡¯s forehead. He looked much morefortable when Nienna¡¯s cold hand cooled him down. Upon seeing this sight, Nienna opened her mouth again.


    ¡°Can¡¯t I just freeze him like this?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go and grab a new wet towel.¡±


    When Ivy quickly stood up from her seat, Nienna shook her head, causing Ivy to sit back down.


    ¡°I was just joking. Sit down.¡±


    Ivy looked relieved.


    Then, Nienna mumbled as she rubbed Juan¡¯s forehead.


    ¡°It¡¯s rather fortunate that Anya is only arrivingter.¡±


    ¡°Anya¡­ are you talking about the Captain of the Order of Huginn?¡± Ivy asked.


    ¡°Yes. If she was here, she would have been crying and hanging on to Dad¡¯s feet. It would have taken a lot of effort to get her off of Dad. No¡ªshe might even go and try to kill Gerard right away.¡±


    Ivy shook her head as she imagined such a scene. Just imagining it gave her a headache.


    ¡°It¡¯s a relief that he seems to just have a cold. When he was stabbed by Barth Baltic¡¯s horns before, I almost handed His Majesty over to the hands of the enemy without even knowing what the cause was.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes. I heard that Dame Sina helped His Majesty at that time.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the one. But¡­ she¡¯s not here right now.¡±


    Nienna grinned and bent down toward Ivy.


    ¡°I could feel that Dad was avoiding bringing up Sina¡¯s name. Ivy, will you tell me what happened?¡±

 Chapter 233 – Juan Calberg (2)

    <h4>Chapter 233 ¨C Juan Calberg (2)</h4>


    Pavan stood in front of the railing and watched the spring rain that was falling over the holy city of Torra.


    Despite the beginning of spring as well as the news of the returning emperor¡¯s victory, most of the Torra was shrouded in a strangely quiet atmosphere.


    No matter how much the Imperial Pce tried to stop the news from spreading, secret rumors that couldn¡¯t be stopped had started circting around the city. The rumors said that the emperor who had returned from the West was critically injured.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you cold, Captain Pavan?¡±


    Pavan turned his head toward the voice. Heretia was approaching him on crutches with an umbre in her hand.


    ¡°It seems like you¡¯ve gotten used to using the crutches now, Miss Heretia.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I think I¡¯ll be able to stand up without crutches as long as I¡¯m not moving around. I can probably even use my crutches to hit someone too,¡± Heretia said as she raised her crutch and shook it.


    Pavan silently smiled at Heretia.


    Heretia, who had limped on her crutches and approached the railing, turned her gaze to where Pavan had been looking earlier.


    ¡°The rain has melted all the snow. Winter really must being to an end,¡± Heretia said


    ¡°I still think it¡¯s too early to sow the seeds, though,¡± Pavan answered.


    ¡°Whether the seeds are sowed or not, spring is still spring only when flowers bloom and snow melts.¡±


    Pavan looked back at Heretia. Heretia had taken her eyes off Torra before he knew it and was staring at him. Pavan clicked his tongue in the face of her ufortably blunt gaze.


    ¡°If you have something to say, you can go ahead and tell me, Miss Heretia.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just that there are a lot of rumors going around in Torra these days.¡±


    ¡°Are you talking about the rumors about His Majesty being ill? But you know that we can¡¯t hide that forever. People tend to find out no matter how hard we try to keep it a secret. All I can do is to prevent the leakage of details about His Majesty¡¯s health conditions.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s more than that. There¡¯s another rumor that always follows the one you just said.¡±


    Pavan grinned as if he knew exactly what rumor Heretia was talking about.


    ¡°Do you mean the rumors about the sessor or the treason?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯re that different from each other, Captain Pavan. I¡¯ve noticed that your name has been mentioned quite a bit, not to mention that the Imperial Army is on high alert. Besides, you have a history of quite a few masters before.¡±


    ¡°You doubt my loyalty, Miss Heretia. But I won¡¯t say much. As you have said, it is true that I have served three different masters. Yet I¡¯ve always been loyal to all those superiors. I have never rebelled against any of General Barth Baltic¡¯s decisions, nor have I ever raised my sword against the Pope. Simrly, I have never rejected His Majesty¡¯s orders either, have I?¡±


    ¡°Are you suggesting that I should think of you as nothing more than just a sword that is following His Majesty¡¯s will?¡±


    ¡°I would appreciate it if you could. I mean, the Imperial Army is simply a sword that is swung by whoever leads them. What does it matter where the tip of the sword is aimed at? Even if His Majesty has lost his power and is unconscious on his sickbed, the emperor is still the emperor. I have no intention of denying that. But¡­¡±


    Pavan leaned against the pir with his arms crossed. He stared at Heretia and continued to speak.


    ¡°¡­if His Majesty ends up passing away, I don¡¯t think there will be any candidates better than me.¡±


    Heretia red at Pavan. What Pavan had said was true. It was because Heretia knew that Pavan was the best candidate that she had been wary of him. After all, at the moment there was no other outstanding figure in the empire except Pavan who could dominate the Imperial Army.


    There was Nienna, but there was no way she would leave the North and choose to stay in the Capital. There was no point in even considering Anya as a candidate, since she was suitable to be a ruler. Even Heretia herself had little connection with the military.


    ¡°But that does not mean that I¡¯m praying for His Majesty to pass away. We may not be able to see it in front of our eyes right now, but we are facing a pretty dangerous threat,¡± Pavan said.


    ¡°...Are you talking about Gerard Gain?¡±


    ¡°I am.¡±


    Heretia imagined Gerard Gain appearing in Torra. If Gerard Gain appeared with the power of a god and dered himself to be the emperor in a stately manner, then the people of the empire would surely be perplexed. However, they would soon be attracted by his familiar image.


    Even if Juan regained his consciousness, he wouldn¡¯t be able to fight back at that time.


    ¡°What if Gerard Gain demands loyalty from you while dering himself the emperor? Would you be loyal to Gerard Gain since he would be the new emperor?¡± Heretia asked in a sharp voice.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know. Do I even have a choice? If I did, it would be hard to ept Gerard Gain¡¯s request. I¡¯ll try to do my best to kill him first.¡±


    Heretia looked surprised upon hearing Pavan¡¯s unexpected answer. Gerard Gain¡¯s presence had be overwhelming now¡ªat least from what she¡¯s heard so far. If Gerard dered himself the emperor and won the support of the people, it would only be natural for him to officially be the emperor. Even the soldiers of the Imperial Army would falter.


    But Pavan was choosing to resist Gerard Gain.


    Heretia looked at Pavan with suspicious eyes.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re lying, but tell me why?¡±


    Pavan grinned and opened his mouth; it was as if he was asking Heretia why she was asking such an obvious question.


    ¡°I want to know how far and high I can go. But what can I do if a presence that will rule all the humans equally forever suddenly appears above me? I would have no choice but to live the life of an average person for the rest of my life. I hate equality.¡±


    Heretia red at Pavan with a contemptuous look upon hearing his ridiculous answer.


    Meanwhile, Pavan chuckled as if he found her expression to be funny.


    ¡°In that sense, I really like His Majesty as he is now, since he refuses to rule forever.¡±


    ***


    Juan shed the face of the enemy rushing toward him.


    However, the enemy had no face.


    ¡®<i>No, did he?</i>¡¯


    The pouring rain soaked his body. The heavy rain made it hard for Juan to even breathe properly, and he felt as if he would have to grow gills.


    ¡®<i>I wish I had fins instead of feet.</i>¡¯


    Juan couldn¡¯t feel any warmth from the bodies he was stepping on. None of the enemies had a face, but that didn¡¯t really matter.


    ¡®<i>Next¡­ Next¡­</i>¡¯


    The area below Juan¡¯s feet had already be covered withyers andyers of corpses.


    At that moment, the next enemy came running toward him.


    Juan once again swung his sword to cut the face of the enemy running toward him. However, once again the enemy had no face.


    ¡®<i>No wait, did he?</i>¡¯


    At that moment, Juan felt utterly strange, realizing that he had been having the same thought over and over again.


    Then, the next enemy came rushing toward him.


    This time, Juan paused for a moment instead of directly swinging his sword.


    Meanwhile, the enemy swung the knife in his hand to cut Juan, but the tip of the enemy¡¯s knife couldn¡¯t reach Juan at all.


    Seeing this, Juan kicked the enemy in the chest and knocked him down. However, the enemy in front of him still had no face.


    Juan roughly rubbed his eyes to clear his vision and then looked straight at his opponent.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    However, the one who asked this question was one of the faceless opponents, not Juan.


    Juan felt perplexed.


    ¡®<i>Shouldn¡¯t I be the one to ask the question? Is the enemy attacking me without even knowing who I am?</i>¡¯


    Juan opened his mouth to answer, but soon closed it.


    ¡®<i>Who am I? Juan? Qzatquizail? The monster? The Emperor? Who am I fighting with right now?</i>¡¯


    ***


    ¡°So your name is Juan now?¡± the girl asked.


    Juan nkly stared at her face for a while. Only after he heard the girl repeat her question did he manage to nod his head.


    The girl grinned and ced a slice of bread on Juan¡¯s empty te.


    Juan looked around at his surroundings. It was no longer raining. There were no more corpses piling up inyers, nor were there any faceless enemies. He was in a house¡ªa warm house where the fire of the stove burned and gave off warmth.


    Inside the house were only Juan and the girl.


    Then, Juan inadvertently remembered some of his extremely old memories. It was the worst, yet also the mostfortable time of his life.


    The girl continued speaking while scooping out adle of soup and ced the bowl in front of Juan.


    ¡°That¡¯s great. To be honest with you, I didn¡¯t really like your name very much.¡±


    ¡°...Is that so?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°A child of Gain vige in the Gerard Valley. It¡¯s a random name, almost as if its sole purpose is to mark your birthce. It¡¯s like naming a dog <i>Spotty</i> just because it has spots, or <i>Fluffy</i> just because it has fluffy fur. I know that¡¯s how they usually name orphans, but even the man living next door named his old dog Gerard.¡±


    ¡°He had a dog?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but he beat the dog to death just because he got bit in the leg. Anyway, that¡¯s the reason why I hated your name.¡±


    Juan could understand why she hated his name upon hearing her reasons. But the matter of his name was irrelevant to Juan. On the contrary, Juan even felt that it was rather strange that the girl cared so much about names.


    ¡°Hey, didn¡¯t I tell you something more important before I told you I changed my name?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°Oh, didn¡¯t you say that you¡¯re gonna be ¡®the emperor¡¯ or something? But what even is the emperor?¡± the girl asked as she sat across from Juan.


    Juan pondered for a moment and then opened his mouth.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know either. What is the emperor?¡±


    ¡°They didn¡¯t tell you? You know, the old grannies from that group called Aruntal or whatever.¡±


    ¡°I forgot. I¡¯ll have to ask them again tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t have been something important, considering that you forgot about it. But I do like how they gave you a new name. I think it¡¯s a good name. Now, let¡¯s have dinner.¡±


    Juan nodded, and then he dipped the bread in the soup and ced it in his mouth. He had a hard time swallowing the bread; he felt like he had forgotten something important.


    The girl who was looking into Juan¡¯s troubled face opened her mouth.


    ¡°Are you sure that those people aren¡¯t suspicious? I heard that there are a lot of bastards who pick up orphans and sell them to the mines.¡±


    ¡°They said that they would teach me how to use swords and magic. It was my first time seeing a real magician, you know. Oh, I also saw an elf swordsman. It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll just run away again if they seem to be swindlers,¡± Juan answered.


    ¡°That¡¯s true. Ordinary swindlers wouldn¡¯t visit the vige in such an open way just to catch a few orphans. Even the chief couldn¡¯t say anything to them. Hmm, you might be talented with swordsmanship, since you¡¯re quite strong. But I don¡¯t think you would be able to use magic that well, considering how stupid you are.¡±


    ¡°Hey! I¡¯m not stupid.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just once or twice that you¡¯ve been deceived by swindlers. You¡¯ve been taken away by them several times, since you are strong enough to work in the mines.¡±


    ¡°I was only ever tricked by them once. The other three times only happened because I went there to rescue the other kids who were taken¡­¡±


    ¡°The fact that you went out of your way to save them three times is proof enough that you¡¯re stupid. If I were you, I would have just broken the swindlers¡¯ limbs from the very beginning. That way, they would havee to their senses and stopped taking the kids. Thanks to you, I had to follow you out as well,¡± the girlined.


    The swindlers had never visited the vige again ever since the time the girl followed Juan. Juan didn¡¯t know what the girl had done, but for some reason, the adults in the vige began to avoid her after the incident.


    The girl¡¯s position was quite unique in the vige. It didn¡¯t seem like she was working, but she never suffered from poverty. She wasn¡¯t that old, but she was living on her own. There had been countless rumors that she was either the illegitimate child of a noble or that she was a person of mixed race born between a human and a member of some heterogenous race.


    However, there was no basis for such rumors anywhere.


    ¡°Anyway, adults who don''t listen should be educated even if it means punishing them. Peoples¡¯ ears get clogged as they age, so using words to teach them is no good.¡±


    ¡°But you beat me and the others even though we are young,¡± Juanined.


    ¡°That¡¯s not beating. If you don¡¯t bleed or suffer from broken bones, that¡¯s just me patting you guys. Besides, you recover quickly even if you end up breaking a bone or two. But Gerard¡ªno, I guess I should call you Juan now. I¡¯ll have to get used to it. Juan, Juan, Juan.¡±


    The girl, who repeatedly called out Juan¡¯s name several times, coughed in vain and went on.


    ¡°But Juan, you have to be careful when you beat someone. After all, even most adults are weaker than you.¡±


    ¡°They are weaker than me?¡± Juan asked back.


    ¡°Yes. They might die if you hit them too hard. Hmm, maybe you don¡¯t have to worry too much, since the grannies from that group called Auruntal said that they would teach you how to use swords. Stabbing someone is less likely to kill them rather than beating them.¡±


    ¡°They said that they would teach me magic too.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t expect too much though. I heard that only smart people can learn magic. But you can¡¯t even write letters yet.¡±


    Juan felt a little discouraged, but he thought that the girl was right.


    The girl stared at Juan¡¯s face in silence. After pondering for a while, she dipped her finger into a ss of water and began to write something on the table.


    Soon, letters began to appear on the dry wooden table.


    ¡°Can you read what it says?¡± the girl asked.


    Juan only stared at the letters and did not answer the girl.


    Seeing this, the girl continued to talk as if it wasn¡¯t a big deal.


    ¡°Those Aruntal grannies will probably teach you how to write as well. Remember what these letters look like, and try reading them when you learn to understand them. At that time, use that name if you wish to meet me again.¡±


    ¡°Name?¡±


    The girl smiled faintly and nodded.


    ¡°It¡¯s my name. Not the name you know of, but my <i>real?</i>name,¡± the girl answered.


    The girl looked down at her name without saying a word, and soon rubbed it away with her sleeve as if it wasn¡¯t that important. The letters were smudged in an instant.


    ¡°That was nonsense. Just forget it. Let¡¯s eat some bread.¡±


    Juan nkly recalled the letters in his head. The girl thought that Juan would not be able to read the letters, but Juan could actually read them.


    Juan thought that this was only natural, since this situation was not real but just a memory.


    Juan muttered the name to himself in his head.


    ¡®<i>ine Elliot.</i>¡¯

 Chapter 234 – Juan Calberg (3)

    <h4>Chapter 234 ¨C Juan Calberg (3)</h4>


    A faceless enemy once again appeared before Juan¡¯s eyes. The enemy¡¯s white face cracked open, and a loud roar came out of the mouth that was revealed.


    Juan, who had been eating bread in a warm house until just a moment ago, raised his sword with a displeased expression.


    He couldn''t figure out why he had such a dream, but that didn¡¯t matter to him.


    He was more used to a life of ughtering his enemies under the rain while being drenched in their blood rather than a life of eating warm soup in afortable house anyway.


    ¡°Ahhhhhhh!¡±


    The moment Juan tried to swing the sword with a loud shout, his head was cut off by a knife swung by the faceless enemy. Juan could see his body swirling around without the top of his head.


    Juan stared nkly at the scene until his bodypletely copsed to the ground.


    The faceless enemy swung his knife toward the ground and sshed the blood stuck to the de, then soon went looking for another enemy.


    Juan¡¯s head sat quietly on the ground and watched the scenes being repeated over and over. He had many questions, but he couldn¡¯t say a single word; after all, the area below his nose was cut off by the enemy.


    Juan began to feel frustrated.


    ¡®<i>Who the hell are they?</i>¡¯


    Soon, this question raised another question.


    ¡®<i>And why are they fighting like that?</i>¡¯


    In the next moment, Juan was standing before he knew it. He was confused upon realizing that his view had suddenly elevated, but he couldn¡¯t afford to think about it any further; he saw another enemy rushing toward him.


    When Juan was about to raise his sword once again, he hesitated when he saw the enemy¡¯s white and in face. Juan felt his own face without even realizing it.


    His face was also in with no eyes, nose, or mouth.


    While Juan was perplexed by the fact that he didn¡¯t have a face either, the enemy instantly struck Juan¡¯s neck and threw him away.


    Juan began to ponder.


    ¡®<i>Why was I even born if I was just going to die in vain like this? For what? Did I juste back to life to die once again?</i>¡¯


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not true.¡±


    Someone lifted Juan¡¯s head from the ground. Then, they turned Juan¡¯s head and made eye contact with him.


    He could see the girl was softly smiling at him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think too much, Juan. Just think about who you are.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Not bad. You look much better than I expected.¡±


    The girl smiled at Juan upon seeing the way he was dressed.


    Aruntal fitted Juan with decent clothes, a sword, and essories that made him look considerably wealthy. Each of those items were carefully made using magic and focused on practicality rather than style. However, all of it looked quite great in the eyes of the boy and girl who had lived without even proper pieces of clothing.


    ¡°I guess the grannies from the group called Aruntal are not swindlers after all. But, for some reason, seeing them work so hard for you is making me feel nervous. So, where are they taking you?¡± the girl asked.


    ¡°They said that for now we will be going around here and there to study.¡±


    Juan unbuttoned his clothes as he didn¡¯t like the tight sleeves. He had only been bearing the ufortableness to show his new look to the girl, but he had no reason to keep wearing them since the girl had seen him now.


    ¡°And they also told me that I will be fighting some very bad guys. That¡¯s why they are teaching me swordsmanship and magic,¡± Juan added.


    The girl remained silent for a moment as she imagined Juan, who was shorter than herself, fighting against someone. She found it hard to imagine such a ridiculous scene, but the girl had already seen Juan do ridiculous things several times.


    ¡°I see. Knowing you, you should be able to do well. You aren¡¯t scared or anything?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m scared. But¡­¡± Juan looked at the girl with eyes filled with hesitation. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know when I will be able toe back after I leave this time. It would be nice if you coulde with me.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that, Juan. There will always be people who need you everywhere.¡±


    The girl reached out her hand and hugged Juan tightly.


    ¡°If Aruntal asks you to fight, and you really do end up encountering things that you think are bad¡­,¡± the girl went on in a calm voice. ¡°¡­then don¡¯t hesitate to destroy them, no matter the means. There are a lot of people in the world who will never learn even if you teach them for years. But Juan, you have to keep this in mind: The world is much weaker than you think. If you squeeze it a little too hard, most of the things will end up breaking.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? What if I identally break the people who are not bad?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°If you do something wrong, you will have to ask for forgiveness. But you won¡¯t make a mistake, Juan. There are far too many bad guys in the world anyway.¡±


    ¡°What if the bad guy is stronger than me?¡±


    ¡°Then run away. It¡¯s not a bad thing to run away when you need to. If you run away and have nowhere to go, thene find me. I¡¯ll be waiting for you.¡±


    ¡°Then what if I can¡¯t run away? What if I <i>have?</i>to fight?¡±


    ¡°Then fight,¡± the girl hugged Juan and whispered in his ear. ¡°If you have to fight, then go out and fight. If you end up dying, then I promise to give birth to a child and give him the same name as yours. Then, you will be born once again. Wherever you are and whatever you do, I¡¯ll always be there for you. I promise to bring you back to the world.¡±


    Juan was relieved upon hearing the girl¡¯s firm words. Even if he were to run away or end up dying, he had a ce toe back. There was someone who believed in him, no matter what. As long as she was alive in the world, anywhere Juan went would be good enough to be a resting ce.


    Only then was Juan able to leave without any concerns.


    But the moment Juan turned around, an endless crowd stood in front of him. All of them were different in shape and size, but all of them had one thing inmon¡ªthey all had in white faces.


    Juan gasped at the sight. He looked back in a hurry, but the girl was nowhere to be found. All he could see was an infinite battlefield filled with enemies.


    Then, the faceless enemies asked Juan a question.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°I am¡­ I am the emperor.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s nothing more than a title. Didn¡¯t Harmon tell you before that you¡¯re just an extremely strong killer if you¡¯re not wearing a crown?¡±


    ¡°I am¡­ the god of humans.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to continue to dance to another person¡¯s beat? Until when? Until all the humans end up dead?¡±


    ¡°I am¡­ I am¡­ Qzatquizail?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just a name and it means nothing. That¡¯s no different from calling yourself a living thing. You idiot, you still don¡¯t even know who you are. The reason why you were brought back to life is neither that you¡¯re the emperor, a god, or Qzatquizail. You weren¡¯t born for the sake of revenge and you weren¡¯t born for the sake ofpletion. Those who decide what you are were not the Aruntal, nor the people of the empire, and it¡¯s definitely not Gerard Gain either. You are here to repay the faith people had in you. So, let me ask you again. Who are you?¡±


    ¡°I am...¡±


    For a moment, Juan felt a burning thirst and a tearful sadness, making him unable to answer the question.


    ¡®<i>What even is the point of answering this question? ine is a person from the distant past, and even Sina, the only one who gave my life value after ine, has already died.</i>¡¯


    At that moment, the firm foothold beneath him disappeared, and there was only a dark and deep sea left beneath Juan¡¯s feet.


    However, at that moment, Juan suddenly felt a stream of mes burning inside the deep sea. It was a terribly small spark that could be extinguished at any moment. Juan realized that this tiny spark had existed since the very beginning and had now finally set off a me.


    This me was whispering to Juan.


    ¡®<i>Help me, Your Majesty. I find this adversity to be too unbearable.</i>¡¯


    ¡°No, it is not the emperor who will save you.¡±


    Juan tightly clenched his teeth and responded to the me.


    ¡°I¡¯m the one who will save you, Sina Solvane. It is I, Juan Calberg!¡±


    ***


    Suddenly, Juan opened his eyes.


    Nienna, Heretia, and the others who were sitting around Juan looked at him with surprised eyes.


    Meanwhile, Juan rubbed his eyes and looked around at his surroundings. The rainy season seemed to be over as the sunshine was pouring into the room through the window.


    Juan figured that he must have been asleep for quite a while.


    ¡°Your Majesty¡­? Are you awake?¡±


    Nienna was the first person to open her mouth with difficulty. Juan couldn''t understand why Nienna was talking to him like that all of a sudden.


    Everyone was looking at Juan with a perplexed expression; he looked quite curious.


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m all right.¡±


    Juan answered in a calm voice, then he suddenly closed his mouth. An unfamiliar voice wasing out of his mouth¡ªno, in fact, it was a voice that he was somewhat familiar with until about half a year ago.


    Juan looked down at his own hands. His hands were too delicate and small to even hold a sword. When he lifted the nket, he noticed that his limbs were much shorter and thinner than before.


    Juan red around him with a displeased expression. Only now did he understand why everyone¡¯s expressions looked weird.


    ¡°I have once again be young,¡± Juan mutteredmentably.


    Among those standing by his sickbed, Heretia was the only one who had seen Juan when he looked a little younger. But he was now even younger than what he looked like when Heretia first saw him. He looked to be about nine years old, simr to the time when he just left Tantil.


    Heretia looked like she was about to burst intoughter at any moment, but the rest of the people looked like they didn¡¯t know what to say.


    ¡°It¡¯s probably because my mana level has decreased drastically. It may have been too burdensome to maintain an adult form due to ack of mana. Let me warn all of you in advance.¡±


    Juan frowned and red at the others.


    ¡°I won¡¯t let anyoneugh or make a stupid joke about me.¡±


    Everyone looked breathless upon hearing such serious remarks being made by a Juan who looked like a nine-year-old.


    Eventually, Pavan kicked out the door and a quietughter came from outside.


    While Juan was determined to kill Pavan with his own hands, Nienna approached Juan with a serious look.


    ¡°Dad.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t. I don¡¯t know what you want to do, but just don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Can I pat you on the head just once?¡±


    Juan thought that such a request was utterly nonsensical. He had a hunch that he would have to allow Heretia to do so as well if he were to allow Nienna.


    Juan shook off Nienna¡¯s hand like a sensitive cat as she tried to approach him.


    ¡°Now is not the time to do this! We don¡¯t know what Gerard is up to right now even at this very moment!¡±


    When Juan shouted as if he was angry, Nienna stepped back as if she couldn¡¯t help it. She could not start internal strife just to pat Juan on the head at a time like this, especially since the empire could copse at any moment.


    Nienna held back her desires and Juan barely managed to escape the threat.


    ¡°How many days have I been asleep for? Any reports about Gerard¡¯s whereabouts?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what Gerard is up to, but he hasn¡¯t shown any particr movement. Oh, but we did get a message from Opert. It was sent as a ciphertext, but Heretia was able to solve it,¡± Nienna answered.


    ¡°Opert sent a message?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It was a message saying that Dane is still alive. Apparently, he is in a city called Riol near the North.¡±


    Juan had used a little trick and let Opert stay inside Aruntal as a spy. Juan couldn¡¯t tell if Opert was able to be a core member of Aruntal, but he figured that Opert had been able to reach a considerably high position.


    Juan pondered for a moment and then opened his mouth.


    ¡°Sina is alive.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Nienna asked back.


    ¡°I definitely felt her power¡ªthe essence I gave her is still burning.¡±


    Juan didn¡¯t know what had happened, but he had clearly felt that Sina was alive.


    Meanwhile, Nienna and Heretia looked at each other with perplexed expressions.


    ¡°I see. That¡¯s why¡­¡± Nienna murmured.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°Well¡­ you said something before you woke up, Dad.¡±


    Juan looked at Nienna with anxious eyes.


    ¡°What you said was: ¡¯I¡¯m the one who will save you, Sina Solvane. It is¡­¡¯¡±


    ¡°Stop. I know what I said, so stop.¡±


    Juanid face down with a painful expression. He even felt the urge to die all over again.


    ¡®<i>I definitely thought of a very important memory, but I didn¡¯t expect to wish to die as soon as I woke up.</i>¡¯


    However, Juan had to forget about the painful memories and do what was important. If Sina was alive, he had to go find her. It would be only natural to run into those that were supporting Gerard, since it was Gerard who had taken Sina.


    Juan also had to prepare for what Dane might do. Time was scarce and resources were limited.


    Then, Juan inadvertently recalled that Anya had not yet arrived before he lost consciousness.


    ¡°Come to think of it, what happened to the Order of Huginn? Have they still not arrived?¡±


    ¡°Oh, there was a reason why the Order of Huginn waste. I was going to tell you, but Anya went to grab that thing¡­¡±


    ¡°That thing? What thing?¡±


    At that moment, the door burst open and Anya appeared. Anya looked at Juan with tearful eyes, and then jumped into the sickbed and hugged Juan.


    ¡°Your Majesty! Thank goddess you woke up!¡±


    ¡°Enough¡­¡± Juan said.


    While Juan was also happy to see Anya again, he did not like this kind of close physical contact.


    But Anya only hugged Juan even more tightly while crying loudly.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe that you¡¯ve be so cute once again in the time we haven¡¯t seen each other! This just makes me not want to give you what I have brought!¡±


    ¡°I said enough, Anya. If you say that one more time, I will take back the ring I gave you.¡±


    ¡°Really? Would you still say that after seeing what I have brought?¡±


    Anya pretended to make a sad expression and took something out of the pocket around her waist.


    Juan tried to push Anya away, but stopped moving as soon as he saw what Anya had taken out of her pocket.


    For a moment, he felt like hugging and kissing Anya no matter what nonsense she said.


    ¡°It¡¯s the cloned heart of Mananen McLeir that Captain Ras made!¡±

 Chapter 235 – Earthquake (1)

    <h4>Chapter 235 ¨C Earthquake (1)</h4>


    Sina could see something.


    To be precise, she thought that she saw something, but she wasn''t sure if she really did.


    Sina staggered to her feet. It was difficult for her to raise herself up; she felt extremely drowsy and exhausted.


    Her surroundings were filled with ck rocks, and everywhere Sina stepped on there were grains of soil that were ckish purple in color.


    Sina¡¯s first thought upon feeling the gentle and lukewarm wind that was blowing slowly from the outside of the cave was that she was in the underworld. But the sensation of the rock she felt in her hand, as well as the strange scent flowing into the cave gave her a sense of realism.


    Just when Sina was about to step out of the cave in a daze, she almost fell due to her unfamiliar depth perception. Only then did Sina realize that her left eye had returned to its original state.


    The scar was still unchanged, but her eyeball was well positioned in her eye socket, which used to be hollow.


    Sina realized that she was still alive only after she touched the wound around her eye.


    ¡®<i>What happened?</i>¡¯


    Thest thing Sina could remember was Dismas looking like a monster. She had never considered that she would be able to survive in such a devastating situation.


    ¡®<i>No¡­ If I was lucky enough, someone might have rescued me while I was unconscious.</i>¡¯


    But if this really was the case, it was unknown why someone would hide Sina in such a strange cave.


    Then Sina inadvertently recalled that Lenly had blocked her attack.


    ¡®<i>Lenly!</i>¡¯


    Sina¡¯s heart began to thump upon remembering the situation. She stumbled, but walked forward one step at a time by step.


    ¡®<i>Lenly betrayed all of us. I need to tell Juan before he¡­</i>¡¯


    As soon as she stepped outside, Sina closed her eyes due to the bright light that suddenly assaulted her. It was only after a long time that Sina¡¯s eyes began to get used to the light. For a moment, she wondered if it was daytime, but then she realized that the light was not being shone from above.


    Instead, the light wasing from the bottom.


    The light was radiating brightly from within a huge valley in front of Sina¡¯s eyes. Meanwhile, the purple night sky didn¡¯t have a single star, and gave off a grotesque atmosphere.


    The size of the valley that was emanating the light was enormous. The other side of the valley was cloudy; it was as if the world had been split in half, making it so that Sina couldn¡¯t even see properly.


    Then, Sina saw someone standing right in front of the valley.


    ¡°Juan..? Is that¡­¡±


    Sina was just about to call out Juan¡¯s name upon seeing the familiar figure, but she quickly closed her mouth when she noticed the color of the opponent¡¯s hair was unlike Juan¡¯s ck hair.


    The man slowly turned his head upon hearing Sina¡¯s voice. He had the same face as Juan.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake,¡± the man opened his mouth when he saw Sina.


    Sina only knew of one person who had the same face as Juan, but had blonde hair instead of ck.


    ¡°Gerard. Gerard Gain¡­¡±


    But she could not believe her eyes¡ªshe couldn¡¯t understand what in the world had happened while she was unconscious.


    ¡°So you know me. I know you as well, Sina Solvane.¡±


    Sina looked at Gerard with suspicious eyes.


    Meanwhile, Gerard pulled down his long cloak and simply looked down at the valley once again.


    Then, Sina inadvertently realized that she still had a sword hanging from her waist. Not only did she still have her short sword, but even the rest of her armor was also intact. Although there were some holes in her clothes here and there, she did not have a single wound.


    ¡°If you¡¯re going to attack me, I rmend you to try it in a more normal condition than now,¡± Gerard murmured.


    Sina did not reply. Despite being armed, Sina knew that she was not in a state where she could attack anyone yet¡ªespecially if the opponent was none other than Gerard Gain.


    She had heard countless stories about Gerard¡¯s valiant achievements. If even half of those rumors were true, then there was no way Sina had a chance of winning against him.


    Sina turned her head in the opposite direction. The warm wind blowing from the valley was so moist that it almost felt sticky. Various types of moss that could rarely ever be seen seemed to be creating their own ecosystem, but there were no tall trees to be found.


    After looking around, Sina found a mountain covered with white ice caps. It was above the cave that she came out of; there were not many ces in the empire where one could find ice caps.


    ¡°Where¡­ where am I?¡± Sina asked.


    ¡°Walls of Nulvin,¡± Gerard replied briefly in a calm manner.


    Sina looked surprised to hear the name of a famous location that she had only seen on the map. The end of the empire¡¯s territory was usually referred to as the boundary, but the areas beyond the boundaries had been explored to some extent and also had some people living there.


    However, the Walls of Nulvin was a ce that was called the stnd,¡¯ even though it was located within the boundary. This was because nothing more was known about the area. This was thest patch ofnd that humans could reach, and beyond the Walls was only darkness.


    ¡°This mountain range has already been sucked into the Crack. This is basically the front line of this copsing word,¡± Gerard exined.


    ¡°What are you trying to do here?¡±


    Gerard continued to silently look into the valley in response to Sina¡¯s question.


    Sina hesitated for a moment, but soon approached Gerard to look down the cliff from beside him. The inside of the valley was a mysterious space¡ªa space where one could only see a faint light and purple stones that were floating around.


    Sina looked at the lights; for some unknown reason, they got on her nerves.


    Then, she suddenly found something.


    ¡°...Huh?¡±


    Sina couldn¡¯t tell if what she saw was right. Beyond the hazy lighting from the Crack, something was slowly moving, almost as if it was pulsating.


    Sina¡¯s eyes widened, but that thing soon became invisible as it was swarmed by white light.


    Based on what she saw, Sina had a feeling that they might be safe for now.


    The Crack still seemed to be too narrow for ¡®that¡¯ toe out.


    ***


    ¡°This looks much better.¡±


    Juan stood in the garden of the Imperial Pce and stretched out his arms.


    Fortunately, Juan was able to return to his original height, allowing him to once again properly use his sword without feeling ufortable.


    Although it had only been a short amount of time, some people felt both a sense of relief and sadness at the sight of Juan returning to his original appearance.


    Nienna was mainly on the side of feeling sadness.


    ¡°It would have been fine to take time and proceed step by step,¡± Nienna murmured.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I don¡¯t think so,¡± Juan said.


    ¡°I¡¯m only saying this because I feel like everything happened far too quickly. The item that we were dealing with was none other than Mananen McLeir¡¯s heart, albeit a clone of it. I think we have used it too wastefully.¡±


    Mananen McLeir¡¯s cloned heart was absorbed by Juan. Back in the day, after being transnted with it, Juan had used Mananen McLeir¡¯s heart like an infinite mana pump. However, at this moment, Juan didn¡¯t have a strong enough vitality to attempt such a precarious method.


    Instead, Juan decided that he would use the cloned heart as a single-use item, but increased the mana capacity to an extreme extent. No one besides Juan knew to what extent the mana capacity was increased, but this allowed Juan to regain his original appearance instantly.


    In other words, while Juan would no longer be able to recover the mana he used up after this, he managed to restore it to the level it used to be before it was stolen by Gerard.


    However, Nienna seemed to be unsatisfied with this.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it have been better to transnt the heart and use it as a mana source, even if it took a little time?¡± Nienna asked.


    ¡°I do not have enough time to check the stability of such a method, nor do I have anyone to assist me with the transnt. The power of the Crown isn¡¯t the same as it used to be either. Above all else, we don¡¯t know when and how Gerard will move,¡± Juan exined.


    Nienna nodded.


    ¡°Well, Anya did dedicate it to you. So it¡¯s entirely up to you how you decide to use it, Dad.¡±


    ¡°Yes. But, this means that I¡¯ll have to save as much of my strength as I can when I fight from now on.¡±


    The fact that Juan could no longer recover the mana he used up meant that he only had one chance. But this didn¡¯t matter to Juan¡ªit was highly doubtful whether Gerard would even give Juan a second chance anyway.


    ¡°The fight against Gerard is not going to be a battle of strength anyway. I¡¯m no match for him when ites to a battle of strength.¡±


    ¡°Then how are you going to win against him? Use the memories of love and friendship?¡±


    Juan smiled upon hearing Nienna¡¯s words.


    ¡°That¡¯s an option¡­ but there¡¯s one thing that came to my mind while I was unconscious. That might just be able to solve the problem.¡±


    ¡°And what is that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a little hard to exin in words. Also, I don¡¯t think you¡¯d like it if you heard it.¡±


    Nienna looked at Juan with suspicious eyes.


    ¡°If it¡¯s something like a suicide n, I swear I will¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not anything like that, so don¡¯t worry. Even if it was a suicide n, I highly doubt it would solve the problem.¡±


    Nienna felt that Juan was deliberately refusing to tell her what his n was. She felt a little anxious, but decided to respect Juan¡¯s judgment for now.


    ¡°So, how are you going to find Gerard, Dad?¡±


    Juan took a letter out of his pocket. It was a ciphertext sent by Opert.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the letter from Opert? Are you going to interrogate Dane or something?¡±


    ¡°Gerard is a project that Dane spent decades working on. Of course, that time may not be so significant to Dane, since he is very old. But the problem is that Gerard is infinitely close to perfection. If Gerard does something reckless with such power, there is no way that Dane would be able to progress his ns ever again. So, I bet he knows where Gerard is.¡±


    ¡°I suppose so¡­ then we¡¯ll have to head to Riol first.¡±


    ¡°We will have to capture and interrogate Dane Dormund first, then go on our way to find Gerard. We need to proceed as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°I agree with your n, but why? Gerard is doing nothing at the moment, so what¡¯s the rush?¡±


    ¡°The fact Gerard isn¡¯t doing anything bothers me even more. Think about it, Nienna. He has seized infinite power after spending decades staying still like a corpse, and can do anything he wants. Don¡¯t you think he would want to do something he has been wanting to do as soon as possible? But Gerard doesn¡¯t seem to be doing anything at all.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. But what if he just wanted to sleep or something?¡±


    ¡°That would be nice, but the possibility of that is very low. I feel like he is trying to make such a huge mess that he needs a long time to prepare, despite having enormous power.¡±


    ¡°A huge mess like what?¡±


    Just about when Juan was about to answer, he suddenly started hearing a buzzing sound from the distance. The moment he was wondering what was going on, a sudden shockwave swept through Juan and Nienna.


    Juan and Nienna managed not to copse and quickly supported themselves by cing their hands on the floor.


    ¡°Is it an earthquake!? At a time like this?¡± Nienna shouted with a perplexed expression.


    A tremendous shockwave shook the entire city of Torra. No matter how powerful anyone was, it was difficult for them to stand still if the surface they were standing on was violently shaken.


    Beyond the walls of the Imperial Pce, screams as well as the sound of a building copsing could be heard. Juan bit his lips. He could take care of a situation where gods or Gerard suddenly appear in front of him, but such a sudden natural disaster wasn¡¯t something he could do anything about.


    Fortunately, Torra was built on solid ground and a majority of the buildings were designed with the possibility of earthquakes in mind, at least to some extent. There were no big concerns since the most dangerous walls to copse would be the walls around the city, but the Golems had the ability to actively maintain bnce.


    The vibrations began to subside before long. Thinking that everything was over, Nienna hurriedly stood up and ran over to the edge of the wall. Despite being well prepared for earthquakes, the damage would be significant considering the intensity of the vibration.


    However, at that moment, Juan shouted.


    ¡°Nienna!¡±


    With a loud sound, the wall copsed in an instant, flinging Nienna into the air.


    An even bigger shockwave swept through Torra.


    Nienna quickly looked around while in the air. Then, she realized the reason Juan had suddenly called out to her was not that he was worried about her. The huge tower that was the Imperial Pce was still shaking from the shock of the earlier earthquake, and was starting to bend; it was as if it was about to break due to the second earthquake.


    Nienna immediately summoned Fenrir. A huge white wolf appeared in the sky above Torra and bit down on the tower, using its mouth to hold out. However, the tower of the Imperial Pce was several timesrger than Fenrir.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    Niennamented the absence of Oberon that she had given to Sina, and used all the mana she had to support Fenrir. Each of Fenrir¡¯s snowke-like hairs stretched out and transformed into huge pirs of ice.


    Thousands of ice pirs were embedded in the copsing tower in just the blink of an eye. Soon, the speed of copse began to decrease.


    Fenrir¡¯s legs were crushed with a grotesque sound, but even those broken fragments turned into pirs, slowly turning Fenrir itself into a huge structure of ice that was supporting the tower.


    But in the end, ice was just ice. Nienna wouldn¡¯t be able tost long.


    ¡°Dad!¡± Nienna screamed.


    Finally, the ice structure failed to hold out any longer and broke down.


    However at that moment, huge giants jumped over toward Fenrir¡ªthree Golems were rushing in.


    Nienna looked back at Juan.


    Juan had managed to move the Golems that were over a hundred meters tall with just a snap of his fingers, using them to ensure that the tower did not copse onto the city.


    Instead of copsing, the tower was instantly destroyed by the Golems, sending debris flying everywhere.


    Fragments of stone scattered everywhere amidst the clouds of dust. There seemed to be no major damage, since theplete copse of the tower had been prevented. However, Juan could guess that there must be quite a lot of casualties.


    Although it was better than the tower copsingpletely, it was still a terrible sight.


    Nienna sighed and looked back at Juan.


    At any other time, Juan would be giving out instructions in a hurry, but today he just stood still, almost as if he was distracted by something.


    However, Nienna didn¡¯t have time to wait patiently for Juan¡¯s instructions.


    ¡°Dad, I will rescue the victims within the Imperial Pce first. You should call the other people andmand the Golems to help repair the damage. Damn it, an earthquake at a time like this¡­¡±


    Nienna was about to run toward the Imperial Pce, but she stopped upon seeing Juan not moving even a single inch. She tried calling out to him again, but realized that something was going on when she saw Juan¡¯s serious face.


    ¡°What is it, Dad? Did you feel something else?¡±


    Juan¡¯s expression was indescribable. Nienna recalled that Juan¡¯s expression wasn¡¯t this serious even when Cainheryars had appeared all over the empire.


    ¡°Come on, tell me. Did something else appear?¡± Nienna asked in an anxious voice.


    ¡°The Crack has just made a move.¡±


    Nienna¡¯s expression hardened.


    Juan slowly looked back at Nienna.


    ¡°This was the shock of the entire world being pushed at the same time. Not only Torra, but by now, the whole empire should have turned into a terrible mess.¡±

 Chapter 236 – Earthquake (2)

    <h4>Chapter 236 ¨C Earthquake (2)</h4>


    It was the start of a deste spring.


    The Imperial Pce became busier than ever due to the reports about disasters urring throughout the empire. The recent disaster caused by the Pope recklessly using Telgramm had been limited to the city of Torra, but this time, the entire empire was facing disasters.


    The empire, which had already been devastated by the sudden appearance of the Cainheryars everywhere, suffered another major bout of damage.


    ¡°We are still detecting aftershocks. They are not big, but still¡­¡± Ivy muttered as she ced a bunch of documents on the desk.


    However, Heretia didn¡¯t even bother to turn her eyes toward the papers that Ivy had just ced down. Behind Heretia, there were countless books and historical materials that were several times greater in volumepared to the documents that Ivy had brought. Of course, Heretia had already read through all of them.


    Heretia and Ivy were currently in the Torra Library.


    Although the library had also suffered damage during the earthquake, none of the books were lost, all thanks to instructions from Juan; he was someone who valued knowledge above all else. The only damage was that the bookshelves copsed and the order of the books had been mixed up.


    Ivy looked around at the cluttered piles of books and opened her mouth.


    ¡°Did His Majesty say that this earthquake was caused by the Crack?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Heretia¡¯s answer was brief. Ivy nodded and tried to leave the library as quietly as she could; she thought that she was interrupting Heretia.


    However, at that moment, Heretia put the book down on the desk. She rubbed her eyes and opened her mouth.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m just a little tired from all the reading.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I understand that you are in charge of something important¡­ I feel bad, since I¡¯m not doing anything,¡± Ivy replied bitterly.


    Ivy was not as strong as any other figures around the emperor, nor was she as smart as Heretia. She was just lucky enough to be chosen for her position. And, the fact that Lenly took advantage of her just made everything worse.


    Due to all this, Ivy had been thinking about leaving Torra. There was no reason for Ivy to stay in Torra now that the Church had disappeared.


    ¡°Huh? What do you mean?¡±


    But Heretia asked back upon hearing Ivy¡¯s words.


    ¡°I can¡¯t be of much help here¡­¡±


    ¡°Um, you¡¯re not exactly wrong Miss Ivy¡­ but you seem to be mistaken about something. Your value is not rted to being strong or smart. It¡¯s nothing like that. Miss Ivy, your ability is in your kindness.¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯m sorry?¡±


    Heretia looked at Ivy with a serious look.


    ¡°The people like you, Miss Ivy. Of course, you are no longer the Saintess or anything like that. But¡­ Miss Ivy had predicted the return of the emperor even when the people were disappointed in the Church. Although it failed, Miss Ivy, you were the one who stood at the forefront when people rebelled against the Church. You are also working hard and volunteering to help people suffering due to this disaster.¡±


    ¡°Um, but that¡¯s not very¡­¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t stand out. But being popr among the people is something very important. I bet that half of the people in Torra are following His Majesty only because of you, Miss Ivy. To be honest with you, His Majesty is not the type of person to actively seek poprity. Besides, two major disasters happened right after he regained the throne. If it was anyone else ruling the empire, the people would probably be talking about overthrowing them already.¡±


    ¡°...Is that so?¡±


    Heretia ced a hand on her forehead and continued to speak with a tired face.


    ¡°I¡¯m not the type to look at people in the most positive light. Whether we are actually doing well or not, there are certainly moments when we have to deceive the people for the sake of better results. In that sense, Miss Ivy¡¯s value lies in being a good blindfold and acting as a propaganda tool. This might sound unpleasant to you, but your presence is what allows His Majesty to rule with more confidence, with no risk of Torra being attacked by a random person again.¡±


    ¡°...Isn¡¯t it because of the Golems helping with the recovery from the recent disaster that there are no worries about a sudden treason?¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s also true. After all, His Majesty has given me the authority to control the Golems of Torra,¡± Heretia said with a grin. ¡°But treason is not always carried out by bringing in soldiers to kill the important figures. Do you think I¡¯ll use the Golems to crush the people of Torra if they want me to step down from my position?¡±


    ¡°...No.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. I have no choice but to back down in that sort of situation. And that is why Miss Ivy¡¯s existence is important. So, Miss Ivy¡ªstop trying to help me with trivial office work just because you feel like you are a burden and instead, show your face to the public more often. Originally, His Majesty should be doing that, but His Majesty has gone to the North.¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course!¡±


    Ivy was relieved by Heretia¡¯s words. But the moment she was about to go out the door, Heretia once again opened her mouth.


    ¡°By the way, Miss Ivy. I¡¯m sorry to ask this of you as soon as I told you not to help me with the office work, but could you help deliver this document to His Majesty for me? There should be a magician who is also the librarian here down the corridor, on the right side of the library. He will take care of it if you tell him that I sent you.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ sure. But, what is this? Is it an important confidential document? Ah, I shouldn¡¯t be asking that, should I¡­¡±


    Meanwhile, Heretia picked up the next book as she opened her mouth to answer Ivy.


    ¡°It¡¯s not really a confidential document. It¡¯s the third bout of informationpiled about the very first appearance of the Crack.¡±


    ***


    Nienna thrust her sword into the neck of thest enemy standing in front of her.


    The enemy struggled with his neck pierced by the sword, but then suddenly started to inte with a loud roar. Tentacles began to appear out of the enemy¡¯s robe.


    However, all the body fluids inside him were instantly frozen and turned into blood-colored blocks of ice as soon as Nienna used her power on him.


    The surroundings were full of such blood-colored blocks of ice. It was a sudden night raid, but there was minimal damage.


    The soldiers were tasked with collecting all of the scattered blocks of ice and the bodies from the ground, gathering them outside the barracks. There was no sign of further battles breaking out any time soon.


    Nienna called one of the soldiers passing by and gave him orders.


    ¡°Tell Pavan to be careful about not letting the soldiers hear what the enemies are saying. Don¡¯t leave behind any prisoners, since the nonsense babbled by these bastards can spread to the soldiers very quickly.¡±


    The soldier saluted Nienna and went to look for Pavan right away.


    Nienna felt quite strange and uneasy about this attack by the Thornbush Priest Organization. She had heard that the Thornbush Priest Organization had been almost destroyed by Juan and Haild¡¯s recent efforts. In fact, this night raid was also being conducted on a small scale.


    It was minor enough that it could be taken care of by the Imperial Army alone without any help from Nienna, and she couldn¡¯t figure out what the enemies were thinking at all.


    Nienna turned her head toward Juan.


    Juan didn¡¯t move a single inch throughout the battle. It may be because he already knew that the enemies could easily be handled by the Imperial Army, but even so, not doing anything at all waspletely unlike Juan.


    But Juan was actually doing something important in his own way.


    Nienna approached Juan.


    ¡°Are you reading the documents sent over by Heretia?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°The one about the first appearance of the Crack or something?¡±


    Juan nodded. He had just received some images in his head. Those were the documents sent by Heretia with the help of the magician.


    Meanwhile, Nienna turned the blood covering her sword into fragments of ice and scattered them in the air.


    ¡°What about the first appearance of the Crack?¡±


    Juan turned his head toward Nienna.


    ¡°You should already know about it.¡±


    ¡°I have heard that it first appeared in the north of the continent around the end of the ancient dragon era. But what made you think that I already knew about it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve taught you about it before. Back then, I didn¡¯t exin much because I didn¡¯t think it was too important. I hadn¡¯t studied it in detail either; however, I¡¯ll exin it again if I need to.¡±


    ¡°Anything about the Crack is something I am interested in¡ªespecially about its weakness.¡±


    ¡°So, in the very beginning¡­¡±


    ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s skip all the boring parts, Dad.¡±


    ¡°...The second era, the ancient dragon era, began after some incidents. It is said that there was only one dragon back then, and it looked a lot different from the dragons we know now. Back then, the one and only dragon, a being without even a name, was reigning under the title of the ancient dragon. Then, a huge Crack suddenly appeared in the North.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it? The Crack just suddenly appeared one day?¡±


    ¡°Yes. But the aftermath of it was not small. The endless mountain ranges in the North are the result of the tectonic tes pressing against each other when the Crack was formed at the time. After that, the countless monsters that crawled out from the Crack ate the ancient dragon. All the scales of the ancient dragon fell out, escaping, and it is said that those scales are the dragons that we know and see today.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that just a myth?¡±


    ¡°Nienna, I¡¯m talking about the era from eight thousand years ago. None of the beings that were alive at the time exist anymore. There is no way to prove it and thus the story only remains a myth. Anyway, the ancient dragon era suddenly ended just like that and then the mythological era began¡ªthat was the era when gods walked on thend. The mythological erasted eight thousand years and ended about seventy years ago, right when the founding era began.¡±


    ¡°I like the brief and simple summary. Come to think of it, both you and I really have lived through a time of rapid change. But what does all this have to do with the Crack? Um, were the gods born within the Crack?¡±


    Juan rubbed his chin and pondered upon Nienna''s question.


    ¡°That might be the case since the timeframe matches. There may have been indirect effects, but I don¡¯t think so. I have heard that the beings of the Crack are powerful enough to bepared to gods, but they move in ways that no one can understand. It¡¯s hard to believe that they¡¯re from the same world. Gods may be unpleasant, but we can at least understand them and analyze their behavioral patterns. Heck, we could evenmunicate with some of them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true¡­ you¡¯re right. None of the bastards from beyond the Crack could bemunicated with,¡± Nienna nodded.


    ¡°This means that the beings of the Crack cannot be tamed nor can they be our allies.¡±


    Nienna sighed and kicked a blood-colored block of ice cube rolling on the ground.


    ¡°Then what? None of what you told me has anything to do with the current situation.¡±


    Juan, Nienna, and Pavan were currently leading the Imperial Army to head to the North. There weren¡¯t a lot of them, since thebat forces needed for the battle could be supplemented from the North. However, these forces were still necessary to surround Aruntal in case of emergency.


    Aruntal was certainly powerful, but Juan didn¡¯t think that they would pose a huge threat. Each individual of Aruntal was powerful, but most of them could be handled easily, except for Dane. They were no match for such a huge military force.


    Rather, Gerard¡ªthe person behind Aruntal, was more important. Juan didn¡¯t know what Gerard Gain was up to, but he had a feeling that whatever Gerard was doing must have something to do with the Crack.


    ¡°You should have looked into the recent appearances of the Crack rather than the first one. Like, what happened in Durgal or Arbalde. Then we might be able to get a hint about artificially manipting the Crack, don¡¯t you think?¡± Nienna asked.


    ¡°No. The first appearance of the Crack and the subsequent appearances arepletely different,¡± Juan answered.


    What happened in Durgal and Arbalde was an artificial pollution phenomenon created by the ovepping of magical conditions. The magic of the Crack became easier to use whenever the power of the Crack became stronger, and thend, including the living beings there, all turned into the beings of the Crack.


    ¡°Unlike the other cases, the first appearance of the Crack in the North is literally a trace left behind by a physical pushback, strong enough to tear the world¡¯snd. Inparison, what happened in Durgal and Arbalde can hardly be considered significant.¡±


    ¡°...Then are you suggesting that this earthquake is the result of something pushing back thend, just like the first appearance of the Crack?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ I don¡¯t think it¡¯s to that extent yet. The ancient dragon, who was literally an absolute being, died and a new era opened when the Crack appeared for the first time. This earthquake was enough to shake the continent, but it¡¯s still notparable to the first appearance of the Crack.¡±


    Nienna looked pale. She carefully rubbed her chin and opened her mouth.


    ¡°So this is just a warm-up?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is,¡± Juan answered.


    Nienna shook her head.


    ¡°I¡¯m getting more and more hopeless, Dad. Gerard is trying to summon something from beyond the Crack using Mananen McLeir¡¯s heart, the power of the Crown, and even Elkiehl. And that something is capable of destroying an entire era. But dad, you are¡­ well, I can¡¯t say that you¡¯re weak. But you are different from when you used to reign as the emperor.¡±


    Juan quietly looked up at the night sky. Countless stars were shining. Looking at the stars, Juan recalled Aruntal¡ªthe ones who taught him how to look into the future with the help of constetions as a hobby.


    Of course, Juanter thought that all of it was a sham. But it was still fun to give names and think about the image formed by the stars based on their locations.


    ¡°I wonder what I was before I became the emperor.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°What made me the emperor? Power to turn a mountain upside down? The magic that can fiddle with the rules of the world? The authority to move people with just a simple gesture? Wisdom that allows me to glimpse a hundred or a thousand years into the future? Or was it through collusion by shaking hands and signing papers?¡±


    Nienna looked like she couldn¡¯t understand what Juan was talking about. However, what she could understand was that all the things Juan had just listed were all lost now. They were taken away by Gerard.


    ¡°Those are all things that I don¡¯t have anymore. If those are what made me the emperor, then I am no longer the emperor. You may think that I am trying to find Gerard because I¡¯m the emperor, but there is no suchplicated reason,¡± Juan said with a smile.


    He seemed sofortable that no one could see him as someone who was about to confront an absolute being of the world.


    ¡°I¡¯m only doing it because I want to. Just as usual.¡±

 Chapter 237 – Magician’s Garden (1)

    <h4>Chapter 237 ¨C Magician¡¯s Garden (1)</h4>


    Gerard raised his left hand and slowly waived it to the right. A huge lump of rock moved along the direction his finger was pointing to and broke into pieces when it crashed into another rock. Then, Gerard pulled together the countless pieces of rock and tightly clenched his hands.


    The pieces of rock that were floating in the air were gathered andpressed under the enormous pressure, soon turning into redva. The round lump ofva then quickly cooled and started giving off a purple light.


    The rock soon disappeared somewhere beyond the Crack.


    Sina thought that Gerard¡¯s movements were like that of a conductor. None of the things he did felt real even though she was watching from right behind him. The ¡®rocks¡¯ that he was controlling with his fingertips were what weremonly referred to as mountains.


    Gerard not only created and smashed, but also moved mountains with ice caps piled on top of them from a far distance¡ªhe was like a god creating a new world.


    ¡°What are you making right now?¡±


    Sina couldn¡¯t help but ask. Gerard¡¯s work of moving the mountainspletely destroyed and isted the route she was nning to use to try and escape.


    There was nothing edible that could be found around the entire area, but for some reason, Sina wasn¡¯t feeling hungry.


    Gerard had exined that this was due to the fact that he was constantly infusing his mana into her.


    Gerard was strangely kind to Sina. However, Sina thought he was just pretending to be kind to his hostage.


    ¡°I was too recklessst time. I made a mistake¡­¡± Gerard replied with a sigh upon hearing Sina¡¯s question. ¡°I¡¯m trying toe up with a way to minimize the damage, even if it takes a little more time.¡±


    Sina still couldn¡¯t understand what Gerard was talking about. Yet, Sina could tell that the term ¡®mistake¡¯ referred to the massive earthquake that had urred a few days ago. The earthquake hadn¡¯t affected Sina, since the ce she was in had floated into the air. But she had witnessed countless mountains and cliffs crumbling under the power of the Crack.


    ¡°And I¡¯m not making something. I¡¯m breaking them,¡± Gerard added.


    Sina didn¡¯t bother asking Gerard why. She had already seen something wriggling within the Crack several times. Its movement was as mesmerizing as a dream and as slow as a nt.


    Sina had her doubts; she wondered whether Gerard was trying to summon that thing into the world.


    ¡°Are you trying to destroy the world or something?¡±


    Gerard stopped breaking the mountains upon hearing Sina¡¯s question. Then he looked back at Sina as if he found her words to be absurd.


    ¡°You are being quite offensive, Sina. Do I look like someone who would destroy the world? You believed in a monster and served him as the emperor, but you can¡¯t trust me?¡±


    ¡°A monster? Are you talking about Juan? I think I¡¯m being fair. At first, I, too, thought that Juan might be a monster who hade to destroy the empire. Is there any reason why I should think of you as someone special?¡±


    Gerard looked displeased, but he didn¡¯t attack Sina. He simply continued with his work.


    ¡°The world won¡¯t be destroyed. Rather, it will be a lot safer and stronger than it is now. Humans will prosper and enjoy peace within the fence built by the new emperor. I want you to see the empire greet the era of peace, Sina Solvane.¡±


    ¡°Me? Why?¡±


    ¡°Because being acknowledged by you makes me feel like I¡¯m being acknowledged by my own father. That¡¯s also the reason I brought you back to life.¡±


    Sina¡¯s movements stopped. In fact, she, too, had been aware. The wounds she suffered when she was attacked by Dismas were so bad that there was no way she could have survived. She had been trying her best to convince herself that it was due to the emperor¡¯s essence that she managed to survive, but she clearly remembered Juan¡¯s remark¡ªthe emperor¡¯s essence only guarantees regeneration, not immortality.


    In particr, Sina recovered at quite a slow pace when she was hurtpared to the others.


    ¡®<i>But I came back to life, huh?</i>¡¯


    ¡°So you didn¡¯t rescue me. I died but you brought me back to life, Gerard.¡±


    ¡°All it took to revive you was a slight electric shock, since the emperor¡¯s essence had already restored your body. I didn¡¯t even have to bring back your soul, since you had just died. Yes, I am the one who brought you back to life.¡±


    However, Sina didn¡¯t seem to feel any joy or appreciation upon hearing this. Sina just looked contemptuously at Gerard and opened her mouth.


    ¡°...You do what Juan absolutely refused to do with no hesitation. Tell me, was the taste of the emperor¡¯s power that sweet?¡±


    Gerard showed no signs of displeasure despite Sina¡¯s sarcasm.


    ¡°You would have still been revived even if it wasn¡¯t for me.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°The man who you believe to be the emperor has already abandoned all principles in order to save you. He was determined to save you, even if that meant giving immortality to all humans for the sake of fairness. He even said that he would give up on being the emperor.¡±


    Sina tried to deride andugh at Gerard.


    ¡®<i>Juan betrayed all principles in order to save me? He even gave up on being the emperor? That¡¯s nonsense.</i>¡¯


    But it didn¡¯t seem like Gerard was joking or mocking her. Sina¡¯s expression gradually hardened.


    ¡°That¡­ that doesn¡¯t make any sense. The emperor is not just some position that one can just give up. Especially if it¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡®<i>Especially if it¡¯s just because of me.</i>¡¯


    Sina swallowed her next words. She was <i>just?</i>one of Juan¡¯s numerous colleagues. Juan even remained calm and refused to heal Heretia when she lost her legs or revive H when she died.


    Sina couldn¡¯t understand why Juan would decide to bring her back to life when she was nothing more than just a watchdog.


    ¡°You were not as simple a being to him as you thought you were,¡± Gerard shrugged.


    Sina red at Gerard. She couldn¡¯t believe anything that he said. He was someone who stabbed and betrayed Juan, all to steal the emperor¡¯s power. Sina came to the conclusion that she had to hear everything from Juan himself.


    ¡°I want to meet Juan. Let me out of here.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t do that. You need to stay and keep your eyes on me.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Gerard continued in a calm voice.


    ¡°See for yourself whether or not I am worthy of bing the emperor, and tell that man. I can feel the power and ability that overflows within me. I can be more than just the emperor. You will witness all the things I achieve here. And then, <i>you?</i>will tell my father that I have transcended him.¡±


    Sina wondered if Gerard had finally gone insane. But, it was true that Gerard was capable of doing ridiculous things. He was not only moving a mountain or shaking the world, but also making something that Sina couldn¡¯t even imagine.


    She didn¡¯t know what Gerard was trying to do in order to transcend the emperor, but Sina only felt fear.


    ***


    Riol was a city built along the valley close to a cliff.


    Unlike the Capital where spring had already arrived, snow was still piled up on every house, almost as if to prove that they were in the North. The river was still frozen, but the rural city seemed like it would be quite beautiful when snow finally began to melt.


    But at this moment, everyone only felt a strange atmosphere throughout the city.


    ¡°There are no people here.¡±


    Juan and Pavan looked down at Riol from a distance. There should be traces of snow being shoveled or footsteps here and there in a city where people lived, but Riol didn¡¯t have any such traces.


    ¡°People might have left because of the earthquake and it could have snowed in the meantime,¡± Pavan said.


    ¡°That might be true if it was an ordinary city. But we have no choice but to scrutinize the other possibilities if we are assuming Aruntal to be staying there,¡± Juan said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get the soldiers to surround the city.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make a detour and strike at them from the cliff. Just be careful not to let anyone get out.¡±


    The Imperial Army was not here to fight, but to make sure that no one managed to escape.


    Pavan sent a signal to the knights. Upon receiving the signal, the knights and soldiers quickly began to surround the city in silence.


    Meanwhile, Juan climbed up the cliff behind the city along with Nienna.


    Dane may have already left the city, but Juan could only feel the presence of one being in the city right now. Juan thought that there was a high possibility that it was Dane. Soon after, Juan jumped off the cliff and climbed the tallest building.


    It was a Church. Although it partially copsed due to the recent earthquake, the presence he could sense wasing from there.


    By now, Riol waspletely surrounded by the Imperial Army, but there was no response.


    Juan wasn¡¯t discouraged. He knew that Dane was not the type to let his guard down under any circumstances. Considering Dane¡¯s temperment, there was no way he would be this defenseless.


    ¡°I¡¯m going in alone.¡±


    ¡°Dad.¡±


    ¡°He already knows that I will being. He invited me.¡±


    Nienna¡¯s expression became distorted and she ended up muttering a curse.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I can¡¯t afford to confront him anyway.¡±


    Juan jumped into the hole of the copsed Church and headed toward the hall where he could feel the presence.


    Unlike the outside, the Church had quite a few traces of peopleing and going. But the air was still cold, just like the outside.


    In the hallway, there were drops of blood here and there. Juan followed the trail of blood until it stopped right in front of the door leading to the central hall of the Church.


    Juan briefly prepared himself before opening the door of the hall to enter. As soon as he entered, he noticed a person sitting in the middle of the hall that resembled an underground tomb.


    It was Dane Dormund.


    Dane opened his mouth slowly upon seeing Juan.


    ¡°The emperor¡­ Qzatquizal¡­ a monster¡­ I don¡¯t even know what to call you.¡±


    ¡°Just call me Juan. That¡¯s the name you gave me anyway.¡±


    Dane snorted, dumbfounded. The Dane who was sitting in front of Juan in the form of a child was definitely the one who was smashed against the wall right in front of Juan¡¯s eyes. But right now, there was only one wound on his abdomen.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that this was your main body? As far as I remember, it waspletely destroyed,¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°It is true that this is my main body. It¡¯s the body that I¡¯ve had ever since I was born. It¡¯s my most cherished form as well. But I also have another one that¡¯s real,¡± Dane said as he tapped his head. ¡°I will never die unless my <i>true nature?</i>is attacked. I have a lot of extra bodies and the necessary magic to manage them all. You can achieve quite a lot of things if you don¡¯t think you¡¯re safe.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that. I think the big aplishment that you attempted to achieve recently was a huge failure. Besides, I don¡¯t think I''d be upset if I had to kill you many times.¡±


    Juan approached Dane and drew out Sutra. Sutra continued to remain gray without burning, even after absorbing the power of the cloned heart of Mananen McLeir. However, Juan didn¡¯t care too much, since he wanted to reduce unnecessary mana consumption as much as possible.


    Dane stared at Sutra for a while and then soon turned his gaze to Juan.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care. I don¡¯t intend to get involved with this situation anymore.¡±


    ¡°...Where is Aruntal right now?¡±


    Dane¡¯s expression became distorted for the first time upon hearing Juan¡¯s question. He bit his lips for a moment, and then replied as if he was spitting out his words.


    ¡°They chose to follow Gerard.¡±


    ¡°Your current state should be due to the present they gave you before they left, huh?¡±


    The wound on Dane¡¯s abdomen would be fatal for an ordinary human. Although Dane showed no signs of being in danger, it didn¡¯t seem like he could move.


    Dane opened his mouth as he stroked the wound.


    ¡°This was a gift left behind by Gerard. He gave it to me when I told him that he was a failure. I took it without fighting back, thinking of it as a goodbye present. It didn¡¯t really matter, since I can get more of his kind as often as I want. Then¡­¡± Dane smiled mockingly and looked at Juan. ¡°He left with the spy that you had nted.¡±


    Juan smiled back at Dane.


    ¡°So you already knew.¡±


    ¡°I was going to send you some false information through him, but the opportunity to do so has disappeared now. The others don¡¯t know yet. I hope they get fucked over, those damned traitors.¡±


    Juan found it quite funny that Dane was talking about people being traitors. In the end, Aruntal ran away, but Juan didn¡¯t feel too upset; after all, he got to see Dane being treated so poorly by them.


    Meanwhile, Dane sighed and continued to talk.


    ¡°Gerard is not as sessful as I had wanted him to be. But he is closer to beingpletepared to you. Lenly Loen in particr seemed to be satisfied with him. He only has Gerard left now. But now¡­ I¡¯m a little tired. Gerard has already left the palm of my hand anyway. I¡¯ll take a break and aim for the next opportunity.¡±


    ¡°Next opportunity?¡±


    Juan felt that Dane talking about a ¡®next opportunity¡¯ after creating an immortal god was quite ridiculous. There would be no such thing as a next opportunity if what Gerard was up to right now involved the Crack.


    ¡°What do you even mean by plete¡¯? Is it a god for only humans? Is it an eternal emperor?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Do you have a problem with that, you fucking failure.¡±


    Dane frowned and whispered in Juan¡¯s ear.


    ¡°All I wanted to do was to create a universe only for humans. I wondered how much humans could grow. And even if I couldn¡¯t reach the end, I expected someone to reach the end instead of me, and to exin what it was like. Is that so wrong? To pursue the limits of human possibilities?¡±

 Chapter 238 – Magician’s Garden (2)

    <h4>Chapter 238 ¨C Magician¡¯s Garden (2)</h4>


    Juan remained calm despite Dane¡¯s provocation.


    Dane¡¯s dream for a utopia and for humanity to be supreme, a dream which he had dreamed of for hundreds of years already had ended in a failure once with Juan, and then his decades-long n failed once again with Gerard.


    Dane said that Gerard was closer to perfection than Juan, but Juan knew that this was only Dane trying to deceive himself. Dane was just exhausted.


    However, none of that was Juan¡¯s business.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think your wishes and dreams were inherently wrong, Dane. Everyone dreams about such an absurd world.¡±


    Despite Juan¡¯s calm reply, Dane rose from his seat with an angry expression.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with humans creating a world only for humans!?¡± Dane shouted in a loud voice as he stood up with the help of his cane.


    Dane¡¯s voice echoed throughout the Church and shook the floor. Juan heard the sound of andslide from somewhere far away. Despite all this, he sheathed Sutra instead of raising it toward Dane.


    ¡°I have already seen humans cultivating a world for only humans beyond the Crack! They were all powerful men that are not even the slightest bitparable to the oppressed humans of this poor world!¡± Dane shouted with all his might.


    The numerous encounters Dane had over the years had caused him to develop a dream. He had dreamed of a world where humans would lead and rule the world instead of being ignored and persecuted by gods.


    Dane never considered his dream to be impossible or absurd. In fact, he had almost seeded.


    ¡°The emptiness of the universe or the pressure of the deep sea did not affect them in any way. All thends were their fields, all the seas were their fishing grounds, all the beasts were their livestock, and even the empty space of the sky was their road! Even the wind and the sun were treated as nothing more than just a part of their force!¡±


    Dane dreamed of domination, of prosperity, and of evolution. He spoke on behalf of all the great things with all his might. In Juan¡¯s eyes, he no longer looked like a small child. His ideal was something beyond this small world.


    Amidst Dane¡¯s dreams, Juan¡¯s existence was infinitesimally small.


    ¡°<strong>What¡¯s wrong with that?!</strong>¡± Dane shouted at Juan, almost as if he were scolding just a small child.


    Compared to the long years of Dane¡¯s life and the distant future that he had envisioned, Juan was no different than a child. Dane was trying to press down on Juan with the weight of eternity and infinity.


    ¡°Tell me! What is so bad about humans creating a world for only humans? Why is that considered ridiculous and absurd!?¡±


    ¡°From the very beginning, your wish could never be fulfilled, Dane. Especially if it is you who¡¯s dreaming of it.¡±


    Juan¡¯s answer was frank and firm.


    Dane red at Juan with a distorted look on his face.


    ¡°What did you just say?!¡±


    ¡°With your crude head, you probably believed that your dream coulde true with a single superman and a single ideology. But I bet that you are wrong, Dane. I have no idea what the people you¡¯ve met and the world you saw was like. Perhaps there could be a world like that. But I guarantee that such a world could not have been created by a single superman.¡±


    Dane tried to say something back to Juan. But no words came out of his mouth.


    ¡°You speak as if you love and worship human beings, but all you have for humans is contempt¡ªyou look down on them. You believe that they can only ever progress through instigation and guidance. If that¡¯s the case, then I rmend you to raise a dog instead, Dane. The dog will obey you as much as you want it to.¡±


    ¡°Why, you¡­!¡±


    ¡°What you should have done was to cooperate with Aruntal. Aruntal could have done what you had wanted. Of course, that probably wouldn¡¯t have been creating a world where humans are the only ones to prosper.¡±


    ¡°The world I wanted to create is a perfect world! A world where only humans can prosper!¡±


    ¡°Yes. A world that has shaken off all impurities, huh? It must be a boring and nd world. But Dane, there is no such thing as perfection. You wanted to make a perfect world, but¡­ All right. Maybe, just maybe, someone could have made it possible since there is no such thing as absolutely impossible.¡±


    Dane faintly smiled and tried to refute Juan¡¯s argument. But Juan continued to speak in a firm voice.


    ¡°But that someone is definitely not you. You are a man who can never be satisfied with anything. If you were a sculptor, instead of a magician, you would have ground down the entire world just to make a perfect sphere. At that point, even if you manage to make it, all you would have left in your hand would be a small bead.¡±


    Dane¡¯s expression turned pale from anger. Then, he soon swung his cane at Juan with a raging expression.


    ¡°You are wrong!¡±


    Juan wasn¡¯t weak enough to be struck by Dane¡¯s cane. However, the cane that Dane swung toward Juan was no ordinary cane. At that moment, Juan¡¯s waist seemed to stretch long, and then the space was torn in an instant.


    The Church and the mountain were directly flung away without a sound.


    .


    After a while, the debris which shot up hundreds of meters, began to pour back down to the ground.


    Buildings copsed amidst the loud roars all over Riol.


    However, Juan just stood still and stared at Dane amidst all the pouring debris.


    Dane was shocked to see Juan remain unaffected.


    Seeing this, Juan opened his mouth in a calm manner.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen your magic more than once. Haven¡¯t you seen how I¡¯ve even been up against the gods? Did you really think that I came here unprepared? Grand Magician Dane Dormund, it was you who taught me.¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Dane shouted and once more swung his cane.


    The mountain behind Juan trembled and soared into the air. The space immediately became distorted and ttened. Every time Dane swung his cane, the space would stretch long and be torn apart. The air violently rushed into the void thus created, and the air pressure alone was enough to tear off one¡¯s skin.


    A huge amount of dust filled all of Riol. The huge cliffs that the city had leaned against for hundreds and thousands of years were broken down and shattered helplessly.


    But Dane couldn¡¯t stop himself from swinging his cane.


    Juan was quietly approaching Dane; it was as if he was just taking a walk in the breeze.


    Seeing this, Dane began tough, dumbfounded.


    The magic that he had just used was the high-ranked magic that he had trained in for a long time after Juan¡¯s death. There was no way any other magicians could imitate it even if they were taught well. In order to obtain this magic, Dane had joined hands with a being he shouldn¡¯t have¡ªa being from beyond the Crack.


    Yet, Juan was countering such a magic without even a single spell after he had seen it only a few times.


    ¡°Right. You were the fastest learner I have ever seen in my life! I was thrilled to see you and expected a lot out of you! You were infinitely close to perfection! While I was the one who created you, I respected you as well! But why?! Why?!¡± Dane screamed a cry. ¡°Why did you insist on leaving us?! Humans could have be even more perfect with you on their side!¡±


    Juan strode up to Dane without giving an answer.


    Dane bit his lips and injected an even greater amount of mana into the tip of his cane. An ink-like darkness started to flow out of the tip of his cane and began to spread all over the ce. It was the same darkness that Dane had used back in the Magic Tower.


    In an instant, the distance between Dane and Juan virtually increased to thousands of kilometers, contrary to what it actually appeared to be. It was a distance simr to the distance between the northern and the southern ends of the empire.


    The possibility of Juan being able to reach Dane through this darkness had disappearedpletely.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know about this magic. After all, it¡¯s abination of my knowledge and knowledge from the Crack. The moment you step into this darkness, you will be broken down into pieces at the atomic level,¡± Dane said.


    Then, he stopped the attack and red at Juan.


    ¡°I will be leaving your side, and I¡¯ll never see you ever again. I¡¯ll take my time, keeping an eye on Gerard and take back the crown when the right timees. Then, I will start all over again. By that time, you will already be dead.¡±


    Juan didn¡¯t seem to be listening to Dane. Instead, he was lost in his own thoughts and just staring down at the darkness. Seeing Juan maintain such an attitude bothered Dane quite a bit. He didn¡¯t believe that Juan would be able to analyze his magic just by staring into the darkness.


    This magic was learned with great difficulty afterbining the knowledge from beyond the Crack. It was not just the product of his desire to leap through the universe¡ªit was only created after spending an immense amount of time and resources.


    There was no way Juan could do anything about such a magic. It was simply impossible.


    ¡®<i>But¡­ what if it¡¯s really possible?</i>¡¯


    ***


    Dane suddenly broke out into a cold sweat.


    Meanwhile, Juan finally took a step forward; it was as if he had finally finished thinking. His feet began to slowly creep towards the darkness, and seeing such a sight made Dane want to scream.


    Both the image of Juan being torn into pieces and the image of him passing through the darkness to crack Dane¡¯s neck came to his mind at the same time.


    Despite convincing himself that there was no way that Juan would be able to resist his magic, Dane unknowingly raised his cane and tried to push Juan away.


    At that moment, something grabbed Dane from the back. Dane didn¡¯t even realize what just happened. Even before he could figure out what was going on, his body was mmed into the ground.


    Dane was released only after being mmed into the ground several times; it was to the extent that he wouldn¡¯t die or faint, but still feel a moderate amount of pain.


    Dane drooped and looked up at the ceiling. He could see Juan looking down at him with calm eyes.


    ¡°What¡­ but how¡­ how did you get through it?¡±


    ¡°I got through it from behind.¡±


    Dane couldn¡¯t understand what Juan meant. For a while, he could only blink his eyes in a daze, then he recalled Juan taking a step forward into the darkness. Only then did Dane realize what had happened.


    ¡°An illusion? That was just an illusion?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s much easier and safer to deceive the opponent with an illusion than to offset that grand magic.¡±


    Dane was about to say that Juan was being ridiculous, since there was no way he wouldn¡¯t have noticed that the sight of Juan stepping into the darkness was just an illusion. However, numerous pieces of evidence btedly began toe to his mind.


    The fact that Dane was not very attentive due to the wound on his abdomen, the fact that he didn¡¯t think that a fake would face him in what he thought was thest confrontation, the fact that Juan was able to dodge the magic he had worked on for such a long time without even needing to use any magic, the fact that Juan didn¡¯t bother to neutralize Dane with all his might, and the strangely calm atmosphere were all hinting Dane that all of this was nothing more than an illusion.


    But there was the most crucial mistake Dane had made.


    It was that he believed Juan that would be powerful enough somehow to step over. That is what convinced Dane that Juan was actually standing in front of him with an overwhelming presence despite his image being a fake.


    ¡°No way¡­ I used all that eloquence for just an illusion?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who told me that you can make as many fake things as you want as long as the essence remains intact,¡± Juan looked down at Dane and whispered in his ears. ¡°Dane, do you think I could have killed gods without deceiving them? I have never once been stronger than the gods. The battles against them were not fair duels, but dirty and shameful wars. And I¡¯m about to fight a war more dangerous than ever. Neither do I have the time nor the power to waste on you.¡±


    Dane tried to say something back to Juan. But Juan continued to whisper in his ear.


    ¡°And it is you who taught me deceit, Dane. How does it feel to see that you educated your disciple well?¡±


    Juan stabbed Dane directly in the heart.


    Dane had a painful expression on his face, but soon drooped. But even before Juan could blink his eyes, Dane¡¯s body as well as the blood all disappeared in an instant.


    Juan was not surprised; he already knew that the Dane that he stabbed to death was not real, but only an illusion.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe this. I didn¡¯t expect to see each other¡¯s illusions, given that this is ourst encounter.¡±


    An unfamiliar voice came from behind. Upon turning around, Juan saw a middle-aged man he had never seen before. The man gave off an aristocratic impression, and had gray eyes and gray hair.


    However, it was very obvious that the man was Dane Dormund.


    ¡°Shall we try that one more time?¡±


    When Juan asked this with a grin on his face, Dane¡¯s expression stiffened.


    ¡°I was originally going to say goodbye to you, Juan. But after what happened just now, I have changed my mind.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean you have changed your mind?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m <i>not?</i>saying that I was persuaded by what you said,¡± Dane gritted his teeth and snapped back at Juan. ¡°I still think that Gerard is better than you. But it is also true that he has many ws. On the other hand, not only were you a good student but also a good teacher at the same time. I still think we might be able to cover for each other¡¯s weaknesses¡ªno matter what you say, Juan.¡±


    ¡°Enough with the bullshit. Just get to the point.¡±


    ¡°...I will tell you where Gerard is right now.¡±


    Then Dane quickly continued before Juan could answer.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care if you think I¡¯m ying another dirty trick again. I¡¯m going to find Gerard first before you do and I will change his mind. If you were able to persuade me, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be able to persuade him as well. A w can be fixed through teaching as long as he listens to me even a little bit¡­¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re going to make Gerard the eternal god of humans.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no reason not to. You changed as well, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Juan raised the corners of his mouth and opened his mouth.


    ¡°Go ahead and try with all your might. You¡¯ll need a lot of extra lives, though.¡±


    ¡°Even if I fail,¡± Dane said while ring at Juan. ¡°The Crown wille back to you if you kill Gerard. Then I¡¯ll have another chance. I feel like it would be less of a waste of time if you had the Crown rather than Gerard having it.¡±

 Chapter 239 – The Things That Began to Gather (1)

    <h4>Chapter 239 ¨C The Things That Began to Gather (1)</h4>


    There was once a mountain range called the Wall of Nulvin on thisnd.


    It was a mountain range named after an adventurer from thousands of years ago¡ªit was an adventurer who decided to head toward the North to find the very end of this world. The mountain range was quite rough and vast, but it was slowly absorbed into the huge Crack over a very long period of time.


    Thanks to this, the Northern point of the Wall of Nulvin had a gentle slopepared to other mountain ranges. However, this did not mean that it was a convenient mountain range to climb over.


    The Wall of Nulvin was so highpared to the othernds south of it, that it was difficult to breathe on once it was climbed. There were split and distorted crevasses hidden under the shallowly stacked snow, and beasts with grotesque forms crawled up from the Crack in search of their prey while panting.


    Moreover, the burning heat rising from the Crack and the cold wind blowing from the North met to create irregr and crazy winds. Even the hardy creatures would have their eyes frozen over and be thrown into the sky if they let their guard down, even for a short moment.


    ¡°The Northerners call this type of wind the ¡®screaming breath!¡¯¡±


    Lenly took a nce toward the back. He could see people following him while holding on to the rope that was firmly fixed with an iron core. There were about a dozen people following him, but one more seemed to have disappeared.


    There were quite a few more people and porters with wagons in the beginning, but now there were only twelve people remaining.


    Imil Ilde was closely following behind Lenly, who was walking in the lead.


    ¡°It¡¯s called the screaming breath because people disappear one by one from the moment a scream is heard!¡±


    ¡°Your tongue might freeze if you continue talking so much, Imil,¡± Lenly said.


    ¡°What I¡¯m trying to say is, I wonder how people could even hear a scream in this crazy wind! I haven¡¯t heard a single scream when all of our porters were flown away!¡±


    Lenly couldn¡¯t help but agree with Imil. He pulled down the mask that was covering his mouth and spat. His saliva instantly froze, even before it hit the ground and rolled around.


    Imil was about toin some more upon seeing such a sight, but Lenly opened his mouth before Imil could.


    ¡°Perhaps their throats froze before they could even let out a scream.¡±


    Imil remained silent upon hearing Lenly¡¯s words. Instead of answering, he simply pulled up his mask to cover his mouth.


    Lenly continued to walk in silence. The iron core and the rope that was previously fixed by a stranger made it possible for him to move forward smoothly. If it weren¡¯t for the iron core and the rope, he would have had to make his own way, something quite difficult.


    ¡°Why on earth is HIs Majesty Gerard leaving us unattended like this?¡± Imilined


    ¡®<i>And here he goes again.</i>¡¯


    Lenly looked back at Imil with annoyed eyes. However, he could understand Imil¡¯s frustration as well.


    ¡°Master¡­ well, I guess he¡¯s not my master anymore. As far as I know, Dane Dormund was His Majesty Gerard¡¯srade. You also had a profound influence on His Majesty¡¯s resurrection, didn¡¯t you? In fact, all of us in Aruntal did our best to revive His Majesty, even going so far as to confront the real emperor who was resurrected,¡± Imil added.


    Lenly was bothered by Imil¡¯s choice of words, but he did not go out of his way to refute Imil.


    It was not wrong to say that Juan was the real emperor, after all¡ªit¡¯s just that he wasn¡¯t the <i>perfect?</i>emperor.


    Meanwhile, Imil¡¯sints continued.


    ¡°But then, Dane called His Majesty Gerard a failure, and His Majesty Gerard decided to ignore us, the Aruntal, and is living a secluded life in the North¡­ the magicians of the Magic Tower could have used teleportation magic if His Majesty could have been a little more considerate. Yet¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you upset that you weren¡¯t given any rewards?¡± Lenly asked.


    Imil¡¯s eyes twitched upon hearing Lenly¡¯s question.


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®a reward¡¯? You¡¯re seriously saying that to someone who gave up the entire merchant business that once empowered the empire¡¯s entire economy, all toe all the way out here? Do you think that you canpare what you gave up and what I gave up? You must be thinking that you are the only one who is upright and has integrity. I am not different from you in the sense that I want to fall at the feet of His Majesty even if I end up dying the next minute!¡±


    ¡®<i>Yeah, right. You just want to enjoy eternal wealth under an immortal emperor.</i>¡¯


    Lenly thought to himself.


    The emperor¡¯s eternal rule meant that people like Imil could also be protected forever.


    Lenly clenched the handle of the sword hanging at his waist, telling himself that he was different. He believed that he could stand by the emperor¡¯s side forever and be his personal gardener.


    He was ready to cut off all those who were a threat to the emperor so as to not let any filth taint His Majesty.


    ¡®<i>I even left the Saintess in order to do so.</i>¡¯


    Lenly felt as if someone was stabbing his chest with a knife. Inside the torn wound remained only an empty void. Ivy was a ray of sunshine that was unexpectedly thrown into Lenly¡¯s life¡ªa lonely life during which he had only stayed in the cold and pressuring Imperial Pce.


    Only a deep-seated loneliness was left in his heart.


    Lenly tightly bit his lips and pulled his hand off of the sword. This was not the time to argue with Imil, nor was it time to fall into the thoughts of Ivy.


    ¡°Imil, we will encounter many traitors under HIs Majesty''s rule. I guarantee you that Dane will not be thest traitor to betray His Majesty. I¡¯m rather d that we were able to cut him off so early. That man was way too dangerous to be allowed near His Majesty anyway.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ true, I suppose. It can¡¯t be helped that Dane Dormund¡¯s vacancy feels quite significant, since he was such a powerful ally. But I have no choice but to admit that the way he behaved was way too outrageous,¡± Imil answered.


    Finally, Imil closed his mouth; he found it difficult to breathe as they began to climb up the slope.


    It was quite hard to find those who could maintain their sanity in the harsh and cold wind that could blow them away if they let their guard down even for a second. Walking through the piled-up snow that was slowing them down, all the party members struggled to move forward with all their might.


    There were even moments when Lenly almost lost consciousness as they continued to climb.


    Then, at some moment, an unexpected warm wind came from somewhere. Lenly opened his eyes wide upon feeling the warmth. Before anyone even knew it, the whitendscape had disappeared and was reced by a strangendscape.


    ¡°...This ce is¡­¡±


    It was a rocky area made of purple, ck and magenta-colored rocks. The sky was cluttered with purple rocks, almost like it was a construction site. Although the sun was invisible, a source of light that gave off a disturbing feeling was rising from beyond the horizon.


    And in the middle of the hill was a castle that was built in a strange style that no one had ever seen before. It didn¡¯t seem like it had been built by piling up any materials, since there were no signs of joints or bricks anywhere. It also didn¡¯t seem like it had been built by carving out the rocks, since its color and material did not match its surroundings.


    It was a castle that seemed to have been built at a different ce and then brought to the top of the hill.


    Lenly and the rest of the party slowly approached the building¡ªit was as if they were possessed.


    As they approached closer, the majesty of the castle was confirmed. They felt like their souls were being sucked out as they watched the huge mountains and rocks sliding above their heads.


    Then, they realized that someone was standing right in front of the castle. It was a knight in armor marked with a white dragon and barnacles. The knight stared silently at Lenly and the rest of the members of Aruntal as if he had been waiting for them.


    It did not take too long for Lenly to recognize the symbol on the knight¡¯s armor.


    It was the symbol of the knights who had participated assassination of the emperor alongside Gerard, who were then overthrown and scattered by the Imperial Army after Gerard¡¯s disappearance.


    It was the Order of Lindwurm.


    ***


    Snow spread far and wide on the long line of hills. The stone statue that was built on the highest hill was staring at the North as usual, even with all snow piled up on its head. The sky above the stone statue was clear without a single cloud.


    Juan stepped on the snow and walked toward the stone statue along with Nienna.


    The stone statue was slightly tilted to the right and half broken, with cracks all over. Upon approaching the stone statue, Juan could see various tributes that were ced under the statue.


    Most of the tributes were in the form of chrysanthemums, a flower that bloomed even in the snow.


    ¡°Walter!¡¯


    Nienna walked past Juan. As soon as she climbed over the hill, she could see the knights from the Order of Fenrir. In front of the knights stood Walter. While Nienna was away, Walter had been in charge ofmanding the Order of Fenrir.


    Nienna walked up to Walter and lightly tapped him on the chest.


    ¡°So you were alive, huh? I thought that you would be dead and buried in the snow by now.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not the first time for the North to face avnches and earthquakes, you know. There wasn¡¯t that much damage, General Nienna. But you said that it¡¯s a mess down there, right?¡±


    ¡°Down there has never been quiet anyway.¡±


    Walter¡¯s gaze turned to the back, where Juan was patting the stone statue. It was the first time Walter saw Juan ever since hest saw him at the fortress of Beldeve in the East. Although Juan¡¯s appearance had changed a lot from back then, it didn¡¯t seem like it was just his appearance that had changed.


    When Juan turned his head and looked at Walter, Walter prostrated himself in front of Juan.


    ¡°Your Majesty.¡±


    Juan did not reply. Instead, he gently patted the stone statue.


    ¡°I see that the warrior¡¯s statue is broken.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. It was recently broken due to the earthquake.¡±


    This stone statue was built a long time ago¡ªduring a time when the exact history was not even recorded. It was not known as to why the statue was built, who built it, or who it depicted. However, everyone named the statue ring at the North with a helmet on its head the ¡®warrior¡¯s statue.¡¯


    Before the founding of the empire, the people of the North had more disputes with the South than with the Crack. Due to this, most of the stone statues were facing the South. Yet, the warrior¡¯s statue was facing North unlike the other statues.


    This was because the warrior¡¯s statue depicted the Winter Duke¡ªa myth famous among the people of the North. It was often said that the statue ended up facing North due to confusing the direction during the white night.


    However, the most popr theory supported by a lot of people was that it portrayed an ordinary warrior fighting against the Crack¡ªa way to suggest that a hero resided within all the northerners willing to confront the Crack.


    And now, such a stone statue was broken.


    ¡°Many northerners are sad that the warrior statue was broken, but¡­¡±


    ¡°...But it is still standing and ring toward the North,¡± Juan finished Walter¡¯s words.


    Walter smiled.


    ¡°The North is loyal to Your Majesty,¡± Walter said as he turned and reached his hand out toward the hill.


    Juan slowly walked forward. Soon, he could see the sight of the northern troops that were as numerous as the snowkes standing in a line. As soon as Juan appeared on the hill, the entire Northern Army simultaneously mmed the ground with the handle of their spears. The vibrations from the spears striking the ground alone were enough to rattle the air.


    Before Juan knew it, Nienna was standing beside him.


    ¡°Say hello to the empire¡¯s most elite army, Dad. Their morale, skills, and weapons have been prepared and maintained at the highest level in the empire¡ªit doesn¡¯t matter whether the ruler of the Capital is Barth Baltic or the Pope or anyone else.¡±


    Nienna smiled and looked at Pavan, who was standing behind her. Then she continued to speak.


    ¡°You will definitely be able to feel a difference in levelpared to the Capital Army, who used to stab their own people ¡®for the sake of peace.¡¯¡±


    Pavan clicked his tongue as if he felt unpleasant upon hearing Nienna¡¯s remarks, but he couldn¡¯t refute them either. Although the Capital Army had fought alongside Juan numerous times, they were definitely notparable to the Northern Army, which had been constantly at war against the monsters of the Crack.


    Meanwhile, the Northern Army looked at Juan as if they were wondering if this young man really was the emperor. However, they did not show a sign of surprise. After all, their ruler looked like a young maiden as well.


    The Northern Army looked at Juan with anticipation, wondering what the first words spoken by the emperor who they were meeting for the first time would be.


    Juan slowly opened his mouth.


    ¡°I am not the emperor.¡±


    Juan¡¯s sudden remark instantly caused confusion within the Northern Army. Even Nienna, Anya, and Pavan were surprised. Juan had already made such a remark several times even back in the Imperial Pce¡ªit was like a habit. However, he had been cautious about not saying such a thing after being hit with Heretia¡¯s crutches a few times.


    But no one had expected Juan to make such a deration at a ce like this.


    ¡°And neither am I a hero.¡±


    Confusion soon turned into agitation and doubt. The Northern Army was now looking at Nienna instead of Juan. They looked as if asking her for an exnation.


    Seeing this, Nienna approached Juan and tried to whisper something into his ear.


    At that moment, Juan continued to speak.


    ¡°But the enemies do not distinguish between the emperor or the soldier. Neither do they distinguish between the rich or the poor; they do not distinguish between the Northerners and the Southerners. The enemy is just a creature that devours infinitely.¡±


    The Northern Army quickly became quiet. It did not take too long for them to understand what Juan was talking about. He was talking about the Crack, the biggest enemy of the northerners¡ªno, he was talking about the enemy that didn¡¯t end up bing the entire world¡¯s ultimate enemy only because the northerners were blocking it.


    ¡°Before them, I am not the emperor! I am just one of the countless warriors of the North who stood up bravely to fight beside the heroes¡ªall to fight against the Crack! We may break, but we will never copse!¡±


    The Northern Army shuddered at Juan¡¯s cry. The emperor was not telling them to fight for the sake of the emperor. Neither did he instill fear or force loyalty. He was just saying that what they had been doing in silence until now was something so great that even the emperor was going to join them.


    Juan shouted one more time.


    ¡°<strong>We may break, but we will never copse!</strong>¡±


    The Northern Army also shouted after him. A loud cry shook the entire mountain range. Nienna also stepped forward to shout with them.


    They shouted again and again until they were out of breath.


    They were warriors that might break, but would never copse.

 Chapter 240 – The Things That Began to Gather (2)

    <h4>Chapter 240 ¨C The Things That Began to Gather (2)</h4>


    ¡°I am Bekelt Bekelsus, the Deputy of the Order of Lindwurm. Who are you all?¡±


    The knight who identified himself as Bekelt led Lenly and the others into the castle. The structure of the castle was quite strange¡ªit was a structure that Lenly had never seen in his life. The castle was warm, almost as if it were alive and asionally, it moved while making an unknown breathing sound.


    There was no one who did not feel anxious at the feeling of entering the stomach of a giant, but Imil and Lenly tried their best to not reveal their agitation.


    ¡°We are from Aruntal, an organization which serves His Majesty to¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, I know that you all are from Aruntal. At one point in time, I, too, was a member of Aruntal because of Dane Dormund. But before that, I served His Majesty as a knight of the Order of Lindwurm. As far as I have heard, Dane was ousted¡­¡±


    ¡°Dane was ousted for his arrogance and rudeness to His Majesty. He is no longer a member of Aruntal.¡±


    Bekelt looked at Aruntal for a moment and soon nodded. His expression could not be seen due to the helmet he wore covering his face.


    ¡°I see. I did think that he would end up like that one day. I¡¯m just surprised that His Majesty did not kill him,¡± Bekelt said as he looked back at Lenly. ¡°You have the ring representing the Imperial Guards. Are you a member of the Imperial Guards?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I am Lenly Loen, the Captain of the Imperial Guards.¡±


    Bekelt reached out his hand and strongly shook Lenly¡¯s hand.


    ¡°By looking at your build, I can already see that you are a strong warrior.¡±


    Lenly had no change in expression, but it was clear that Bekelt was showing hospitality to Lenly.


    Such a sight left Imil feeling rather ufortable. Not a single member of Aruntal expected the Order of Lindwurm to be here. From Imil¡¯s point of view, he couldn¡¯t help but feel anxious¡ªanxious that he might lose his seat right next to the emperor to someone else.


    Imil¡¯s promise to be loyal to the emperor and to be useful to the emperor were sincere. However, he knew that there were a lot of things he had to watch out for while serving the eternal emperor. For example, those who are around Gerard now were overly dogmatic¡ªthis was especially true in the case of Lenly Loen.


    The world is constantly changing, and even an immortal emperor must have to keep up with the changing flow. The world would break down if it was forced to bend ording to the emperor¡¯s will.


    Imil knew that he was neither an outstanding magician nor an amazing warrior. But this was also the reason why he thought that he was the only one who would be capable of instilling tenderness within Gerard¡¯s uprightness.


    However, an entire knight order was around the emperor when Imil arrived here. This was quite a loss from Imil¡¯s point of view, since the numbers ofpetitors had increased.


    ¡°Where is His Majesty Gerard? Is he inside this castle?¡± Imil asked Bekelt.


    Now that Imil found out that there were a lot of people by Gerard¡¯s side, he had to prove his usefulness to Gerard¡ªit was bureaucrats and schemers who should be standing by the emperor¡¯s side, not swordsmen.


    Bekelt turned his head toward Imil upon hearing the question. While his eyes under the ink-colored helmet were subtly shining with purple, his expression was invisible.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°We only came here with the Dragon Citadel because we realized that he had returned. I¡¯m sure that he is around here somewhere, but I can¡¯t sense his presence at all¡­ no, to be precise¡­¡±


    Bekelt hesitated but continued.


    ¡°To be precise, his presence can be felt everywhere around here.¡±


    ***


    The soldiers¡¯ songs echoed throughout the valley.


    The Imperial Army which had followed Juan was given a proper meal and amodation after a long time. They were enjoying their time while drinking and eating, and quite a few of them were drinking with the Northern Army.


    Originally, the Northern Army was independent from the Imperial Army in the sense that they obeyed Nienna more than the emperor. At the same time, the Capital Army felt strong pride about being the best of the empire.


    But the speech Juan gave today was enough to tear down the walls between them.


    Meanwhile, Juan was sitting on the top of the valley and looking down at the barracks. The Capital Army was passionately singing iprehensible words along with the Northern Army, almost as if they had learned a folk song of the Northerners.


    ¡°What are you doing here by yourself, Dad? You can still have some drinks even though you don¡¯t get drunk, you know.¡±


    Nienna¡¯s voice came from behind and Juan turned his head. Nienna¡¯s face had turned red as if she had already had quite a few drinks. Of course, she could get sober whenever she wanted, but she wanted to stay drunk tonight.


    Juan just shook his head.


    ¡°The alcohol here is too bitter. Also, what¡¯s the point of drinking if I don¡¯t even get drunk off of it?¡±


    ¡°The North¡¯s alcohol must be too strong for even my dad who sent gods to their deaths, huh?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t deny that.¡±


    Nienna smiled and slumped down beside Juan. She was basically sitting on the snowfield, but the thought that she might feel cold or catch a flu didn¡¯t even cross Juan¡¯s mind for a second.


    Nienna followed Juan¡¯s gaze and nkly stared down at the valley.


    ¡°Oh, yikes. There¡¯s a lot of them now that I see them from all the way up here. Walter, that punk. He''s been whining that he might not be able to gather this many troops because of the restoration work left behind in the wake of the Cainheryars. But is it okay to let them just have fun like this? I thought we were in an urgent situation?¡±


    ¡°We sure are. But an army that has eaten and rested well fights better than one which hasn¡¯t. Besides, I heard that most of them are volunteers.¡±


    Nienna grinned and nodded.


    ¡°Who would turn down the opportunity to fight alongside His Majesty? No matter how famous I am, you will always be more famous. Of course they want to volunteer, especially when His Majesty is on his way to fight against the Crack. It¡¯s the first time since the emperor¡¯s direct lead from forty-eight years ago, after all.¡±


    The emperor¡¯s direct lead from that time ended as a failure due to Gerard assassinating the emperor. It was quite ironic that the emperor who was taking the direct lead again after many years to fight against the Crack got killed by Gerard.


    Juan exhaled a deep breath, causing a white breath to flow out in the wind.


    ¡°They wouldn¡¯t have to risk their lives if I hadn¡¯t messed up.¡±


    ¡°Dad,¡± Nienna frowned.


    ¡°How many of them do you think will end up dying? What do you think would have happened if I had just directly destroyed the Holy Body, saying that I don¡¯t need the emperor¡¯s power? There would have been no reason for them to gather like this if I had given up on resurrecting Sina. No matter how sessful we are, given that our opponent is Gerard, only a few of them will be able to go back to their families safely. It will be even worse if we fail.¡±


    Juan let out a deep breath and continued.


    ¡°They don¡¯t have to die.¡±


    Nienna tried to refute Juan angrily, but the speech he gave during the day suddenly came to her mind. Juan seemed to have really meant his words¡ªhe really meant that he wasn¡¯t the emperor. He had been silent until now because the people around him got angry and frustrated whenever he said so, but it was true that he had mentioned it a lot of times already.


    Only this could cause Juan¡¯s deration that he is a warrior rather than the emperor to sufficiently touch the hearts of the Northern Army.


    Nienna sighed and opened her mouth.


    ¡°If someone could decide who will live and who will die, then they would be referred to as a god, not the emperor.¡±


    Juan looked back at Nienna.


    Innread dot".


    ¡°Um, well. I don''t really know what to say, but there have been a lot of times when I had to decide who was going to die and who was going to live. There was a time when I could have saved two hundred people if I went to the Yunghell Valley, and I could have secured the provisions if I had gone to the Altern Peak. In the end, I went to the peak because I thought that more than a thousand people might end up starving to death if I lost the provisions. However, there were no enemies when I actually got there. War forces you to constantly make decisions. Someone¡¯s life depends on your decision, and there is no guarantee that your choices are always going to be right. You¡¯ve experienced that countless times, Dad. Haven¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I have,¡± Juan answered.


    ¡°I understand your worries, Dad. It is about deciding who will live or die. But we don¡¯t consider that to be the god¡¯s domain. After all, someone has to decide at the end of the day. Even a shepherd thinks about which sheep he should kill. Such decisions have to be made due to the situation, not necessarily due to your authority.¡±


    ¡°Are you suggesting that it was the situation that made me, the emperor, have to make decisions like this?¡±


    ¡°Yes. So regretting your decisions is not necessarily a bad thing. The decision maker will always be criticized regardless of the results anyway. It can¡¯t be helped even if the result of your decision leads you to the guillotine. But, who else can handle such a heavy position besides you? Your refusal to be the emperor is proof of your negligence, Dad. For your information, in the North, those who neglect their work are whipped on the butt.¡±


    Juan was left speechless for a moment upon hearing Nienna refer to him as someone cking on his job. Juan felt this to be a false usation, since he had his own reasons.


    ¡°They have no reason to acknowledge me as the emperor. Yes, it is true that I was the emperor at one point in time¡ªbut that was decades ago. It was a position made unintentionally with the wrong motive from the very beginning.¡±


    ¡°Oh,e on. Stop talking nonsense, Dad. Who do you think can be the emperor besides you? His Majesty Gerard, who is in the sky? Or Pavan Peltere, a career-oriented punk who is devoid of any empathy? I¡¯ll really smack you in the head if you say something frustrating one more time. Heretia would have already hit you if she were here.¡±


    ¡°Damn it. Is there no one around me who can give me proper counseling? Everyone just tries to hit me if I tell them about my frustrations. You all call me the emperor, but where the hell is my authority?¡± Juan let out a sigh ofmentation.


    Nienna pped Juan on the back.


    ¡°Stop whining and just show off how powerful you are. You¡¯re good at things like that, aren¡¯t you? People like you more when you are showing off anyway. I don¡¯t care if you consider yourself the emperor or not, but make the people around you acknowledge you as the emperor. That is the duty of the emperor.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just like the question of whether the chicken came first or the egg¡­¡±


    ¡°I know you understood what I meant. But what can we do? You can do whatever you want once we kill Gerard, that fucking bastard. Pass on the throne to a decent person and go on a trip or something. Others won¡¯t be able to say anything to your retirement if you prepare a clear session structure. There will be no one telling you to stay as the immortal emperor.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡±


    Juan sighed once again and stood up from his seat.


    ¡°I have made up my mind. Once this war is over, I¡¯ll go back to my hometown and farm for the rest of my life.¡±


    Nienna didn¡¯t respond to Juan¡¯s words.


    Juan looked back upon feeling the strange silence. Nienna had a very ufortable look on her face.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°Dad, I feel like what you¡¯ve just said is some sort of ominous foreshadowing.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Nevermind, it¡¯s nothing. But I¡¯d like you to cancel your deration to be a farmer. You can think about it, but don¡¯t say it out loud. So take back what you said. Come on, take it back.¡±


    ¡°...Fine. I''ll take it back.¡±


    Nienna shook her head, looking much more relieved upon hearing Juan¡¯s reply.


    ¡°You need to get a hobby instead of thinking about such useless things. Something other than killing monsters or humans¡­ how do you feel about woodworking or writing? Oh, how about singing?¡±


    ¡°Singing?¡±


    Nienna beckoned as if to refer to the singinging from the bottom of the valley.


    ¡°That song is an epic poem about the achievements of the tribes from the North. The melody is simple, so it will be easy to learn.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that too simple to have as a hobby?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s important isn¡¯t the melody but the lyrics. There are one hundred and twenty-two verses. The lyrics have gotten longer and longer as the generations passed or the tribes constantly merged. Usually, only the first and second verses are sung, but it will take a long time to memorize them all. By the way, I <i>have</i> managed to memorize all of it.¡±


    ¡°When was this song made anyway?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°There are lyrics about the Ancient Dragon. It also talks about Nulvin, who explored the Crack, the first king of the North, and even the Winter Duke. It¡¯s a song that covers all of the mythological era.¡±


    Nienna smiled and tightly hugged Juan¡¯s shoulders.


    ¡°I¡¯m just letting you know, but I won¡¯t let you think about anything else until you learn the song in its entirety.¡±


    ***


    Chaos was raging like a storm.


    Lenly couldn¡¯t think of any other way to describe it upon seeing the scenery before his eyes.


    Outside the Dragon Citadel where the Order of Lindwurm stayed,y a huge circr Crack extending all the way to beyond the horizon. Above the circr Crack was a purple space that soared like a bubble, and inside it swirled various forces.


    Inside the vortex, small pieces collided and clumped together to create a flow. But it was such a sight that gave Lenly goosebumps; to think that even the smallest piece swirling around was made by pulling out the mountains of the North.


    Unidentified creatures that were rarely seen swirled inside the vortex and turned into debris when they smashed against the mountains.


    The Dragon Citadel was hovering around it in a circle. And Bekelt was convinced that Gerard had to be somewhere inside this circle.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever get used to this castle,¡± Imil said as he approached Lenly¡¯s side with an ufortable expression on his face.

 Chapter 241 – The Things That Began to Gather (3)

    <h4>Chapter 241 ¨C The Things That Began to Gather (3)</h4>


    Lenly had thought that there would nevere a day when he would agree with Imil, but this time, he agreed with Imilpletely.


    It was no illusion that Lenly felt as if the castle was alive¡ªthe Dragon Citadel was both inanimate and alive at the same time. Not only were there fluids flowing inside the building, but it also pulsated; it even ate or excreted at times.


    At the same time, the building was moving as if it was unaffected by thews of physics.


    ¡°Sir Bekelt said that we would never be able to understand or get used to this castle,¡± Lenly muttered.


    ¡°I think that the thing that we don¡¯t understand is not this castle, but rather the world beyond the Crack. How can such a thing exist?¡±


    Imil folded his arms as if he felt the chills at just the thought of the Crack.


    Meanwhile, Lenly nodded.


    ¡°We will have to persuade His Majesty to deal with the Crack sternly when we meet him. Although the Order of Lindwurm has gained a lot of talented individuals, as well as many useful tools from the Crack, we can¡¯t let these profane and iprehensible things continue striding around.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. I understand your perspective, Sir Lenly. But it¡¯s not something to be just ostracized, is it? The Dragon Citadel is certainly iprehensible, but there is no malice in the castle itself. It¡¯s no different from a sword owned by you if it is handled well.¡±


    Lenly red at Imil.


    ¡®<i>How can hepare a sword with such an ominous thing?</i>¡¯


    He already knew that Imil had a pragmatic and progressive stance, but there were lines that shouldn¡¯t ever be crossed.


    ¡°...We will talk about this againter,¡± Lenly said.


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s do that. Come to think of it, do you know where the Order of Lindwurm went? I thought they said they were looking for His Majesty Gerard. But it seems that no one is looking for him; they are just wandering around the castle.¡±


    ¡°They are all singing in the center of the castle.¡±


    ¡°Singing?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Can¡¯t you hear them? Their song is echoing throughout the entire castle.¡±


    Imil looked puzzled, but Lenly could faintly hear the knights from the Order of Lindwurm singing despite their low volume. Lenly hummed along to the sound of the song.


    Meanwhile, Imil nodded as he listened to Lenly¡¯s song, but soon covered his mouth with his hand. His expression slowly turned pale.


    ¡°Um, is that the song that the Order of Lindwurm is singing?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Is there something wrong?¡±


    ¡°...No. It¡¯s just that¡­ I feel like I heard that song in my dreamst night. I couldn¡¯t sleep at night because I had an ominous dream. But I guess I must have heard it in my sleep.¡±


    Lenly felt pleasant upon hearing that Imil had been up all night, but the content of the story bothered him.


    ¡°An ominous dream? Like what?¡± Lenly asked.


    ¡°Oh, it was just a nightmare. Something was watching me and whispering unknown words in my ears. I remember the voice being quite creepy. It sounded like it was gnawing at my guts.¡±


    Imil exined in a calm manner, but suddenly flinched as if something had inadvertentlye to his mind.


    At the same time, Lenly looked at Imil upon realizing that he had thought of the same thing as Imil.


    Both Lenly and Imil somewhat knew about information rted to the encroachment of the Crack. When the Crack begins to encroach upon someone, they begin to hum a song and mutter an unknown name that is unique to each of them.


    They had also heard that repeating that name gave people a powerful force, but the encroachment of the Crack bes stronger every time the name is muttered.


    ¡°...We are going to have to get some earplugs. I don¡¯t know if it will be good enough to block the sound, but still,¡± Lenly said.


    ¡°The only way out of this is to leave here as soon as we find His Majesty Gerard. I know that the Order of Lindwurm is loyal to His Majesty, but I feel the need to distance ourselves from them,¡± Imil nodded.


    ¡°What are you distancing yourself from?¡±


    Lenly and Imil turned their heads toward the direction of the voice.


    Bekelt was standing in front of the door while wearing armor with a helmet that hung deeply over his head. At the same time, the sound of the song sung by the knights from the Order of Lindwurm was cut off before anyone knew it.


    Bekelt smiled and opened his mouth, the only visible part of his face.


    ¡°We have found out where His Majesty is. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ***


    As soon as Lenly stepped on the purple ground, he could feel a stinging sensation, almost as if he had been electrocuted.


    Lenly firmly stepped on the ground a few times to make sure that it was solid and looked around at the surroundings. He could see ckened letters on the ground.


    They were on what looked like a kind of ind. Although it was tinypared to the rocky mountains that were swirling above their heads in the vortex, it was still the size of a small ind.


    And there was a woman standing in the middle of the ind.


    Bekelt stood beside Lenly and opened his mouth while staring at the woman.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t find His Majesty¡¯s exact location no matter what I did, so I thought of a slightly different method. I thought of the possibility of His Majesty not being alone despite him kicking out Dane. Perhaps she is the woman who is taking care of His Majesty?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think she came here to take care of His Majesty,¡± Lenly answered in a calm manner.


    Bekelt looked back at Lenly with questioning eyes.


    ¡°Do you know that woman?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a littleplicated to say that I simply know her.¡±


    Lenly pulled himself together as he faced the female knight ring fiercely at him.


    It was Sina Solvane.


    Sina seemed to be in a normal condition. Lenly had clearly seen Dismas crushing her, but there was no sign of her body being destroyed. Rather, her left eye, which had remained closed due to the burns, looked like it was back to normal now. The only change was that her left pupil was orange in color, just like a heated metal. She gave off a strong impression with her odd eyes, since her right eye was blue.


    Bekelt ced his hand on his sword and opened his mouth.


    ¡°She seems like she wants to kill you. I hope she does not end up being a nuisance to His Majesty.¡±


    ¡°She has a reckless personality, but she is not stupid,¡± Lenly answered.


    Lenly stared at Sina for a moment but soon strode forward.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just leave her alone and go see His Majesty.¡±


    Meanwhile, Sina was quietly staring at Lenly, who was approaching her.


    ¡®<i>I can kill him for good if I were to attack him right now.</i>¡¯


    Sina already knew through Gerard why Lenly betrayed Juan and left her to die. She had her own guesses as well. Because of this, Sina felt the strong urge to kill him right at this moment.


    But Sina pulled her hand off of her sword.


    Upon seeing this, Lenly, who was preparing to fight in case of an unexpected situation, breathed out a sigh of relief. He whispered to Sina as he passed by her.


    ¡°I have no reason to kill you now. I never hated you either. I just wish for you to safely return to Juan. I don¡¯t want to make him more sad than he already is.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going back empty-handed,¡± Sina answered in a cold voice.


    Lenly smiled bitterly upon hearing Sina¡¯s reply and passed by.


    Sina looked at the direction they were headed to; they were going to where Gerard was waiting.


    Gerard stood at the edge of the cliff. Without any signs of tiredness, he was creating his own world of chaos, just like a child touching the sand on the beach for the first time.


    No one could tell what would be appearing in the picture where many mountains, rivers, and various forces were constantly clumping together and splitting.


    Lenly, who was walking ahead, frowned upon seeing the figures approaching from the opposite side. Those figures were wearing a deep robe and had thornbush nes on their necks. They were members of the Thornbush Priest Organization, the organization that was known to have been destroyed by Juan.


    The person standing at the very front seemed to have the form of a human being. However, there were many people standing behind him who did not have a normal human form.


    Bekelt clicked his tongue as he looked at them.


    ¡°They must have been keeping their eye on us.¡±


    ¡°I had heard that the Thornbush Priest Organization had been wiped out. However, they seem to be quiterge in numbers,¡± Lenly said.


    ¡°They are not the ones who were hiding in this world. The Priests from the Thornbush Priest Organization that remained in the empire were weak and small in numbers. But these are the real Priests from the Thornbush Priest Organization, those who live and parasitize inside the Crack. The leader of the Thornbush Church in the empire just led one of their thousand branches,¡± Bekelt exined.


    Bekelt seemed quite displeased with the Thornbush Priest Organization. This was only natural, since the reason why the Order of Lindwurm turned their backs against the empire was because of the Crack in the first ce.


    Even if they lived under the influence of the Crack now, their hostility did not go away easily. In addition, Gerard had not only tortured, but also killed the leader of the Thornbush Priest Organization in the empire.


    Bekelt walked ahead and stood in front of the Priests from the Thornbush Priest Organization.


    ¡°His Majesty wouldn¡¯t enjoy seeing you bastards¡¯ faces.¡±


    ¡°We,¡± the Priest standing at the very front said in a split voice.


    It was a neutral voice that made it so that no one could tell whether it belonged to a man or a woman. Only the Priest¡¯s teeth could be seen, since their face had a hood covering it entirely.


    ¡°We only came to see the return of the owner of the Crown. It¡¯s nearly a hundred years behind the appointed date, but it¡¯s only an instantpared to the time that we¡¯ve been waiting for until now.¡±


    ¡°The Crown belongs to His Majesty. There is no chance of you ever getting it back.¡±


    The Priest grinned from inside his dark hood. It was a smile that could never be considered human.


    ¡°You really don¡¯t know anything, do you? Sweetheart, you and I both serve the same master. No¡ªeverything''s meant to serve the master. Do you think we are on the same level, especially when I walked around the entire world to spread the power of the Crack?¡±


    The Priest took off the hood after speaking. She was a middle-aged woman with silver hair and gave off an aristocratic impression. She had an elegant appearance, but she had pale white skin and had red cracked lips. Over her face were a few stems of a ck thornbush wrapped into a crown made of thornbush.


    Bekelt immediately released a murderous intent as soon as he saw the Priest¡¯s face.


    ¡°ck Aldebaran.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I heard what that name sounds like in this world¡¯s pronunciation. ¡°


    ck Aldebaran. It was the real name of the Priest from the Thornbush Priest Organization. The original name couldn¡¯t even be pronounced properly by anyone other than the owner of the name herself.


    ck Aldebaran did not budge even in the face of Bekelt¡¯s murderous intent. Instead, she turned her gaze toward Lenly. She made a curious expression for a short moment, but she soon turned her head toward the other direction as a strong me suddenly began to burn on the edge of the cliff.


    The me burned fiercely, almost as if it wanted to burn the chaos and then slowly died down.


    Before anyone knew it, Gerard was looking down at them.


    In his hand was a giant spear twice his own height. As Gerard¡¯s gaze scanned them from head to toe, the Order of Lindwurm, Aruntal, as well as the Priests from the Thornbush Priest Organization all knelt in unison.


    Bekelt was the first to raise his head and exim.


    ¡°Your Majesty! Your knight order hase running from beyond eternity in response to your call. Give us another chance to fight by your side!¡±


    Then Imil from Aruntal also spoke out, almost as if this was apetition.


    ¡°I celebrate the birth of the eternal emperor and pray that Your Majesty¡¯s empire willst for an eternity. May us of Aruntal be a part of such an eternity, just as we have done so far!¡±


    ck Aldebaran also raised her head proudly and opened her mouth.


    ¡°As always, the Thornbush Priest Organization, which serves the nine-headed dragon, wees the Crown bearing head back to its original ce. It is the moment when all the burning stars will finally be put in ce.¡±


    While everyone was pledging their allegiance, Gerard trudged in front of them. Everyone lowered their heads even further and waited for Gerard¡¯s words, but he just walked past them and strode forward.


    As soon as everyone looked back at Gerard with a perplexed expression, he stopped in front of Sina.


    Then, he slowly opened his mouth.


    ¡°Sina Solvane.¡±


    Sina, who was scowling upon hearing the oaths of allegiance of the three groups, also looked up at Gerard with a perplexed expression.


    Meanwhile, Gerard lifted the spear he had created.


    ¡°This time, I have made a spear. I¡¯d like to give it a name, since I haven¡¯t made such an impressive item in a very long time. I want you to be the one to name it,¡± Gerard said.


    ¡°...What? Why me?¡± Sina asked, dumbfounded.


    ¡°Because I¡¯m not good at naming.¡±


    ¡°Who cares? That¡¯s none of my business. Just call it whatever you like.¡±


    Sina avoided Gerard¡¯s gaze with a perplexed expression while enduring the three group¡¯s burning gazes.


    Sina had shared many questions and answers with Gerard over the time they had spent together, and Gerard had also asked her a lot of useless questions. But it was the first time Sina was feeling this perplexed.


    Gerard seemed to ponder for a while, then soon opened his mouth again.


    ¡°Then can I name it Solvane?¡±


    Sina felt unpleasant, and desperately wanted to get out of this situation. She wanted to tell Gerard to name it ¡®Gerard is a son of a bitch,¡¯ but she felt like that would just be an insult to Juan¡ªnot to mention that it would be insulting the three groups standing behind Gerard as well.


    Thus, Sina nodded as if she had no choice.


    ¡°Solvane it is.¡±

 Chapter 242 – The Things That Began to Gather (4)

    <h4>Chapter 242 ¨C The Things That Began to Gather (4)</h4>


    .


    Gerard mumbled briefly and then shifted the spear in his hand.


    At that moment, a me rose from the tip of the spear at a strange angle. Bekelt, who had been quietly watching the scene, stood up as if he couldn¡¯t stand such a sight.


    ¡°Your Majesty Gerard!¡±


    Only after Bekelt shouted Gerard¡¯s name did Gerard turn his head. Bekelt flinched the moment he met Gerard¡¯s gaze. However, there was nothing but indifference in Gerard¡¯s eyes. He wasn¡¯t paying attention to anyone except for Sina; it was almost as if everyone else was just a part of the background.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Gerard asked.


    Bekelt was even more perplexed upon hearing Gerard¡¯s question. Although they had been apart for a long time, the time they had spent together before that hadn¡¯t been short. Bekelt recalled that when Gerard used to be the Captain of the Order of Lindwurm, he used to be able to recognize everyone just by sensing their presence. Thus, he had only expected him to be better at recognizing people now that he had be much stronger than he was in the past.


    At that moment, Gerard nodded and mumbled.


    ¡°Ah¡­ I know who you are¡­ Right, you are Bekelt, the Deputy of the Order of Lindwurm. My apologies. I think it¡¯s getting harder and harder for me to distinguish between people as time goes by.¡±


    <i>¡®What does he mean that it¡¯s getting harder to distinguish between people?¡¯</i>


    Bekelt couldn¡¯t understand what Gerard was talking about. Fortunately, he was at least able to avoid the humiliation of having to introduce himself to Gerard in front of all of his subordinates.


    Yet, that didn¡¯t make the situation any better.


    Gerard¡¯s head was only slightly turned toward Bekelt instead of directly facing him.


    ¡°Your Majesty, we have alle running at once to swear an oath of allegiance to you. But why are you ignoring our loyalty for such an arrogant woman? Who even is she?¡± Bekelt asked.


    At that moment, Gerard briefly motioned with the tip of his spear. A cracking sound rang out and Bekelt¡¯s helmet split in half and fell to the ground.


    The members of Aruntal gasped in shock as soon as the helmet was removed from Bekelt¡¯s head, while the Priests from the Thornbush Priest Organization just smiled; it was as if they already knew it.


    The top of Bekelt¡¯s head, which was revealed when the helmet fell off, wasposed of tentacles. Only the area from his lower jaw remained somewhat human.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like I was confused for no reason. You seem to have changed a lotpared to the olden days, Bekelt. And Sina Solvane is not some arrogant woman¡ªshe is a guest that I invited myself. You better be careful not to talk so recklessly next time.¡±


    Bekelt silently picked up the pieces of the helmet from the ground and put them back on; it almost looked like he was forcing his head into the helmet.


    Gerard then turned toward Aruntal and the Priests who were watching in silence.


    ¡°I ept all of your oaths of allegiance.¡±


    The Priests from the Thornbush Priest Organization, the Order of Lindwurm, and members of Aruntal all expected Gerard to follow with a speech and blessings. However, Gerard only stumbled again as he walked up to the cliff and continued working on the creation of chaos.


    That was all.


    That was the only sentence that Gerard said to those who came from all over the universe, as well as the people that had thrown away all their lifetime achievements just to swear their loyalty to him.


    There was no one who openly showed their agitation, since all the people who gathered here were elite among elites. However, there was no one who was not perplexed by the unexpected situation.


    Bekelt, in particr, was perplexed and felt speechless. It wasn¡¯t like he had expected a heartwarming reunion where Gerard would hug him in tears, but he thought that he would at least have the chance to reminisce about the past.


    While everyone was feeling perplexed, Gerard simply ignored them all and simply concentrated on his work.


    However, that did not continue for long.


    ¡°Gerard Gain!¡±


    A loud voice echoed throughout the center of the chaos and suddenly burst out of the sky.


    ***


    Ten people had appeared in the sky.


    They all seemed to be of different ages, genders, and had different appearances, but they all had the same voice and each of them was holding a cane of the same shape.


    The knights of the Order of Lindwurm immediately drew their swords, while the Priests of the Thornbush Priest Organization began to mutter a spell as if they were singing. The members of Aruntal also began to prepare for the worst-case scenario.


    But among all of them, only Imil from Aruntal gritted his teeth and red at those who had suddenly appeared in the sky.


    ¡°Dane Dormund, you son of a bitch! How dare you show yourself before His Majesty once again when you have betrayed him!¡±


    At that moment, the young boy standing at the very front swung his cane. Before Imil could even do anything about it, the floating ind that all of them were standing on instantly split in half and scattered away like a spider web.


    While the broken ind didn¡¯t crash, due to being seized by a strange force, it almost ended up losing its bnce and copsing.


    It was Lenly who caught Imil and stopped him from almost falling into the chaos. Lenly red fiercely at Dane, then quickly turned around and searched for the Dragon Citadel, but he saw that the Dragon Citadel had already fallen with the other broken fragments of the inds. The same was true of the Order of Lindwurm.


    Dane had blocked everyone from them with just a single spell.


    At that moment, Bekelt blew into a whistle that was hanging around his neck. The echo of the whistle was apanied by a loud cracking sound as the Dragon Citadel fractured.


    Then, something that looked like flesh flowed out from the fissures of the Dragon Citadel and ran down to where the Order of Lindwurm was.


    Meanwhile, the Thornbush Priest Organization did not sit still either. As they sang, something huge soared from the Crack on the ground. What climbed up the rocks and walls were an indefinite amount of creatures with an appearance that no one could understand or describe.


    The creatures recklessly approached and tried to attack Dane, who was still floating in the air. One of the Danes tried to strike a creature with his cane, but too many of them were attacking him at once.


    One of the Danes was instantly caught and lost his lower body to a creature¡¯s jaws, but another Dane shook it off with the cane. The monster of the Crack was thrown somewhere onto the huge cliff, and slowly, the other monsters also met a simr end.


    Bloodstains were left here and there on the cliffs that made the entrance of the Crack. Some of the Priests could not hide their astonishment when they saw the powerful monsters of the Crack being turned into mincemeat in just an instant. Only ck Aldebaran clicked her tongue; it was as if she had expected that this would happen.


    ¡°The Magician!¡±


    Bekelt, who had managed to climb up to the very top of the Dragon Citadel before anyone even knew it, stood right at the forefront, almost like a ship¡¯s ram bow, and approached Dane. Cold air instantly spread all over the ce.


    Dane frowned at this sight and swung his cane, but Bekelt just swung his left hand with his eyes wide open.


    <i>St!</i>


    Bekelt¡¯s arm split in half, but although his flesh was torn apart, no blood came out of his wound. The powerful force that entered Bekelt from his fingertips passed all the way up his shoulders and stopped right when it reached his head. Tentacles could be seen wriggling inside the wound, but it then closed in an instant.


    ¡°These parasites within me devour magic! Your magic won¡¯t work on me!¡± Bekelt shouted.


    Then, Bekelt directly charged toward Dane as if he was nning on directly running into him.


    But the Dragon Citadel couldn¡¯t reach Dane at all.


    As soon as Dane turned his cane, the Dragon Citadel faltered and changed course, moving in the wrong direction. Only after spinning around in the air for a long time did Bekelt realize that he was being deceived by Dane¡¯s spatial distortion magic. By the time he figured it out, however, he was already on the verge of mming into a floating rock ind.


    Bekelt quickly blew the whistle once more when he saw the rock in front of him. At the same time, the Dragon Citadel passed through the rock, almost as if it was passing through fog. There was no collision, but it was a frightening moment, since the citadel could have almost shattered into pieces.


    The Thornbush Prist Organization, the Order of Lindwurm, and Aruntal all could not believe that Dane had instantly blocked all of their attacks with just a single cane.


    Dane looked down at them with an annoyed look on his face.


    ¡°Fuck off, you puny bastards. I need to talk to your leader,¡± Dane said.


    It was ck Aldebaran who answered Dane.


    ¡°Puny? Us? Dane Dormund¡ªno, maybe I should call you ¡®Unreachable Star.¡¯ That name must be more familiar to you. You almost act like you¡¯re the ruler of the world after getting the title of the Star with our help.¡±


    ¡°ck Aldebaran.¡± Dane smiled bitterly. ¡°I haven¡¯t forgotten what I owe you for helping me obtain the title of Unreachable Star. But didn¡¯t we cooperate only because we both wanted something from each other from the very beginning? And didn¡¯t your lover end up getting the title of ¡®Unfilled Star¡¯ with my help?¡±


    Lenly couldn¡¯t understand the conversation between ck Aldebaran and Dane. However, he could tell that the two of them seemed to know each other. Lenly figured that ck Aldebaran had cooperated with Dane to help him obtain the extraordinary power and magic that he currently had.


    ck Aldebaran gritted her teeth and red at Dane.


    ¡°Now is the time for the Stars to get back to their ce! Do not get in the way! No matter how strong the power granted to you by the Star is, you won¡¯t be able to hold out if I attack you with all my might!¡± ck Aldebaran shouted.


    ¡°You will have to call in other Stars if you want to stop me. On the other hand, I can ruin this messed up party before they get here, you know,¡± Dane answered.


    Then, he took a deep breath and shouted again,


    ¡°<strong>Gerard Gain! Gerard Gain! Gerard Gain!</strong>¡±


    The loud voice shook the world; it was almost as the axis of the world was twisting with his roars.


    Lenly could not help but doubt his own ears¡ªthe roar that came out of Dane¡¯s mouth was not a singr voice. It was the roar of hundreds or maybe even thousands of voices, including women, men, elderly people, and children.


    Gerard, who hadn¡¯t even bothered to look back despite all the fuss, finally turned his head. There was a clear look of displeasure on his face.


    ¡°There are a lot of visitors today.¡±


    ***


    Not only was there not enough oxygen to breathe in, but the wind was also way too strong.


    Juan left the barracks for a moment and climbed the peak of a high mountain. He could feel a strange energy from the North. The further North he went, the stronger the energy became.


    At that moment, Juan felt a sharp, alien energy in the midst of all this.


    ¡®<i>Dane Dormund¡­ He still had more power hidden away even now?</i>¡¯


    Juan knew that Dane used the power of a different world, but this was the first time that Dane exerted it as actively and passionately as he was now.


    Juan thought that he was close enough to the sun as he climbed the mountain peak, but his breath froze and his limbs were starting to get numb. The sky was still far away from him despite his thought that he was getting closer.


    The peak that was so high that it allowed one to overlook the entire world was not a ce that humans were allowed to reach.


    Juan let out a long breath and his white breath fluttered like a scarf. The environment was so unbearable that he even needed to use mana constantly in order to sustain his life.


    The Wall of Nulvin, the destination where the Northern Army and Juan were headed, could be seen from atop the mountain peak.


    It was the first time that Juan had seen the Wall of Nulvin.


    However, the wall appeared distorted into a huge circle and it was clear that it was not its original form. There was something rising above it that looked like a ck bubble, and inside the ck bubble were mountains and clouds that could be seen faintly.


    ¡®<i>That must be Gerard¡¯s area¡­ or the area beyond the Crack.</i>¡¯


    The bubble had already reached so high up that it was almost out of the atmosphere.


    Juan sat down on the highest peak of the Northern mountain range that had yet to be named.


    [<strong>Gerard Gain!</strong>]


    He could faintly hear Dane¡¯s voice through the wind. His voice echoed throughout the North.


    ¡®<i>No, perhaps it can be heard from all over the empire.</i>¡¯


    It was not that Dane¡¯s voice was loud, but that his alter egos hidden throughout the empire were shouting all at once. This was a voice that Gerard could not ignore.


    Juan did not know where Dane¡¯s primary essence was hidden or how many alter egos Dane had created until now.


    He had a feeling that the only reason he was still alive was that Dane had been careless or had gone easy on him.


    But even though such a powerful magician was confronting Gerard, Juan didn¡¯t think for a second that Dane would be able to win.


    ¡°Anyway. I have no idea how to pass through all that.¡±


    Monsters were crawling up around the wall of Nulvin and through the giant circr opening of the Crack. It was as if Gerard¡¯s construction had awakened them from their hibernation.


    Grotesque monsters began to march toward the world while ckening the white snow all over the mountains.


    A huge war, the likes of which even Juan had never experienced, was approaching.


    Juan had fought wars all his life. He was not the type to reject invitations¡ªespecially to a war where he didn¡¯t have to go easy on the opponent at all.

 Chapter 243 – Things That Began to Gather (5)

    <h4>Chapter 243 ¨C Things That Began to Gather (5)</h4>


    Dane swung his cane and pulled the floating rocks in front of him, cold sweat running down his forehead.


    He had already installed dozens of safety devices before he showed up in front of Gerard, but despite all that, Gerard was an opponent he couldn¡¯t afford to let his guard down against.


    The ten Danes stepped on the rock, and the one standing at the very forefront was the Dane that had the form of a young boy.


    Gerard just looked at Dane in a calm manner.


    Sina, who had been keeping a low posture near Gerard, couldn¡¯t understand what was going on right now. It was well known that Gerard was against the emperor, and Dane was also hostile to the emperor.


    But Sina couldn¡¯t figure out why the two were giving off such a ferocious atmosphere when they should be working together.


    ¡®<i>I did hear that Dane betrayed Gerard, but why would he do that? Didn¡¯t he say that he wanted to create a perfect and eternal emperor, like the one Gerard is now?</i>¡¯


    Dane¡¯s attempt did not seem to have gone in vain considering Gerard¡¯s current appearance. Of course, there might be disagreements about whether Gerard was perfect or not, but it would be no exaggeration to say that Gerard was the ideal that Dane wanted to create.


    But Dane was ring at Gerard and shouted.


    ¡°What do you think you are doing right now, Gerard? Didn¡¯t you say that you would create a world for humans?¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± Gerard replied, almost as if he waspletely uninterested. ¡°I will make your dreame true, Dane Dormund. I will create a world where all humans are able to be giants and leap into space. You just need to sit back and watch, you know.¡±


    ¡°How in the world is this the process of creating a world for humans?!¡± Dane shouted as he pointed the tip of his cane toward the chaos that Gerard was creating. ¡°You borrowing the power of the Crack was nothing but a preparation! But you dare to make the Crack even bigger and stronger? If you really want to be the emperor and make the empire shine, then go back to Torra and demand the throne! That¡¯s what I was expecting you to do!¡±


    ¡°The Crack won¡¯t be a problem, Dane,¡± Gerard answered in a calm manner. ¡°I can move the entire Wall of Nulvin with just a flip of my hand and use it to close the Crack right now. Even the various entrances to the Crack that have already opened throughout the empire can be closed. Everything is under my control¡ªunder my authority. So what is the problem?¡±


    ¡°What is the problem, you ask?¡± Dane asked back, dumbfounded. ¡°Have you really gone mad? Just because you have Qzatquizail¡¯s Crown doesn¡¯t mean that you are the ruler of the Crack! Qzatquizail is just one of the nine heads of the dragon, and the Crack is the world moved by the same nine-headed dragon! No matter how strong the power of the Crown is, it is absurdly arrogant to think that you can control the Crack!¡±


    Dane took another step forward and continued.


    ¡°Although your physical body is the same as the emperor¡¯s, you cannot control the power of Qzatquizail, the true owner of the Crown. No¡ªthere are even more beings beyond your imagination lurking beyond the Crack. The nine-headed dragon, the Owner of the Stars, the Queen of the Crack, the Beasts of Nightmare, all the kinds of beings that whisper into your ears¡­ even the emperor would need to be humble and vignt in the face of the Crack! It¡¯s better topletely close the Crack and cut off all ties with them!¡±


    Despite Dane¡¯s earnest appeal, Gerard slowly raised the corners of his lips to smile. Dane¡¯s heart sank before he knew it as soon as he saw Gerard¡¯s smile. His gaze slowly turned toward the left, where the Thornbush Priest Organization was watching them from.


    The Thornbush Priest Organization had been trying to get the Crown back for decades. But now, they were now loyal to Gerard.


    This was not because Gerard had the Crown¡ªit was because Gerard was willing to return the Crown.


    At this moment, ck Aldebaran¡¯s smile looked more gruesome than ever in Dane¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°No!¡±


    Dane screamed and hastily swung his cane. But his magic died down without a chance of reaching Gerard. Instead, the rock behind Gerard split in half with a loud roar and soared into the sky.


    Gerard looked back at the split rock and opened his mouth.


    ¡°As you said, there is certainly a limit to the emperor¡¯s body.¡±


    ¡°You really are crazy, Gerard! So you¡¯re nning to transfer yourself to the body of Qzatquizail?¡±


    ¡°I have already taken the body of the former emperor. There¡¯s no reason for me to not do the same with Qzatquizail.¡±


    Dane let out a scream that was more like a cry and sent out a series of magic. However, none of them was able to reach Gerard. Only the inds around Gerard were being destroyed.


    Dane was covered in cold sweat as he struggled to approach Gerard.


    Meanwhile, the Order of Lindwurm and the members of Aruntal were just watching the breathtaking battle in silence.


    ¡°Doing that would mean waking up Qzatquizail! It was only after Mananen McLeir, the Star that can not Fall, took away the Crown from Qzatquizal that the Crack finally calmed down. Do you think this world will still be fine when he wakes up?¡±


    ¡°I am already the Crown itself. Qzatquizail is nothing more than an empty body. Isn¡¯t it only natural that I should be the one to dominate it?¡±


    ¡°Stop talking nonsense, Gerard!¡±


    The ten Danes struck the floor with their canes. They were still very far from Gerard, but Gerard was affected by them for the first time.


    With a cracking sound, the ground where Gerard had been standing fell apart and crumbled. At the same time, a Dane in the form of an old man appeared right next to Gerard.


    However, Dane¡¯s face was covered in dismay.


    Gerard rubbed his thumb and index finger together in the air. At that moment, all ten Dane¡¯s felt their necks begin to twirl. In an instant, all of the Dane¡¯s had their heads pulled off of their bodies with a loud thud.


    Then, Dane¡¯s headless body was squeezed as if it were a mop, and instantly fell down to the ground.


    Gerard brought one of the heads close to his face.


    ¡°Trying to distort my vision, huh? I¡¯m disappointed that you thought such a trivial trick would work on me as well.¡±


    Dane, who only had his head left, did not answer.


    ¡°Dane, you must have thought that your ideal was the greatest and highest. But your views and ideals are still narrow. Do you still limit yourself to thinking about the Crack as ¡®something to be careful of¡¯ even after you have spent hundreds of years exploring the Crack and wandering around the world?¡±


    Gerard turned Dane¡¯s head around and looked closely into it. Dane¡¯s reddish skin did not seem to be alive.


    ¡°I know how great the power of the Crown burning inside me is. If we can manage to get the body of Qzatquizail, then we can have not only our universe, but also the other worlds and stars from beyond the Crack. Among them, I can be the biggest and most fiercely burning star. To be an immortal and good emperor is not enough. I will be brighter than my father whom I have looked up to.¡±


    ¡°You are crazy,¡± Dane puffed his lips and replied to Gerard. ¡°You are the most terrible failure that I have created in my life. I even regret being born just because of the fact that I made you. Did you say that you¡¯re going to be great? And that you¡¯re going to burn brightly? Bullshit. You¡¯re no better than a rat who fell to its death in the sewage.¡±


    Hearing all this, Gerard only smirked.


    ¡°You speak pretty well even with your head severed from your body,¡± Gerard derided.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I won¡¯t be able to kill you,¡± Dane murmured in a quiet voice. ¡°But I can stop your terrible deeds. Then, someone else will soone to kill you.¡±


    Dane opened his mouth wide. For a moment, something could be seen inside his mouth. It was something that sparkled with unknown darkness on the inside.


    ck Aldebaran, who recognized what had juste out of Dane¡¯s mouth, screamed. ¡°The Unreachable Star! That¡¯s¡­!¡±


    At that moment, ink-like darkness rose from Gerard''s hand.


    ***


    Juan sprang up from his seat upon feeling a powerful force of unknown origin blooming in the middle of the circr Crack. It was a force so powerful that Juan felt his vision being distorted.


    For a moment, a strong wind shook Juan. He managed to maintain his bnce, but the tremendous force that seemed like it could sweep away even the ridge he was supporting himself against rushed in.


    All the clouds and dust in the sky were sucked into the Crack in unison. Juan couldn¡¯t help but be surprised by the pulling force that resembled a huge hole in the middle of the sea.


    It was a power that pulled everything around it and destroyed it all like a typhoon.


    ¡°Dane, what the hell have you done¡­¡±


    Juan figured that there was no way that the people inside could be safe in the face of such power. It was a force that could blow away the entire empire if used recklessly.


    But Juan just felt frustration rather than a sense of crisis.


    Juan knew that Dane must have used this magic at the risk of his own life.


    But despite this enormous power, never once did Juan think that Gerard would be beaten by Dane.


    ***


    Sina thought that she was dead the moment darkness covered her eyes.


    But the darkness onlysted for a short moment.


    However, that did not mean that their field of view had returned to normal.


    All the statues in front of Sina had be distorted and bent. There was not a single thing that remained intact.


    Then, Sina suddenly realized that she was the only one who remained intact. The sword that she had dropped from her hand had be strangely long and was bent like a taffy, and it was pointing toward where Gerard was.


    Gerard looked strangely distorted and round, and it was as if he was suppressing something with both his hands¡ªand he was looking at Sina.


    Fragments of something unknown were floating toward Gerard at a very slow pace. Only then did Sina realize that she was under Gerard¡¯s protection and that she would die if she moved even the slightest bit recklessly.


    No one could tell how long this strange world wouldst.


    It was only after a time that felt as long as eternity that the strange world suddenly ended.


    The sound of something pouring down rang out. Gerard crouched and sped something in his hands. His hands were now twisted like a conch, but he just quietly looked down at his hands and brushed it off. His hands went back to being intact with just a couple of shakes.


    ¡°This is a kind of magic I¡¯ve never seen before. It could probably devastate the entire capital,¡± Gerard shrugged.


    Only then did the Order of Lindwurm, the Thornbush Priest Organization, and members of Aruntal manage to stand up. They were helplessly caught up in the attack the moment Dane¡¯s magic was unleashed. But the magic ended up being trapped inside Gerard¡¯s hands and only a small fraction of its power escaped his hands.


    However, that alone caused quite a few victims.


    Those who were even brushed by the slightest bit of the magic¡¯s power were scattered on the ground like powder. In particr, nearly half of the monsters summoned by the Thornbush Priest Organization were now dead and scattered.


    ck Aldebaran opened her mouth with a pale expression.


    ¡°The Unreachable Star¡­ I can¡¯t believe he gave it up to attack¡­¡±


    Sina realized from ck Aldebaran¡¯s mutterings that this magic was probably the greatest attack that Dane could make. However, it did nothing more than damage Gerard¡¯s hands for a very brief moment.


    Meanwhile, Gerard was looking around with a frown on his face. Upon seeing his face, Sina realized that while Dane¡¯s attack had failed to kill Gerard, it had sessfully managed to destroy the huge structure which Gerard had been building for days.


    ¡°Fucking rascal! You are so annoying,¡± Gerard muttered.


    ¡°I hope you like my final present to you, Gerard.¡±


    Dane, who was only supposed to have a head remaining, reappeared in the form of a young child.


    ¡°I can¡¯t stop you now, but you can¡¯t kill me either. I have no choice but to run away if you insist on destroying the world. There must be a ce somewhere where I can escape your tyranny.¡±


    However, Gerard simply ignored Dane and looked back at Sina.


    Sina grew perplexed when her eyes suddenly met Gerard¡¯s.


    ¡°Sina, let me show you what Solvane is capable of.¡±


    Dane was still letting out curses and profanities at Gerard while grumbling like a crazy old man. But when he saw Gerard lift the strange spear, his eyebrows instantly bent into a frown.


    ¡°What kind of toy-like weapon is that? I¡¯m going to curse you in your face even if you kill me several more times.¡±


    Gerardpletely ignored Dane once again and then aimed Solvane toward the sky. Then, he threw it into the air, almost as if he had nothing to do with Dane.


    Then, Solvane split into two, four, then eight before leaving Gerard¡¯s fingertips. Soon, it split into countless clusters of light and disappeared.


    Seeing this, Dane murmured with a frown.


    ¡°What are you doing? That¡¯s¡­¡±


    Even before Dane could finish speaking, a golden spear pierced Dane¡¯s left chest along with a splitting sound. The spear pierced through Dane and then got stuck to the ground. Instantly, Dane was hung into the air, almost as if he was a skewer.


    Dane coughed and vomited blood. His eyes were filled with shock and fear.


    Seeing this, Gerard smiled.


    ¡°Can you finally feel the fear of death once again after a long time?¡±


    Dane¡¯s eyes trembled upon hearing Gerard¡¯s mocking question.


    Sina realized that Dane wasn¡¯t the only one who had been pierced by the spear. A few of the members of Aruntal, some of the knights of the Order of Lindwurm, and some Priests from the Thornbush Priest Organization were also pierced through by Solvane and skewered on rocks.


    There were dozens of Solvanes emitting golden light around the Crack. For a moment, everyone was perplexed by the sight, but soon realized what had happened.


    All the bodies prated by Solvane belonged to Dane.


    Even when Dane acted as if he had given up on everything, he had tried to keep a part of himself hidden by Gerard¡¯s side to keep an eye on him.


    As soon as Gerard opened his hand, Solvane appeared in his palm. At the end of the spear was someone¡¯s pierced heart.


    ¡°You¡¯ve hidden your essence in a ce that¡¯s really difficult to find, Dane. I had to stab all of them because I couldn¡¯t tell exactly which one of your bodies all over the empire was truly yours. Among them, this heart certainly seems to be more special than the others.¡±


    Dane puffed his mouth and reached his trembling hands toward the heart. The only emotion on his face was fear.


    The moment Dane was about to say something, Gerard took the heart stuck at the end of the spear. Then, he ruthlessly stepped on the heart and crushed it.


    Finally, Dane died, letting out neither a scream nor leaving ast will.


    When Gerard mmed the Solvane, which was in his hand against the ground, all the other spears disappeared in unison.


    Meanwhile, everyone was speechless by the overwhelming power of Solvane and looked at Gerard in silence.


    Gerard¡¯s gaze turned toward Sina with a content look on his face.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Gerard asked.


    ¡°What are you talking about¡­?¡± Sina asked back.


    ¡°I¡¯m talking about Solvane. There are still many more things that I want to show you.¡±

 Chapter 244 – Emperor’s Direct Lead (1)

    <h4>Chapter 244 ¨C Emperor¡¯s Direct Lead (1)</h4>


    Juan felt a sharp shock as he climbed down the mountain.


    A powerful and sharp force covered the entire empire for a very short moment and disappeared in just an instant. This force was quite simr to that of Telgramm¡¯s, but the difference was that it was much more sophisticated and sharpened.


    Juan could feel countless people dying. However, only one person had really died.


    ¡°Dane¡­¡±


    From the moment that tremendous force burst out from the center of the Crack, Juan knew that it would be difficult for Dane to survive. In fact, he had known that to be the case from the moment Dane had decided to go and persuade Gerard.


    Gerard had already be an existence who couldn¡¯t be persuaded or stopped.


    Perhaps Dane¡¯s fate was set in stone ever since Gerard was created.


    At the same time, Juan had lost all his respect for Dane ever since that moment.


    For this very reason, all Juan felt after Dane¡¯s death was that Gerard had be aware of his own power much faster than expected.


    Gerard had grown so powerful that even the attack that Dane staked his life on couldn¡¯t harm him.


    ¡®<i>Perhaps that¡¯s only natural. Gerard is another me, after all.</i>¡¯


    Juan had already felt that Gerard was very simr to himself as he watched Gerard grow up over time. If there was any difference between the two, then it was that Gerard was a little more honest with his needs.


    He had wanted to get married, have a child, had someone he loved, showed sympathy to the others, tried to save them, and then finally became greedy. As a result, he ended up being arrogant enough to think that only he could be the one to save humans.


    Juan had no doubt that he, too, would have ended up exactly like Gerard if he had been a little more honest about his own strength and abilities.


    All of those emotions were a trap to make him trip, and this was the reason Juan had been wary of Gerard. Juan knew that his wary feelings toward Gerard came from his subconscious mind.


    ¡®<i>Gerard might have implicitly felt it, too.</i>¡¯


    Juan thought that it might have been the subtle sense of distance between them and the hidden doubts that he held about Gerard that made Gerard desire to be acknowledged.


    He couldn''t help but reflect on such possibilities.


    Juan whispered as he red at the distorted entrance of the Crack.


    ¡®<i>But Gerard, nothing will change even if you and I both regret what we¡¯ve done.</i>¡¯


    ¡°It seems like we are destined to have eversting regrets.¡±


    Juan once again began to move in silence.


    The great n that Dane had created had copsedpletely now. And it was Juan¡¯s job to prevent the copsed ruins of this n from doing even more damage.


    The opponent was an absolute being, but fortunately, Juan was used to fighting against the absolute¡ªespecially if he knew the opponent very well.


    It was time for Juan toe up with a new n.


    ***


    The moon was shining brightly in the night sky.


    However, the bright moon soon turned into a distorted red color when the strange purple air leaking from the Crack started spreading.


    The night breeze was lukewarm.


    Amidst this awkward silence where not even a single insect was making any noise, only the pounding heartbeat of the creatures from a different world could be heard under the wall.


    Lenly felt like his ears were about to burst; the stuffy silence made him feel even more suffocated than he already was. He came out into the hallway and began to wander around.


    ¡°What worries are keeping you up sote at night?¡±


    When Lenly was nkly staring up at the moon, someone approached and talked to him.


    It was Bekelt.


    Lenly flinched without even realizing it when he recalled Bekelt¡¯s face that was revealed when Dane attacked. There was nothing above Bekelt¡¯s nose besides unidentified tentacles that were wriggling around.


    ¡°It seems like there is something bothering you.¡±


    ¡°...Thank you for letting me stay in your Citadel. But it isn¡¯t something that I can tell you about,¡± Lenly answered.


    ¡°It must be rted to His Majesty Gerard, am I right?¡±


    Lenly flinched and looked at Bekelt with a perplexed expression.


    Bekelt just smiled.


    ¡°How can I not know that? Earlier¡­ His Majesty Gerard may have seemed far from the image of an ideal emperor. No wonder everyone was so frustrated.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you also feel frustrated, Sir Bekelt? His Majesty Gerard¡¯s appearance, his words, his actions, then the greetings from the Thornbush Priest Organization, and even the story of reviving Qzatquizail! It all sounds absurd!¡±


    Being a member of Aruntal, Lenly already knew about Qzatquizail. For this very reason, Lenly couldn¡¯t help but speak out his frustrations. All the stories about Qzatquizail that he had heard from Dane made him feel hopeless.


    But Bekelt¡¯s answer was somethingpletely unexpected to Lenly.


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not positive about it either.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­¡±


    ¡°Unlike you, I¡¯ve seen the world beyond the Crack with my own eyes. This parasite on my head is the reward I got by oveing the crisis of death,¡± Bekelt said as he tapped on his helmet. ¡°Among them, Qzatquizail is definitely the worst. Five of the nine heads on the dragon are asleep, including the one that wears the Crown. Waking up Qzatquizail means to increase the possibility of awakening the other heads as well. You wouldn¡¯t even know how many eyes are watching this situation right now.¡±


    ¡°Then we must be even more¡­¡±


    ¡°But in other words, it is also an opportunity for us to escape the threat of the nine-headed dragon forever.¡±


    Lenly looked at Bekelt with eyes filled with suspicion, but Bekelt continued to speak in a calm manner, "Some people say that civilizations are things that thrive only for a brief period of time while the nine-headed dragon is asleep. Who knows how many civilizations have existed before this one? I heard that the nine-headed dragon¡¯s hibernation this time around has been particrly long. That¡¯s probably because Mananen McLeir stole the Crown. Thanks to him, many civilizations and powerful beings could buy time and build up their strength.¡±


    Lenly remained silent.


    ¡°Mananen McLier did not create the emperor to save humanity, you know. He created the emperor to keep the Crown sealed. The emperor is nothing more than a bowl to hold the Crown. Yet, Dane seemed to have thought otherwise.¡±


    ¡°If so, shouldn¡¯t we work even harder to keep it apart from the Crack?¡±


    ¡°Maybe. But all that would do is to slow down the awakening of the nine-headed dragon. It¡¯s still going to happen one day¡ªit is inevitable.¡±


    At that moment, Bekelt reached out for the sky, moving his arm in a strange motion.


    ¡°A dragon can only be countered using the strength of another dragon. It is said that no one has ever had a chance to fight against the nine-headed dragon. But things are different now. If His Majesty Gerard manages to take control of Qzatquizail, the Crowned head of the dragon, we can finally escape the fear of the dragon.¡±


    ¡°We thought the world would end because we couldn¡¯t even stop Qzatquizail, which is only one of the heads!¡± Lenly shouted.


    Bekelt stared at Lenly in silence.


    ¡°Now you want to deal with the other eight heads as well? Are you out of your mind? I would have put aside my anxiety if His Majesty Gerard had proved his behavior and mindset to be proper and stable. But¡­!¡±


    The sound of Lenly gritting his teeth rang out in the hallway. He red at Bekelt and tightly clenched his fist as he continued speaking.


    ¡°His Majesty is acting like he is the master of humanity rather than its guardian and savior. Although I am loyal to His Majesty, I am neither his dog nor a ve. So tell me, is my anxiety baseless?¡±


    ¡°It is hard to see people when you stand too high,¡± Bekelt said and patted Lenly on the shoulder as he walked past Lenly. ¡°Especially when you already have a great example topare yourself to.¡±


    Lenly quickly noticed who Bekelt was referring to.


    ¡®<i>He is talking about Juan.</i>¡¯


    Lenly couldn¡¯t help but admit that he had beenparing Gerard to Juan unconsciously. In fact, from the very beginning, Juan was the most ideal emperor to Lenly. The only reason Lenly betrayed Juan was that he refused to rule the empire eternally. To put it bluntly, to Lenly, Gerard was nothing more than an eternal substitute for Juan.


    ¡°To be honest, I think it is rather fortunate that His Majesty Gerard isn¡¯t acknowledging us,¡± Bekelt said.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡±


    ¡°The Thornbush Priest Organization is trash that is not even worth mentioning, and we, the Order of Lindwurm, have long since been encroached upon by the poison of the Crack. Meanwhile, Aruntal is a little better than the rest of us, but you¡¯re all just a bunch of puny traitors gathered by Dane. Don¡¯t be offended by my words. That¡¯s all I can say when Ipare you to the real Aruntal from the past. They really were legends. After all, they were the warriors and saviors even in the days without His Majesty.¡±


    ¡°...I understand.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, we are an unwee group no matter where we go. Maybe that¡¯s why His Majesty Gerard feels unpleasant about us. But his values haven¡¯t changed at all. He will save humanity from the threat of the Crack, protect humanity from evil, and expand our world into a bigger world.¡±


    ¡°Save, protect, and expand¡­¡± Lenly muttered to himself.


    ¡°Maybe a true emperor doesn¡¯t really need a subordinate he cares about. I think that might be better. A strong superhuman who rules all of humanity fairly may be more suitable for the position of the true ruler of the world.¡±


    Lenly felt ufortable upon hearing Bekelt¡¯s words. What Bekelt said was certainly the virtue of the proper monarch. However, he couldn¡¯t help but feel that something was out of ce.


    ¡®<i>Juan, am I feeling this way because of you?</i>¡¯


    Lenly did not answer Bekelt. Meanwhile, Bekelt just patted Lenly on the shoulder.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay to keep contemting about it. Those who don¡¯t agonize are not subordinates; they are just a sword to be used by His Majesty and have no will. But I hope that you won¡¯t do anything to cause a nuisance for His Majesty Gerard. Those who rebel under His Majesty Gerard won¡¯t be safe. I rather like you, unlike others from Aruntal.¡±


    Then Bekelt suddenly asked as if he had remembered something.


    ¡°Come to think of it, few of the members of Aruntal are nowhere to be seen. Where did they go?¡±


    ¡°...Some of the members of Aruntal felt skeptical, just like me. Some of them left, while Imil Ilde decided to get out of here to help His Majesty Gerard from somewhere else. He said that this was not the battlefield for him.¡±


    ¡°Well, Imil Ilde did look just like a normal human being. I can¡¯t believe an ordinary person managed to join Aruntal. But it¡¯s no surprise¡ªafter all, even Harmon tried to join Aruntal at one point.¡±


    Lenly looked surprised upon hearing the unexpected name that came out of Bekelt¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Harmon? You mean Harmon Helwin? The former Grand Duke?¡±


    ¡°So you know of him. Yes. I¡¯ve seen records saying that he was interested in joining Aruntal before it fell under Dane¡¯smand. In the end, not joining them only ended up saving his life, since Aruntal waspletely wiped out. But he must have known some truths about the emperor.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Kill them all!¡±


    The Northern Army rushed in all at once upon hearing Nienna¡¯s fierce roar.


    The monsters of the Crack that had been wandering on the hill were ruthlessly killed by the warriors¡¯ sudden attacks¡ªit only took an instant. But Nienna knew that this was only temporary. The creatures of the Crack could live in an even more terrible and cruel environment.


    Their counterattack was quick.


    ¡°Ahhhhh!¡±


    Nienna turned her head as soon as she heard a scream.


    One of the monsters with tentacles soaring out of its back was shaking its body after skewering several warriors with its tentacles. The monster itself was crouching with its head down, almost like a frightened puppy and did not look threatening at all, but the tentacles on its back were not so harmless.


    The tentacles inted and contracted in unison like hedgehogs while stacking the countless corpses around them.


    Nienna didn¡¯t hesitate to leap straight toward the monster. At that moment, the monster suddenly jumped and ran away toward another ce. The figure of the monster running away resembled that of a flea.


    Nienna clicked her tongue as she thought that the monsters had pretty good senses. However, even a monster like that was only a prey for others in the world of the Crack.


    When Nienna was about to follow the monster that ran away, something white suddenly passed by the monster. The monster immediately copsed on the ground while spraying bodily fluids all over the ce.


    Only then did Nienna find Anya standing on top of the hill.


    A group of legendary knights and the Undead summoned by Anya quickly swept through the monsters of the Crack that were about to start a counterattack. Anya had appeared at the perfect timing.


    After making eye contact with Anya to show her appreciation, Nienna went out looking for other monsters. There were still many monsters that she had to kill.


    After the battle was over, Anya approached Nienna.


    ¡°Is it normal to have this many monsters in the North? If so, I have to say that my respect for the northerners has increased,¡± Anya asked.


    ¡°It used to be like this a long time ago. It was a time when monsters piled up one after another because they had not yet been suppressed properly. However, this is the first time since my rule that it has be this bad.¡±

 Chapter 245 – Emperor’s Direct Lead (2)

    <h4>Chapter 245 ¨C Emperor¡¯s Direct Lead (2)</h4>


    ¡°Which means that a lot of them have crawled out all of a sudden. I wonder what happened?¡±


    Nienna did not answer Anya. She intentionally tried to avoid finding out information rted to the Crack, but there were many things that she inevitably found out due to dealing with it for a long time.


    Although Nienna didn¡¯t have a clear understanding of the creatures of the Crack, she knew that the rtionship between the predators and the prey was maintained by any means, in any form.


    ¡°Perhaps they were chased here by something?¡± It was Anya who spoke out Nienna¡¯s thoughts.


    Nienna red at Anya and nodded.


    ¡°That might really be the case.¡±


    ¡°Or they might even be under someone¡¯smand. You know, beingmanded by an immensely powerful being like a nine-headed dragon called Qzatquizail or something,¡± Anya added.


    Nienna let out a sigh.


    Anya¡¯s curiosity seemed endless. Anya had also heard about Qzatquizail and the story about the nine-headed dragon from Nienna. Nienna did not want to tell Anya, but she did not have a choice, since Anya wouldn¡¯t stop asking.


    ¡°Neither do I care nor do I want to know. All I know about the monsters of the Crack is thatmanding them is simr tomanding flies or maggots. You can feed them, but you can¡¯tmand them. No matter how enormous Gerard¡¯s power is, he won¡¯t be able tomand these monsters,¡± Nienna exined.


    ¡°But I heard that the Thornbush Priest Organization can control the monsters of the Crack.¡±


    ¡°I told you¡ªyou can ¡®feed¡¯ them. You can designate the target as food, but the next target for them to ¡®feed¡¯ on is the Priests themselves once their designated target is eaten and gone. What the Priests do is send the monsters back before they be the target or control the consciousness of the monsters for a very short time only. They can¡¯t do any more than that.¡±


    Nienna frowned and continued. ¡°These nasty monsters can¡¯t be tamed by anyone. Extremely intelligent monsters can be an exception, but not these monsters. You don¡¯t really think that we wouldn¡¯t have thought about taming them before, right? The North has more monsters than cattle, you know.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Anya fell into deep thought as if she was thinking about something.


    ¡°What else are you curious about now? For your information, the more you learn about the Crack, the higher the probability of you being encroached upon by them. I will immediately split your head in half if I see you talking to yourselfter,¡± Nienna warned.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s just that¡­ if that is the case, maybe Qzatquizail is actually somewhat simr to the monsters of the Crack.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t think that such a very powerful and huge being would have the same desires or needs that we do¡­ but I feel like that¡¯s also true of the monsters as well. In the end, the nine-headed dragon is also just a huge monster and is overrated.¡±


    Nienna¡¯s expression became distorted as she stared at Anya in silence. Then she soon smacked Anya in the back of her head.


    ¡°Just stop thinking about useless things, will you? The deeper you think, the more you are tempted by the Crack. It seems like you¡¯re already showing signs, considering that you are thinking about it so much.¡±


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±


    Even as she scolded Anya, Nienna couldn¡¯t help but feel uneasy about what Anya had said. It was true that Nienna tried her best not to think about the Crack, but if the nine-headed dragon really was nothing more than a monster, it would mean that the whole world¡¯s safety and existence was dependent on a monster¡¯s trivial will.


    ¡°I keep having trivial thoughts because His Majesty isn¡¯t here with us. Since His Majesty had that monster¡¯s Crown for a while¡­ I would have asked him what it feels like to have a monster¡¯s heart if he were next to me.¡±


    ¡°Does the fact that he had the Crown bother you?¡± Nienna asked.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s incredibly cool. It¡¯s like wearing the heart of the strongest monster in the universe as a Crown,¡± Anya answered with eyes filled with joy.


    Nienna shook her head; she came to the conclusion that she wouldn¡¯t have to worry about Anya being encroached upon by the Crack. A simple and straightforward person was not easily tempted by the Crack. All Anya had toward the Crack was in curiosity.


    Anya looked toward the North. Over the ridges of the great mountain range, something that resembled a ck bubble had soared into the air. The bubble was swelling, growing bigger day by day, so much so that it was now visible even to the Northern Army.


    ¡°The point is, His Majesty wearing that awesome Crown would mean fighting against that thing over there,¡± Anya said.


    ¡°To be precise, he¡¯s fighting the bastard inting that bubble. For your information, that bastard is also the one who currently has the Crown.¡±


    ¡°Hah, not everyone can be an emperor just because they are wearing a Crown. His Majesty wearing the Crown can¡¯t be the same as a stray dog wearing it. I think it¡¯s right to call it the Crown if His Majesty is wearing it, and a dog lease if Gerard is the one wearing it.¡±


    ¡°Well, tell that to him when he shows up,¡± Nienna said as she nced behind the line.


    Meanwhile, Juan was watching the situation of the battleing to an end from atop the hill. Nienna greeted him with eye gestures.


    At that moment, Pavan approached Juan.


    ¡°It seems like General Nienna is doing quite well. To be honest, I don¡¯t really have anything to do because she is doing even better than when she¡¯s fighting against humans.¡±


    Pavan¡¯s armor was covered with the bodily fluids and pieces of flesh that belonged to the monsters. Although the army was overwhelming the monsters now, he could feel the monsters getting stronger and stronger as they were approaching the North; it was to the point that Pavan had to step up himself.


    On the other hand, Juan was clean, since he was not participating in the battle at all. He only asionally gave orders through Pavan.


    There were no major problems in most cases, since the orders given by Pavan and Juan were consistent. However, there were still voices whispering and wondering about why Juan was not joining the battle.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you step up and show off your skills?¡± Pavan asked.


    ¡°What would I do that for?¡±


    ¡°To raise the morale of the soldiers¡­¡±


    ¡°Victory alone is enough to keep their morale high. Themander of the Northern Army is Nienna. There is no need for me to step up and shake up themand chain.¡±


    Pavan shrugged and nodded.


    The fact that the Northern Army was more loyal to Nienna rather than the emperor was quite famous. But that was only the case when the emperor did not show up in front of them.


    ¡®<i>Who would dare to deny the authority of the emperor when he is right in front of them?</i>¡¯


    That would be disrespectful not only to the emperor, but also to Nienna, who was loyal to Juan.


    But Pavan did not argue with Juan anymore.


    ¡°All right,¡± Pavan said as he got back on his horse and left.


    Juan looked toward the North in silence. The speed of their progress would be much faster if he joined the battle to help the army. However, there was a separate battlefield waiting for Juan to step up. He had to curl up for the moment and wait to step up on the said battlefield.


    The wind continued blowing toward the North.


    Amidst this wind, Juan whispered some words that no one could hear.


    ***


    A lukewarm wind of unknown origin tickled Sina¡¯s cheek.


    Sina trembled without even realizing it and stood up from her seat. Her eyes moved toward Gerard, who was sitting on the edge of the cliff. Ever since Dane destroyed the structure he had been working on, he has been concentrating on restoring it.


    All Sina could do here was watch Gerard.


    Ever since her resurrection, Sina had been able to sustain her life even though she hadn¡¯t slept or eaten. She didn¡¯t even feel like she was running out of energy.


    She didn¡¯t ask, but she could already tell that it was because Gerard was injecting mana into her.


    Sina couldn¡¯t figure out Gerard¡¯s intentions.


    ¡®<i>Why is he treating me in such a special way? Why does he want to be acknowledged by me so badly?</i>¡¯


    Innread dot".


    Sina wondered if his only reason was that she had acknowledged Juan as the emperor, but she didn¡¯t think that it was the slightest bit important¡ªGerard could be whatever he wanted even if Sina did not acknowledge him. It was just like how Juan was the emperor from the very beginning, even when she hadn¡¯t acknowledged him.


    Sina looked at Gerard¡¯s back and inadvertently grabbed the handle of the sword next to her. She had already thought over and over about stabbing Gerard. Of course, she already knew that would neither be able to kill nor damage Gerard.


    Gerard was just as powerful as the emperor in his heyday. Sina even had a feeling that he might actually be even stronger from looking at the way he handled the power of the Crown.


    But that did not matter. Sina just wanted to kill herself by borrowing someone else¡¯s hands.


    While Sina¡¯s hand, which was holding on to the handle of the sword, was trembling, Gerard suddenly turned his head. Sina almost drew her sword before she knew it, but stopped when she realized that Gerard was not looking toward her.


    Gerard stared toward the South for a moment and then disappeared in an instant.


    Sina loosened her grip. Even if Gerard hadn¡¯t disappeared, she would have given up on attacking him, just as she had already done countless times before.


    ¡®<i>Juan, I know what you would have done if you were ced in my shoes. Of course, you would jump in and crush him to death.</i>¡¯


    No matter who the opponent was, Juan would always jump in without thinking about death and win.


    But Sina did not want to die without saying goodbye to Juan a second time.


    The reason she did not attack Gerard was because of the thought that Juan might appear one day if she continued to stay by Gerard¡¯s side. Although her life was given back to her by the devil, she did not want to lose it in vain.


    Sina wandered dazedly around the rocky ind. She had been looking around the area several times every day from the very first day in hopes of finding a way to get out, but there was no way out.


    The entrance to the Crack was a cliff with no bottom in sight. Unidentified bizarre creatures roamed around in the purple mist, and that was true today as well.


    Sina nkly looked around at her surroundings, then she suddenly felt a stinging pain on the back of her hand. She turned her head in surprise and found something strange.


    Someone was curled up and hiding in the shadow of a rock.


    Sina drew her sword without realizing it.


    ¡°Who are¡­¡±


    As soon as Sina was about to ask the opponent who they were, the opponent hiding in the shadow raised his hand and signaled something.


    As soon as she recognized the signal, Sina closed her mouth even before she knew it.


    It was a message that she had no choice but to react to immediately. It was a signal for the Imperial Army.


    The opponent signaled her to stop and then carefully pulled down the robe, which waspletely covering his face.


    It was Opert, a member of the Order of Huginn and the Vice Master of the Magic Tower.


    Sina tried to approach him in surprise, but hastily came to a stop when she recalled that the surrounding energy was dominated by Gerard. Sina knew that her every move was being watched.


    For the same reason, Opert did not approach Sina; instead, he sent her a message through a signal.


    ¡®<i>But how was he not caught?</i>¡¯


    There was no way that Gerard hadn¡¯t been able to sense Opert¡¯s presence. But soon Sina remembered that Opert had experience infiltrating Aruntal, and how all of Arurntal was wearing robes that could hide their presence, even from Juan.


    Sina figured that it would be hard for Gerard to notice Opert¡¯s presence if he wasn¡¯t concentrating.


    ¡®<i>Dane is dead but his articles are still alive, huh.</i>¡¯


    Whatever it was, Sina felt that it was fortunate. Sina pretended to look toward the Crack and paid attention to Opert.


    Opert began to once again send signals, relieved. This time, it was a regr signnguage rather than a signal used in the Imperial Army. Sina could easily understand the message, since all knights were taught this signnguage.


    [His Majesty asked me to make sure that you are safe and sound.]


    Sina wanted to tell him that she was okay and ask the many questions she had in mind: how far had Juane, how much time is left till he got here, what she should do, and whether her physical form was fine.


    However, all she could do was remain motionless and try her best not to miss Opert¡¯s signnguage.


    [There was a message His Majesty asked me to deliver to you if you were safe.]


    Sina waited anxiously for the next message.


    Oper soon sent a short message using signnguage. Then he bowed his head as if his business had ended and disappeared into the shadows. It was hard to find any traces of him; it was as if he had never been here.


    Sina couldn¡¯t hide her excitement as she recalled Juan¡¯s message.


    [I aming.]


    ***


    ¡°An avnche?¡± Nienna asked back with a frown.


    The Northern Army was stopped by a series of unexpected events during their march. The road ahead was blocked by a huge cliff that was not on the map before.


    Nienna sent a scout to figure out the situation, and the scout had just returned.


    ¡°Yes, General. The surroundings have beenpletely destroyed because of the earthquake and the existing path has been blocked. I think we will need to make a modification to the map.¡±

 Chapter 246 – Kill the King (1)

    <h4>Chapter 246 ¨C Kill the King (1)</h4>


    ¡°Is there any other way?¡±


    ¡°There is an old hunter¡¯s path, but¡­¡±


    ¡°No. Not there,¡± Nienna answered firmly.


    The old hunter¡¯s path in question was a cramped and precarious road to march on. They would suffer enormous damage if they encountered a raid in such a ce.


    Pavan approached Nienna as she let out a sigh.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like we can anticipate an earthquake or an avnche.¡±


    ¡°No, I know the North better than anyone else. I can see in my head where and how much damage the earthquake would have caused. Have we ever wandered aimlessly or beente?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. That was because I drew the map in my head while considering the cold, the weather conditions, and the other damage that might have urred. That¡¯s why this is strange. This is a ce where avnches and ground rises cannot ur due to the slope being too gentle and the ground being hard,¡± Nienna exined.


    ¡°Hmm. It definitely does make me feel uneasy,¡± Pavan nodded.


    ¡°It does, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°So do we not have any other way?¡±


    Nienna looked at Pavan as if he was being absurd and then opened her mouth.


    ¡°Who do you think I am? I¡¯m Nienna Nelben. We can march on the hunter¡¯s path if we put some work into it. But the problem is¡­¡±


    Then Nienna stopped talking as her gaze stopped ahead. An unknown man had slowly appeared atop the cliff. The man with long hair was wearing armor that was not suitable for the climate.


    Pavan tilted his head in wonder at the sight.


    ¡°That¡¯s an armor that does not fit the climate at all. If he wears armor like that in this weather, his skin will get all stuck and¡­¡±


    At that moment, Pavan stopped talking as he suddenly realized that Nienna was ring at the man with raging murderous intent. Her fierce gaze alone seemed to be enough to kill a man.


    Upon recognizing the danger, Pavan quickly sent a signal to the knights to deploy the troops. The Northern Army quickly prepared themselves forbat. However, the man simply looked down at them for a long time and then suddenly disappeared.


    At that moment, the snow piled up around the surroundings exploded in unison with a loud roar¡ªit was almost like a thunderbolt. The ciers that have been buried and frozen for hundreds of years were revealed as the snow covering the entire mountain was blown away.


    The man who was standing on the cliff until just a moment ago slowly walked out on top of the cier.


    ¡°Long time no see, Nienna.¡±


    Nienna grinned, showing her teeth.


    ¡°You can¡¯t begin to understand how much I¡¯ve missed you, Gerard.¡±


    That was the only greeting given by Nienna. She didn¡¯t want to have any further conversation with Gerard.


    At the same time Nienna drew her white sword, she summoned des of cold air to pour them over Gerard. The sudden burst of cold air instantly pushed away the soldiers who were standing on the ground.


    Pavan noticed that the soldiers weren¡¯t damaged by Nienna¡¯s attack¡ªshe was only pushing them away in order to protect them. Nienna wanted to turn this into an individual fight instead of getting the others involved in it.


    Ice pirs popped out in unison and restrained Gerard. Then, Nienna immediately mped her hand toward the cier and thrusted the ice des into it.


    However, Gerard neither dodged nor fought back. He was just silently watching what Nienna was doing.


    Nienna clenched her teeth and continued to pour out magic, but Gerard didn¡¯t seem to be even the slightest bit damaged.


    ¡°General Nienna! I will go and call His Majesty!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± Nienna eximed with a terrifying look on her face.


    But Pavan knew what the right decision was. He ignored Nienna¡¯s words and immediately ran to find Juan.


    The disturbance at the front had already been reported to the rear, and Anya would soone running.


    Nienna tightly bit her lips.


    ¡°Fenrir!¡±


    With a long howl, a white wolf jumped down from midair. Fenrir opened his mouth wide and swallowed Gerard at once.


    However, in just the blink of an eye, the area from Fenrir¡¯s head to waist disappeared.


    This did not surprise Nienna, since she had already predicted it from the beginning. She had only intended to block Gerard¡¯s view for a very short moment.


    Nienne swung her white sword with extreme concentration. Instead of taking her time, she immediately used the most powerful swordsmanship that she could use.


    It was Fleeting Moment, the fifth stage of the Baltic Sword, but it was performed with Nienna¡¯s distinctive features.


    Even time seemed to have frozen white. Nienna felt space being torn along her sword and the cold air pouring into the empty world at the same time. It was the coldness of a different world¡ªa world that had never been exposed to any heat or light before. It was a perfectly pure space of cold, one that even the Crack had never permeated.


    It was normal for one to suffer burns when using Fleeting Moment, but even Nienna¡¯s skin was touched by the cold air, causing it to freeze and fall off.


    Anything would break if touched by air so cold. Nienna raised her sword again, intending to cut off Gerard¡¯s neck and making it impossible to reattach it.


    At that moment, Gerard opened his mouth.


    ¡°I came to have a conversation, Nienna.¡±


    Nienna¡¯s eyes widened upon hearing Gerard¡¯s voice. In the world created by using the Fleeting Moment, where nothing other than the user could move, Gerard had simply raised his finger and held Nienna¡¯s white sword with ease.


    At the moment when Gerard¡¯s hands seemed to have frozen in the cold air, the white sword exploded and its pieces scattered everywhere.


    Nienna staggered with a pale expression due to her use of Fleeting Moment being stopped forcefully. Her sword turned ck and was held in the air between two of Gerard¡¯s fingers. As Gerard lightly clenched his hand, the pieces of the sword broke down and scattered away in the wind.


    Nienna threw away the broken handle of the sword without any hesitation and immediately swung her fist at Gerard. However, even her fist was blocked by an invisible wall.


    Nienna gritted her teeth in anger.


    ¡°Conversation? I have nothing to say to you.¡±


    ¡°Then bring someone else.¡±


    ¡°Fuck you! Do you remember what I said back in Arbalde? I killed even my blood rtives if they had been encroached upon by the Crack. Give me a reason to not kill you when we don¡¯t even share a single drop of blood.¡±


    ¡°I know that you don¡¯t have a reason not to kill me. I won¡¯t stop you from doing that. I understand and trust you, Nienna. I know that you can keep this world safe,¡± Gerard said in a calm manner.


    ¡°Yes. I will keep this world safe by cutting off your neck and¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop it, Nienna. Only your mouth will get dirty by talking to him.¡±


    Nienna turned her head toward the voice that came from behind her. She could see Juan and Anya, who looked very nervous, approaching her.


    Their response was much faster than Nienna expected. She figured that they must have already been walking toward the front, since they already expected Gerard to appear.


    Gerard did not reply to Juan¡¯s words, only looking at him in silence.


    .


    Meanwhile, Juan just leisurely walked toward Gerard without even drawing Sutra.


    Nienna clenched her teeth as she red at Gerard, but soon stepped back. It was her father¡¯s turn. She was not stupid enough to act recklessly in a situation like this.


    ¡°Your appearance seems to have changed from thest time I saw you, Gerard,¡± Juan said as he quietly looked at Gerard¡¯s face.


    Gerard¡¯s face had changed in many wayspared to what it looked like back at the Red Citadel. He had changed into apletely different figure from the moment he absorbed the power of the Crown. His hair was longer and his face was strangely radiant.


    When Juan tried to get closer, Gerard raised his hand.


    ¡°Let me tell you this first. Dane Dormund is dead.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°He was a piece of trash who deserved to die. But I don¡¯t want to kill you too.¡±


    ¡°Haha, is that so? You should have thought so before you stabbed me in the back. You had your chance before you turned me into a squeezed rag back in the Red Citadel.¡±


    Despite Juan¡¯s mockery, Gerard continued in a calm manner.


    ¡°Your power feels like that of an ordinary man to me right now. There¡¯s no point in fighting anymore. I want you to just live in peace for the rest of your life. It would be nice to go back to the South and farm there. I want you to live long and watch just how prosperous the universe bes under my reign.¡±


    The corner of Juan¡¯s lips twitched; he realized that Gerard had been eavesdropping on the conversation he had with Nienna. But that was not really a surprise.


    Juan made a distorted smile and opened his mouth.


    ¡°That was my dream at one point, Gerard¡ªuntil you stabbed me in the back.¡±


    Then Juan took a step closer to Gerard.


    ¡°A stable abdication, sessfully passing on my throne to my sessors, and returning to the valley where I was supposed to return¡­ all these had been my dream. To be honest, that valley is neither a fertile ce nor a ce where people are kind. But it was a special ce for me. There might even be someone waiting for me as well. At one point, I had wanted to see the empire under your reign from there.¡±


    ¡°Then do so now. I won¡¯t disturb you,¡± Gerard answered.


    ¡°But I was mistaken, Gerard. I realized that I have been deceived by your kindness toward the people and your courage to fight against the enemies. But in the end, you¡¯re just like me after all.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just like you?¡±


    Juan spread his arms toward Gerard.


    ¡°You wouldn''t know what kind of crazy and nasty thoughts I¡¯ve had, just like how I had no idea what you had been thinking. You probably didn¡¯t know just how much I hated humans and just how tempted I was to destroy them. You thought I was the perfect emperor, but no, Gerard, I wanted to kill just as much as I loved humans.¡±


    Nienna, Anya, and Pavan all looked at Juan with a shocked expression upon hearing what he said in such a calm manner.


    Juan¡¯s voice was so loud that all the northern troops could hear him. For the first time, Gerard also had a stiff expression upon hearing Juan¡¯s words.


    Gerard clenched his teeth and red at Juan, but Juan just continued to speak as if it wasn¡¯t a big deal.


    ¡°Humans are trivial and dirty pieces of trash that betray each other with no guilt, and they are pigs who only care about themselves. I would be lying if I said that I didn¡¯t feel joy from killing all those pieces of trash. I¡¯ve got nothing to hide anymore. I¡¯m probably the one who¡¯s killed the most humans in history. You think two million lives in Arbalde was a lot? Come on, do you really think I killed less than that when I founded the empire? But just for that matter, you cried like a baby and decided to parasitize on the Crack.¡±


    Juan tilted his head in wonder and went on. ¡°Hmm. Come to think of it, maybe you loved humans more than I did.¡±


    ¡°Do not insult my father, you residue of a monster,¡± Gerard gritted his teeth.


    ¡°You¡¯re angry, Gerard. Are you going to cry and run to your mommy now? But what can you do?¡± Juan asked wonderingly. ¡°You don¡¯t even have a mother.¡±


    Gerard didn¡¯t bother to answer Juan and directly swung his hand to the right. That alone pulled out Juan¡¯s right arm with a cracking sound. Then, Juan¡¯s severed arm was thrown somewhere in the snowfield.


    Shock and screams erupted from all sides. Nienna summoned spears of cold air with bloodshot eyes, while Anya muttered a curse.


    But Juan held them back by raising his left hand.


    For a moment, Juan seemed to stumble, but he soon held the wounded area with his left hand. What came out was a sizzling me instead of blood.


    Gerard red at Juan and opened his mouth.


    ¡°What do you want to do by provoking me with such trashy remarks? I never felt His Majesty to be inadequate as the emperor. He was a great man.¡±


    ¡°No, no. That¡¯s not it, Gerard. In this situation, you have to answer me by saying something like, ¡®you have neither a mother nor a father.¡¯¡±


    Gerard gradually made an expression as if he was dumbfounded. He was beginning to feel like he didn¡¯t want to talk with Juan anymore.


    ¡°You have wasted my effort toe here and talk to you in person in vain. I remember the way you were back in the Red Citadel. I thought that some parts of my father still remaining inside you could encourage me, but now, I feel nothing besides contempt for you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so boring, Gerard. Humor is necessary in any situation. You probably don¡¯t know how funny H Henna was. What a shame. She waspletely different from when she first met you. Compared to H¡¯s mannerisms, I¡¯m very decent, you know.¡±


    ¡°Just piss off.¡±


    Gerard raised his finger and aimed at Juan.


    At the same time, Anya prepared to charge with a pale face.


    The soldiers were also perplexed and prepared to charge, but Pavan stopped them.


    The power that Gerard disyed was not at a level that the soldiers could do anything about. It was better to be wary of the surroundings¡ªabout whether Gerard had brought anyone else with him.


    But Juan, who was being aimed at by Gerard, showed no signs of moving. He only opened his mouth again and continued speaking in a calm manner.


    ¡°Let me ask you one thing, Gerard.¡±


    ¡°...What now?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve really never hated humans?¡±


    ¡°Of course not,¡± Gerard red at Juan and snapped.


    Then Gerard stood before Juan and shouted proudly.


    ¡°I am Gerard Gain, the eldest son and the alter ego of His Majesty. I am Gerard Gain, the Captain of the Order of Lindwurm. I am Gerard Gain, who will rescue humanity from the Crack. I am Gerard Gain, the one who will take control of Qzatquizail and control all things in the universe.¡±


    Gerard eximed eloquently to the soldiers around him.


    ¡°The empire will not end as just a part of this star. The boundary of the empire will expand into space, and human cities will be built on every star. Human beings will prosper under my reign. Everyone will be equally great and happy. Why would I do this for the humans if I hated them?¡±


    The soldiers nced at each other without being able to breathe properly. It was clear that Gerard was making a show of his ideal ns for the future, but Gerard frowned upon seeing the soldiers¡¯ reactions.


    Not many of the soldiers seemed to marvel at his ideals.


    Gerard¡¯s expression hardened upon seeing the soldier¡¯s react as if they were wondering whether Gerard was sleep-talking.


    Juan was the only person who apuded Gerard¡¯s eloquence. He then opened his mouth with a big smile on his face.


    ¡°That¡¯s amazing. Then, you would be good enough to be called the human god. All right. I will acknowledge you as the god of humans.¡±


    Gerard flinched at Juan¡¯s unexpected acknowledgment. For a moment, he thought that Juan was being sarcastic, but Gerard could detect Juan¡¯s true feelings¡ªJuan¡¯s acknowledgment was sincere.


    No matter how much he referred to Juan as the residue of a monster, he could not deny that Juan was a part of his father. Gerard could have even acknowledged Juan as the emperor if Juan hadn¡¯t made a mistake back at the Red Citadel.


    But this same Juan had acknowledged Gerard.


    Gerard had a moment of hope that his father might be watching him rule the empire while staying under his reign.


    Then, Juan murmured briefly.


    ¡°And¡­¡±


    The leisurely attitude he had until just a moment ago was nowhere to be seen. Only an ice cold madness and murderous intent lurked in the depths of his eyes.


    ¡°...I love killing gods.¡±


    At that moment, Juan¡¯s body bounced forward.

 Chapter 247 – Kill the King (2)

    <h4>Chapter 247 ¨C Kill the King (2)</h4>


    However, Gerard had enough foresight to predict Juan¡¯s movement.


    Even before Juan took his foot off the ground, his soaring murderous intent was aiming for Gerard¡¯s neck.


    Gerard just shook his head at such an obvious attack. He simply shook his finger with the intention of seizing and tearing apart all of Juan¡¯s limbs.


    At that moment, Juan moved strangely in the air, as if bouncing off, and then immediately jumped at Gerard again.


    Seeing this, Gerard quickly pushed Juan away; it was as if he released his strength explosively as soon as he saw Juan approach him.


    Juan was pushed out as if it could not be helped, but Gerard looked at him in disbelief.


    ¡°Are you curious as to how I dodged your attack?¡±


    Gerard silently looked at Juan instead of answering.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like you¡¯re using some mysterious power or anything. All you¡¯re doing is using a transparent hand of some sort. To be precise, it¡¯s a very dense mass of physical force condensed from mana. But no matter how good a person, they can only move based on their past experiences. At the same time, everything is even clearer after giving up one of my arms.¡±


    As Juan said, whenever Gerard used his fingertips to move everything around him, he was simply doing so by pouring a huge amount of mana. In the eyes of others, Gerard seemed to be exercising a mysterious power, but in reality, that power simply involved holding and moving things around with an arm made up of mana.


    Of course, even that alone was quite incredible. After all, it took an enormous amount of mana to lift up just a spoon.


    Magic was just a way to use mana with the help of knowledge and with expediency.


    All Gerard was doing was using mana to generate enough force to move mountains. But it was easy to dodge as long as one found out that it was just like moving one¡¯s limbs, especially in the case of Juan, who was more sensitive to mana than the others.


    ¡°You¡¯re just a human being in the end. You have no choice but to imagine the movement of your joints and muscles before you actually move.¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡±


    Gerard was full of murderous intent toward Juan. After all, to him, Juan was only a shell of his father. His real father has already been murdered at his own hands.


    Juan managed to easily capture the mana arm and quickly dodge the attacks even if Gerard did not show any physical movement.


    Gerard had no choice but to admit that he couldn¡¯t beat Juan with only a single mana arm.


    However, the mana arm was only a fraction of the power that he could exert.


    Meanwhile, Juan was having a difficult time attacking Gerard. He was barely managing to avoid the mana arm, and it was clear that he would be in huge trouble if he got caught by it even once, just like when Gerard severed his right arm in just the blink of an eye.


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡±


    Anya summoned the Army of Undead and began to send them toward Gerard. Gerard tried to hastily capture Anya, but she avoided his arm in a different way¡ªshe was able to dodge Gerard¡¯s attack by summoning endless amounts of bones.


    Gerard clicked his tongue as bone dust scattered everywhere. The bones that were summoned by Anya and then ground down by Gerard did not disperse; instead, all that bone dust turned into a huge face that jumped toward Gerard.


    ¡°Do not disturb me.¡±


    As soon as Gerard red at the face made of bone dust, thunderbolts spread everywhere. Arge explosion urred in the area as dry bone dust scattered and mes spread.


    It was a dust explosion.


    The moment the mes from the explosion filled the basin created by the earthquake, Nienna summoned a barrier of ice to trap the explosion.The mespletely drowned Gerard.


    ¡°Anya! That was amazing!¡±


    Nienna burst out in admiration, but Anya looked puzzled.


    ¡°Um, but why did it explode?¡±


    Hearing this, Nienna looked at Anya with a dumbfounded expression, speechless.


    ¡°Captain Anya, when a dry and powdery substance spreads in the air and catches on fire, the mes spread rapidly due to the oxygen¡­¡±


    Pavan tried to exin what had happened, but the sound of the ice barrier summoned by Nienna being shattered interrupted him. The ice barrier shattered like broken ss and scattered in all directions.


    It was hard to find a single wound on Gerard, even though he had been trapped inside the ice barrier summoned by Nienna along with the mes. However, he looked very upset.


    Nienna and Anya immediately prepared for a counterattack, while Pavan ordered the archers to knock their bows. But even in the face of the force of the entire army, Gerard simply raised his index up without showing any signs of being intimidated due to being alone.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡±


    For a moment, the world shifted.


    The surrounding area shook and the ground began to tremble all of a sudden. The soldiers who were nocking their bows identallyunched arrows toward empty space, and Nienna, Anya, and Pavan also had no choice but to lower their stance and stabilize themselves.


    While it wasn¡¯t too difficult for them to attack even on the trembling ground, they couldn¡¯t help but feel overwhelmed by what was happening in front of their eyes.


    An entire mountain range was soaring into the air.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t the earthquake that raised the ground level¡­¡± Nienna let out a groan.


    The ground level had been raised due to ¡®that thing¡¯ coiling around. The huge figure began to rise quickly and continued to soar for a long time. A huge pirrge enough that it could be referred to as a mountain fluttered into the sky and stirred it, almost as if ridiculing it.


    ¡°You have beenpletely corrupted, Gerard! To think that you would summon a monster from a different world!¡±


    Despite Nienna¡¯s cry, Gerard just looked down at Nienna and the Northern Army in a calm manner.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t summon it. It¡¯s always been there from the very beginning,¡± Gerard said.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a small fraction of Qzatquizail that broke through the Crack thousands of years ago. It is just one of the smallest sections of its body. Although I can only barelymunicate with it for now, I will show you my ideal.¡±


    Gerard nced over the Northern Army.


    ¡°Sure, you might be able to avoid an invisible arm, but what about this?¡±


    Giant tentacles rapidly moved, following Gerard¡¯s fingertips.


    ¡°Everyone get down!¡±


    The soldiers crouched down even before Nienna said anything. Unfortunately, that was not enough to dodge the attack.


    The tentacles passed well over the soldiers¡¯ heads. However, they were so huge that it was not exactly adequate to say that they actually passed over anything; although the tentacles didn¡¯t directly touch anything, the wind pressure alone was enough to fling the soldiers into the sky. Some of the soldiers were instantly torn apart in the ces where the wind was particrly rough.


    It was just a single blow. It wasn¡¯t like Gerard had attacked the army directly either. His tentacles had only swept over the soldiers¡¯ heads, but that alone was enough to show that they couldn¡¯t do anything against Gerard. If it had been a direct attack, then not a single man from the Northern Army would have been alive.


    Nienna was angry but felt the difference in their powers.


    ¡°As I already said, I am doing this for the sake of humans. No one needs to die,¡± Gerard said.


    ¡°You are attacking humans even when you say that you are doing all this for humans,¡± Nienna gritted her teeth.


    ¡°Nienna, you seem to be mistaken. If I really made up my mind to attack humanity, then it would be like cleaning, like sweeping all of you away with a broom.¡±


    As Gerard said, the giant tentacles swirling around in the air would be able to sweep through the entire Northern Army with ease.


    Seeing this, the Northern Army lost their morale. Even the victories they had gained by fighting against monsters countless times were meaningless in front of Gerard¡¯s overwhelming power.


    Nienna could feel the Northern Army¡¯s despair.


    ¡°The fact that the Northern Army is in despair means¡­¡±


    Nienna let out a long.


    ¡°¡­that they are ready to die with their enemies.¡±


    Nienna picked up the handle of her broken sword. Instead of a de, white ice began to grow from the handle. She aimed the sword at Gerard and cried a loud roar.


    ¡°Die!¡±


    Gerard made a pathetic look and tried saying that he wouldn¡¯t die no matter how many times Nienna told him to.


    But he felt something strange before he could¡ªsomeone who was supposed to be here was nowhere to be seen.


    For a moment, an eerie premonition passed through Gerard¡¯s head. Gerard clicked his tongue.


    ¡°He must have climbed up.¡±


    With the momentum of a meteorite, Juan¡¯s Sutra struck Gerard at full power. However, Sutra couldn¡¯t even brush past Gerard. Gerard just stood still on the spot and moved Sutra out of his way by simply beckoning.


    Yet, Juan¡¯s attack didn¡¯t end there. Dozens of attacks followed, but in the eyes of others, it looked like a single attack.


    Gerard¡¯s expression hardened. The reason wasn¡¯t that he was nervous. It was that the power disyed by Juan while using the Baltic Sword with his left hand, his non-dominant hand, was so great that it wasn¡¯t evenparable to Gerard¡¯s sword skills from his heyday.


    Gerard would have already lost his head if he had been facing the opponent in front of him without the Crown and Mananen McLeir¡¯s heart.


    ¡°But how¡­¡±


    Gerard felt more disgruntled the more he fought against Juan. Each attack that Juan poured out contained an intense murderous intent and energy. Juan¡¯s swordsmanship was the same as the swordsmanship of the emperor that Gerard wanted to reach.


    Gerard was blocking Juan¡¯s attack only with his fingers, but he seemed rather ashamed of himself.


    ¡°You¡¯ve be so weak, but how do you have the same power as my father!¡±


    The momentum built with the help of mana and a loud roar immediately pushed Juan away. However, Juan was not surprised at all and firmly kept his eyes on Gerard as if to not let him out of his sight.


    Gerard felt as if the sticky murderous intent was tying him up. He almost felt chills from Juan¡¯s concentration and persistence of not stopping at all until he achieved his purpose. He had been clueless about this as he had watched Juan from behind, but now that he had be Juan¡¯s target, Gerard was overwhelmed by the feeling of being a prey.


    Gerard clenched his teeth. Then, while ring at Juan, who was running directly toward him, he summoned Solvane.


    Juan¡¯s eyes narrowed as soon as he saw Solvane condensed in Gerard¡¯s hands. He could immediately tell that it was a dangerous weapon; it was this spear that had simultaneously killed all of Dane¡¯s physical forms scattered throughout the empire.


    But Juan did not stop. Gerard was also unwilling to dodge Juan¡¯s attack and prepared to confront him directly. He focused his whole body¡¯s strength and senses to forget about the feeling of unease.


    It was clear that Gerard had been captivated by the thought that he might be overwhelmed by Juan, who was nothing more than an ordinary human being now. Upon seeing the opponent attack him using strength rather than magic, Gerard decided to respond in kind.


    ¡°I will kill you now, and¡­¡±


    After all, Gerard was confident that he would not die no matter what Juan did. Gerard intended to let Juan get close, then look him in the eye as he thrust a spear into his heart.


    ¡°¡­and cut off everything I have here before I leave for a greater purpose!¡±


    Gerard roared and used his best attack. At the same time, Juan jumped toward Gerard with all his might. The two could feel each other¡¯s breath burning inside the frozen world brought about by the use of Fleeting Moment.


    Not even for a second did Gerard think that he would actually lose. His physical form was stronger than ever with the help of mana, not to mention that he had the power of Solvane to assist him as well. On the other hand, his opponent was incapable of recovering his mana and only had a single arm.


    There was no way Juan could use the Baltic Sword properly in such a condition. It could already be considered a miracle that he was able to use Fleeting Moment.


    Gerard was the first to swing Solvane and use Causality Denial, the sixth stage of the Baltic Sword. A storm of des swirled around in the frozen world.


    Juan¡¯s left eye was instantly destroyed by Gerard¡¯s attack. Every part of Juan¡¯s body that Gerard¡¯s gazended upon split open, almost as if flowers were blooming. Bubbles of blood rose. In just the blink of an eye, Juan turned red with blood.


    Juan¡¯s movement was one step slower. Gerard already knew that Juan could not use Causality Denial when he only had one arm left. Sutra¡¯s de flew toward Gerard, but Gerard also threw Solvane. Solvane¡¯s de shattered Juan¡¯s left arm, which meant that Juan could no longer even hold his sword.


    The frozen world brought about by the Fleeting Moment was breaking apart. But in that very short moment, Juan was dominated by Gerard. This time, Solvane pierced Juan¡¯s left thigh. Then, it pierced his right waist, lungs, liver, kidneys, spine, andstly, his heart.


    The afterimages of Solvane shed as it stabbed through Juan, and only then did the frozen world of Fleeting Moment end.


    As soon as Juan appeared with both arms missing and having been turned into a pin cushion, terrible screams erupted from all around him. Juan stumbled, but he stubbornly approached Gerard while supporting himself with the spear that had pierced him.


    Gerard couldn¡¯t help but panic at the sight. No weapon or magic could harm him by any means.


    ¡®<i>What can he even do after losing both his arms? He doesn¡¯t even have a weapon. Is he going to bite me or something?</i>¡¯


    ¡°Have you really fallen to the level of a beast!?¡± Gerard burst into an angry cry and extended his mana arm toward Juan.


    Victory and defeat was already decided.


    At that moment, the grotesque sound of flesh being cut echoed through the air.


    Only then did Juan slump to the ground with a long sigh as if everything was finally over.


    The sound of flesh being cut did note from Juan.


    Gerard fumbled and checked his left cheek. Blood was oozing out of a very slight scratch; such a wound was nothing to him. In fact, the wound made by Juan with his life on the line was already healing on its own at a rapid pace.


    The question was, what had Juan used to cut him?


    ¡°Do you know how I was able to notice that your arm was made out of mana so quickly?¡±


    Drenched in blood, Juan smiled deridingly.


    ¡°It¡¯s all something I¡¯ve already experienced before. One arm is enough to kill you, bastard.¡±


    Gerard recalled how he had pulled off Juan¡¯s right arm. Only in that moment did he btedly feel the mana arm created by Juan. This was the reason Juan was able to use Fleeting Moment, even with just a single arm.


    And the mana arm was holding something familiar.


    It was Elkiehl.

 Chapter 248 – Kill the King (3)

    <h4>Chapter 248 ¨C Kill the King (3)</h4>


    Gerard touched his face with a shocked expression.


    Juany on his back, facing the sky, since he no longer had the strength to maintain his mana arm. However, his eyes were still fixed on Gerard.


    ¡°This is just, this is¡­ but how, where¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re scared, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Elkihel, which Gerard had taken back from Haild, was hidden in a secret ce that only Gerard could ess. As far as Gerard knew, Elkiehl could only be brought out using his own spell¡ªbut what he didn¡¯t know was that there was one more Elkiehl.


    Gerard didn¡¯t know about this fact, but Juan and Sina did.


    ¡°Dane Dormund gave it to me as a gift. He told me to make sure to kill you when he did.¡±


    It was the Elkiehl in the form of a dagger¡ªthe dagger that Dane had given Sina while trying to convince her to assassinate Juan at the Magic Tower.


    ¡°ording to him, that was the way for him to take back the Crown¡­ although he ended up dying first.¡±


    Gerard touched the wound on his face once more, a look of disbelief still visible on his face. His wound had stopped bleeding, but the fact that he had been cut could not be reversed.


    The power of Elkihel took effect as soon as it left a wound on Gerard. The Crown would immediately be liberated if Juan were to take the crown away, and then death would be instantaneous if Juan tried to take his life.


    Gerard felt that all the time that he had endured until now and all the future that waited for him was crumbling down. His vision began to feel distant and he felt the ground beneath his feet shaking.


    ¡®<i>Is this how everything I aplished copses? Was it all in vain? Just because of a trivial fight like this? Then why did I kill His Majesty? Why did I turn myself into a sinner and hide from everyone¡¯s eyes in shame?</i>¡¯


    ¡°Ahhhhhhhh!¡±


    Gerard let out a roar and snatched at Juan with a mana arm, aiming to fling him into the air.


    Juan was helplessly thrown into the air, since he no longer had any energy left to resist.


    As soon as she saw Juan being flung away by Gerard¡¯s mana arm, Nienna ordered the soldiers to rescue him. However, Nienna couldn¡¯t even detect Juan anymore since he was instantly buried in the huge mass of tentacles wrapping around him.


    Just as Gerard was trying to suffocate Juan, he suddenly felt that something was strangely off.


    ¡®<i>Why am I still alive?</i>¡¯


    As someone who had used Elkihel several times, Gerard knew better than anyone just how fast Elkiehl¡¯s power came into effect. Yet, Gerard couldn¡¯t feel any change within himself. Not only did the power of the Crown remain the same, but his heart was still beating.


    Then, loudughter burst out from the sky. It was Juan.


    Gerard hastily lowered his tentacles, bringing Juan¡¯s face in front of his.


    ¡°You look like a scared dog.¡±


    Juan continued tough as if he couldn¡¯t stand it even after seeing Gerard¡¯s pale face.


    With a dazed expression, Gerard asked, ¡°Was that Elkiehl a fake?¡±


    ¡°No. It was certainly real,¡± Juan answered without even a moment¡¯s hesitation.


    Even though he had asked that question, Gerard already knew the answer, since the power emitted by the dagger felt like the real thing.


    ¡®<i>But then why am I still alive?</i>¡¯


    ¡°I <i>could?</i>have killed you,¡± Juan smiled faintly at Gerard as he answered.


    Gerard also knew that Juan could have easily killed him. His question was why Juan had decided not to.


    ¡®<i>Was it sympathy? Pity? No. It¡¯s nothing like that.</i>¡¯


    ¡°But I feel like you will be revived again someday even if I kill you now¡ªjust like I was.¡±


    Based on how Dane had acted, as if he had always known that Juan woulde back to life, Juan had a strong hunch that Gerard would also be revived after his death.


    ¡°The Crack will remain open and your subordinates will keep wandering around.¡±


    Juan already felt the unusual creatures crawling up through the Crack. The current Aruntal was nothing but a bunch of trivial greenhornspared to those beings. In fact, none of the members of the real Aruntal was alive now. The current Aruntal just consisted of fools that couldn¡¯t even be called Aruntal.


    Juan revealed his teeth in a big smile, and continued with some chilling words.


    ¡°But no, that shouldn¡¯t happen and cannot happen. You must die for good. Don¡¯t even think about being resurrected. I will make sure to lock you up inplete emptiness and darkness, Gerard. Dying by Elkihel is too sweet a death for a terrible bastard like you.¡±


    He paused for a moment, then, surprisingly, shook his head.


    ¡°But, unfortunately, that is not my job. It will be a human who kills you.¡±


    ¡°Human?¡± Gerard asked back.


    ¡°The emperor must die at the hands of humans,¡± Juan said with a pale face. ¡°The gods, the emperor, and the monsters all must die at the hands of humans. That is the only way for everything to be corrected.¡±


    Juan¡¯s expression was more determined than ever. His eyes were now looking far into the distance, beyond where Gerard was standing.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Gerard asked.


    Juan turned his head and stared at Gerard. Gerard felt himself crouching without even realizing it as soon as his eyes met Juan¡¯s. They were the eyes of a man Gerard had feared and respected at the same time throughout all his life.


    ¡°You would have understood what I mean if you truly loved humanity,¡± Juan said.


    Gerard clenched his teeth and red at Juan. Then, he turned his head.


    Anya jumped at Gerard with a scream and Nienna also threw her spears of ice at him. Yet, Gerard¡¯s tentacles once again began to tightly squeeze Juan despite their efforts.


    The weight of an entire mountain range bore upon Juan at once.


    ***


    Gerard appeared with a sh.


    As soon as he arrived, he stumbled and stomped the ground, feeling it difficult to stand. A sudden stabbing pain swept through him. It was a headache that he hadn¡¯t felt for a long time¡ªever since he had experienced it in the Red Citadel.


    The situation here, which had been chaotic due to Gerard¡¯s sudden disappearance, became rowdy as soon as he appeared again. Everyone was confused, and Bekelt was the first toe running breathlessly and fall down at Gerard¡¯s feet.


    ¡°Your Majesty! Your Majesty, are you all right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Gerard couldn¡¯t understand what had happened. Neither had he let his guard down, nor had he looked down on Juan. It was true that Gerard was confident enough to think he would never lose, since he had absolute power, but that didn¡¯t mean that he had been negligent during his fight against Juan.


    Yet he had almost ended up dying and had only managed to survive due to his opponent¡¯s iprehensible intentions.


    Gerard couldn¡¯t help but think that Juan was showing sympathy toward him. Even with the absolute power of the Crown, Gerard¡¯s life had ended up being <i>spared</i> by a person that he considered no different from an ordinary human.


    Gerard had a hard time understanding that. However, the cut left on his cheek was definitely real.


    ¡°Your Majesty, your wound¡­¡±


    Gerard touched his cheek with his hand upon hearing Bekelt¡¯s words. There was red blood on his palm.


    ¡®<i>But the wound had been healing on its own until just now.</i>¡¯


    Gerard shook his head as the headache made his head pulse once more. This time, he could also clearly feel the pain from the wound on his cheek. Gerard tried to heal the wound by concentrating his strength on it, but it wouldn¡¯t heal no matter what he did.


    The wound was trivial enough to be cured with simple magic, let alone the essence of the emperor, and yet¡­


    ¡°...Just leave it,¡± Gerard murmured.


    Gerard wondered if the power of Elkihel had made him lose his ability to regenerate, but when he gave himself other wounds to check whether that was true, those wounds recovered on their own. Only the wound left behind by Elkihel did not heal; it was as if it was a reminder for him not to forget.


    Gerard breathed heavily and recalled Juan¡¯s eyes. He wanted to believe that Juan was only special because he had the power of the Crown.


    <i>¡®But what if that¡¯s not true? What if humans could actually kill me and lock me up in an eternal void just as he said?¡¯</i>


    By Gerard¡¯s standards, Juan¡¯s power was no different from that of ordinary humans. Yet, Juan had gone beyond just a threat and had even driven Gerard into a corner, to the point where he really could have died.


    Gerard suddenly felt a burst of anxiety. He had thought that he was above the heavens, but he had suddenly been thrown to the ground in just an instant.


    ¡°Where have you been, Your Majesty? If you had given me an order to escort, I could have¡­¡±


    Bekelt appealed to Gerard even though he knew that it was meaningless. Up until now, Gerard had only ignored his followers and refused to talk to them.


    To Bekelt¡¯s surprise, however, Gerard turned his head and made eye contact with him.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Bekelt. I was too careless.¡±


    ¡°...Your Majesty.¡±


    Bekelt had to try and slow down his beating heart upon hearing Gerard¡¯s apology. He felt as if Gerard had returned to who he was during the days when he was the Captain of the Order of Lindwurm.


    ¡°I went to see the remnants of my father,¡± Gerard murmured as he clutched his head.


    ¡°...Are you talking about the old emperor? Then this wound is¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a wound caused by Elkiehl.¡±


    ¡°Elkiehl!? But that¡¯s¡­!¡± stammered Bekelt, but he shut up when he saw Gerard¡¯s face. After all, Gerard was still alive.


    ¡°What happened to that bastard?¡± Bekelt asked.


    Gerard raised his empty eyes and stared into the air.


    ¡°He is dead. I tied him using Quzatquizail¡¯s tentacles and buried him under the mountains.¡±


    Bekelt looked relieved upon hearing Gerard¡¯s words. But Gerard bit his lips with an anxious expression.


    He was lying.


    He had indeed done exactly that, but even he himself didn¡¯t think that Juan had actually died for good. He regretted suffocating Juan with tentacles instead of directly stabbing him with Elkiehl and absorbing the remaining power of the Crown in him.


    Unfortunately, Gerard had been unable to make a proper judgment at that time, since he was also in a state of panic. He at least figured that it would be difficult for Juan to get out easily as long as he was bound with Qzatquizail¡¯s tentacles.


    ¡°Did you just say that Juan is dead?¡±


    The moment Gerard turned his head, his eyes met Sina¡¯s. She drew her sword and red at Gerard,pletely ignoring Bekelt.


    Bekelt immediately felt an unusual energy from Sina. It was not only him¡ªat that moment, everyone felt that she could take action any second.


    Although Bekelt knew that Gerard was treating Sina as someone special, he wondered if that would continue to be the case even when she pointed her sword toward Gerard.


    Bekelt ced his hand on the hilt of his sword just in case, but then, Gerard slowly opened his mouth.


    ¡°Yes, he is dead. I pulled off both of his arms, put some spears through him, and buried him in the deepest ce of this world. You¡¯ll have to lift up the entire mountain range to dig up his corpse.¡±


    Gerard shrugged at Sina as if he was asking her what she was going to do about it. Sina¡¯s hands were constantly twitching, as if she was ready to charge at Gerard at any time, but she only continued to re at Gerard in silence.


    Finally, after staring at Gerard for a long time, suddenly rxed her hand and let go of her sword.


    Even Bekelt was perplexed by her unexpected actions.


    Sina gazed at Gerard.


    ¡°So he¡¯s still alive.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You both have simr quirks when lying. Perhaps it¡¯s because you are family. You don¡¯t really believe that Juan is actually dead at all.¡±


    Sina turned away as if she had lost interest. But Gerard immediately grabbed her arm and turned her around.


    Sina felt a sharp pain from her arm, but she didn¡¯t hesitate to fiercely re back at Gerard.


    ¡°What do you know!?¡± Gerard shouted.


    ¡°Whatever it is, I¡¯m sure I know better than you do, Gerard Gain,¡± Sina whispered as she red at Gerard. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you did to Juan, but the emperor will return¡ªnot you, but the <i>real?</i>emperor.¡±


    Gerard red at Sina as if he wanted to kill her. Sina could feel a sharp murderous intent that could drive her to her death at any moment.


    However, she did not avoid Gerard¡¯s gaze. She had already managed to survive in the face of death many times, and she had even died once.


    In the end, it was Gerard who backed down first. He erased all emotions on his face, and before anyone knew it, he was expressionless once more.


    ¡°If you want to believe that, then so be it,¡± Gerard said briefly.


    Hearing this, Sina roughly shook off Gerard¡¯s hand and strode away.


    Bekelt frowned as he looked at her back. Sina was a big and unexpected variable to Gerard¡¯s followers. He wanted to execute her if possible, yet he had no choice but to leave her be due to Gerard¡¯s iprehensible sense of protection toward her.


    ¡°Your Majesty, I will move her to another dwelling if you wish.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need,¡± Gerard replied briefly.


    Instead of ordering Bekelt to move Sina, he gave him a different order.


    ¡°Rather than that, I have an order to give all of you¡±


    Bekelt knelt down in joy and the same was true of all the Priests from the Thornbush Priest Organization. This would be the first order that Gerard would give them after ignoring them for days.


    Gerard looked beyond the Crack over the horizon and then opened his mouth.


    ¡°My sister and her army are on their way here.¡±


    Bekelt understood that Gerard was referring to Nienna, the Northern Army, and Juan¡¯s subordinates.


    Gerard had been ignoring them until now because he judged that they wouldn¡¯t be harmful to him. To Gerard, all humans were fragile and equally worthy of protection, whether they were rebellious or obedient.


    But his perception had now changed. Juan had shown Gerard that everything he had could disappear in just the blink of an eye.


    ¡°They are traitors. Kill them all.¡±


    ¡°You have my eternal loyalty, Your Majesty.¡±


    Gerard looked at the Crack with bloodshot eyes. The words left behind by Sina were ringing in his ears¡ª<i>the real emperor would return</i>.


    And this was true.


    Juan wasing back.


    ¡®<i>But hiseback is meaningless if I destroy everything he has before that.</i>¡¯


    ***


    It was dark, but Sina stood on the edge of the Crack.


    Sina felt like she was nailed on the spot rather than just standing. It felt like she was going to dry up just as she was until she turned into a dead old tree¡ªuntil all her body fluids were squeezed out and the wind finally broke her down and turned her into a part of the desert.


    Of course, Sina knew that she wouldn¡¯t die, since Gerard was constantly supplying her with mana.


    Sina was so disgusted by Gerard that she wanted to scratch out all of his mana that was flowing inside her.


    ¡®<i>Juan.</i>¡¯


    The reason why Sina hadn¡¯t copsed when she heard that Juan was dead was that she had seen hime back alive from many circumstances.


    Juan had revived among the mes in a more powerful form even when she thought that death was inevitable. Sina was convinced that Gerard¡¯s words were lies, but she had no evidence.


    She knew that she was just being unreasonable in a way, since she didn''t want to admit Juan¡¯s death. But she thought that Juan¡¯s resurrection would mean nothing if it were to happen thousands of meters below the dark ground.


    ¡®<i>I need to go and save him.</i>¡¯


    Sina had not forgotten the message from Juan¡ªhe wasing. There was no way Juan would have sent such a message without any meaning. It was only natural for Sina to help Juan toe if he said that he woulde.


    But the Crack was wide and vast. Even the nearest rock was at quite a distance. Sina had already imagined leaping across the rocks numerous times despite knowing that such a task was impossible. Yet it was still very tempting to at least give it a try.


    Sina measured the distance between the distant rock and herself with a firm look. She took one deep breath after another. She knew that it was impossible, but still, she somehow felt that it was going to work.


    Sina believed that she knew Juan well, and Juan knew just as much about Sina. She thought that Juan probably already knew how she would act in a situation like this.


    ¡®<i>Don¡¯t leave the judgment to Juan. I should just be myself.</i>¡¯


    Sina took a step forward.


    At that moment, she felt someone clutching her wrist.


    ¡°What do you think you are doing right now?!¡±


    It was a sharp but low voice.


    It was Opert.

 Chapter 249 – Warriors of the North (1)

    <h4>Chapter 249 ¨C Warriors of the North (1)</h4>


    ¡°Opert?¡± Sina hastily looked around. If Gerard was keeping an eye on her, it would only be a matter of time before he found Opert as well.


    Unlike Sina¡¯s concern, however, Gerard didn¡¯t appear.


    Opert held Sina¡¯s wrist tightly and pulled her to a corner under the shade of a tree.


    ¡°Sina. Weren¡¯t you confident when you told Gerard earlier that His Majesty will return? Were you bluffing all this while?¡± asked Opert, seemingly frustrated.


    ¡°Of course, he will return, but¡­¡± Sina trailed off.


    ¡°Then, why were you trying to kill yourself?¡± asked Opert.


    Hearing that, Sina finally realized that Opert misunderstood.


    Sina shook her head and muttered, ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re thinking, but I wasn¡¯t trying to throw myself into the Crack. I was just thinking about jumping on that rock.¡±


    Opert followed Sina¡¯s gaze and saw a rock the size of a house at least a few dozen meters away from them. Opert stared doubtfully at Sina. Unless one had wings, it seemed impossible to jump onto that rock.


    Opert sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t know even if there¡¯s even a difference between throwing yourself into the Crack and jumping on that rock.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t really going to jump...¡±


    Sina¡¯s actions was simr to backing out at thest minute, simr to what she had done when she wanted to kill Gerard. However, she couldn¡¯t really be med.


    She was desperate to act on her thoughts, but she knew better than anyone else that she couldn¡¯t do that. Sina couldn¡¯t help but think that all she had learned during her time here was indecisiveness.


    ¡°More importantly, Opert. Is it really okay for you toe into contact with me like this? Gerard is¡­¡±


    ¡°I was just going to keep my eye on you, but I got afraid that you might get too emotional once you heard the news, so¡­I guess I got careless as well.¡± Opert looked around with a nervous expression and whispered, ¡°But I think it will be fine for the time being. Gerard seemed to be focusing on something else for some reason. It seemed like he was in a hurry. There must be a reason why he ordered his subordinates to stop the Northern Army instead of stepping up himself.¡±


    Sina nodded at Opert¡¯s words.


    She never had a close or proper conversation with Opert before, but she somehow felt at ease for the first time in a long time.


    The fact that she could meet and talk to her ally when she was in a situation where she wanted to kill everyone around her made Sina feel better.


    ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s a relief. I feel great that we¡¯re able to talk like this.¡±


    Opert smiled bitterly. ¡°To be honest, I feel like my hundred-year-old thirst is being quenched just by talking to Dame Sina like this. I had to constantly imitate and talk to the traitors and heathens around me while making sure that my cover remains intact. Unfortunately, I¡¯m afraid that this will be ourst conversation for a while.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Sina asked.


    ¡°Gerard has ordered the interception of the Northern Army, so Aruntal has to move as well. Therefore, I also have to leave the Crack with them. I¡¯ll have to figure out the perfect timing to turn my back on them, so I won¡¯t be able to talk to you for a while.¡±


    ¡°I see...¡±


    ¡°I came here because I have something to tell you...¡± Opert lowered his voice and whispered to Sina, ¡°His Majesty said that he might get involved in an unexpected situation, so His Majesty told me to deliver this to Dame Sina¡­¡±


    Opert ced a piece of paper in Sina¡¯s hand and continued. ¡°I could have read it out loud, but I thought that it would be better if you read it yourself because His Majesty wrote it himself.¡±


    Sina was surprised to hear that His Majesty had written the note himself. If Sina¡¯s memories were serving her correctly, she could swear that Opert had lost contact with Juan since he infiltrated Aruntal from the Magic Tower.


    This meant that Juan had written the note to Sina long ago.


    ¡°Well, then. May His Majesty¡¯s protection be upon you, Dame Sina.¡±


    Opert then disappeared behind the rock before Sina could even say anything. Sina felt that she should have said goodbye to Opert. However, Opert had to hurry, so Sina knew that she couldn¡¯t keep him here anymore.


    Sina carefully unfolded the paper that Opert had handed over to her.


    The paper contained a sentence that Juan had written himself.


    Upon reading the sentence, Sina clenched her fists tightly without realizing it.


    [Live. You have to live, so I can live.]


    It was a simple and clear order¡ªperhaps even a request.


    Sina squeezed the paper in her palm and copsed to the ground. She had no idea why Juan would send her this note, but the meaning behind the sentence he had written touched her heart.


    Upon reading Juan¡¯s message, Sina knew that she couldn¡¯t afford to die no matter what.


    Sina quietly looked up.


    Unbeknownst to her, Lenly was watching her from a distance.


    ***


    Anya stared down the hill with bloodshot eyes.


    The snow had lost all its moisture, turning it into a powder that the weak breeze easily blew away. Snow was falling everywhere, but the group of growling monsters was stillpletely visible. It was impossible to count the number of monsters crawling up the Crack, and they had long crowded the hill as well.


    However, there was an even more shocking sight than that.


    Gigantic monsters with odd-numbered slender legs staggered as they moved forward.


    The tall monsters uttered grotesque-sounding groans, and they would sometimessh out with their tentacles at breakneck speeds to snatch a monster beneath them. Then, they would drag the hapless monster into their mouths located on their abdomen.


    Flesh and bodily fluids constantly flowed out of the tall monsters¡¯ mouths, but not a single monster beneath them looked up.


    At the sight, Nienna muttered, ¡°Their consciousness is under control. It¡¯s going to be difficult for us to beat them like what we have been doing until now.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying that someone is controlling them?¡± said Pavan, sounding displeased.


    The reason behind their overwhelming victories in every skirmish until now was thanks to the monsters¡¯ haphazard and disorderly actions. If Nienna¡¯s words were true, then they would have to suffer a lot of damage to deal with these monsters from now on.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you bring back winter? I¡¯m sure those monsters are more vulnerable to the cold than the Northern Army,¡± Pavan said.


    ¡°Just because the Northern Army is strong against the cold does not mean that the army won¡¯t freeze to death, and their movements will slow down as well. I think we should push them back now while there still aren¡¯t many of them,¡± Nienna answered.


    ¡°But didn¡¯t you say that one can only temporarily take control of the monsters?¡±


    ¡°There seems to be apetent person among the thornbush priests. Talented ones do appear among them sometimes. As far as I know, their church leader is a talent. Of course, he won¡¯t be able to control the monsters forever. Therefore, we can just wait until they lost control of the monsters, but¡­¡± Nienna trailed off while staring at Anya.


    Anya was ring at the monsters in silence and the killing intent she was emitting made her look like she would charge at the monsters anytime soon. The air around the Undead Army had be gloomier after being influenced by Anya¡¯s killing intent.


    Nienna shook her head and said, ¡°I¡¯m also finding it hard to just stand around and wait. As we speak, Gerard is probably furthering his insidious scheme.¡±


    Nienna reached out to grab Anya¡¯s hand.


    Anya¡¯s hands were cold, and they were trembling.


    Gerard had allowed Juan to ambush him, and Gerard seeded in catching Juan with the huge tentacles he had summoned as a result. However, Gerard seemed confused as well when the tentacles grabbed Juan into the deep ground.


    Of course, he quickly disappeared as well before anyone could react.


    Anya desperately dug into the ground to try and pull Juan out, but it was an endeavor that wouldn¡¯t seed. After all, they had no idea how deep Juan was in the ground, so they couldn¡¯t just excavate haphazardly.


    The others had frozen over¡ªthey had no idea what to do. However, Anya quickly came back to her senses and started giving orders.


    ¡®<i>His Majesty is still alive.</i>¡¯


    Anya¡¯s out-of-focus eyes were the ones who had replied to the concern of the others.


    ¡®<i>He won¡¯t show up no matter how much I try to summon him.</i>¡¯


    Anya¡¯s words weren¡¯t credible at all. However, Nienna and the others decided to take advantage of Anya¡¯s words. There were still many people who were doubting about the emperor¡¯s death, and Nienna still despised the Crack even if the emperor had truly died.


    Therefore, there was only one thing she had to do¡ªshe had to use Anya¡¯s testimony as a weapon to move the Northern Army.


    They left the ce where the emperor was buried and advanced until they finally reached the Walls of Nulvin.


    However, what they encountered upon arriving was a huge Crack that was so massive that it looked as if it were about to swallow the horizon itself. They were also met with an astonishing scene made up of multitudes of monsters and ck bubbles.


    ¡°Pavan, I thought you would protest,¡± Nienna said.


    ¡°It¡¯s all because think I have something inmon with His Majesty.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure His Majesty would wash his ears in disbelief if he heard your remark just now.¡±


    ¡°I know of His Majesty¡¯s greatness, but I am not cognizant of his cunningness. There¡¯s definitely a reason he provoked Gerard and allowed himself to be defeated. I am unaware of the picture he is drawing in his head, but¡­¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying that His Majesty is still alive?¡± asked Nienna.


    ¡°His Majesty¡¯s mana can no longer recover naturally.¡±


    Nienna stared at Pavan.


    Pavan went on. ¡°I don¡¯t know how much mana he got from absorbing the cloned heart of Mananen McLeir, but it cannotpare to Gerard¡¯s mana. In other words, His Majesty doesn¡¯t have much time left to live.¡±


    ¡°Get to the point.¡±


    ¡°How could I summarize His Majesty¡¯s great picture? However, I¡¯m sure that His Majesty is trying to make something out of this extreme method. And¡­¡± Pavan hesitated for a moment, but he eventually spoke carefully, ¡°A goodmander knows where to put his subordinates based on their capabilities, skills, and personalities. I mean, even I know the importance of that, so don¡¯t you think that His Majesty had entrusted to us a duty that he couldn¡¯t tell us?¡±


    Nienna sighed at Pavan¡¯s remark. In the end, they had no choice but to move forward while thinking that Juan had something nned for them.


    ¡°General Nienna. Are you doubting His Majesty¡¯s survival?¡±


    ¡°The thought that His Majesty has died has never urred to me at all,¡± Nienna answered, ¡°However, on the off chance that he¡¯s already dead, we still have to move forward. Gerard¡ªthat fucking bastard¡ªis still waiting for us over there, and I¡¯ll kill him for good this time.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you two supposed to be siblings?¡±


    ¡°Siblings do fight each other to the death, anyway.¡±


    ¡°...I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever heard of that.¡±


    ¡°I guess you¡¯re an only child, then. You said you were a war orphan, right?¡±


    Nienna turned and measured the sun¡¯s distance from the horizon. The clouds were thick, so it was hard to see, but the sun¡¯s corona could still be seen.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s time?¡± Nienna asked.


    ¡°Yes. well, I guess it doesn¡¯t matter if there¡¯s a slight time difference.¡±


    The base of the hill was still popted with monsters. The thornbrush priests were still standing behind the monsters along with the Order of the Lindwurm, whose members had been living beyond the Crack.


    Nienna felt a tingling in her heart as she looked down at all of them from the top of the hill. Her breathing started to get rough. Nienna nced at Pavan with a big smile that almost reached her ears.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you d?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, General?¡±


    ¡°I absolutely hate everything down there,¡± Nienna muttered.


    She was slowly heating up from the excitement.


    Pavan looked at Nienna, seemingly confused.


    ¡°I reckon that I will never have an opportunity like this again where I can kill so many of those bastards. Besides, my hatred toward them has grown after those bastards dared to attempt on His Majesty¡¯s life,¡± said Nienna.


    Pavan was about to tell Nienna to calm down, but Nienna unsheathed a frozen sword and shouted at the entire Northern Army.


    ¡°His Majesty has prepared a feast for me. All hail His Majesty!¡±


    The Northern Army shouted in response to Nienna¡¯s cry.


    ¡°For His Majesty!¡±


    Pavan¡¯s cursing was buried beneath Nienna¡¯s order to charge.


    Tens of thousands of Northern Army soldiers descended the hill, following the footsteps of Nienna and Fenrir. Thebined noise level of their footsteps was so loud that the ground started trembling.


    Pavanmanded the Northern Army with all his might and made sure that they would descend the hill in an orderly manner. Unlike the Capital Army, which acted mainly on moderation and discipline,manding the Northern Army was arduous for Pavan.


    Pavan wanted to scream that the Northern Army were all out of their minds, yet he had no choice but to swallow his swords because Nienna was the one running like crazy ahead of the Northern Army.


    ¡°Fuck it! Screw it! Tear them apart!¡±


    Pavan roared and hurled his helmet at a monster standing ahead of them. He thought that he had made a mistake the moment the monster opened his eyes wide and turned to look at him, but a creepy gray mist suddenly invaded the monster¡¯s ranks.


    At the same time, a storm of flesh and blood swept across the monsters.


    Pavan looked back and saw Anya clenching her teeth with a distorted look.


    ¡°These monsters¡­! Trivial like dust and dirty like trash¡­! I¡¯m sure even bastards like you can feel pain. I¡¯m going to kill you all. Then, I¡¯ll bring you all back to life, so I can kill you all again! Then, I will kill you all again and¡­!¡±


    Pavan scooted away from Anya. He felt like he would go crazy as well if he were to keep listening to her crazed mutterings.


    Anya let out an iprehensible cry and summoned the Knights of the Dead and the Undead Army. She then ordered them to charge toward the monsters. The first group that collided with the monsters was the death force.


    Nienna erupted intoughter as the forces of death mercilessly tore the monsters apart.


    Meanwhile, the Thornbush Priest Organization finally started moving.


    The thornbush priests made the monsters surround the Northern Army.


    The enemy¡¯s movement didn¡¯t escape Pavan¡¯s notice.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look back! Run at full speed!¡±


    It was an order that he would never give while under the threat of being surrounded by enemies. However, Pavan remained confident in his judgment. Of course, he really couldn¡¯t do anything else other than pray that everything would go ording to n.


    All of a sudden, a pir of fire burst out of the clouds and struck the ground.

 Chapter 250 – Warriors of the North (2)

    <h4>Chapter 250 ¨C Warriors of the North (2)</h4>


    The monsters caught fire, and a scene reminiscent of hell was created in an instant.


    Behind the torn clouds appeared the majestic figure of Entalucia. Most of the Northern Army troops had heard of Entalucia before, but it was actually their first time witnessing her majesty with their own eyes.


    Entalucia took another deep breath and split the monsters into two camps with her mes. The heat from her Breath melted rocks and turned the monsters into ashes in the proverbial blink of an eye.


    Pavan cheered at the sight of Entalucia¡¯s scorching mes.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been wanting to see that!¡±


    Kilt stared at Pavan, seemingly dumbfounded. Kilt was a deputy under Pavan.


    ¡°Captain, have you forgotten that the dragon there almost turned our troops into ashes before?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but she was our enemy back then. A rule was established among dragons, and it involved not turning humans into ashes. It¡¯s a shame, but it was a rule that was established after she became our ally. Thank goodness our enemies are monsters; otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to see her Breath.¡±


    Entalucia spat her mes fiercely as if she were afraid that she would miss a single monster. However, she was actually spraying mes in a controlled manner rather than pouring them out recklessly.


    Haild, who was riding on top of Entalucia¡¯s back, constantly whispered to her.


    ¡°You¡¯re doing great, Entalucia. It should be fine if you send another Breath toward the east.¡±


    [Leave it to my care.]


    Entalucia spat out mes ording to Haild¡¯s instructions. In the blink of an eye, the surroundings became filled with ashes, and the smell of burning flesh had be so thick that it would be safe to assume that even the birds up above could smell it.


    Entalucia flew up above the smell of burning flesh and examined Haild.


    Haild was wearing H''s eye patch over her hollow eye socket. He still hadn¡¯t recovered, but he insisted oning here after hearing that Entalucia would be dispatched.


    [Haild. Thou already knowest of my concerns, yet¡­]


    ¡°You don¡¯t want me to join the fight. Yes, I know.¡±


    It would be absurd for Haild to fight in a situation where it was already difficult for him to stand properly, let alone hold a sword. However, Haild¡¯s eyes fiercely red at the Crack, which was emitting ominous energy.


    ¡°I just want to see the end of my father with my own eyes.¡±


    Entalucia became filled withplex emotions. Before her friendship with Haild, Entalucia and Gerard were each other¡¯s benefactors. In addition, the values of the empire and the ideals of the emperor were irrelevant to Entalucia.


    Therefore, she didn¡¯t want Gerard to die despite what he had done¡ªespecially if Gerard were to die at Haild¡¯s hands because it would mean that Haild would havemitted patricide.


    [I know not of this, Haild. Of course, what Gerard doth now, I also find repugnant, but...]


    Haild gently patted Entalucia¡¯s head.


    ¡°Entalucia. You don¡¯t need to get involved. As always, you can just watch. I have received enough favors from you, so you can rest assured and let the humans do their own work.¡±


    Entalucia had always been observing the affairs of humans from afar without intervention. However, Entalucia quietly shook her head at Haild¡¯s words. However, this didn¡¯t mean that she had changed her stance¡ªit was the opposite.


    [But this seemeth not only a concern of humans¡­]


    Entalucia rolled to the side and started flying at a low altitude. The smaller monsters were helplessly thrown into the air upon being struck by the gusts of wind that Entalucia¡¯s gigantic wings generated.


    Entalucia continued spitting out mes that covered huge sections of the battlefield, splitting the hordes of monsters into manageable sizes for the Northern Army troops to handle.


    Amidst the ongoing ughter, Nienna sent Pavan to the right nk and Anya to the left nk as she tried her best tomand everyone. Thanks to Entalucia¡¯s help, the Northern Army managed to ughter the monsters with fewer-than-expected casualties.


    ***


    ¡°Chew them up and spit them out! Show no mercy!¡± Nienna roared.


    A bluish chill erupted and transformed into a massive hammer. Nienna smacked the leg of a giant monster in front of her with her massive hammer. The resulting collision shattered the hammer, but the icy shrapnels were left stuck in the monster¡¯s leg, freezing its bodily fluids.


    The soldiers rushed in and shredded the incapacitated monster.


    This routine continued with every monster that was unfortunate enough to face Nienna. Nienna would incapacitate the monsters while the soldiers behind her would make quick work of them.


    After Nienna¡¯s sword was smashed, she created a weapon of random shapes with ice even harder than metal and wielded it around. The form of the weapon didn¡¯t matter to someone who had struggled to deal with the monsters of the Crack throughout her entire life.


    Nienna incapacitated another monster, but her sword shattered as a result. However, she simply created another weapon made out of ice that was harder than metal.


    Nienna didn¡¯t really care about what kind of weapon she was wielding. She had long grown ustomed to any weapon out there after fighting monsters of the Crack throughout her entire life.


    ¡°Squeeze together and make sure there¡¯s no gap! Split these bastards that came from hell!¡± Nienna roared. Afterward, she swung her spear toward a monster busy chewing up a Northern Army soldier, splitting it into two.


    Then, Nienna hurled her spear at another monster. She was looking forward to seeing the monster explode, but hundreds of tentacles snatched her spear out of mid-air.


    Nienna raised her eyebrows.


    ¡°The Ruler of Winter, Nienna Nelben. Your reputation has spread, even beyond the Crack.¡±


    Nienna red at the individual who had just emerged from the cover of the thick snowkes flying through the air. The opponent¡¯s voice sounded strangely clear, even in the midst of a crowded battlefield.


    The opponent was a middle-aged woman wearing a dark robe and a crown made out of a thornbush.


    The woman was ck Aldebaran¡ªa thornbush priest.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡ª¡± ck Aldebaran started.


    However, Nienna didn¡¯t even let her continue as the former charged toward thetter without hesitation. Nienna aimed for ck Aldebaran¡¯s vitals as she charged as fast as lightning at thetter.


    ck Aldebaran¡¯s eyes shed. She opened her robe and poured out hundreds of tentacles. The tentacles immediately froze and burst as soon as they touched Nienna¡¯s sword, but there were too many tentacles that Nienna couldn¡¯t freeze them all.


    The tentacles were pushing Nienna back, and the sight made ck Aldebaran frown. ¡°I expected more from you, the frozen star¡¯s daughter. However, it seemed that both the father and the daughter are equally pathetic.¡±


    Nienna paused and red at ck Aldebaran.


    ck Aldebaran smiled softly at that. ¡°Yes. I know about your father and¡ª¡±


    An ice spear suddenly emerged in front of ck Aldebaran¡¯s feet. ck Aldebaran barely managed to turn her chin to avoid the spear.


    She staggered backward as thick and purple bodily fluid ran down her chin.


    ¡°Damn it, that was close!¡± Nienna eximed.


    ck Aldebaran red at her. ¡°Are you not going to listen to me?¡±


    Nienna smiled. She didn¡¯t even bother to answer.


    At the sight, ck Aldebaran realized that Nienna was exactly like what she had heard from beyond the Crack. Countless Thornbush priests had tried to lure her into their side, but they all failed.


    However, Nienna replied to them once.


    And she answered sinctly¡­


    ¡°<i>I am neither too young nor too old to have a conversation with trivial bugs.</i>¡±


    And Nienna¡¯s current attitude still reflected her response from way back then¡ªshe couldn¡¯t care less about her sibling or what ck Aldebaran had to say because she had long convinced herself that beings beyond the Crack only knew how to lie and deceive¡ªergo, their words were worthless.


    ck Aldebaran gnashed her teeth and bit her finger out of frustration.


    ¡°How ridiculous it is for an arrogant greenhorn to im that she rules winter. I was going to go easy on you because you are His Majesty¡¯s sibling, but I will make sure to wrap your head with ribbons and send it to the frozen star as a gift.¡±


    ck Aldebaran¡¯s presumption was right; Nienna wasn¡¯t listening, nor was she nning to listen to her. However, this didn¡¯t mean that Nienna was looking down on ck Aldebaran.


    .


    ck Aldebaran was more powerful than any thornbush priest Nienna had ever seen before. In addition, Nienna could feel another powerful energy on the battlefield, and it clearly didn¡¯t belong to ck Aldebaran.


    Entalucia was actively helping them, but thanks to the unknown source of powerful energy on the battlefield, everyone¡¯s heart was gripped with anxiety, making them feel as if they were walking on thin ice.


    ***


    The knights wearing old armor with the emblem of a white dragon and a barnacle on it faced the knights holding a dpidated banner with the emblem of a ck crow.


    The two forces fiercely red at each other. They were in the middle of a chaotic battlefield, but there was no way that the two forces wouldn¡¯t recognize each other.


    They were the Order of Huginn of Ras Raud and the Order of Lindwurm of Gerard Gain. There wasn¡¯t much contact between the two knight orders in the past, but they were bothbeled as traitors immediately after the emperor¡¯s assassination.


    The only difference between them was that the Order of Huginn was falsely used while the Order of Lindwurm was truly involved in the treason.


    Anya didn¡¯t take her eyes off of the Order of Lindwurm, even in a fierce battle against the monsters. Anya had seen Ras suffer for a long time, so in her eyes, the Order of Lindwurm was evil.


    The Huginn knights felt a cold chill running down their spines upon being subjected to the Lindwurm knights¡¯ gazes looking down upon them from above the ridge.


    Bekelt stood at the edge of the ridge with the Order of Lindwurm, and he looked down at the Order of Huginn as well.


    He soon clicked his tongue upon seeing the prowess of the Order of Huginn.


    ¡°The knights that Captain Ras used to train have disappeared; only the young greenhorns are left. They have severely deterioratedpared to their heyday,¡± Bekelt murmured.


    ¡°There weren¡¯t many of them, but each of their members was disciplined with des. But now, they have be nothing but a bunch of knights who are slightly¡­ better than ordinary soldiers. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± said one of the Lindwurm knights.


    ¡°I was excited when I saw the banner of Huginn¡¯s, but how disappointing¡­¡±


    All of a sudden, the encirclement of the monster suddenly distorted.


    Bekelt was about to unsheathe his sword upon noticing the strange change, but a knight of the dead suddenly charged toward Bekelt after cutting down a monster.


    Bekelt¡¯s eyes widened, and he swung his sword at the knight of the dead.


    Bekelt¡¯s powerful sword strike split the knight of the dead into two, but the knight of the dead didn¡¯t copse to the floor. Its other half swung the hammer it was holding into Bekelt¡¯s head.


    There was a dull sound as Bekelt¡¯s helmet went flying.


    ¡°Deputy Bekelt!¡±


    The stupefied Lindwurm knights were furious, and they made quick work of the knight of the dead.


    Bekelt ced a hand on his head and red up ahead. However, before he could even vent his anger and start cursing, a woman appeared with eyes dripping with malicious intent.


    ¡°You¡¯ve lived long enough, you old bastard,¡± the woman muttered.


    Bekelt could feel an overwhelming power from the woman. Anya puffed her mouth and spat a cloud that resembled darkness. In the proverbial blink of an eye, darkness surrounded the knights.


    Bekelt felt a strong killing intent behind him, forcing him to dodge. He barely managed to dodge a sword that contained enough power to split him in half.


    ¡°Prepare for battle! That woman is our enemy!¡± Bekelt cried out. Bekelt swung his sword at Anya¡¯s pale face that suddenly appeared in front of him. However, his sword seemed to have collided with a wall.


    Skeleton knights had appeared out of nowhere and were protecting Anya.


    Bekelt gnashed his teeth and red at Anya. ¡°The Huginn knights, <i>huh?</i> It¡¯s funny how those who used to hunt necromancers actually became necromancers themselves. It is so ridiculous that I even find it insulting. Is honor such a rare value among the Huginn knights?¡±


    Anya¡¯s eyes became dyed with anger at Bekelt¡¯s sarcasm.


    Anya ordered the knights to attack and shouted at Bekelt. ¡°A traitor like you actually dares to bullshit in front of me? We¡¯ve been fighting the empire after being falsely used of treason that you bastards havemitted! Oh, of course, you wouldn¡¯t understand since you have abandoned your people and ran like a dog!¡±


    Bekelt¡¯s eyebrows twitched.


    Anya continued screaming, ¡°We have been fighting for our lives, and we have finally won! We finally destroyed the old, corrupt empire, and His Majesty has ascended the throne once more!¡±


    Bekelt felt a sharp pain on his side. Bekelt was stupefied when he realized that a sword had managed to pierce him without making a single sound, even though he was staring at the knight of the dead in front of him.


    A Huginn knight stabbed Bekelt in the stomach with an expressionless look before immediately disappearing into the darkness. The Order of Huginn seemed to have long gotten ustomed to fighting in the dark.


    Anya grinned and muttered, ¡°I¡¯m sure that bastards like you cannot do what we are doing right now. Everyone here has been painstakingly fighting against the empire, and they are not people whom a bastard like you can underestimate.¡±


    ¡°It seemed that I let my guard down,¡± Bekelt clicked his tongue and ced his hand on his stomach.


    The maggots that had gathered on Bekelt¡¯s wound vanished, and Bekelt recovered in an instant. Obviously, Bekelt¡¯s regenerative ability was strong, but¡­


    ¡°You still aren¡¯t our match,¡± Anya whispered.


    Still, Anya could feel that the Huginn knights were suffering a bit more casualties than expected. It seemed that the Order of Lindwurm knights had be even stronger after equipping themselves with knowledge from beyond the Crack.


    These knights were vanquished, cowardly knights¡ªthey were still famous for what they had achieved during the mythological era.


    The Order of Huginn had the advantage because they had mounted a sessful ambush, but the battle would eventually be advantageous to them if it were to drag on.


    Therefore, Anya decided to summon a particr undead, and she looked like she had been waiting for this moment all this while.


    The undead she summoned was a bizarre one, one with many faces.


    ¡°I hope you¡¯ll notice who he is¡­¡± Anya smiled. ¡°This undead is called Urkel, the survivor of Arbalde. I¡¯m sure you guys don¡¯t want to see him, but Urkel seems to think otherwise, so I guess this will be a heartwarming reunion.¡±

 Chapter 251 – Warriors of the North (3)

    <h4>Chapter 251 ¨C Warriors of the North (3)</h4>


    Bekelt could not understand what Anya was talking about.


    However, he felt a shiver down his spine when he heard what she said. Emotions such as countless regrets, contemtion, and anguish he thought that he had long forgotten surged inside of him like a tide.


    However, Bekelt quickly shook off his lingering feelings when Urkel swung his sword.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it!¡±


    What happened in Arbalde was shocking, and the Order of Lindwurm and Gerard had to spend years trying to get over what had happened to stand up again no matter what.


    ¡°You know nothing! We lived and suffered all these years to reflect on what we have done, and we eventually overcame the suffering!¡± Bekelt shouted.


    ¡°Reflect?¡±


    A strange voice echoed right next to him. One of Urkel¡¯s skull heads had spoken right under Bekelt¡¯s nose.


    ¡°If you have reflected, then your head¡­!¡± a skull head shouted, and the remaining skull heads attached to Urkel frantically shouted, ¡°Give me your head! Head, head, and head! Give me your head!¡±


    ***


    There was a rare phenomenon in which individuals would sometimes get into the flow and start looking at everything around them objectively. It was a very rare phenomenon, but Pavan would always experience it whenever he was hyper-focused on something.


    The noises sounded distant, and he felt like he had a bird¡¯s eye view of the battlefield.


    In ordance with his thoughts, his subordinates moved as if they were his limbs. They moved to fill in the gaps, take advantage of enemy weaknesses, and alternate between attack and defense.


    In other words, they were incessantly moving throughout the battlefield.


    The troops¡¯ movement seemed haphazard, but they were actually moving together.


    The entire army was now a saw de that constantly whittled the enemy forces down.


    Pavan was currently in the flow, and his subordinates seemed to be in the same state as him. Pavan would perform a simple hand gesture, and the entire army would move urately, even though Pavan hadn¡¯t given them any specific instructions.


    ¡®<i>Strong resistance to the right¡­ casualties around twelve to thirteen people. Send three knights to subdue the enemies. Incapacitated soldiers from the Capital Eleventh Division are expected to increase in thirty seconds¡­¡¯</i>


    <i>¡¯The Fourteenth Division¡ªback out to the rear and close the gap as you retreat. The Eighth Division¡ªcontinue pushing from the third quadrant of the left nk¡ªpush a bit further until they¡¯re a bit closer to the fire, which will make them start panicking.</i>¡¯


    Pavan didn¡¯t even speak to pass down his orders because Deputy Kilt instantly understood what he was trying to do, and he spread Pavan¡¯s orders to the troops.


    The Order of the Capital was already moving before they even received Pavan¡¯s orders, but it wasn¡¯t really strange because they had been working with Pavan for a long time now.


    Right now, the knights of the Order of the Capital were moving like Pavan¡¯s limbs.


    Pavan was invigorated by his current state, as it was everymander¡¯s dream. However, he was also a bit afraid. After all, he was currently fighting with all his might with his life at stake.


    He couldn¡¯t help but think that he might never get tomand on a battlefield like this again.


    ¡®<i>Well, it¡¯s a battle for the history books, anyway.</i>¡¯


    Pavan thought that protecting humankind by preventing the destruction of the world was an achievement worthy ofparison to the emperor¡¯s achievement.


    With that thought in mind, Pavan came to the conclusion that he wouldn¡¯t regret anything even if he were to go all out, so Pavan decided to spread his troops out even more.


    All of a sudden, Pavan felt a tingling sensation. Pavan turned and managed to dodge an arrow that hade from somewhere in the front line by a hair¡¯s breadth. However, the tingling sensation was still there.


    This time, it wasing from multiple directions.


    A dagger swiped at Pavan¡¯s neck, and without caring for his image, Pavan threw himself to the ground. It was an attack that Pavan couldn¡¯t have avoided if it weren¡¯t for his sharp senses today.


    The attacker stared at Pavan with surprised eyes.


    ¡°Wow, Captain of the Order of the Capital. I heard you were good, but I didn¡¯t expect that you would be able to dodge my attack, even though I¡¯m wearing this robe,¡± said an assassin with a look of dismay.


    Pavan stood up and took on a stance.


    He instantly recognized the face beneath the hood of the assassin.


    ¡°Igel Ilde?¡±


    The surrounding knights finally discovered Igel, and they quickly moved to surround him. However, an arrow flew and disrupted the knight¡¯s encirclement. Pavan realized that the archer was the source of the tingling sensation that he could still feel even now.


    ¡°Your sister must be the archer.¡± Pavan pointed out.


    ¡°I thought at least one of us could finish you off for good.¡± Igel shrugged.


    Pavan knew about the Ilde siblings, and he had heard that they had been helping the Ilde Family with merchant work rather than being affiliated with a group. Pavan had also heard from Ivy that the siblings were Aruntal, but he didn¡¯t expect to stumble upon them on this battlefield.


    Pavan kept his eye on Igel rather than on Ioshiff. Aruntal¡¯s robe allowed the wearer to be invisible, but its effect was now meaningless because Igel had already revealed himself.


    However, it seemed that Igel himself didn¡¯t want to rely on the robe as well. Of course, there had to be a reason behind it.


    ¡°You must be looking down on me. You¡¯ll have to bring at least Lenly if you want to fight me,¡± Pavan said.


    Igel¡¯s expression changed ever so slightly at the mention of Lenly.


    Naturally, Pavan didn¡¯t miss that opportunity.


    ¡°The Captain of the Imperial Guards should stand by His Majesty to protect him, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°You must be joking.¡±


    Pavan knew that there were monsters and men stronger than Lenly based on the powerful energy that he could feel in the distance.


    Therefore, it didn¡¯t make sense that Lenly would be the one acting as Gerard¡¯s bodyguard. It was also questionable whether Gerard even needed protection when he was arguably an absolute being.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what your n is, but just two kids won¡¯t be able to turn the situation around. Furthermore, I am currently in the flow. While I¡¯m in this state, it is very hard for me to lose.¡±


    Pavan¡¯s strategic sense even allowed him to create presumptions on who would win or lose, and he had predicted that the Imperial Army would win at this rate, even if the Imperial Army would suffer some damage in the process.


    Igel frowned at Pavan¡¯s words, but he didn¡¯t deny them.


    All of a sudden, Pavan¡¯s sensitive intuition was triggered once again.


    Pavan deflected the dagger flying toward him and kicked Ioshiff away in the torso.


    Ioshiff flew backward and staggered up while holding her side.


    ¡°It is meaningless to fool around like this is,¡± Pavan said.


    ¡°You seem to have improved. You¡¯ve shown prowess that is drastically stronger than what we remember,¡± Ioshiff grumbled.


    Pavan smirked. ¡°I must admit¡ªit was a bit of a struggle.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± Igel took on a stance with a sword. ¡°You still haven¡¯t changed. It seems that you still aren¡¯t good at grasping the situation because you still haven¡¯t realized that it is us who will emerge victorious.¡±


    Pavan was about to scoff at Igel.


    However, a roar erupted from where the Crack was located.


    Everyone turned toward the Crack.


    The indistinct figure of something massive covered in the purple mist of the Crack slowly rose. Only the figure¡¯s silhouette could be seen, but Pavan could tell that it was as huge as the giant tentacles that engulfed Juan.


    Tentacles of such size appeared in quick session, and their appearance shook the mountain ranges as they danced, seemingly in an attempt to split the sky itself into two.


    However, that wasn¡¯t the end of it.


    There was something else wriggling in the Crack. It emitted an energy that was so enormous that it made the massive tentacles look trivial inparison.


    It wriggled, seemingly preparing to move away as if the Crack that had covered the horizon was too small to house it. The tentacles that engulfed Juan seemed nothing more than strands of hair inparison to that monstrosity.


    ¡°What the¡­¡±


    A tentacle flew at Entalucia. Entalucia dodged by a hair¡¯s breadth, and she frantically flew even higher. The tentacle missed, but the wind it carried with it made Entalucia stagger in the air as if she were a fly.


    Meanwhile, Pavan felt that the pressure had be even heavier as the enemies grew even more numerous.


    Pavan¡¯s strategic sense was still active, and he was still in the flow as well. Therefore, he could feel from his tingling skin that their chances of winning were plummeting.


    It wasn¡¯t really strange because the number of enemies was quickly growing to the extent that the Northern Army would inevitably find themselves unable to deal with the overwhelming numbers.


    Honestly, Pavan reckoned that even the entire Imperial Army wouldn¡¯t be able to deal with so many enemies.


    ***


    ¡°Entalucia, drop me off!¡±


    [How preposterous, Haild. That beast wouldth crush thee like an ant!]


    Entalucia was an ancient being, but even throughout her long life, it was her first time seeing such a monstrosity.


    Entalucia decided to run away from the battlefield, and she couldn¡¯t really be med because the tentacle attack from earlier filled her with a heavy sense of dread. She felt like the tentacles were capable of swatting her like a fly.


    In the end, she had no choice but to escape¡ªafraid for Haild¡¯s life.


    ¡°I have to help them! That¡¯s the least I can do! At this rate, everyone is going to die!¡±


    Haild had a bird¡¯s eye view of the entire battlefield. In just ten minutes, he saw multitudes of monsters crawling out of the Crack, and their sheer numbers threatened to flood the allied troops.


    Haild could also see that it was just a matter of time before the overwhelming number of enemies crushed everyone to death.


    ¡°Entalucia, please¡­!¡±


    Entalucia gnashed her teeth and refused to answer Haild.


    Haild had yet to recover, so dropping him off meant killing him. Haild wasn¡¯t only her friend, but he was also the son of her benefactor. Even if it meant that Haild would resent her for life, she still couldn¡¯t let Haild die.


    Haild was frustrated¡ªhe was frustrated, and he tried his best to think of a way to help everyone rather than just watch as the monsters rushed toward everyone like a deluge.


    Only one person came to his mind, and that person was the only one who could help everyone.


    ¡®<i>Just where are you right now, Your Majesty?</i>¡¯


    ***


    Pavan tried his best tomand the soldiers while fending off Igel and Ioshiff¡¯s attacks.


    The knights of the Order of the Capital tried to help him, but they had no choice but to retreat when Pavan shouted at them to kill the monsters instead of helping him.


    Honestly, it wasn¡¯t too difficult for Pavan to hold out against Igel and Ioshiff, but Pavan was concerned about the rapid increase in his army¡¯s casualty rate.


    In addition, they would eventually end up as monster feed if the rate of monstersing out of the Crack wasn¡¯t abated.


    Unfortunately, the chances of that happening were low, and Pavan could also feel that he only had a handful of troops leftpared to the multitude of monsters in front of them.


    At this point, Pavan could already see his defeat.


    ¡®<i>I¡¯m going to lose? Against such trivial beings¡­?</i>¡¯


    The thought was so ridiculous that Pavan gnashed his teeth. He believed that he had be a greater man than before, and he was also confident that he could climb greater heights.


    If he couldn¡¯t achieve those, then he was hoping that he would die a glorious death, at the very least. Pavan thought that he wouldn¡¯t have any regrets if he died at the hands of Gerard Gain.


    ¡°Do you really think that I¡¯m going to let myself be killed by your hands?!¡±


    Pavan shed Igel and Ioshiff¡¯s swords. The two were dumbfounded to see that their weapons had split into two after Pavan¡¯s powerful strike. However, they quicklyposed themselves and picked up a weapon from the ground.


    Pavan¡¯s breathing started to get rough as his mind worked overdrive in an effort to find a way that would resolve the ongoing crisis.


    ¡®<i>Everything looks hopeless, but I¡¯m sure there is a way. There is no way that someone with a good eye like His Majesty would have made the mistake of pushing such a great talent like me to a vain death.</i>¡¯


    Pavan was approaching the limits of his physical body, but the cogs in his mind still tirelessly worked to find a way out of this situation.


    Igel and Ioshiff exchanged nces when they saw Pavan standing around doing nothing. They thought that Pavan was trying to lure them into attacking, but the openings were simply too many that there was no way this could be bait.


    Without a word, Igel and Ioshiff simultaneously charged at Pavan.


    ***


    Entalucia¡¯s eyes shed.


    The Northern Army was currently surrounded by a multitude of monsters. To be exact, they were falling apart into small pieces as if the army was a tiny boat on a tumultuous ocean.


    Entalucia initially thought that there was no hope, but she suddenly felt something unusual. On the battlefield of despair, something seemed to be going against the flow.


    Entalucia was ignorant of human strategies, but her instincts were crying out at her. She was looking down at the battlefield from above, and she saw a lighthouse shining vividly amidst the darkness of the battlefield.


    And the lighthouse was calling for her...


    Entalucia spread her wings and answered the call.


    Haild had no idea what was going on, so he nkly stared at Entalucia flying toward the battlefield without warning. While staring at Entalucia, Haild seemed to have briefly pped his eyes on an orangey hue in Entalucia¡¯s eyes.


    ***


    While Igel and Ioshiff were mid-charge toward Pavan, a gust of wind suddenly swept across the battlefield.


    The gust of wind was so strong that the soldiers staggered, while the ones who got caught off guard were thrown to the floor. The source of the wind was Entalucia; she was currently flying at a low altitude, close to the battlefield.


    The twin siblings were also thrown aside.


    When the wind swept past Pavan, his eyes burned brightly in orange, and their previous dark blue color could no longer be seen. Pavan¡¯s fiery eyes now resembled the color of melting iron.


    Igel and Ioshiff froze when they met Pavan¡¯s gaze. They flinched at the thought that they had given Pavan an opportunity to attack them, but they couldn¡¯t have expected his next course of action.


    Pavan turned his back on them and ran away.


    Igel was dumbfounded. ¡°What the heck?¡±


    While he was running, Pavan thought that he was out of his mind. He didn¡¯t really run away because it was part of his strategy; rather, it was a decision that was spurred by his instincts.


    Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have done it.


    However, he couldn¡¯t help it. He was sober, but the flow of the battlefield, the strange energy, and even his instincts were crying out at Pavan.


    In the end, Pavan shouted at the top of his lungs. ¡°Everyone! Immediately join the left nk!¡±

 Chapter 252 – Warriors of the North (4)

    <h4>Chapter 252 ¨C Warriors of the North (4)</h4>


    Torbal was a warrior of the Northern Army.


    Just like the other warriors, Torbal¡¯s admiration for General Nienna started when he was young, and he had always been longing to be ced under hermand. Fortunately, when he joined the army as an adult, Nienna was still inmand of the army.


    When Torbal finally stepped into his very first battlefield under General Nienna¡¯smand, he was also with the emperor. Honestly, he didn¡¯t entirely trust the emperor.


    The stories about the emperor that had been passed down orally were unbelievable and absurd, and the emperor himself also didn¡¯t look reliable.


    Nienna was the bestmander in Torbal¡¯s eyes, and there was no way that someone else could convince him otherwise. General Nienna was beautiful and kind. She was a powerful ice mage as well. Torbal wanted to help her, but their situation was hopeless.


    The Northern Army was able to crush the monsters at the beginning of the battle, but the fight soon became incredibly difficult for them because of the tentacles and the monsters attacking them at once.


    Even Nienna seemed like she was barely holding out from afar.


    The only reason Torbal was still alive was thanks to hisrades and luck.


    ¡°<i>Aaaahhh!</i>¡± Torbal shouted and swung his ax. Torbal was drenched in blood and riddled with wounds. His vision had long gotten blurry as well, but he didn¡¯t mind dying on this battlefield. It would be an honor for the northerners to die in action.


    Actually, it wasmon for old people to purposely go to the North and die fighting monsters rather than dying on their sickbeds.


    ¡®<i>But¡­but Your Majesty. Please save our queen. Please save General Nienna¡­!</i>¡¯


    For Torbal, Nienna¡¯s death on this battlefield would be no different from the end of the world. Torbal wished that he could clone himself so that he could build a wall of flesh to protect Nienna.


    For the first time ever, Torbal prayed earnestly in his heart.


    ¡°This is it! We need you the most right now!¡± Torbal eximed without realizing it.


    However, his earnest prayer only ended up catching the monster¡¯s attention. A monster that looked like a giant beetle that was at least five timesrger than Torbal approached him.


    Torbal came to his senses and realized that he was alone.


    Hisrades were nowhere to be found.


    Torbal could already smell the scent of death. The monster charged toward him with its sickle-like teeth. Torbal managed to stop the monster¡¯s teeth from biting him, but the monster swung its short leg and stabbed Torbal in the stomach.


    The sharp pain made Torbal brace himself before he could fall to the ground.


    However, he didn¡¯t fall.


    The grotesque-looking monster was torn into ribbons.


    Someone protected Torbal from certain death, and he also came to his senses just then.


    Someone was still alive and was fighting with him.


    Torbal turned to express his gratitude, but his eyes widened.


    The man standing next to him turned out to be the emperor with his signature ck hair and ck eyes.


    The emperor swung his sword with Torbal next to him.


    ***


    Nienna extended her hand and scratched the air.


    The floating ice spears moved and tore dozens of monsters at once. The monsters couldn¡¯t regenerate¡ªnot even their blood could stain the ground because their wounds had instantly frozen over.


    Nienne felt like she had been doing the same routine for ages now, but she was still quite a distance away from ck Aldebaran.


    ¡°Not bad. I can tell that you really want to show off. I¡¯m hoping that you¡¯ll learn the meaning of helplessness this time,¡± ck Aldebaran mocked Nienna while standing behind the multitude of monsters.


    Nienna ignored ck Aldebaran¡¯s mocking and focused on the monsters in front of her.


    Honestly, she felt that the ongoing situation was bing more and more disadvantageous for them. He couldn¡¯t even count how many monsters she had in at this point, but the monsters still showed no signs of decreasing.


    Nienna felt like she was fighting the waves of the ocean. The corpses of the monsters had already formed a few tall hills, but they were stilling at her like a deluge.


    Since even Nienna herself was finding it difficult to keep up with the overwhelming numbers of the monsters, she was sure that the soldiers had to have lost their morale by now.


    The army was still holding out in a triangr formation because Nienna was at the tip of the formation, but the monsters not only weren¡¯t showing signs of abating, but they were also bing stronger as time went on.


    ¡®<i>Should we retreat?</i>¡¯


    Nienna had retreated for strategic purposes before, but she had never once retreated to save her life. Running away from the Crack had never been an option for her, and she had never even thought about it.


    However, Nienna was convinced that if she were to run away this time, she wouldn¡¯t be able toe back and fight them again. Therefore, Nienna knew that she had to do her best to hold out as much as she could, and to do that, she had to fight.


    ¡°All warriors!¡± Nienna gnashed her teeth and shouted, ¡°Think of yourrades¡¯ shoulders as walls! Try your best to hold out rather than kill! I will kill them all for you!¡±


    Nienna had no choice but to admit that there was no way she could kill ck Aldebaran at this point. The front line would immediately copse if she were to abandon these warriors for the sake of fighting ck Aldebaran.


    Therefore, Nienna decided to open a retreat route for the soldiers rather than fighting ck Aldebaran. Nienna used every drop of mana she could squeeze out to gather enough power that would instantly kill hundreds of monsters.


    <i>¡®Using that gap, I should be able to carve a path for them to retreat.¡¯</i>


    All of a sudden, Nienna could feel people advancing toward the left wing. Nienna was perplexed when she saw Walter, the deputy of the Order of Fenrir, running toward the left wing.


    Nienna was about to shout and ask him what he was doing, but she suddenly felt a shiver down her spine.


    Nienna was convinced that the army would be annihted, but for some reason, the soldiers and monsters were being forcibly rearranged. It felt like an unknown anomaly was forcing the monsters and soldiers to move like that.


    In fact, Nienna was convinced that the soldiers and monsters had no idea that they were already moving in ordance with the anomaly¡¯s will.


    ¡°General Nienna!¡± Walter shouted at Nienna. Goosebumps broke out all over Nienna when he saw Walter¡¯s eyes. Walter¡¯s eyes burned orange, making them look as if they were melting iron. ¡°To the left wing! We have to get to the left wing! I will open the way!¡±


    Walter cleaved the monsters ahead of him.


    Walter¡¯s swordsmanship had always been great and powerful, but thebined strength of the monsters had to be stronger than Walter''s. Despite that, Walter knocked them down as if they were strawmen and led the way.


    Walter wasn¡¯t the only one who had changed. Nienna could feel that the casualty rate of the army had gone down considerably at some point. In addition, the morale of the soldiers was increasing.


    It was iprehensible.


    ¡®<i>The monsters have be even more numerous and stronger, but why are the soldiers bing more motivated? Shouldn¡¯t they despair that the enemies had grown in number and strength?</i>¡¯


    It didn¡¯t make sense. However, Nienna¡¯s heart suddenly throbbed upon sensing a powerful presence at the left wing. Her heart started beating so fast that she started feeling like she was burning.


    ¡°His Majesty!¡± a soldier shouted.


    ¡°His Majesty The Emperor is with us!¡±


    A soldier¡¯s cry was the tinder that ignited a wildfire of cheers that soon evolved into a concerted slogan. The cries of the soldiers got so loud that the isted soldiers erupted with enough power to break through and join the line.


    Nienna was also shouting along with the soldiers.


    ck Aldebaran and the Thornbush Priest Organization noticed something strange.


    An aberrant flow was going against the multitudes of monsters on the battlefield, and it was showing no signs of abating.


    The Northern Army pushed the monsters away. Nienna could also feel that the aberrant flow was slowly taking over the battlefield.


    It wasn¡¯t really that unusual because something simr had been happening in some areas of the battlefield, and the battlefield itself was filled with lots of coincidences and desperation.


    The aberrant flow was leading the army through the narrow path to victory.


    The battlefield seemed to be covered in an orange haze.


    ¡°His Majesty is with us!¡±


    Atst, Nienna saw a ck-haired young man among the soldiers.


    The young man was none other than Juan.


    Nienna felt as if her heart stopped the moment she saw Juan.


    Juan calmly put his shoulders together with the soldiers as he cut the monsters down along with the soldiers.


    ¡°His Majesty is with us!¡±


    Another round of cheers swept across the battlefield, and Nienna was finally convinced that she hadn¡¯t been seeing things when she saw Juan just now. It couldn¡¯t have been an illusion because the soldiers were shouting at the top of their lungs.


    It was then that a line emerged from the right nk. The line of soldiers parted the monsters, and a bloodied Pavan emerged to join Nienna¡¯s line. Pavan¡¯s eyes were also burning with an orange light.


    When Pavan saw Nienna, he started shouting desperately, ¡°General Nienna! Did you see?!¡±


    Nienna understood right away, even though Pavan didn¡¯t specifically refer to someone.


    ¡°Of course¡­¡± Nienna faced Pavan¡¯s burning eyes and answered, ¡°His Majesty is with us.¡±


    ***


    ¡°W-What is going on right now?¡± Bekelt muttered, seemingly dumbfounded.


    The battlefield belonged to them until recently. The Northern Army was about to get annihted, and Bekelt himself was already imagining the scene of Gerard acknowledging him for faithfully fulfilling the orders he had received.


    Anya was powerful, but the Order of Huginn was still not the Order of Lindwurm¡¯s match. The Northern Army would also get buried beneath the multitude of monsters, even if they were led by the powerful Nienna.


    Pavan and the Imperial Army would also be monster feed.


    However, the battlefield changed rapidly, and the monsters kept on falling everywhere.


    The Northern Army seemed to have gotten lucky because things kept on going their way, and they were also able to muster more strength than normal.


    In addition, there had been several cases where soldiers managed to avoid dying thanks to absurd and ridiculous coincidences.


    However, what was even more ridiculous was that his body was currently thrashing around on the ground. Grotesque-looking parasites extended their appendages from his head, seemingly in an effort to re-attach Bekelt¡¯s head to his thrashing body.


    Anya ruthlessly stomped the parasites and giggled.


    ¡°Atst, I can finally fulfill one of my lifelong wishes¡ªtalking to a severed head.¡±


    ¡°T-this is impossible¡­! We¡ªthe Order of Lindwurm is¡­!¡±


    Innread dot".


    ¡°I have been looking forward to this, but you¡¯re boring me here,¡± grumbled Anya.


    ¡°What have you done? How could this be¡­!¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm.?</i>I expected you to tell me the secret behind death or sightings of the afterlife, but this is rather boring...¡±


    Anya spun Bekelt¡¯s head around and hurled it away.


    Urkel snatched Bekelt¡¯s head out of mid-air, and he immediately chucked Bekelt¡¯s head into his mouth. Bekelt could only watch as Urkel¡¯s sharp teeth surrounded him, and he couldn¡¯t even let out a scream because Urkel tore and chewed on his tongue.


    ¡°You¡¯re not even worthy of being a ve. Just float in the void for eternity,¡± Anya said.


    Anya was about to continue to snap her fingers, but she suddenly tilted her head in wonder. Bekelt¡¯s regenerative ability was strong, and his magic resistance was considerably high as well, so it had taken Anya quite some time to defeat him.


    ¡®<i>Will he die immediately once Urkel¡¯s teeth prated his skull?</i>¡¯


    Anya got curious, but Bekelt couldn¡¯t even groan, not to mention scream, which meant that he couldn¡¯t satisfy Anya¡¯s curiosity. Urkel continued chewing on Bekelt¡¯s head, and Urkel seemed eager about not leaving even a crumb behind as he made sure to chew even the tiniest pieces.


    Anya decided to abandon her curiosity and continue what she had been doing all this while.


    Meanwhile, Entalucia¡¯s mes turned hundreds of monsters into ashes, creating a long path for the northern troops to take. The other northern troops quickly entered the path, and they finally appeared in Anya¡¯s sight as they trudged through the scorched ground.


    Nienna froze the approaching monsters, and she eventually managed to create a thin wall around them. Anya got ready to join them while observing the miracles that were happening all over the battlefield.


    However, Anya wasn¡¯t really surprised because she had faced Juan several times before. She simply smiled as if she had been waiting for him all this time and as if not not even once did she think that Juan had actually died.


    Anya had long noticed Juan¡¯s presence; more specifically, she noticed him when the battlefield started changing drastically.


    Right now, Juan was currently staring at the Crack. He didn¡¯t disappear into the monsters anymore, and Anya stared at him in silence from a distance.


    Eventually, Juan made a move.


    Anya saw that Juan was heading toward the now ownerless Dragon Citadel that the Order of Lindwurm had brought over with them.


    ***


    A lukewarm and sweet scent struck the tip of Juan¡¯s nose.


    The air from beyond the Crack was a sweet trap. Many people had fallen victim to the sweet scent and stepped beyond the Crack, and they either died or became a degenerate that only knew how to either praise, curse, love, or despite the Crack.


    Despite their cries, the Crack had never answered them¡ªeven once.


    It couldn¡¯t be helped because the Crack had always been like that.


    After stepping into the Crack, Juan felt like he was starting to understand the bittersweet attitude of the thornbush priests to the Crack and Nienna¡¯s blind hatred for the Crack.


    The more humans found out about the Crack, the deeper they would fall into it, and it was all because they would be cognizant of the world¡¯s emptiness upon learning of the Crack. The Crack was ruthless, and it would tell them that the world wasn¡¯t interested in them and that the world was only interested in expanding endlessly and remaining eternal.


    Juan also felt like he was starting to understand Gerard.


    After all, Qzatquizail was born in such a void.


    Juan looked into the Crack from right in front of the Dragon Citadel and muttered into the air, ¡°Perhaps you also found it difficult to endure such emptiness, Gerard.¡±


    Juan could already feel Gerard¡¯s energy, and he could also feel that Gerard was listening to him and watching his every move.


    ¡°I¡¯m convinced that the reason you wanted to fill the entire world with your own race was that you think you know them well and that they are simr to you¡­¡± Juan grinned and mocked. ¡°However, do you really think that we¡¯ll just leave the universe in the hands of an immature bastard like you? A man like you does not deserve to rule the entire universe¡ªyou do not deserve anything more than a tiny sandcastle.¡±

 Chapter 253 – The One Who Divides the World (1)

    <h4>Chapter 253 ¨C The One Who Divides the World (1)</h4>


    Loud footsteps could be heard throughout the empty hallway.


    Opert breathed heavily and looked out the window.


    The war was changing more rapidly than he had expected.


    Aruntal was on the right side of the Northern Army to confront Pavan Peltere, but Opert had remained in the Dragon Citadel to carry out Juan¡¯s instructions.


    Opert saw a dark blue door after taking a few turns around the corner of the hallway. Inside the wall was a space where invisible blood vessels were concentrated.


    Fortunately, there was no one guarding the door.


    Opert stood with his eyes closed for a moment and ced his hand on the door. Then at one point, he strongly pushed his hand into the door. When he slowly pulled his hand out after a while, it was already drenched in blood.


    Opert slowly pulled the door while breaking out into a cold sweat. One of the knights of the Order of Lindwurm behind the door keeled over and fell to the floor. When Opert saw the wound on the knight¡¯s chest, he closed his eyes tightly.


    ¡®<i>Who could have known that the lockpicking magic I often used when I was a burr would end up being useful here?</i>¡¯


    Opert wiped off the cold sweat on his forehead and stepped beyond the door.


    A dark red object was beyond the door, and it was moving in a rhythm.


    Opert couldn¡¯t help but be curious about how an inanimate object had be an animate creature. However, he couldn¡¯t afford to think of that right now. He had to hurry up and find a way to take control of the heart.


    All of a sudden, something grabbed Opert¡¯s head and mmed it against the wall. Opert almost copsed to the floor. However, the opponent didn¡¯t let him fall. They grabbed Opert¡¯s head tightly and mmed it against the wall once again.


    The sharp pain made Opert feel as if his head would shatter. He barely manage to look up at the enemy, who mmed his head against the wall.


    ¡°Your name is Opert, right? The Vice Master of the Magic Tower.¡±


    The enemy turned out to be Lenly Loen, the Captain of the Imperial Guards.


    Opert barely had any contact with him. In fact, he had never had a proper conversation with Lenly, even after infiltrating Aruntal. It was all because Opert was a greenhorn in Lenly¡¯s eyes, and Lenly was nothing more than a traitor in Opert¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Lenly asked.


    Lenly had taken the words out of Opert¡¯s mouth. Opert also didn¡¯t expect that Lenly would still be in the Dragon Citadel, as the elite forces were already duking it out on the battlefield.


    Opert btedly noticed that Lenly looked strange. He couldn¡¯t tell what was weird, but Lenly seemed to be nervous and perplexed.


    ¡°No, I guess that¡¯s not really important,¡± Lenly whispered, ¡°I saw you with Sina Solvane earlier. Don¡¯t even think about denying that you¡¯re a traitor because I¡¯ve already searched through your luggage. More than that, what did you say to Sina Solvane?¡±


    ¡°The traitor is¡­ you, Lenly.¡±


    Lenly mmed Opert¡¯s head against the wall once more.


    Opert managed to hold onto his consciousness amidst the pain and shock.


    ¡°Tell me what you said to Sina,¡± said Lenly.


    However, Opert refused to answer.


    Lenly muttered anxiously, ¡°Was it about the emperor?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Did the emperor send her a message? What did he say? The thought that he was dead never crossed my mind even once. He had to have given Sina Solvane an order. Tell me what he said!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you myself, Lenly,¡± a voice suddenly echoed from behind.


    Lenly immediately threw Opert away.


    However, something hard collided against his philtrum before Lenly could even unsheathe his sword.


    Lenly staggered. He tried to unsheathe his sword, but he was once again punched in the face.


    <i>Crack! Crack! Bang!</i>


    Powerful punches struck Lenly¡¯s face one after another, and the punches were so strong that Lenly couldn¡¯t even open his eyes.


    And Lenly copsed after a powerful blow to his nape¡­


    ***


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    The intense pain made Lenly exim.


    His vision was swimming as if it hadn¡¯t been that long since he lost consciousness. He remembered what happened and was surprised that the other party subdued him in just a few seconds.


    Lenly also realized that someone with a familiar back was dragging him across the floor.


    Lenly spat out the broken teeth and minced flesh in his mouth.


    ¡°Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still calling me Your Majesty, Lenly?¡±


    Juan was looking down at Lenly with a smile on his face.


    ¡°A Captain of the Imperial Guards serving two emperors, <i>huh?</i> How absurd. To be honest, I¡¯ve never seen such a big liar like you before. I didn¡¯t expect that you would fool me like this. What you¡¯ve done is impressive, considering that you¡¯re just an ordinary human. Why don¡¯t you quit your job in the Imperial Guards and be a swindler?¡±


    Lenly didn¡¯t answer. Juan beckoned Opert and instructed him to finish his task.


    Opert nodded and went back inside the heart of the Dragon Citadel.


    Lenly wiped off the blood on his nose. Half of his teeth seemed to have been shattered, and the bones on his face had fractured as well. However, he was convinced that his suffering right now couldn¡¯tpare to the crime that he hadmitted.


    Lenly looked at Juan with suspicious eyes.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you kill me?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to know what I told Sina earlier?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re already here, so it¡¯s meaningless. Why don¡¯t you kill me?¡±


    Juan smiled deridingly at Lenly¡¯s words.


    ¡°All right, listen up. I don¡¯t think your loyalty was a lie. I believe it¡¯s possible to be loyal to a few people at the same time, just as a person can love several people at the same time. A dog can do that, so humans can surely do it as well. That is why humans are interesting.¡±


    Lenly couldn¡¯t tell whether Juan¡¯s analogy was apliment.


    He looked at Juan with doubtful eyes before saying, ¡°Are you telling me to betray His Majesty Gerard?¡±


    Juan chuckled at Lenly¡¯s question. He proceeded to p Lenly¡¯s face with Sutra¡¯s handle. Lenly¡¯s remaining teeth scattered into pieces and sprang out of his mouth along with the bloody flesh of his chin.


    ¡°Do you really think you¡¯re that great? I¡¯m sorry to tell you this, but you¡¯re done now. Your existence means nothing. It is not because you¡¯re worthy that I am bothering you with all this. I also didn¡¯te here to ept your apology or take revenge. I¡¯m here because of Ivy. I think this will be our final conversation.¡±


    Lenly couldn¡¯t say anything. The pain was too much for him to even open his jaw.


    ¡°Ivy told me to tell you this in case we met¡­¡±


    Lenly flinched and looked up with surprised eyes.


    However, Juan only smiled softly without saying anything.


    ¡°What¡­ what did she¡­¡± Lenly stammered.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to tell you.¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯m sorry?¡±


    ¡°There are two great ways to annoy someone. First is making them curious about something but never actually telling them what it is, andstly¡ª¡±


    Juan abruptly smacked Lenly¡¯s head with Sutra¡¯s sheath.


    Lenly didn¡¯t immediately lose consciousness, but his mind was still filled with many questions just as he lost consciousness. Unfortunately, there was no way for him to ask his burning questions, and his head eventually drooped to his chest.


    Lenly had already outlived his usefulness, and he was already dead in Juan¡¯s eyes when he betrayed Juan. Lenly was not much different from a weed that had its roots pulled out. After all, he had also failed to settle on Gerard¡¯s camp.


    He wasn¡¯t going to kill Lenly, but Juan was nning on making Lenly live the rest of his life in regret. Juan wanted Lenly to suffer, despair, and regret all the decisions he had made until his death.


    He wanted Lenly to die a lonely death.


    However, Juan didn¡¯t really have to do anything to make Lenly suffer.


    He was convinced that Lenly would fall on his own.


    ***


    It looked like there was a rain of flower pollens.


    Gerard felt as if he would get drunk at the boundless energy in the surroundings.


    The energy belonged to Juan. The entire battlefield was riddled with the monsters of the Crack just a few minutes ago, but the battlefield was now covered in Juan¡¯s energy.


    Gerard knew that Juan would eventually appear once more, but he didn¡¯t expect Juan to appear in this manner¡ªby kicking down the door.


    ¡°I must admit¡­ this is quite impressive, Sina Solvane,¡± Gerard murmured as he looked around the surroundings covered in Juan¡¯s energy. ¡°I think I finally understand why you had acknowledged him as the emperor. Did you know that he would return this way?¡±


    ¡®<i>No way.</i>¡¯


    Sina had no idea when Juan would return, but she was slowly unsheathing her sword. She could feel Juan¡¯s energy as well, and she realized that Juan should soon appear in front of them.


    Sina¡¯s left eye turned red.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whether I acknowledged Juan as the emperor or not, Gerard. In fact, that means nothing. Juan is just Juan. And the same goes for you.¡±


    Gerard looked back at Sina in silence.


    Sina spoke, seemingly desperate, ¡°Get on your knees and beg for forgiveness. You already know that Juan is the one you¡¯ve been waiting for all along. It¡¯s not toote. It is the only way to make your sin a bit lighter.¡±


    ¡°Beg for forgiveness?¡± Gerard tilted his head as if he had heard an unfamiliar word. The corners of his mouth slowly went up, and he soon erupted into a cackle. ¡°Sina. I have abandoned my father, my wife, my son, my territory, my subordinates, and my entire life for this moment, and you¡¯re urging me to throw away what I have left?¡±


    Gerard¡¯s low cackle felt empty as it echoed. In Sina¡¯s eyes, Gerard was empty. His physical body looked like an empty shell as well.


    Gerard¡¯sughter slowly died down as he raised his head. ¡°But how can I disobey you?¡±


    Sina felt hopeful.


    However, Gerard immediately shattered her hopes. ¡°I will lie down in front of my father¡¯s grave and beg for forgiveness when everything is over. Even if it¡¯s my father or the current emperor, it doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯m ready to jump over any obstacles.¡±


    ¡°Gerard!¡± Sina shouted.


    A huge tentacle emerged from Gerard¡¯s back, and it was moving so fast that Sina felt dizzy tracking it with her own eyes. The tentacle was massive, and it seemed big enough to hide the entire horizon behind it.


    However, the massive tentacle was as thin as a fingerpared to what was wriggling beyond the Crack. In addition, the wriggling <i>thing</i> seemed as if it was ready to make a break for it and fly toward the skies.


    ¡°I still don¡¯t understand what that man told me. Humans have certainly shown more potential than I thought. But what¡¯s the point of that now?¡±


    Gerard slowly approached Sina. A thin stream of blood was still flowing down from the wound that Juan had left on Gerard¡¯s cheek. Ever since Gerard got the wound, he had been madly obsessed with his work on the Crack.


    It urred to Sina that the order he gave to his subordinates wasn¡¯t to stop the Northern Army but to drive them out so that they wouldn''t be able to get in the way of his work.


    Sina was startled to see Gerard¡¯s eyes.


    His zed purple eyes were empty.


    ¡°I can instantly turn the civilization that humans have raised for thousands of years into a powder. No, it doesn¡¯t even have to be me. A tiny kindling is enough to raze humankind¡¯s effort to the ground. The world almost copsed once when Qzatquizail made a hole in the world for the first time. Against such a force, I am not sure what humans can do about it.¡±


    Gerard calmly looked down at Sina and slowly raised his hand.


    Sina flinched for a moment, but she felt herself being slowly pushed out.


    ¡°What is this? What are you doing?! If you¡¯re going to hold me hostage, I¡ª¡±


    ¡°You may leave now, Sina.¡±


    Sina doubted her ears.


    Juan would arrive soon, so she couldn¡¯t leave.


    ¡°What? Wait. I still haven¡¯t acknowledged you as the emperor yet!¡±


    ¡°I would like to apologize,¡± Gerard said out of the blue.


    Sina was perplexed by Gerard¡¯s unexpected remark.


    Gerard lowered his gaze and said,


    ¡°I think I saw ine Elliot in you¡ªthe only woman that my father might have loved. I once thought that she might be my mother. So I thought I would be acknowledged as the emperor if you were to choose me¡ªjust as she chose my father.¡±


    Sina felt strange upon hearing ine Elliot¡¯s namee out of Gerard¡¯s mouth. All Sina knew about ine was that she was one of the Six Apostates.


    ¡°But I guess it was absurd to be acknowledged as the emperor. Perhaps I thought I would be able to escape the guilt of killing my own father if someone were to acknowledge me.¡±


    ¡°Gerard¡­¡±


    ¡°I thought I would be able to justify the vile crime I hadmitted by being a better being than my father,¡± Gerard sighed and turned his gaze away from Sina. ¡°But now, it¡¯s meaningless...¡±


    ¡°Meaningless?¡± Sina asked back.


    ¡°Now I see a world too great. All I have left is thepulsion to fill this universe only with humans, but I don¡¯t even know why. I no longer feel like I want to be acknowledged by someone, nor do I want to be better than anyone.¡±


    Sina felt a pang of pain in her heart.


    Gerard had no idea, but his life was destined to be a failure after he had abandoned his father, his son, his wife, and everything else. However, Gerard had done all of those for a goal, and right now, he was about to achieve his goal.


    Despite that, he seemed indifferent to the uing result¡ªhe seemed like he wasn¡¯t happy at all. However, there was one person who had known that this would happen from the very beginning.


    ¡°It¡¯s inevitable, Gerard.¡±


    Sina turned and saw Juan walking toward Gerard. Juan¡¯s sword was sheathed, and he also didn¡¯t have any subordinates walking with him. He was calmly walking toward Gerard as if he were on a stroll in his own backyard.


    ¡°Juan!¡± Sina eximed. She tried to run toward Juan without realizing it. However, she hadn¡¯t even taken a step yet when she suddenly flew into the air.


    Sina, seized by Gerard¡¯s mana in the air, was leaving the rocky ind and heading toward the edge of the Crack.


    Gerard clearly didn¡¯t want to harm Sina because she was slowly flying away.


    Juan winked at Sina as a greeting.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re alive,¡± Juan said.


    ¡°That¡¯s my line, Juan! I still have many questions for you!¡± Sina shouted.


    ¡®<i>Did you really try to revive me? If that¡¯s true, why? What do I mean to you?</i>¡¯


    However, Juan only smiled briefly at Sina and wordlessly walked away from her.


    Juan stared at Gerard and said, ¡°Thanks for making sure that Sina won¡¯t get involved in all this.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a necessary witness. She will be the witness to my reign after your death,¡± said Gerard. However, he suddenly realized that Juan didn¡¯t look like he was injured at all. It was a baffling sight because he expected Juan to be mortally wounded at the very least.


    Gerard unknowingly held his cheek and noticed that blood was still running down the wound on his cheek.


    ¡®<i>I haven¡¯t been able to heal this tiny wound, but he¡¯s actually unscathed?</i>¡¯


    ¡°Were you resurrected again in the mes? As far as I know, it¡¯s not amon feat,¡± Gerard said.


    ¡°The fact that you¡¯re asking me that question proves that you don¡¯t deserve the crown, Gerard.¡±


    Gerard frowned.


    Juan continued with a smile. ¡°However, your words about how everything is meaningless aren¡¯t exactly wrong.¡±


    ¡°You understand me?¡± Gerard asked back.


    ¡°It¡¯s more than just understanding. Most of the universe is ready to kill humans at any time. There¡¯s no air in space, and it is either extremely cold or extremely hot. You know what that means, right? It means that the universe is not interested in humans at all. This tiny patch ofnd is the only ce where humans can live.¡±


    Gerard wordlessly stared at Juan. However, Juan¡¯s eyes weren¡¯t as empty as his eyes. Juan¡¯s eyes were full of heat and light like the zing sun. Gerard couldn¡¯t understand how anyone who knew such a fact could have such lively eyes.


    ¡°So how can there be a meaning to humans in such a vast emptiness?¡±


    With a smile, Joshua responded, ¡°You idiot. Even a dog or a cow can ask such a question. The emperor¡¯s job is to find the meaning. If you¡¯re going to continue saying stupid things like ¡®the world is meaningless, and everything is in vain¡¯ despite wearing a powerful crown¡ªhow about you just wear a toilet cover and stop being a burden?¡±

 Chapter 254 – The One Who Divides the World (2)

    <h4>Chapter 254 ¨C The One Who Divides the World (2)</h4>


    Gerard wasn¡¯t that agitated by Juan¡¯s words.


    When Juan saw that Gerard was just silently staring at him, he realized that Gerard had gone too far and was now unreachable. Juan¡¯s words couldn¡¯t reach Gerard anymore.


    The emptiness had taken everything away from Gerard in just a few days. The emptiness from beyond the Crack possessed a breeze that could sweep away one¡¯s identity itself.


    ¡®<i>You¡¯ll probably call that growth, but it¡¯s not.</i>¡¯


    It was such a bitter sight for Juan¡ªthe sight of Gerard, who had lost everything that defined him as a person, made Juan feel bitter inside.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what has gotten you so excited,¡± Gerard said with an indifferent look. ¡°You said that the humans are the ones who are going to kill me, right? Why did you show up?¡±


    ¡°It will be the case¡­ although I know you won¡¯t understand it yet.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sick and tired of your arrogance and bluffs, Juan. Do you really think that you can stop me from dominating Qzatquizail, even if you were to try your best? Do you truly believe that you can kill me even if the humans decide toe together and join forces to spur you on?¡±


    ¡°You think it¡¯s impossible?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s impossible.¡± Gerard looked at Juan as if thetter were pathetic and said, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have appeared here if there were any possibility of you disturbing me once you reappear. I know that you¡¯re capable of surpassing expectations, but you have already lost the golden opportunity to kill me. I have already be one with Qzatquizail. I left this physical form alone because I was curious about what you were going to say once you reappear.¡±


    Once his words fell, Gerard nodded. An invisible mana arm charged toward Juan. Gerard knew that a mana arm was no use against Juan, but this mana arm was extraordinary.


    The mana arm was invisible, but it still left gusts of wind in its wake. Gerard was sure that once the gust of wind swept past Juan, thetter would either be crushed in the spot or be thrown out of the Crack.


    The gust of wind eventually swept past Juan, but Juan still stood firmly. In addition, he didn¡¯t even step away to dodge, not to mention block the attack.


    At the sight, doubts filled Gerard¡¯s eyes for the first time.


    ¡°Was that a tentacle of Qzatquizail? That was incredibly flexible. Indeed, there is no way that such a giant being would be made up of dense matter. Perhaps its skin is just like a rock, but the insides are actually made out of mana itself.¡±


    ¡®<i>And he even has the time to analyze it¡­?</i>¡¯


    Gerard thought that the Juan standing in front of him might be an illusion, but he soon shook his head and denied it.


    The <i>figure?</i>there was clearly Juan¡¯s physical form.


    Gerard felt that Juan¡¯s alter egos were omnipresent, but he was quite certain that Juan only had one main form.


    Gerard attacked once again, sending thousands of mana arms tocerate Juan.


    The mana arms seemed like they were thousands of threads, and they quickly pervaded Juan¡¯s surroundings, giving him neither a path to escape toward nor enough space to hide.


    The thousands of mana arms crushed everything in their path, and theirbined weight was as heavy as a mountain range, ttening the ground


    It was hard to see Juan¡¯s figure standing in the middle of so many mana arms. However, Juan¡¯s figure was emitting a strange sense of disharmony being emitted from him. His torn body looked like charcoal, and the rising haze distorted the surroundings.


    Gerard pulled his arm back, seemingly displeased.


    ¡°As I thought. It seems like you¡¯ve lost quite a bit of your humanity, Gerard. I can¡¯t see any openings from your mana arm anymore.¡±


    Gerard remained silent. Juan had reappeared as soon as Gerard retracted his hand.


    The mes pervaded Juan¡¯s injuries, healing them in real time.


    The regeneration rate was so absurd that it couldn¡¯t be called <i>regeneration</i> anymore. Gerard felt like he was trying to slice a me into two. Gerard felt that it was even more absurd when he recalled how Juan didn¡¯t have as much mana as before.


    ¡°What did you do? Did you be immortal? When you reappeared after I buried you, I knew by then that you¡¯re definitely not ordinary, but this is just nonsense¡­¡± Gerard muttered.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t really do anything because it turned out that I always had this ability. I should have noticed it when I was first resurrected. I had no idea that I was capable of doing this until I got through a crisis, thanks to you,¡± Juan answered.


    ¡°A crisis? Was it when I buried you?¡±


    ¡°No, it was when I was having a cold,¡± Juan smiled and said, ¡°ine Elliot told me in my dreams; she told me that I cane back to life.¡±


    Gerard looked thoroughly confused.


    Juan¡¯s smile widened. ¡°I¡¯m sure you can do it, too.¡±


    ¡°I can do it as well?¡± Gerard asked, taken aback.


    ¡°Yes. However, the only way you can find out if you can do the same is by dying. Do you know somebody who desperately wants you to live or someone who will never think that you¡¯re dead even when you actually died?¡±


    Gerard red at Juan. He thought that Juan was mocking him.


    ¡°You just won¡¯t stop provoking me until the end, <i>huh?</i>¡±


    ¡°You really won¡¯t know until you die, so what do you want to do? Want to find out?¡±


    Gerard retrieved Solvane and threw it at Juan.


    A grotesque sound echoed as countless spears pierced Juan.


    However, Juan casually pulled out the spears while walking toward the ground.


    The spears fell to the ground, and mes enveloped Juan¡¯s wounds.


    The invincible Juan was an unfamiliar sight to Gerard. Juan¡¯s regeneration rate was impressive, but it didn¡¯t make sense for him to be impervious to harm. Gerard had used a spear to test it out, but it seemed that Juan was also impervious to physical harm.


    Juan stared mockingly at Gerard and said sarcastically, ¡°You¡¯ve already lost your humanity, but it seems that you¡¯re still human considering that you¡¯re still afraid of dying.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t I told you already? This physical form of mine has no meaning. I have transcended to be a higher being.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? However, doesn¡¯t that mean that your existence will eventually disappear?¡±


    Gerard showed no sign of agitation at Juan¡¯s words. He thought that it was better to erase all the unnecessary feelings to be the best emperor. The greater the being, the fairer they were¡ªand the stricter their standards had to be.


    Therefore, his gradually disappearing existence was like a blessing for Gerard.


    He felt like he was slowly bing the purest being to have ever lived.


    ¡°Erasure is meaningless. The universe shall concede to my purpose, and everythinges true so long as I wish for it. I will erase my hunger, thirst, regret, and desire. I can feel myself bing more and more perfect the lesser I be as a person.¡±


    ¡°And what will you have left once you have erased yourself? By then, will it be you taking control of Qzatquizail, or will it be Qzatquizail taking control of you?¡± asked Juan.


    Gerard¡¯s expression stiffened upon hearing that.


    ***


    ¡°Maintain the ranks! Treat your shoulders and yourrades¡¯ shoulders as walls!¡± Nienna roared and ordered the Northern Army.


    The Northern Army was about to enter the Dragon Citadel. Everyone thought the Dragon Citadel would be too cramped for all of them, but the interior wasrger than they thought because it certainly could fit a lot of troops. In fact, it seemed to have been built with the purpose of housing a huge military force.


    Most of the troops entered the Dragon Citadel, but some of them were left to confront the monsters of the Crack on the outskirts of the front line. Those troops were fewpared to the enormous number of monsters, but they had be more prolific than usual because of their strange good fortune and morale boost from out of nowhere.


    No one thought that it could be just a coincidence.


    The same was true of Nienna.


    ¡°Where is His Majesty right now?¡± Nienna asked.


    ¡°No one has seen His Majesty since he entered the Dragon Citadel.¡±


    There were scarce reports about Juan, even among the witness testimonies. The only notable testimony was that someone had seen Juan walking into the Dragon Citadel, but no one had actuallye up to Juan and conversed with him.


    ¡°For now, it is impossible for us to know how His Majesty has performed that miracle, and we also won¡¯t know his purpose in the interim. However, whatever His Majesty¡¯s purpose might be, it is definitely important because His Majesty is guiding us¡­¡±


    The Dragon Citadel and the surrounding terrain were suitable to defend against a siege because they were in a high-altitude location. However, there were so many monsters that the mountains felt like they were trembling at the monsters¡¯ every footstep.


    Pavan was convinced that it was only a matter of time before the Northern Army was annihted.


    ¡°Opert said that the Dragon Citadel can move, right? Don¡¯t you think he was telling us to run away?¡±


    Nienna red at Pavan.


    Pavan massaged his tired eyes and said, ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, General Nienna. I want to defeat Gerard as much as you. But I honestly don¡¯t even know if we are being helpful to His Majesty. I would have already died somewhere over there on the battlefield if it hadn¡¯t been for His Majesty¡¯s guidance, but¡­ why didn¡¯t he give us detailed instructions from the very beginning?¡±


    Nienna couldn¡¯t answer. She could no longer dismiss this with her usual, ¡®I don¡¯t know, but His Majesty¡¯s actions definitely have an important meaning behind them.¡¯ There was no way for them to know why or how Juan had decided to be defeated by Gerard and then reviving like it was nothing.


    ¡°So, are you suggesting that we should let His Majesty fight alone in there?¡±


    ¡°What I¡¯m trying to say is¡­¡± Pavan paused to sigh. Then, he continued. ¡°I¡¯m saying that this ce is not strategically appropriate for us to stay here. Rather than blindly waiting for His Majesty¡¯s next order, we should make the best strategic choice possible. His Majesty <i>did?</i>guide us, after all.¡±


    Nienna couldn¡¯t help but ruminate over Pavan¡¯s words.


    ¡®<i>Why did he guide us toward the Dragon Citadel? If he¡¯s not telling us to run, then¡­</i>¡¯


    Nienna stared at the Dragon Citadel.


    ¡°How far are we into the Dragon Citadel?¡± Nienna asked.


    ¡°I supposed almost everyone is already here. Captain Anya and we are only the ones¡ª¡±


    ¡°General Nienna!¡±


    All of a sudden, Opert¡¯s voice could be heard.


    Opert had shouted while staring out the window with a pale face.


    Nienna was about to ask, but she quickly realized that it wasn¡¯t necessary for her to ask any questions. The giant tentacles had stopped moving, and they stood in a single file over the horizon.


    A few momentster, the giant tentacles simultaneously swept across the battlefield.


    ***


    ¡°I am Qzatquizail and Qzatquizail is I! I am the crowned head of the nine-headed dragon! Once I have split your broken world, I will be the true emperor of the empire!¡± Gerard roared, and his massive tentacle flew toward Juan.


    The tentacle was muchrger than the tentacle that swept at Juan earlier. The rocky ind floating in the middle of the Crack felt like it was a tiny piece of gravel along the river whenpared to the massive tentacle.


    The same tentacle swept through where Juan was sending, annihting a chunk of the rocky ind in the proverbial blink of an eye.


    However, the massive tentacle didn¡¯t manage to crush or sweep Juan away.


    Gerard wasn¡¯t surprised at all. He didn¡¯t really think that Juan would be beaten that easily.


    Juan stood still without saying anything. Starting like a fireball burning in the air, it slowly spread toward Gerard.


    ¡°You and I are too simr, Gerard.¡±


    ¡°Simr?¡±


    ¡°The world you want to create, the power you want to have, and the goals you want to achieve. I could have grabbed all those things for myself, but I chose to give them up. I wanted what you want. The only difference between you and me is that I let go of those things while you kept on chasing after them until it was toote.¡±


    Juan reached out with his hand.


    ¡°What kind of trick are you trying to do here?¡± said Gerard while staring at Juan with doubtful eyes.


    However, Juan ignored Gerard¡¯s doubtful re and started walking toward thetter.


    The mes burning between Juan¡¯s eyebrows got bigger with every step he took, but the me was tinypared to its previous size.


    ¡°Hold my hand. This is yourst chance,¡± Juan said.


    Gerard saw a me burning above Juan¡¯s head. It was a remnant of the crown left in Juan. Gerard could hold Juan¡¯s hand right now and absorb the remnant of the crown, but Gerard chose not to hold Juan¡¯s hand.


    After all, Juan had a penchant for performing unbelievable actions that had always brought him unwanted results. In Gerard¡¯s eyes, the world existed so that he could dominate it. However, the world in Juan¡¯s palm was unknown, even to him.


    One thing was for sure¡ªGerard felt a sense of foreboding while staring at Juan¡¯s palm.


    He felt as if it was a distant tidal wave that was about to be a tsunami.


    Gerard neither threatened nor asked Juan about what he meant.


    In the end, Gerard decided to move only the world he was capable of moving.


    ¡°If you¡¯re not going to break¡­¡± Gerard muttered to Juan while staring at thetter¡¯s outstretched hand. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll just destroy the world you¡¯re standing on.¡±


    Juan¡¯s eyes abruptly widened. ¡°Gerard, wait! This fight is between you and me, not¡ª¡±


    Gerard closed his eyes tightly and ignored Juan¡¯s voice.


    All of a sudden, a world-shaking roar erupted from beyond the Crack. The roar was so loud that it split mountains apart¡ªeven Juan¡¯s me couldn¡¯t withstand the loud roar.


    However, the roar was just a prelude to what was toe.


    The giant fingers of Qzatquzail started rising to tear the world apart.

 Chapter 255 – The One Who Divides the World (3)

    <h4>Chapter 255 ¨C The One Who Divides the World (3)</h4>


    ¡°Captain Lenly. Are you all right?¡±


    ¡®<i>I¡¯m okay, Miss Ivy.</i>¡¯


    Lenly opened his eyes. His head hurt as if it would shatter, and the blood covering his eyes made his vision look blurry. He was definitely in a world of hurt.


    Lenly remember the voice he had heard just before he came to his senses. He jumped to his feet and looked around, but there was nothing but an empty hallway in front of him.


    There was a loud roaring noise from outside the window, and it was making his head hurt even more.


    Lenly staggered up and looked out of the window and saw huge tentacles sweeping across the battlefield. The monsters on the battlefield were directly crushed into pancakes by the tentacles.


    It was a bloody scene that resembled pandemonium. Lenly wondered if this was what the end of the world would look like. The Dragon Citadel had risen high into the sky, so Lenly had a bird¡¯s eye view of the entire pandemonium.


    The tentacles ttened and crushed mountains, covering the surroundings in a thick fog of dust. However, despite the dust, Lenly could still see that <i>something</i> huge was moving within the fog.


    Lenly saw Gerard and realized that a part of Qzatquizail was soaring up.


    Lenly muttered unknowingly, ¡°Ivy?¡±


    Lenly was sure that he had heard Ivy¡¯s voice before he came back to his senses. There was no way Ivy would be on a battlefield like this. However, he couldn¡¯t help but think that she might be here.


    Ivy had followed them when they warred against the West, and Lenly thought that she might havee here because of him. Lenly staggered, and he barely managed to take a step forward.


    He couldn¡¯t help but start thinking that he was pathetic because he got beaten up to a pulp without being able to put up any resistance. Lenly had joined the Imperial Guards to protect the emperor, but he cut off the emperor¡¯s body into pieces.


    And in addition to being ignored by one emperor, another emperor had beaten him up.


    ¡°<i>Haha¡­</i>¡±


    ¡®<i>Can I get even more pathetic than this?</i>¡¯


    Lenly had never thought that he would end up like this when he was once praised for being the most talented among the knights. He wasn¡¯t really interested in the des of sess, but he couldn¡¯t bear to be seen as worthless.


    Everything he had done throughout his life ended up being a mistake.


    ¡°Ivy¡­¡±


    Aside from Ivy¡­


    Lenly endured the dizziness as he started walking away.


    ¡®<i>Ivy.</i>¡¯


    He had faithfully carried out the emperor¡¯s order to protect her. He used her and deceived her, but Lenly had nothing left to show but her.


    Lenly decided to look for Ivy. It didn¡¯t matter even if she decided to spit on him or curse him. He thought that perhaps he would eventually see her face again once he was lying on the execution table.


    ***


    Pavan was born in the East, but he had never been on a boat before.


    He had heard many stories of the sailor¡¯s life and the terror of a storm or a tsunami.


    However, the scene right in front of him seemed like it didn¡¯t pale inparison to such stories.


    ¡°Damn it¡­¡±


    A huge squirming tentacle passed right next to Pavan, and it almost looked majestic.


    It was so huge that it was like an entire mountain, and it flew up and down, repeatedly striking the ground. The tentacle swept everything away.


    The panicking monsters were struck down by the tentacles, and their blood had formed a thick batter that flowed down the tentacles as the tentacles rose once more.


    The monsters were no different from trivial fliespared to the tentacles of Qzatquizail.


    Pavan was convinced that nothing on the ground would be able to survive. The original topography surrounding the Wall of Nulvin could no longer be found.


    Pavan was convinced that if he hadn¡¯t entered the Dragon Citadel, he would have also gotten crushed, and his remains would have blended with the remains of monsters on the ground.


    However, even the Dragon Citadel looked like a very small ferry among those tentacles.


    The same was true of Entalucia flying in the distance.


    However, there was a clear difference between the two: Entalucia was a dragon innately skilled at flight, while the one controlling the Dragon Citadel was Opert, who wasn¡¯t used to flying at all.


    Opert controlled the Dragon Citadel by ying a monotonous note with a red horn he had gotten from somewhere.


    ¡°Left! Iing from the left!¡± shouted a warrior of the Northern Army.


    Fortunately, Opert was already tilting the Dragon Citadel to the right, sharply blowing the horn as if he had anticipated where a tentacle woulde from.


    The soldiers clung to any surfaces while screaming. They barely managed to dodge the tentacle, but the Northern Army started suffering from motion sickness. It couldn¡¯t be helped because it was their first time experiencing this kind of movement.


    ¡°Damn it, are you sure you¡¯re controlling this properly?!¡± Pavan groaned.


    Opert briefly nced at Pavan while blowing the red horn. Pavan also didn¡¯t say much because he didn¡¯t want Opert to stop blowing the red horn just to answer him.


    Nienna held on to a window frame and looked down at the ground with an unprecedented terrified look.


    ¡°General Nienna, where are we going?¡± Pavan asked.


    ¡°We are going to stand by for now. We¡¯llnd once we find a safe ce tond,¡± Nienna answered.


    They could neither leave nor go beyond the Crack. Opert wasn¡¯t skilled enough to avoid the many tentacles if he were to enter the Crack, and going out of the Crack meant that they were leaving this disaster alone for others to handle.


    Juan had given them a mission, so it was only right for them to wait on standby.


    ¡°His Majesty said that humans will kill Qzatquizail,¡± Nienna said.


    ¡°And that they will also kill the emperor¡­¡± Pavan said.


    Nienna red at Pavan, and Pavan hastily looked away.


    ¡°Well¡­ first of all, we have to stay alive if we want to kill Qzatquizail. Unfortunately, I think that it will be a bit difficult considering our current situation. <i>Oh,?</i>perhaps someone else can kill Qzatquizail?¡± Pavan sighed and said, ¡°We wouldn¡¯t have to suffer like this if His Majesty killed Gerard with Elkiehl.¡±


    ¡°If that had happened, then Gerard will show up once again one day to destroy the world. His Majesty won¡¯t be there by then. Do you want to see your descendants perish?¡±


    ¡°Who cares? I¡¯ll be dead by then as well. My descendants'' survival is their problem. They can figure it out on their own when the dayes.¡±


    ¡°You might as well just die now,¡± said Nienna. She reached out to Pavan.


    However, Pavan avoided her and headed toward the hallway.


    In the great hall, many soldiers were vomiting due to motion sickness. The Dragon Citadel was weaving through the air as if it were a boat on a rocky ocean, and it seemed that the ongoing situation wouldn¡¯tst a bit longer.


    Pavan looked around and realized that Anya was missing.


    ***


    The loud crackle of thunder could be heard as lightning collided against a wall.


    The atmosphere of the other world had erupted when Qzatquizail began to make its move, and the atmosphere of the other world collided against the moisture that Nienna was forcibly holding in, creating a violent storm.


    Innumerable lightning bolts incessantly struck the ground as the massive tentacles destroyed the world.


    Lenly¡¯s went dry at the sight. However, the destruction of the world wasn¡¯t what was important to him right now.


    Ivy was lying in front of him while bleeding out.


    ¡°Lenly¡­ Loen?¡±


    Lenly nkly looked up. A crushed figure was squirming, and when Lenly saw the parasites moving around on the figure¡¯s visage, he finally realized that he was looking at Bekelt.


    Bekelt¡¯s face had always been a grotesque sight to behold, but now, it was hard to even call him human. The barnacles on his armor, which symbolized his status as a Lindwurm knight, had been torn apart and had tangled with his torn flesh.


    ¡°Lenly Loen¡­ so you¡¯re still alive. It seems like you went through a lot¡­ although not as much as me.¡±


    Next to Bekelt was Urkel, the Undead summoned by Anya.


    Urkelt was slumped over with a dent in his chest.


    Lenly and Bekelt were near the room where the Dragon Citadel¡¯s heart was located. A heart could be seen inside the room through the slightly ajar door. Lenly figured that he had to have returned to where he started after wandering around.


    Lenly turned his attention to Ivy lying on the ground.


    It turned out that the woman was Anya rather than Ivy.


    Lenly knew about Anya¡¯s capabilities, so he couldn¡¯t help but be curious about how Bekelt managed to defeat her. Lenly saw Anya¡¯s severed finger.


    He looked around and saw Anya¡¯s finger with a ring on it.


    It was the ring containing the essence of Nigrato, Ras¡¯ magic, and Iolin¡¯s blessing. Lenly surmised that Bekelt had to have severed Anya¡¯s finger, which led to thetter losing her abilities.


    Lenly took a closer look at Anya and saw that she would definitely die if she didn¡¯t get any treatment sooner rather thanter.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you went through, but I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll feel sick once you heard what this bitch did to me. I was looking for an opportunity to escape while being torn apart, but things turned out better than expected. This bitch was guarding the heart, and the rest of the enemies are inside the Dragon Citadel right now. This is the perfect chance to kill them all at once,¡± Bekelt said.


    ¡°Kill them all?¡± Lenly said nkly.


    Bekelt pulled out the fragments of the armor embedded in him and muttered, ¡°Yes. We must carry out the task that His Majesty Gerard had given to us. The monsters are being annihted right now, so the bastards from the Thornbush Priest Organization are probably panicking right now as well. I don¡¯t think ck Aldebaran will die, but I figured that I should step up at the very least.¡±


    Lenly realized that Bekelt had no interest in protecting this world. Bekelt simply wanted to borrow Gerard¡¯s power and authority by showing that he was the most loyal to Gerard.


    Unfortunately, Gerard was not interested in governing at all.


    Lenly finally realized that he hadpletely failed. There would be no glorious empire ruled by the eternal emperor, even if Gerard managed to takeplete control of Qzatquizail.


    It also didn¡¯t matter even if such an empire existed. It would bepletely meaningless because Ivy wouldn¡¯t be there.


    All of a sudden, a dull noise reverberated throughout the Dragon Citadel as it moved up and down.


    Lenly saw that Bekelt had thrust a knife into the Dragon Citadel¡¯s heart, and blood spurted all over the ground.


    Bekelt saw that Lenly was standing in a daze.


    He approached thetter and tapped his shoulder.


    ¡°Hey, are you okay? Get it together,¡± said Bekelt.


    Lenly remained silent.


    ¡°This is all I can do because we will lose our chance to escape if Ipletely stop the heart. However, it is only a matter of time before the Dragon Citadel crashes. It¡¯s a shame to lose the Dragon Citadel, but it¡¯ll be worth it in the end.¡±


    Bekelt¡¯s eyes shed as he nced at Anya. ¡°Before we leave, let me finish this bitch off. I have to kill her with my own hands.¡±


    Bekelt grabbed his sword and approached the motionless Anya. Bekelt raised his sword high up in the air, but Lenly screamed and unsheathed his sword.


    Bekelt hurriedly twisted away to dodge Lenly¡¯s attack.


    However, Lenly¡¯s attack managed to cut a long wound on Bekelt¡¯s side.


    Bekelt red at Lenly. ¡°Are you mad?! What do you think you¡¯re doing?!¡±


    ¡°I-Ivy said¡­ she said that she has something to tell me¡­¡±


    Lenly started spouting words that sounded nonsense in Lenly¡¯s ears while trembling and lowering his sword. However, when Bekelt saw the confusion in Lenly¡¯s eyes, he came to the conclusion that Lenly had lost his mind.


    Indeed, Anya looked like Ivy in Lenly¡¯s eyes right now. It was the reason why he quickly unsheathed his sword and attacked Bekelt. Of course, Lenly knew that the woman on the ground wasn¡¯t Ivy but Anya.


    However, he still couldn¡¯t let Bekelt kill <i>Anya.</i>


    ¡°Lenly, calm down! This isn¡¯t the time for us to fight. The Dragon Citadel is going to crash soon, and this girl will die by then as well,¡± Bekelt said.


    ¡°B-but¡­you must not kill her. She¡¯s¡ª¡± Ivy¡¯s face was still superimposed over Anya¡¯s visage, and he even started thinking that Ivy was the one lying on the ground rather than Anya.


    The Dragon Citadel started trembling, and the sense of weightlessness made Bekelt feel anxious. He growled when he saw that Lenly seemed to be sympathetic toward Anya.


    ¡°Damn it, Lenly! Does this one bitch really matter right now? The entire poption of the empire is less than a handfulpared to our descendants that will prosper in the future; you shouldn¡¯t pay that much attention to this bitch!¡±


    Bekelt¡¯s words seemed to have sobered Lenly up.


    Lenly had always been longing for a glorious empire with myriads of citizens, a vast territory, and a brilliant civilization.


    The leader of the glorious empire would be the eternal emperor, and he would stand next to the eternal emperor, protecting him.


    This had always been Lenly¡¯s dream.


    When Bekelt saw that Lenly seemed to be sobering up, he pointed his sword at Anya.


    Lenly red at him. ¡°But Ivy¡¯s descendants nor Ivy herself won¡¯t be in that empire¡­¡±


    Lenly pounced on Bekelt. Bekelt gnashed his teeth and raised his sword. The two of them couldn¡¯t afford to go easy on each other because they weren¡¯t in the condition to dilly-dally, considering their current physical status.


    Therefore, the two spared no effort and directly swung each other¡¯s swords using their best sword moves. There was an audible ng as Lenly¡¯s sword collided with Bekelt¡¯s sword.


    However, Bekelt¡¯s sword slid down, dividing Lenly¡¯s vision into two.


    ¡°<i>Argh!</i>¡±


    Bekelt staggered with a scream and started rolling on the ground due to the extreme pain. There was an incredulous look on his face when he saw that his body had been split horizontally.


    He wasn¡¯t in the best condition, but he was still the Deputy of the Order of Lindwurm, a knight order considered to be the best knight order of the mythological era.


    Therefore, Bekelt had never expected that a knight living in such a peaceful era would be able to cut him down with a single blow.


    ¡°What the¡­¡±


    Lenly¡¯s powerful sword move had almost split Bekelt into two, but it didn¡¯t really matter because Bekelt was confident of his regenerative ability. As long as the parasites in him were still alive, he would eventually resurrect, even if he died.


    Lenly slowly turned. There was a massive wound on his face, and both of his eyes werepletely destroyed by Bekelt¡¯s sword move. However, Lenly still stumbled around to try and find Bekelt, despite having lost his vision.


    Bekelt gnashed his teeth. He held his sword and dragged his upper body toward Lenly. He figured that he could easily kill Lenly because thetter couldn¡¯t see him.


    Bekelt grabbed Lenly¡¯s foot and made him fall to the floor. Then, he ruthlessly stabbed Lenly in the chest. Lenly coughed up blood, but Bekelt didn¡¯t stop.


    Bekelt wanted to stab Lenly until thetter was dead.


    Bekelt raised his sword high up in the air for the final blow, but a spear was suddenly thrust through him. He turned and saw Anya¡¯s pallid face ring at him. She had taken the ring out of her severed finger and put it on an intact finger.


    A knight of the dead lifted the spear, and the skewered Bekelt was lifted to the air.


    ¡°No, wait. I¡ª¡±


    The knight of the dead hurled Bekelt out of the window before he could even finish speaking. Bekelt descended at breakneck speeds, but one of Qzatquizail¡¯s massive tentacles still manage to hit him.


    <i>Bang!</i>


    Bekelt exploded into fleshy fragments that scattered like powder.


    Anya put pressure on her wound and staggered to her feet.


    She slowly approached Lenly.


    When she saw that Lenly was vomiting copious amounts of blood, it was clear that Lenly would die anytime soon.


    Anya instructed the knight of the dead toe near Lenly.


    Lenly barely managed to speak. ¡°Ivy?¡±


    Anya abruptly stopped moving.


    Lenly tried his best to speak as he bled out. ¡°I-Ivy, a-are you there¡­?¡±


    Anya stared at him without saying anything.


    ¡°This ce is too dangerous. I told you to stay in the Imperial Pce, but¡­¡±


    Anya made the knight of the dead step back, and she also quietly took a step back.


    .


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. I don¡¯t know what to tell you¡­¡±


    Anya then left without looking back even once.


    Lenly, who was left all alone after Anya left, continued to mutter as he stared into the air with empty eyes.


    Lenly was left all alone.


    He stared into space with zed eyes and muttered, ¡°Please don¡¯t say that you¡¯ll forgive me. I¡¯m not worthy of your forgiveness. I¡ªyour forgiveness is a luxury that I don¡¯t deserve. More than that¡­ I¡¯m d that I could see you for onest time. Ivy? Where are you going? I¡¯ll protect you. Ivy? Please, wait. Wait! Where are you?! I¡­ I can¡¯t. I can¡¯t hear you¡­! His Majesty¡­ His Majesty told me that you wanted to tell me something. What is it? What do you want to say to me?¡±


    Lenly suddenly took a deep breath. When the fresh air filled his lungs, he came back to his senses and was struck by the cruel reality that felt more painful than the swords that had ambushed him.


    Ivy hadn¡¯te, and she also hadn¡¯t left a message for him.


    She had left without forgiving him, and he would die here all alone. No one was here to listen to hisst words, and everyone would eventually forget him.

 Chapter 256 – The One Who Divides the World (4)

    <h4>Chapter 256 ¨C The One Who Divides the World (4)</h4>


    Qzatquizail¡¯s tentacle started tearing the world apart.


    The Crack grew wider and bigger, and there was an incessant tremor that seemed as if it would copse the empire. It seemed impossible to survive the earthquake that Qzatquizail was causing by striking at the ground as if it were trying to level the entire northern mountain range.


    ¡°Gerard!¡± Juan was furious, and he approached Gerard. Gerard neither dodged nor attacked Juan. He only concentrated on tearing the world apart until Juan got even closer to him.


    However, the tempestuous winds and the debris flying everywhere were dangerous enough to threaten Juan¡¯s life. Juan¡¯s me seemed small as a candle me amidst a great storm.


    However, Juan gritted his teeth and stubbornly stepped into the air to walk toward Gerard. He finally pulled out Sutra. Sutra, which had turned into a dark gray color, started heating up as the mes in the middle of Juan¡¯s forehead began to burn.


    ¡°If this world is meaningless in your eyes, then why are you trying to destroy it? First of all, this fight is between us!¡± Juan roared.


    The crown¡¯s me grew bigger and brighter as Juan got even closer to Gerard. The me turned from red to blue before eventually turning white.


    Gerard also took out his crown. The me from Gerard¡¯s crown wasn¡¯t only much bigger and brighter than Juan¡¯s, but the light was so bright that it couldn¡¯t even be seen anymore.


    ¡°The true owner of the crown is clear,¡± Gerard looked down at Juan and murmured, ¡°Is your immortality because of the crown as well? Like the first time you were resurrected?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s an ability I could have never known if you hadn¡¯t killed me. No, I can¡¯t even call it an ability. A me cannot be cut down by a sword, and will you call that an ability? Is the sun¡¯s permanence considered its ability? No, it¡¯s not. I was born this way,¡± Juan answered.


    ¡°Sure, but I can still remember how Elkiehl had no issues going right through you.¡±


    Juan only smiled at Gerard¡¯s provocation.


    ¡°I got too engrossed in my physical form. I died because I thought I would die. In the same sense, I was resurrected because many people believed that I was still alive¡ªeven if I thought I died, the others thought I was still alive.¡±


    Juan spread his arms before continuing. ¡°I was resurrected because of those who had doubted my death and had never believed¡ªeven for a second that I had died. They believed in my resurrection and return.¡±


    Gerard tilted his head in wonder at Juan¡¯s words. ¡°If there were many people who believed in your resurrection, then why did it take you so long to be resurrected?¡±


    ¡°Those beliefs were for my deceased physical form,¡± Juan smiled, revealing his teeth before saying, ¡°Someone also told me that she would give birth to me again even if I were to die; of course, you don¡¯t have someone like that.¡±


    Gerard fell into deep contemtion upon hearing Juan¡¯s words.


    He had the Order of Lindwurm beside him, who had served him since when he was the captain, and he also had the Thornbush Priest Organization, who came to find him after thousands of years of longing for Qzatquizail¡¯s return.


    There was also Aruntal, who had sacrificed everything for his resurrection.


    However, their faith wasn¡¯t as strong as the Northern Army¡¯s faith in Juan.


    Those people were only serving Gerard to fulfill their own goals, greed, and desires.


    ¡°You are my desire, and I am your guilt. We should have never existed in the first ce,¡± Juan muttered as he urged Sutra¡¯s mes to burn even harder.


    Juan¡¯s words bothered Gerard. Gerard finally realized that destroying the world like this was no different than venting his anger which would cause no harm to Juan. Gerard could simply leave afterpleting his synchronization with Qzatquizail, but he figured that he had topletely Juan down.


    ¡®<i>The more I erase everything I have in this world, the higher the synchronization will be.</i>¡¯


    This was what Gerard thought of Qzatquizail. The idea of Juan being his father and the emperor had always been his biggest trauma, guilt, and the reason for his inferiorityplex.


    Therefore, Gerard wasn¡¯t sure if he could even achieveplete ascension without erasing Juan¡¯s existence inside of him.


    ¡°I will cut you down¡­¡± Gerard hesitated, but he soon pulled something out of his waist.


    It was Elkiehl, a thornbush-like sword emitting ck light.


    ¡°So I can finally be my own.¡± Gerard dered. He would no longer chase after Juan¡¯s back but would start standing up for himself.


    Juan smiled upon seeing Elkiehl.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you drawing Elkiehl from the front, not from behind my back.¡±


    Gerard ignored Juan¡¯s sarcasm and repositioned. His consciousness elerated, and time itself seemed to have stretched out into infinity as he took a deep breath. Gerard turned into light itself within the frozen time.


    Gerard pondered quietly, ¡®<i>What is the fastest way to cut him down? Baltic Sword? No¡­</i>¡¯


    Baltic Sword was the swordsmanship that Juan had left behind. Gerard wanted to face Juan with his own techniques. Gerard had plenty of time. Even with his imperfect physical form, Juan managed to perform the miracle of controlling time and causality.


    However, Gerard was much stronger than the Juan of the past. Hundreds of millions and trillions of possibilities of killing Juan in the fastest and the most powerful way unfolded in Gerard¡¯s head.


    ¡®<i>In what way and trajectory should I swing my sword so that it is impossible for him to dodge?</i>¡¯


    Gerard examined all the possibilities in a calm and meticulous manner in his elerated consciousness. Gerard thought that nine hundred and ny billion attacks out of a trillion would be sessful with his abilities alone. However, Gerard couldn¡¯t be satisfied with such a possibility.


    Gerard wasn¡¯t fully cognizant of Juan¡¯s capabilities. Knowing Juan, he could have already mastered the eighth stage of the Baltic Sword¡ªno, he could have gone past that into the double digits.


    All of a sudden, Gerard recalled what Nienna had said to him¡ªthe emperor had to perfectly crush his opponent in an overwhelming manner.


    ¡®<i>I will cut him down with an attack that is closest to perfection so that it can neither be avoided nor countered.</i>¡¯


    After reviewing all the possibilities, Gerard finally found the perfect attack to use against Juan. Gerard felt like his blindfolded eyes could finally see, and it was all thanks to a glimpse of multitudes of possibilities.


    He could see the future. He could see himself cutting Juan down and pulling out thetter¡¯s crown to absorb. He also saw himself fully synchronizing with Qzatquizail and taking control of it.


    His irvoyance had always been working, but this was the first time he had seen the future so vividly rather than fragmented blurry scenes. Therefore, Gerard became sure of it. He became sure that victory was awaiting him.


    It didn¡¯t matter how good Juan was at Baltic Sword; there was no way he could counterattack, not to mention dodge.


    Gerard inhaled lightly and jumped toward Juan.


    The word <i>jump?</i>wasn¡¯t enough to describe Gerard¡¯s move.


    <i>Bang!</i>


    Elkiehl pierced Juan¡¯s heart, and it all happened the moment Gerard decided to make a move. Juan seemed like he still had no idea that his heart was pierced, let alone dodging or counterattacking.


    Gerard mercilessly dragged Elkiehl down, tearing Juan apart.


    ¡®<i>It worked¡­!</i>¡¯


    The crown was detaching from Juan. Gerard thought that Elkiehl could be ineffective against Juan once again, but it finally worked. Now, he just had to absorb the power of the crown.


    However, Juan suddenly grabbed Gerard¡¯s hand.


    Gerard flinched and looked up.


    ¡°You¡¯re finally reaching out,¡± Juan said with a smile.


    Gerard finally realized that Juan had no intention of dodging his attack from the beginning. irvoyance and the ability to simte infinite possibilities were useless because Juan never had any intentions of dodging Elkhiel.


    The me of the crown burst from Juan. He looked like he had be fire itself as the mes around him surged everywhere. The seemingly unsteady me started digging into Gerard¡¯s skin as if it were spreading through a dry field.


    ¡°We are one in body and soul, so how about we start from the beginning?¡±


    Juan¡¯s me didn¡¯t just remain steadfast; it started absorbing the crown inside Gerard.


    Gerard was dumbfounded. Juan had almost lost the power of the crown to Gerard once, and the only power that was left in him should have been barely enough to keep him alive. Furthermore, Gerard wasn¡¯t only much more powerful than Juan, but his ratio of the crown was higher as well.


    Juan¡¯s actions were tantamount to pouring a bucket of poison into the boundless sea in an effort to harm it.


    Unfortunately, Juan¡¯s poison was extremely strong.


    ¡°<i>Ah!</i>¡±


    Gerard could feel that Juan was absorbing a vast amount of the crown¡¯s power in him.


    He was stupefied. Gerard had be even stronger after assimting Mananen McLeir¡¯s heart and synchronizing with Qzatquizail, but Juan¡¯s actions of moving a tremendous amount of power still managed to stupefy him.


    Juan flickered like a me after being stabbed. However, the me quickly became a wildfire as he absorbed the power of the crown. The me had grown sorge that it seemed like it would fill half of the Crack.


    The sight resembled a giant butterfly emerging out of its chrysalis.


    ¡°I apologize for the pathetic disy in the West,¡± Juan whispered into Gerard¡¯s ear, ¡°But it is too insulting for you to think that what you had seen were my true self and my entire will.¡±


    Juan was now controlling the crown. It looked as if a tiny creature was holding a mountain in its hand and was swinging it around.


    Gerard wanted to refute.


    ¡®<i>Will? My will is weaker than his?</i>¡¯


    Gerard refused to admit it. The rtionships, feelings, and honor that he had abandoned¡ªthe pain, despair, and guilt that had always been hiding in the deepest recesses of his mind popped up.


    It couldn¡¯t be helped; it was difficult to abandon them thoroughly.


    Despite the many hardships, Gerard managed toe this far because of his will¡ªhis will to be a better emperor than Juan.


    ¡°A-are you saying that my will is weaker than yours?¡± Gerard growled and red at Juan.


    All of a sudden, Juan felt that the one-sided tugging of the crown¡¯s power had abruptlye to a halt, entering a tight stalemate. Juan felt perplexed for the first time. Gerard¡¯s will, which had turned into an obsession beyond stubbornness, wasn¡¯t light at all.


    Gerard bit his lips until they bled and reached out with his left hand. He was about to gamble in a precarious situation where a moment of distraction was not allowed, but Gerard wanted to show his will to Juan.


    ¡°If death has made you stronger, then there¡¯s no reason that I can¡¯t do the same!¡±


    Juan¡¯s eyes widened.


    Gerard wounded his left palm using Elkiehl. When the wound was made, mes immediately rose from the wound. The same was true of the wound on his left cheek, which was still bleeding.


    Soon, Gerard¡¯s physical form started crumbling to be a massive me simr to Juan''s mes. However, his mes weren¡¯t the same color as Juan¡¯s mes.


    Gerard¡¯s mes were purple and were giving off ominous energy.


    ¡°I am myself! I will never be one with you!¡± Gerard screamed as he started breaking down. ¡°I am now beyond you!¡±


    Gerard¡¯s mes started flying toward the Crack. Juan realized that Gerard had separated the crown from himself before he couldpletely absorb it.


    Qzatquizail started absorbing the crown.


    Gerard¡¯s gamble was to elerate the process by sending out the power through Elkiehl.


    Juan gnashed his teeth and grabbed Gerard by the cor.


    <i>Crash!</i>


    There was an odd sound as Gerard turned into ashes.


    All that was left in Juan¡¯s hand was a handful of ashes.


    Juan looked down at the bottom of the Crack and saw the birth of destruction after the world¡¯s division.


    ***


    ck Aldebaran looked around.


    Most of the thornbush priests and the monsters had already been annihted helplessly by Qzatquizail, but she managed to survive. To be exact, she knew how to survive because she already knew Qzatquizail¡¯s movement patterns.


    ¡°It¡¯s ridiculous that we¡¯re going through this. If only we managed to buy time¡ª¡±


    ck Aldebaran suddenly turned her head at the unfamiliar wind blowing toward her.


    The wind was a tremendous flow of power, and it was her first time encountering such a vast amount of power. It was then that she realized that the moment her master and deacons had been talking about was finally about to arrive.


    ¡°He¡¯sing¡­!¡±


    ck Aldebaran trembled with joy.


    ¡°The being who will usher in a new era¡­!¡±


    Something caught her eyes¡ªit was the Dragon Citadel crashing to the ground.


    ***


    The warriors screamed as the Dragon Citadel sharply dropped in altitude. The warriors of the North were brave, but it would be their first time falling from such a great height.


    Furthermore, there were tentacles the size of a mountain range on a rampage right next to them. They were courageous, but they couldn¡¯t help but break out into a cold sweat at their current predicament.


    ¡°We¡¯re falling!¡±


    Someone¡¯s loud scream burst out as the Dragon Citadel quickly approached the ground. The warriors could already see their deaths when they saw the ground getting closer and closer to them.


    Everyone closed their eyes.


    Opert produced a strange note using the horn, and the Dragon Citadel finally crashed.


    Upon impact, everyone felt a sense of weightlessness as they were thrown into the air.


    They crashed back down and started rolling amidst the screams and chaos.


    However, the scene of destruction befitting a crashnding couldn¡¯t be seen.


    There were no torn corpses and broken walls.


    It turned out that the Dragon Citadel quickly leaned to one side before it crashed, burying a corner of it into the ground, which managed to arrest most of its momentum withoutpletely destroying the entire thing.


    The soldiers started groaning in pain; they couldn¡¯t move even an inch.


    Opert was also lying on the ground with the soldiers. Opert got so nervous that he identally bit the horn too hard, breaking it. There seemed to be broken pieces of the whistle stuck here and there in his mouth.


    ¡®<i>It¡¯s a good thing I paid attention to the notes that the Order of the Lindwurm had produced¡­¡¯</i>


    Opert¡¯s attentiveness saved everyone.


    ¡°Is everyone alive!?¡± Nienna¡¯s roar suddenly echoed throughout the entire Dragon Citadel. ¡±The dead should lie down and rest, but the living should get up!¡±

 Chapter 257 – Qzatquizail (1)

    <h4>Chapter 257 ¨C Qzatquizail (1)</h4>


    The soldiers groaned and stood up one by one at Nienna¡¯s scolding.


    It seemed that none of them died, but everyone had at least one or two bruises here and there. Some of them even had broken limbs, but everyone thought that it was a miracle that they managed to survive the storm of crazy tentacles.


    ¡°Opert, you saved all these soldiers! I thought wizards wereme, but you¡¯re amazing!¡± Nienna eximed.


    ¡°...Thank you,¡± Opert said with a groan after crawling out of the pile of soldiers.


    The Dragon Citadel was slightly tilted aftering to a stop. Opert spat out a bloody tiny horn in his mouth. The tiny red horn ended up breaking inside his mouth when he unknowingly clenched his teeth to brace for impact.


    Nienna clicked her tongue at the sight.


    ¡°Dragon Citadel won¡¯t be able to fly again, <i>huh?</i> It was kind of fun.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for worrying about my wounded mouth, General Nienna.¡±


    ¡°What about your mouth? Everyone gets a wound like that once in a while whenever they argue while drinking. What gets stuck in people¡¯s mouths are broken tooth pieces, not a tiny horn. It¡¯s better than that, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Opert then heard Anya¡¯s voice from behind.


    ¡°The Dragon Citadel won¡¯t be able to fly again even if the horn is intact.¡±


    Anya was walking out of the hallway. Nienna was surprised to see Anya¡¯s pallid look and her injuries.


    ¡°Wait, what happened? Did you fall?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s kind ofplicated. I was guarding the heart chamber that Mr. Opert told me about, but the heart was¡­ destroyed. It¡¯s the reason why the Dragon Citadel fell, and it will never be able to fly again.¡±


    Nienna furrowed her brows. The destruction of the Dragon Citadel¡¯s heart and Anya¡¯s injuries meant that there had been enemies. Nienna had no idea how the enemies managed to enter the Dragon Citadel, but it seemed that the enemies were already gone judging by the look on Anya¡¯s face.


    ¡°I see. Let¡¯s stop your bleeding first and get out of here. The most dangerous moment is over, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°General NIenna!¡±


    An ominous cry suddenly rang out.


    Nienna frowned and looked at where the voice hade from.


    Pavan was pointing out of the window while shouting, ¡°The monsters are surging from the inside of the Crack. I don¡¯t think we have time to waste.¡±


    ¡°The monsters?¡±


    Nienna was surprised to hear that there were still monsters. She was convinced that the surroundings had already been devastated. However, her mind quickly changed when she saw the scene beyond the window.


    ck Aldebaran was singing something from afar in mid-air.


    Nienna gnashed her teeth and looked around. Coincidentally, two of Gerard¡¯s giant tentacles were nking the Dragon Citadel and had formed a valley. Nienna was sure that they wouldn¡¯t be surrounded.


    Their current location was too great; Nienna couldn¡¯t consider it a simple coincidence.


    All of a sudden, something came to Nienna¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Opert. Did you have any chance to observe the surroundings when we crashed?¡±


    ¡°Of course. We can¡¯t just crash anywhere. There are no enemies around here, and we¡¯re at a reasonable distance from the Crack.¡±


    Nienna gave Opert a thumbs up and said, ¡°You are the best flying castle pilot of the empire.¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯m the only flying castle pilot in the world, but thank you for thepliment,¡± Opert remarked.


    The monsters were running toward them at breakneck speeds.


    The Dragon Citadel trembled ever so slightly as the monsters¡¯ footsteps sent waves of tremors toward the citadel.


    Pavan stared anxiously at the monsters and asked Nienna. ¡°What are you going to do?¡±


    To ess the premium content, go to [


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Nienna summoned two ice swords to hold in both hands. ¡°Gerard killed the surrounding monsters, and he brought the rest of them all in one ce! In other words, there won¡¯t be any monsters left if we kill those monsters!¡±


    ***


    Juan stared at the Crack.


    A huge mass was wriggling and creeping up in the purple mist as it tore the ground apart. It was so huge that Juan couldn¡¯t even see the whole thing. However, Juan knew that it was only a small fraction of the tentacles in Qzatquizail¡¯s possession and that it was thin as a threadpared to its entire body.


    The situation would get out of control once that thing started digging. Qzatquizail would invade the world¡¯s insides like a copsing dam. However, there was no malice or goodwill in such action.


    Qzatquizail was simply waking up and moving. However, such mundane actions were enough to destroy the world. Gerard was right, Qzatquizail was so powerful and huge that it would destroy thousands of years of history in just a single move.


    ¡°Our civilization must be like a sand castle in your eyes.¡±


    Juan was sure that Qzatquizail was thinking that human civilization was easy to build because it was so easy to break.


    Juan had once wiped out the gods who had ruled the world for thousands of years, and he had also seen how the speedy demise of his empire.


    It all happened in less than a hundred years.


    ¡°But you can¡¯t even build a decent sand castle yourself...¡±


    Juan¡¯s physical form could barely keep its shape. Elkiehl had prated him, but the power of the crown didn¡¯t immediately disperse like before. There was only half of a crown left, but Juan had long be the crown itself.


    Qzatquizail¡¯s tentacle started to open in the middle as if it were puff pastry. Afterward, a booming voice reverberated. The voice was filled with so much power that it seemed to be making the entire world tremble as it spoke.


    [<strong>The emperor has returned!</strong>]


    A powerful shockwave scattered the clouds. The clouds were cleared away, but the sky was still dark without a ray of sunlight because it was currently being covered by the fog of the Crack.


    Qzatquizail had once again dered the return of the emperor.


    Juan¡¯s face distorted at Qzatquizail¡¯s voice. He once thought that one day, he might have to give his crown to Gerard¡ªa crown made out of gold rather than a me.


    Juan hadughed at himself back then, but he thought that it would be more beautiful than the me crown. He thought that it would be a glorious day filled with blessings and joy.


    However, Gerard was looking uglier and eviler than ever despite the deration.


    It was the worst coronation ceremony.


    Gerard started to levitate Qzatquizail while stomping on his tentacles on the ground as if to boast that he was dominating Qzatquizail. However, Juan saw through the bluff and saw that Qzatquizail was still half asleep.


    If Gerard could fully control Qzatquizail, he wouldn¡¯t need the support of the tentacles. In other words, Gerard was only controlling a small part of Qzatquizail¡ªa part the size of his finger.


    Juan wordlessly stared at Gerard without moving. It would be weird to say that Gerard was in control of Qzatquizail just because he was moving it.


    ¡°Your will was strong, Gerard,¡± Juan said.


    Gerard¡¯s will was strong enough¡ªuntil it met Juan¡¯s will.


    ¡°I wonder, can you still maintain your will now that you have already achieved your goal of dominating Qzatquizail?¡±


    Qzatquizail¡¯s will was no different than the will of the universe itself, so Juan wasn¡¯t convinced that Gerard would be able to maintain his ego once he came face-to-face with Qzatquizail¡¯s will.


    [<strong>The emperor has¡­</strong>]


    Qzatquizail¡¯s twitching became more pronounced. The tentacles trembled as if they were having seizures, and the voice proudly dering the return of the emperor disappeared.


    Juan felt Gerard¡¯s voice die down from Qzatquizail. Gerard¡¯s will to go beyond Juan was broken as soon as he achieved that goal. It wasn¡¯t long before Gerard fell intoplete silence. Qzatquizail had taken away his crown and vanquished his ego.


    Gerard only had half of the crown. Qzatquizail had shattered Gerard¡¯s ego, but Gerard¡¯s copse became the inevitable oue when he tried to absorb Qzatquizail with an unstable crown.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    A huge wound appeared on Qzatquizail¡¯s side. A dark purple liquid gushed out of the wound. Juan inadvertently recalled the wound he had left on Gerard¡¯s face upon seeing Qzatquizail¡¯s wound.


    It was thest trace that Gerard left on Qzatquizail.


    ¡°This is not what I wanted,¡± Juan muttered, ¡°But I knew that it would end up like this. No, maybe perhaps I had been waiting for it this.¡±


    Juan directly jumped onto Qzatquizail. Juan¡¯s physical form quickly distorted. The crown shook upon noticing the presence of its other half.


    Juan turned into a massive me before reaching Qzatquizail and left only the afterimages of his sword as he entered Qzatquizail¡¯s body through the wound that Gerard had inflicted on Qzatquizail.


    ***


    ¡°Push them back!¡±


    It was a chaotic scene. The Northern Army and the monsters collided with each other. The soldiers were wounded and exhausted, but they looked more dignified than when the Dragon Citadel was plummeting to the ground.


    A soldier roared while covered in the thick bodily fluid of a monster he had just killed. He didn¡¯t even spare another nce at the monster above him as he immediately looked for his next target. He looked terrifying and fierce, but Nienna looked no better than him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t chop them into too small pieces! I like to chew on bigger pieces!¡± Nienna roared.


    Pavan looked back at Deputy Kilt, seemingly astonished. ¡°<i>Um,</i> did General Nienna just chew on a monster¡¯s nape and swallow it? Please tell me I¡¯m hallucinating.¡±


    ¡°...I saw it, too.¡±


    The Imperial knights and the soldiers fought bravely, but the sight of the Northern Army warriors fighting the monsters made Pavan feel as if his eyes were hurting. Some warriors were fighting along Nienna while still chewing on the monsters¡¯ appendages.


    Pavan was worried that the soldiers would run out of energy due to hunger, but he didn¡¯t expect that they would resolve their hunger like that.


    ¡°It seems like they¡¯re used to that way of fighting,¡± Kilt said.


    ¡°It¡¯s probably easy for them to distinguish what monsters are edible or not since they had been spending their entire lives fighting monsters. I¡¯m constantly worried about supplies, so I¡¯m a bit intrigued that they can do that. Kilt, why don¡¯t you try and take a bite as an experiment?¡±


    ¡°No, thanks.¡±


    The Northern Army¡¯s brutal performance prevented the monsters from moving forward.


    The monsters were twice asrge as the Northern Army in numbers, but they couldn¡¯t even dream of surrounding the Northern Army because of Qzatquizail¡¯s tentacles on both nks.


    It was the perfect yground for the Northern Army.


    Meanwhile, ck Aldebaran was in despair. She thought she had heard Gerard¡¯s deration of return, but the voice was abruptly cut off the second time around.


    ck Aldebaran could tell that Qzatquizail¡¯s revival was a sess, but she didn¡¯t want anything to do with all this anymore. She just wanted to sort the ongoing situation out as fast as she could so that she could finally retreat.


    All of a sudden, ck Aldebaran flinched and quickly dodged upon sensing a sharp killing intent aiming for her head.


    Something speedy passed by ck Aldebaran within a hair¡¯s breadth.


    It was a huge bone crow.


    The bone crow, which was the amalgamation of remains from various species, flew downward to snatch a monster on the ground. Afterward, it hurled the huge monster toward a group of monsters.


    The monsters were crushed beneath the huge monster.


    ck Aldebaran¡¯s expression distorted in disgust.


    ¡°You filthy and trivial undead¡­!¡±


    ck Aldebaran¡¯s words sounded hrious in Anya¡¯s ears.


    ¡°You control those monsters, and it is your goal to destroy the world, so why do you hate the undead.¡±


    ¡°We serve the life that is born from space. The existence of the undead is against providence!¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Anya grinned. ¡°Then, I shall let you follow providence.¡±


    ck Aldebaran found Anya¡¯s grin weird.


    Her eyes abruptly widened upon realizing that something was wrong. She turned her head, but it was toote. A sharp edge had just sliced through her head..


    ck Aldebaran was visibly stupefied when she saw the attacker.


    The attacker was Sina Solvane.


    Anya gasped sarcastically when ck Aldebaran¡¯s head abruptly flew into the air.


    ck Aldebaran had not revealed any signs of fear or surprise until she realized that Sina Solvane was the one who had severed her head.


    Sina Solvane snatched ck Aldebaran¡¯s head out of mid-air and then hurled it toward the ground to prevent any possibility of resurrection. The passing by monsters quickly crushed ck Aldebara¡¯s head.


    Anyamanded another bone crow to snatch Sina out of mid-air.


    ¡°I¡¯m d the timing was just right. How did you do that?¡± Anya asked.


    SIna looked back at the cliff. It was a distance of at least a dozen meters. Even Sina herself couldn''t understand how she had done it, but this wasn¡¯t the time to think about that.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell youter. I¡¯m sorry to bother you in the midst of the battle, but can I use the Dragon Citadel?¡±


    ¡°The Dragon Citadel? <i>Um,?</i>well¡­¡±


    Anya exined to Sina that the Dragon Citadel¡¯s heart was destroyed, and it couldn¡¯t fly anymore. Sina revealed a perplexed look upon hearing Anya¡¯s exnation.


    ¡°I came running here because I thought I could go back to Juan using the Dragon Citadel¡­¡±


    ¡°His Majesty? Is His Majesty still inside?¡±


    Sina was about to say yes, but the ground suddenly trembled. The trembling came from the vibrations that the Crack was producing.


    Nienna was astonished. It hadn¡¯t been that long since the previous earthquake, and she also knew what it meant¡ªthe Crack was widening.


    Qzatquizail was about to arrive¡­


    Their efforts were about to go down the drain¡­


    However, Pavan soon realized that it wasn¡¯t the case.


    ¡°The Crack isn¡¯t widening¡­!¡± Pavan eximed. He had been staring at the skies.


    Nienna turned toward Pavan and saw Pavan¡¯s overjoyed look.


    ¡°The Crack is closing! It¡¯s narrowing!¡± shouted Pavan.

 Chapter 258 – Qzatquizail (2)

    <h4>Chapter 258 ¨C Qzatquizail (2)</h4>


    Bubbles filled Juan¡¯s vision.


    Aside from a dark purple liquid, there was nothing else around him. There was no light or heat other than the cold liquid. The only heat was Juan¡¯s me.


    However, Juan felt as if he had brought a candle into the deep sea. He felt as if he was in iparably deep waters, and he had no idea if there was even a surface he could swim toward.


    ¡®<i>Qzatquizail.</i>¡¯


    Juan could instinctively tell that he was inside Qzatquizail. Juan could feel the crown trembling with joy after finally finding its owner. It seemed as if it couldn¡¯t wait to return to its original ce so that it could replenish itself.


    ¡®<i>Don¡¯t even think about it¡­</i>¡¯


    Juan concentrated and strengthened his control over the crown. The fluctuating me quickly settled down, but Juan found all this to be suspicious. Gerard possessed half the crown, but he still got buried by Qzatquizail¡¯s will.


    Gerard¡¯s traces were also suspiciously diluted and difficult to find. Juan couldn¡¯t help but think that perhaps Gerard had decided to help Qzatquizail by giving up the remaining half of the crown.


    ¡°<i>Hah.</i>¡± Juan chuckled as if he was mocking himself. The anxiety that was about to overwhelm him vanished. There was no point hesitating at this point. There was no way he could stop Gerard or Qzatquizail from waking up now.


    Gerard would definitely resurrect and do the same thing over and over again, even if he were to stab Gerard with Elkiehl.


    Therefore, Juan decided to leave Gerard alone until he summoned Qzatquizail into this world. It was all so that Juan could deal with the two of them at the same time.


    <i>¡®At this point, it¡¯s ridiculous to be afraid of Qzatquizail¡¯s awakening¡­¡¯</i>


    Qzatquizail¡¯s heart was the crown, and Juan was the crown. Juan chose not to deny such a fact. After all, he knew that even though he could break, he would never copse.


    Juan decided to reveal his location amidst the depths of the abyss.


    ¡°Let¡¯s burn it up!¡±


    Juan¡¯s mes burned fiercer, and the bubbles around him got fiercer. The surrounding liquid also started to boil violently as the temperature rose. The heat quickly spread, and the blood that had cooled turned red.


    Juan didn¡¯t stop there.


    He had already be the me itself, so he shouted, ¡°I have returned!¡±


    <i>Lub Dub!</i>


    The surrounding liquid made a move. Juan could hear the sound of a heartbeat from far away, and it was so loud that it sounded like it could make the entire universe ring.


    He could feel that Qzatquizail¡¯s domination was sessful, but he still couldn¡¯t let his guard down because he was sure that Gerard would havee this far as well.


    The world in front of Juan was suddenly illuminated. Juan was astonished by the massive space that appeared in front of him, but he soon realized that he was looking right at Qzatquizail¡¯s eyes.


    Beyond Qzatquizail¡¯s eyes were a strange universe surrounded by an unfamiliar night sky, multitudes of stars surrounding a void, stars that burned inexplicably hot, a massive unknown, and clouds of gas. It was a scene that Juan had never seen before.


    Juan was certain that the empire was smaller than a speck of dustpared to the vastness of the universe in front of him.


    And then there was Qzatquizail¡­


    Qzatquizail spanned half of such a vast universe. What appeared in Juan¡¯s world was just an extremely small part of Qzatquizail. Qzatquizail was so huge that Juan couldn¡¯t help but wonder if it was still alive.


    Unfortunately, Qzatquizail¡¯s body part here belonged to just one head of the nine-headed dragon.


    Juan suddenly felt sick while facing the vastness of a universe. He knew from his knowledge that the world he was ruling was extremely smallpared to a universe.


    However, Qzatquizail¡¯s sheer vastness was so overwhelming that he felt sick.


    ¡®<i>No, I must not be agitated¡­</i>¡¯


    Juan gnashed his teeth and tried his best to stay calm. His goal was simple¡ªto close the Crack which had invaded his world and keep the world safe from Qzatquizail.


    Juan tried to control Qzatquizail as much as he could by any means. As he expected, the Crack which had broken into his world appeared in his eyes. Juan moved Qzatquizail and pulled it close to the Crack.


    .


    It was more difficult than he had expected. Juan couldn¡¯t help but gasp for air.


    All of a sudden, he heard a whisper.


    ¡®<i>Isn¡¯t it strange?</i>¡¯


    The voice sounded like Dane.


    ¡®<i>You have the power to control a universe. It is a great power that allows you to create and destroy universes, but you¡¯re struggling to fill a hole in the world. Don¡¯t you find that strange?</i>¡¯


    ¡°Shut up.¡±


    Then, Juan heard Gerard¡¯s voice.


    ¡®<i>I don¡¯t understand. You can be even greater than this. The empire can shine forever, and humans can be immortal. Why is it that you do not want that to happen? Why are you fighting to reject all that?</i>¡¯


    Juan did not answer. However, the voices grew louder and louder.


    Then, Dismas¡¯s voice tickled Juan¡¯s ears.


    ¡®<i>None of this would have happened if you had chosen immortality¡ªmy beloved father. Your children could have ruled the empire in harmony forever. No one should have died!</i>¡¯


    ¡°Aaaah!¡±


    Juan ignored all the whispers and tried his best to close the Crack. The wrinkles in the space created by the Crack unfolded, and the Crack started to close.


    However, it was still nowhere enough.


    Juan suddenly realized that the tentacle Gerard had pulled up was too deep inside topletely close the Crack. Juan tried to pull out the tentacle again, but the voices got louder the stronger he pulled.


    ¡®<i>Why do you even care about something like that?</i>¡¯


    This time the voice sounded unfamiliar this time, but it contained the will of the universe.


    Juan instinctively realized that the voice belonged to Qzatquizail


    <i>¡®Everything will eventuallye to an end. The heat will cool down, the scents will vanish, the light eventually darkens, and objects will eventually be shattered. Every universe will eventuallye to an end. What happens before the end will not impact the end.¡¯</i>


    Juan¡¯s eyes turned bloodshot. The voices were shaking his heart. Tens and thousands of voices whispering at once ruthlessly shook Juan¡¯s consciousness and heart. The tentacle was buried so deep that Juan couldn¡¯t pull it out.


    The tentacle had to be pulled out if he wanted to close the Crack.


    ¡®<i>Was I expecting too much?</i>¡¯


    This time, he heard his own voice whispering to him.


    <i>¡®Did I get too arrogant when I thought that I could do what Gerard couldn¡¯t do? Did my arrogance lead to everyone¡¯s death and this monster¡¯s awakening?¡¯</i>


    The despair gnawed on Juan, and self-doubt started breaking him down quicker than the whispers. Juan could feel himself approaching the limits. Juan¡¯s will blurred and faded away as he stood in front of Qzatquizail¡¯s eye.


    At that moment, Juan could vaguely make out a song reaching his ears.


    ***


    ¡°That fucking tentacle!¡± Nienna roared in fury. ¡°The Crack can¡¯tpletely close because of that tentacle! We have to cut that shit off!¡±


    The monsters were pushing the Northern Army away. The monsters also seemed to have fallen into a frenzy because the Crack was slowly being closed.


    However, the Northern Army couldn¡¯t disengage. They felt that this was the opportune moment to eliminate the monsters and close the Crack for good.


    The deadly souls sharply picked at the monsters as they followed Anya¡¯s fingertips.


    The most valiant knights mentioned in myths, noble kings and the warriors who refused death to just fight, marched shoulder-to-shoulder with humans living in the present.


    Anya was also marching toward death with her army.


    Pavan was just recklessly swinging his sword without any ns or much thought, and he found what he had been doing to be a bit ridiculous. However, he had to admit that it was more refreshing than he initially thought.


    Pavan killed the monster in front of him and ran through the monster¡¯s split body. Drenched with the monster¡¯s blood, Pavan screamed like a warrior from the North.


    Haild jumped toward Entalucia¡¯s mes, which were scorching the monsters into ashes. One of his eyes was blind, so he couldn''t urately measure depth and distance, and he also found it difficult to move his injured body.


    However, he felt more refreshed than ever.


    Haild had given up his revenge on Gerard. He didn¡¯t want to waste any more of his life being bound to one person like Gerard. Haild decided to raise his sword for someone who would be waiting for him in Torra.


    Sina¡¯s mind was elsewhere, but the tip of her sword was aimed toward the enemy. She was meticulous as she calmly dismantled the monsters one by one and moved forward to the Crack where she thought Juan was located.


    There was still a lot for them to talk about. She hadn¡¯t even greeted him yet, and she still had too many questions to ask.


    Sina had to meet Juan again, so she decided to wait and watch until the very end.


    ¡°This is it! This is where we¡¯re going to die!¡±


    Nienna roared and leaped into the monsters¡¯ midst.


    ¡°You are legends! Sing your songs, warriors!¡± The Northern Army roared and began singing a battle folk song. The lyrics seemed to have gotten lost amidst the shouts, screams, and curses, but the fighters on the battlefield felt a strange sense of unity while singing.


    Nienna tore a monster apart and started singing with the warriors. The song was a battle folk song with a hundred and twenty-two verses. Nienna could still remember how she taught Juan to sing this song.


    ¡°Today is the day we write the hundred and twenty-third verse of this song! The songwriters are us!¡±


    The monsters faced an unprecedentedly fierce wave of attack.


    The warriors were tiny, skinny, and weakpared to the monsters. However, the sight of them singing and attacking at the same time reminded the monsters of colonies.


    The colony of creatures terrified the monster. They felt a primal fear that any creature would feel in an emergency.


    All of a sudden, a huge shadow loomed over them.


    Entalucia mercilessly poured her fire over them, and it was the straw that broke the camel¡¯s back. The primal fear quickly spread within the ranks of the monsters. The monsters of the Crack started running away to hide. They were able to do this because ck Aldebaran wasn¡¯t controlling them any more. Some of the monsters even chose to hide within the Crack rather than face the Northern Army.


    When the monsters started running away with their tails tucked, the Northern Army became even more ferocious.


    Nienna didn¡¯t miss the golden opportunity to ughter them all.


    ¡°Kill all those cowardly bastards!¡±


    ***


    Juan felt as if hundreds of millions of hands held and restrained him. The hands covered his eyes, his ears, and his mouth. They were preventing him from using his senses.


    A sweet dream was trying to captivate Juan. Once Juan was captivated, Qzatquizail would then be able to achieve its original will.


    However, a song reached Juan¡¯s ears. He woke up startled.


    He had almost fallen asleep, but the song woke him up.


    <i>¡®This sounds like the battle folk song that Nienna taught me.¡¯</i>


    Juan could still remember how he had a hard time memorizing the entire song overnight. In the end, he didn¡¯t manage to memorize half of it, not to mention the entire song. However, he had memorized the song¡¯s tune and beat.


    Juan started humming to the song without realizing it. The voices started to fade as his humming synchronized with the sing leaking out from outside the Crack.


    Juan slowlyposed himself, but he still couldn¡¯t move.


    ***


    ¡°His Majesty is saying that your voices are too quiet! Sing louder!¡±


    Nienna was singing louder than everyone else, and a monster would fall to the ground with every syble she sang. Nienna had no intentions of letting even a single monster escape.


    The Northern Army pushed the monsters toward the Crack.


    The song could be heard vividly throughout the battlefield.


    Pavan wasn¡¯t aware of the song¡¯s lyrics, but he came up with his own lyrics while humming and swinging his sword. Of course, his singing wasn¡¯t really doing anything significant because his pitch and beat were off.


    Sina swung her sword while anxiously staring alternatingly between the tentacle and the Crack. Juan was in there, and he was the one who was trying to close the Crack.


    ¡®<i>What happens to Juan if the Crack closes while he¡¯s still in there?</i>¡¯


    Sina¡¯s heart started to pound madly against her chest as her anxiousness shot to the roof. However, she couldn¡¯t do anything other than cheer for Juan and shout as loudly as she could, hoping that Juan could hear her voice, even though he was in the Crack.


    ¡°Juan! I¡¯ve made it clear to you!¡±


    <i>¡®...that even if the entire world thinks you¡¯re a monster, I will always believe that you still love mankind!¡¯</i>


    ***


    ¡°Sina¡­¡± Juan¡¯s eyes snapped open.

 Chapter 259 – Road That Leads to You

    <h4>Chapter 259 ¨C Road That Leads to You</h4>


    ¡°Warriors, advance!¡±


    The Crack was just around the corner, but the Northern Army did not stop. They ruthlessly pushed the monsters over to the Crack.


    There was a slope on the periphery of the Crack, and it was probably caused by the tentacle earlier. However, the inside waspletely different from what the Northern Army had expected.


    They thought that the monsters would fall into the abyss after being pushed over to the Crack, but the monsters could still move just fine as if they were running on a in. The same was true of the soldiers who had identally stepped into the Crack.


    ¡°You won¡¯t fall! Keep pushing!¡± Nienna shouted and looked up at the sky.


    A huge tentacle that soared through the sky was touching the clouds as if it were licking it. It seemed to be going up and down, but it wasn¡¯t moving even an inch from its spot.


    Nienna gnashed her teeth and climbed over the tentacle.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to break you into pieces, you fucking octopus!¡±


    Nienna summoned the biggest ice spear she could summon. Hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of ice spears manifested in the sky before converging into one gigantic ice spear.


    Nienna¡¯s mana finally reached rock bottom after manifesting the gigantic ice spear, but it still wasn¡¯t enough to sever the tentacle from Qzatquizail.


    Nienna gnashed her teeth. ¡°You bastard! Do you really think that I¡¯ll miss my chance to end you for good?!¡±


    A blue chill exploded from her. Nienna¡¯s eyes turned blue. Her soft skin began to crack open and form wrinkles, and her snow-flower-like silver hair of winter lost its ss-like appearance, turning into in white.


    Nienna had just squeezed out even the essence of the emperor that Juan had handed over to her.


    ¡°<i>Haha, ha! Haha!?</i>Not bad! Not bad at all!¡±


    Nienna¡¯s wrinkled eyes curved into crescents as sheughed boisterously. It was not for beauty or to impress people that she had maintained her youth until now.


    She had only been maintaining her youth for the sake of not feeling physicallycking when fighting the Crack.


    However, Nienna had a hunch that this would be her final fight. She realized that even the essence of the emperor was nothing more than just a useful tool that she could use to face her end.


    Right now, Nienna was neither the emperor¡¯s daughter nor the ruler of the North.


    She was just an avenger who had decided to burn her life like firewood.


    ¡°<i>Dieee!</i>¡± The gigantic ice spear struck Qzatquizail¡¯s tentacle and pierced it.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    The giant tentacle was ripped apart with a grotesque sound, and the fluid inside flowed out like a river. The tentacle started falling into the Crack under the weight of the gigantic ice spear.


    Nienna was overjoyed at the sight.


    However, she also started falling toward the Crack along with Qzatquizail¡¯s tentacle.


    Her muscles felt stiff. She had poured all her energy into destroying Qzatquizail¡¯s tentacle, and she didn¡¯t leave even a single drop of mana for herself. After squeezing out even the emperor¡¯s essence, recovery seemed impossible for her.


    The faces of her old family appeared in front of her amidst her swimming vision. The people of the tribe who had to be executed by Nienna¡¯s own hands after being encroached on by the Crack were smiling at her.


    Nienna¡¯s time had stopped flowing when she turned five, but it started flowing once again. Nienna smiled brightly.


    ¡®<i>Dad, I must admit that it is a shame that I couldn¡¯t leave a sessor before I go.</i>¡¯


    Nienna regretted not having any children. For her, a sessor had been nothing but just an agent who would seed her in her revenge. However, she suddenly remembered spending time training with Gerard, Dismas, and Ras a long time ago.


    Aside from her, everyone in her family had passed, and the thought weighed heavily on her mind.


    The wind grazing her skin was sharp. For the first time in her life, Nienna felt cold.


    Loud voices pierced her ears¡ª


    ¡°General Nienna!¡±


    ¡ªit was the collective shout of the Northern Army that had prated even the Crack.


    ***


    Juan stared nkly at the falling tentacle. The tentacle had a giant spear made out of ice sticking out of it. The tentacle fell helplessly and trembled before flowing toward somewhere in space.


    The fragments of ice scattered, sprinkling snow on the vast expanse of the universe.


    ¡®<i>Gerard. I told you.</i>¡¯


    Juan could not hold back hisughter.


    .


    ¡®<i>The humans will be the ones who are going to kick you out into this cold, empty space.</i>¡¯


    When the tentacle fell out of the Crack, Juan focused and started closing the Crack. The torn surface of the dimension started closing once more, and it was something that no magic nor miracle could achieve.


    It was something that could only be achieved by Qzatquizail and the nine-headed dragon.


    The folk song containing the history of the North could still be heard. It was a song from a distant history that was possibly even older than the Ancient Dragon Age beyond the mythological era or perhaps even beyond those epochs.


    Mankind and their civilization could still sing of distant tales despite the many invasions and years. It was ironic because Gerard considered them weak.


    The humans¡¯ confident voices could be heard. Juan was proud that he had once guided, ruled, and stood shoulder-to-shoulder with them.


    ¡°A lone but powerful individual cannot determine the direction of fate anymore. Those days are over, Gerard.¡±


    Juan finally managed to close the Crackpletely amidst the song.


    ¡°Everything ends here.¡±


    ***


    ¡°What are you doing, you bastards?! Are you going to leave General Nienna on her own?!¡±


    The Northern Army didn¡¯t hesitate to chase after Nienna. They jumped into the crack with a roar and without a single moment of hesitation.


    The monsters were helpless in front of the axes and des of the soldiers who jumped into the Crack just to kill them. It was a one-sided ughter, but Sina was shocked by the scene.


    ¡°No! The Crack is about to close!¡± Sina shouted.


    However, not a single Northern Army soldier stopped. Sina quickly grabbed one of the soldiers and forced him to stop.


    She thought that they were acting recklessly in the madness of war, but there was no sign of desperation or thirst for blood in the eyes of the soldier whom she had stopped.


    The soldier was soaked in blood, but his eyes were bright and clear.


    It was such a baffling sight for Sina.


    ¡°Going into the Crack now is no different frommitting suicide! If the Crack closes like this, then¡ª¡±


    ¡°Then, General Nienna will be left alone in there,¡± said the soldier without hesitation.


    Sina stared agape at him. ¡®<i>He wants to be buried together with her?</i>¡¯


    The soldier quickly shook off Sina¡¯s hand and jumped into the Crack.


    Sina tried to grab the soldier''s hand again, but Pavan stopped her.


    In Sina¡¯s eyes, the Northern Army looked like a group of moths jumping into the mes.


    Then, Sina found Anya jumping into the Crack along with the Northern Army soldiers.


    ¡°Anya!¡± Sina hurriedly grabbed Anya¡¯s wrist.


    Anya looked back and smiled. However, there was no emotion in her eyes.


    ¡°You, too? Why are you doing this? You¡¯re¡­¡±


    ¡°Sina. Juan is in there. His Majesty is in there, right?¡± Anya smiled softly.


    Sina flinched. Juan was definitely inside the Crack, and Sina was sure that Juan was the one trying to close the Crack. All of a sudden, Sina remembered the words of the soldier whom she stopped earlier.


    ¡°<i>Then, General Nienna will be left alone in there.</i>¡±


    Sina¡¯s eyes trembled. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Juan would meet the same fate as General Nienna.


    ¡®<i>Will he be left alone and spend eternity in that universe by himself?</i>¡¯


    Anya grabbed Sina¡¯s hand and spoke, ¡°I found Lenly Loen in the Dragon Citadel.¡±


    Sina¡¯s eyes widened at Anya¡¯s words.


    ¡°I would have killed him right away if I had found him first, but I was unfortunately in the middle of a raid at the time. He saved my life right before he died.¡±


    ¡°Lenly¡­¡±


    ¡°He became blind and slowly bled to death. I could hear him calling out for someone until he died, but the person he was looking for wasn¡¯t there. I left. I didn¡¯t stay there until he died because I was scared.¡±


    Anya nkly raised her head and looked up at Sina.


    ¡°I¡¯m scared. I don¡¯t want to die like that. I don¡¯t want to die such a lonely and depressing death. However, this world has no Ras, no Dilmond, and even His Majesty is no more. In that case, won¡¯t it be better if we all just died together? If we¡¯re all going to die¡­¡±


    Sina was overwhelmed by Anya¡¯s confession. In Sina¡¯s eyes, Anya was like a ss that managed to endure the bitter cold of winter but couldn¡¯t endure the warm rays of daybreak.


    Anya had just admitted that she was scared of the lonely peace that woulde once all this was over.


    The shock weakened Sina¡¯s grip on Anya¡¯s hand.


    Anya noticed that and quickly shook off Sina¡¯s hand to run away.


    However, Sina grabbed Anya¡¯s hand once again. ¡°You should live!¡±


    ¡°Sina¡­¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t stop you from going there if it¡¯s all for the sake of fighting or protecting someone, but if you¡¯re going there to die, then¡­¡±


    Anya was strong enough to shake Sina¡¯s hand off and run away. However, Anya flinched and stopped moving when she saw the orange hue in Sina¡¯s eyes.


    Sina gnashed her teeth and shouted, ¡°I can¡¯t let you leave like this! That was what Juan said as well! I thought the message that he had left was only for me, but it wasn¡¯t the case. It was for everyone!¡±


    ¡°What¡­ what message did he¡ª¡±


    ¡°To live!¡± Sina stared into Anya¡¯s eyes and eximed, ¡°We must live for him to live!¡±


    Anya¡¯s eyes trembled. Sina hugged Anya as tightly as she could to prevent her from escaping. Sina then looked at the back of the Northern Army soldiers running toward the Crack.


    The Crack was closing at a rapid pace. Anya continued trembling in Sina¡¯s arms, and she soon copsed. However, Sina didn¡¯t let her go.


    ¡°Rely on me if you need someone to rely on. I¡¯m not going to die¡ªat least until Juan¡¯s return.¡±


    Anya sobbed. Sina patted Anya on the back and silently listened to Anya¡¯s sobs.


    Sina also quietly watched as thest remaining soldier of the Northern Army jumped into the Crack.


    It was a surreal sight to see literal mountains moving at a speed visible to the naked eye. The booming noises they produced were loud, and the tremors were strong. All this continued for quite a while.


    Eventually, the hole in the world finally vanished.


    All that remained was and that was strangely a bit <i>too</i> level. The endless monsters and the warriors couldn¡¯t be seen anymore.


    However, the Northern Army¡¯s song could still be heard in the mountains of the North, and it would remain that way for a long time.


    ***


    When the Crack finally closed, Juan feltpletely disconnected from the world.


    The Crack¡¯s original location had be nothing but a void.


    Countless worlds appeared in Juan¡¯s eyes as well.


    Juan could now make contact and destroy any world using Qzatquizail¡¯s body. However, no world would be the same as the world with her in it.


    Juan had gained infinite power, but he felt infinitely tired as well.


    ¡®<i>Her?</i>¡¯


    Juan seemed to have sunk into the great idleness, but a thought suddenly came to mind.


    He wondered¡ªwho was the <i>her?</i>he was referring to?


    ¡®<i>Was it Sina Solvane? Or was it ine Elliot?</i>¡¯


    However, his thoughts didn¡¯tst long. When the song disappeared, a multitude of consciousness came crashing down on Juan. Every consciousness contained its own dreams, hopes, and future


    They were talking about what Juan could do with his omnipotence, and they were also talking about the infinite possibilities out there. However, Juan wasn¡¯t interested in their thoughts at all, and he was slowly being buried.


    His control over Qzatquizail wouldn¡¯tst long, and the only thing that could control the multitude of consciousness was another consciousness of a higher order.


    Soon, Qzatquizail¡¯s sleeping body trembled after it finally discovered its heart. It moved, sweeping away the multitude of consciousness. The sheer power made Juan feel helpless. There was no way Juan could ever hope to match Qzatquizail, and he could feel himself slowly getting erased from Qzatquizail.


    All of a sudden, a whisper reached his ears. It was a familiar voice.


    ¡®<i>What if the bad guy is stronger than me?</i>¡¯


    ¡®<i>Then, run away. It¡¯s not a bad thing to run away when you have no other choice.</i>¡¯


    At that moment, Juan felt a breath bursting out of his lungs. He didn¡¯t understand what had happened. He could see the dark red body fluid running down his hand. Only then did he realize that he had split Qzatquizail¡¯s skin and stepped on the top of its body.


    Juan could no longer feel the heartbeat from Qzatquizail¡¯s body nor the whispers of the multitude of consciousness. Juan felt as if he had suddenly lost a vast amount of power, but at the same time, Qzatquizail¡¯s skin started trembling beneath his feet.


    ¡®<i>Then, what if I can¡¯t run away? What if I have to fight?</i>¡¯


    The whisper of a lone consciousness became vivid to him, and Juan felt that it was a voice that had always existed within him.


    ¡®<i>Then, fight.</i>¡¯


    Juan reached out. He casually grabbed Sutra from beyond the mes.


    ¡®<i>If you have to fight, then go out and fight.</i>¡¯


    Sutra¡¯s de turned white as if it were responding to Juan¡¯s tight grip.


    ¡®<i>If you end up dying, then I promise to give birth to a baby and give him the same name as yours. Then, you will be born again. Wherever you are and whatever you do, I¡¯ll always be there for you. I promise to bring you back to the world.</i>¡¯


    Qzatquizail¡¯s massive body stretched in silence. The world sobbed and convulsed at the rushing sound of blood from within Qzatquizail, and it seemed as if Qzatquizail was telling everyone that it was time to sleep.


    Juan looked at the destruction in front of him.


    Juan smiled and whispered, ¡°Are you a god as well?¡±

 Chapter 260 – Epilogue: Orphanage

    <h4>Chapter 260 ¨C Epilogue: Orphanage</h4>


    The summer sun was burning hot.


    A noblewoman was riding her horse along a country road surrounded by green wheat fields that had not yet ripened. She appeared to be bothered by the bright sunshine as she pulled her robe deeper over her face.


    She was wearing an ordinary-looking robe, but the pedigree of the well-trained horse that she was riding indicated her esteemed status.


    The escort knight nced at her and said, ¡°Miss Heretia. Should we take a break?¡±


    Heretic shook her head and pointed at a small farmhouse located not too far away.


    ¡°No, I think we¡¯re almost there, anyway. Let¡¯s just walk for a bit more.¡±


    There was a small farmhouse on a low hill. It looked old, but it seemed clean and well-maintained.


    The knight reached out his hand to Heretia and said carefully, ¡°Are you able to walk?¡±


    ¡°If I want to get used to walking, then I have to walk more.¡±


    Heretia got off the horse and carefully stepped on the ground. An exquisite prosthetic leg was revealed, but it was soon covered by her skirt.


    Heretia looked like she was having a hard time keeping her bnce, but she eventually managed to ce her other foot down.


    The knight kept a close eye on Heretia¡¯s movement while quietly following her.


    Shortly after approaching the farmhouse, a small child appeared. The child looked at Heretia with curious eyes and soon ran inside the farmhouse. Soon, the other children rushed outside to stare at Heretia with only their faces poking out.


    Among them, a girl who looked to be about ten years old quickly ran out while wiping her hands on her apron.


    ¡°Hello. What brings you here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m looking for thendlord of the farmhouse.¡±


    Soon, the door opened once again. A woman with bright blonde hair and odd eyes came out of the door. The woman¡¯s eyes were odd because one of her eyes was blue while the other was orange.


    It didn¡¯t take too long for the nobledy to recognize the woman. After all, the woman¡¯s appearance hadn¡¯t changed at all from thest time she saw her.


    ¡°Long time no see, Sina.¡±


    Sina looked at Heretia with wide eyes and eximed, ¡°Heretia? Oh my goodness! Is that really you? Heretia?¡±


    Heretia opened her arms wide with a big smile.


    Sina approached Heretia without saying a word and hugged her tightly.


    Heretia patted Sina¡¯s head and smiled.


    ¡°It¡¯s been five years.¡±


    ¡®<i>Five years¡­</i>¡¯


    Sina sighed. It was neither long nor short.


    ¡°Has it really been that long?¡±


    ¡°Time has been flying so fast since that day¡­¡±


    Heretia stepped into the farmhouse with Sina. The children crowded in and looked up at Heretia with curious eyes. Heretia looked down at the children with an overwhelmingly bright smile. Then, she turned her gaze to the entire farmhouse.


    ¡°Is this ine Elliot¡¯s orphanage?¡± Heretia asked.


    Sina nodded in silence.


    Heretia looked back and forth between the farmhouse and the children with a heartbroken expression.


    All those who had spent time with Juan five years ago felt indebted. After that day, Sina went out looking for traces of the woman whom Juan and Gerard had mentioned.


    There was a huge chance that everyone, including Juan, simply found it difficult to mention her name.


    However, it was also possible that they weren¡¯t familiar with her at all.


    Therefore, Sina couldn¡¯t understand why the woman wasbeled one of the apostates.


    For her, the woman was undeserving of such a grand title.


    The woman had done nothing but stand by the emperor¡¯s side.


    ¡°I was really surprised when I heard that you found this ce. No one really knew ine Elliot¡¯s whereabouts, you know? Even His Majesty had never really looked for her,¡± Heretia said.


    ¡°I feel like Juan already knew what happened to her. It has been a long time, anyway. ine was just an ordinary womanpared to the other legendary figures next to Juan. She was already over forty years old when the emperor was assassinated, and she was almost a hundred years old by the time His Majesty was resurrected. I understand why it was hard for him to think that she was still alive,¡± Sina answered.


    ¡°But he could have still looked for her to¡ª¡±


    ¡°When ine Elliot died,¡± Sina said calmly, ¡°She was ny-seven years old. It was in thete autumn¡ªthat¡¯s what the people in the neighborhood told me.¡±


    Heretia looked surprised after ine¡¯s age was calcted.


    ¡°It coincides with the time when His Majesty was resurrected. What if her death and His Majesty¡¯s resurrection are rted?¡± Heretia asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not too sure, but¡­ we¡¯ve already seen His Majesty¡¯s resurrection many times before, and he also told us to live so that he will live.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°I am not sure what kind of rtionship ine had with His Majesty, but I can imagine her thoughts at the brink of death and what she had been waiting for her entire life. She was probably the only one in the empire who kept on believing in Juan¡¯s return rather than the return of the emperor who will sit on the eternal throne¡­¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t even imagine how much she wanted to witness Juan¡¯s return...¡± Sina held her hands together and continued. ¡°Without her, His Majesty¡¯s resurrection would have urred at least hundreds of yearster. We are all indebted to ine Elliot, and our debt is as much as we owe Juan. Perhaps His Majesty came to learn of ine¡¯s fate when he was resurrected.¡±


    Heretia started tearing up as she muttered, ¡°I have always been thinking that I should visit, but I regret that it has taken me so long.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. The donations you made have been a huge help,¡± Sina smiled.


    In fact, Sina thought there was no need for Heretia to apologize at all.


    Finding ine Elliot¡¯s orphanage was just Sina¡¯s insistence. Meanwhile, Heretia had carried out much more important and difficult tasks¡ªtrying to protect the empire, for example.


    ¡°How is Pavan Peltere doing? There is no one visiting this area aside from a peddler doing business with us. So it¡¯s hard to news about the world outside,¡± Sina asked.


    Heretia revealed a sad look. The memories of their victory that day still made their heart beat and their blood boil. After all, it was a miraculous victory that was only possible because everyone stood shoulder-to-shoulder.


    Unfortunately, they quickly had to face the cold reality.


    One of the cold realities involved the many empty official seats, and one of those seats was the emperor¡¯s throne.


    ***


    ¡°Dame Sina, no¡ªMiss Sina. You left before Pavan dered himself the second emperor, right?¡±


    Sina nodded at Heretia¡¯s words.


    To no one¡¯s surprise, Pavan was the first person to jump into the power struggle right after the victory. Pavan held the support of the military as if he had been waiting all along and dered himself a temporary Grand Duke.


    It was his first step toward session to the throne.


    Of course, bacsh broke out everywhere in the empire, but it was inevitable. The empire was on the verge of breaking apart, and the empire had never really had a proper emperor.


    Therefore, it was only natural for the empire to copse once the emperor to be disappeared.


    However, the ruins of the empire had to be preserved as much as possible. In a sense, Pavan¡¯s deration was the best measure to preserve the empire.


    Sina immediately returned her sword and gave up her position as a knight as soon as Pavan dered himself to be the Grand Duke. Instead of serving as a knight, she set out to find traces of Juan to settle her long-standing debt.


    ¡°I already know that Pavan had dered himself the second emperor. It¡¯s a piece of news that¡¯s impossible to miss. I¡¯ve heard that the current government is doing great, but¡­¡±


    ¡°There are still some people who find it difficult to acknowledge him as the emperor. The bacsh from the East was especially huge. After all, the East received the second most damage after the North. Horhell argued that Haild had the right to imperial session, but¡­ it was an argument that was difficult to ept,¡± Heretia said with a bitter smile.


    Horhell¡¯s argument was reasonable. The emperor¡¯s children had passed, but Haild was Gerard¡¯s son. However, there was no way people could ept a traitor¡¯s son as the emperor.


    Haild was admirable in both personality and prowess, but his traits didn¡¯t really matter that much. On the other hand, Haild found it difficult to acknowledge Pavan as the emperor after having been repeatedly betrayed.


    Sina nodded. ¡°I did hear that there is a big conflict between the two.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s more serious than you think, Miss Sina. There have already been several skirmishes among the soldiers, and there have even been assassination attempts.¡±


    Sina¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Assassination attempts? From which side?¡±


    ¡°From both sides. Pavan might have manipted it considering his smarts, but things are ugly between the two.¡±


    ¡°Can you intervene and mediate between them, Miss Heretia?¡±


    Heretia¡¯s presence was the reason why Sina wasn¡¯t too worried when she left the Capital. Heretia held the authority to control the Golems surrounding the holy city of Torra. In addition, she was a duke with enough connections to dominate the House of Peers, and she also possessed the seal of the emperor.


    Heretia had a strong position within the empire.


    It was even often said that there were two emperors in the empire.


    Heretia smiled bitterly at Sina¡¯s question.


    ¡°...I chose to stand by Pavan¡¯s side. You know that Haild proposed to me before. It wasn¡¯t that I had no feelings for him, but the empire would have immediately been torn apart if I had chosen Haild¡¯s side. I couldn¡¯t ept Haild¡¯s proposal. It was already decided that Pavan would be the emperor.¡±


    Heretia ended up supporting Pavan. It was based on the idea that the discourse about independent self-governance would be reduced if the bnce of power waspletely in favor of Pavan.


    Heretia ended up being correct, the discourses about the idea from the North and South sharply declined.


    ¡°But the stance of the East has remained unchanged. I understand them, though. It¡¯s an area that has not only been discriminated against for a long time, but they have also achieved great things this time. How could they let the enemy who once stood up against the emperor hold the imperial power?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. It really is a difficult situation¡­¡± Sina muttered.


    Heretia cautiously leaned toward Sina and whispered, ¡°In that sense, I need you to do me a favor. Sina, will you please take Haild¡¯s side for me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡± Sina asked back with surprised eyes.


    Heretia¡¯s expression was serious. She was the second inmand of the empire. Sina couldn¡¯t understand her suggestion. Why was Heretia saying that Sina should support the side that had been wanting the empire to be a self-governing state?


    ¡°I think I¡¯m the only one who stands between the two. I warned Pavan several times that I won¡¯t sit back and watch if he attacked the East, but the deterrence of my threat won¡¯tst long. If the East attacks first, a counterattack will immediately ensue. I¡¯m very well aware of Pavan and the Imperial Army¡¯s capabilities¡­¡±


    ¡±The East will be torn apart in a heartbeat.¡±


    Entalucia had left the empire long ago with Orca. However, even if she were still here, she still wouldn¡¯t get involved in a war between humans.


    ¡°So you want me to fight for the East?¡± Sina asked.


    ¡°No. Your presence alone will be enough of a deterrent for Pavan.¡±


    Sina frowned.


    ¡°Thank you for thinking so highly of me, but¡­it¡¯s been a long time since I put my sword down. I¡¯ll only be as good as an ordinary knight even if I hold my sword again. I don¡¯t intend to hold a sword again, anyway, and I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be much help even if I did. Do you happen to think that Pavan will restrain himself because of my name?¡±


    Heretia smiled bitterly. ¡°Sina. You have no idea just how important you are. The reason the empire and the East still haven¡¯t shed is that they have no idea whose side you will take and¡­ to respect ine Elliot¡¯s orphanage. However, the young officials are unfamiliar with you, and things are starting to change because of their ignorance.¡± joined.¡±


    Heretia chuckled hollowly as if her own words had dumbfounded her.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe that I just used the words <i>young officials.</i> It hasn¡¯t been that long since we started resisting the old system as youngsters. It has only been five years, yet everyone has already changed drastically. ¡±


    Heretia knew that what the emperor had forcibly stopped had started flowing once again. The empire¡¯s destruction was a foregone conclusion, but Heretia wanted to protect the empire to the best of her abilities.


    Sina did not answer Heretia. She made a cup of tea and brought it to the table.


    Heretia gratefully received the cup.


    ¡°I understand that you want to prevent the war by any means necessary. I¡¯m sad that our oldrades are about to fight each other, even though they once stood shoulder-to-shoulder. However, I have no intention of settling down anywhere,¡± Sina answered in a firm voice.


    ¡°Sina...¡±


    ¡°Anyway, this is a good tea. The paddlers often bring interesting items. Perhaps they travel to far ces.¡±


    Heretia sighed and took a sip of the tea.


    Sina looked closely into her belongings on the back of the horse. The amount of Heretia¡¯s luggage seemed like she wasn¡¯t here for a short trip. At the sight, Sina quickly realized Heretia¡¯s intention.


    ¡°Are you going to leave the empire once you¡¯ve heard that I¡¯m not going to the East?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the only thing I can do at this point,¡± Heretia said as she put the teacup down on the table. ¡°Of course, that doesn¡¯t mean that there are no countermeasures. You must already know that my merchants discovered other human civilizations from beyond the boundaries. Opert has been working hard as well. I intend to distract the East from the internal affairs of the empire. There¡¯s no need for them to be tied to the emperor and the empire when it has already been five years since that day...¡±


    ¡°Beyond the boundaries¡­¡±


    The boundaries disappeared when Juan got rid of Mananen McLeir¡¯s body, but the people¡¯s hearts still instinctively rejected the idea. However, Heretia was actively pioneering a path beyond the boundaries.


    The exchange hadn¡¯t developed to the extent of national trade, but there were trades happening between the civilizations and the countries beyond the boundaries.


    ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t know if things are going to go smoothly like this. Inter-civilization exchanges are bound to be apanied by conflict, after all. In other words, we¡¯re like attacking other countries to stop the empire¡¯s inevitable destruction.¡±


    ¡°I knew that there were humans beyond the boundaries, but¡­ I can¡¯t imagine a civilization and a country being there. Are they even human? Are they heterogeneous races?¡±


    ¡°Heterogenous races, <i>huh?</i>¡± Heretia chuckled.


    Heretia smiled slightly and leaned toward Sina with a very serious look.


    ¡°Sina. Do you know why His Majesty said that it will be the humans who will defeat Qzatquizail? Why do you think he praised humans like that when he despised the idea of creating a world only for humans?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m not sure. I think it¡¯s because he couldn¡¯te up with another expression?¡±


    ¡°I found something interesting while looking through Uncle Harmon¡¯s records. It turns out that Uncle Harmon was a member of Aruntal.<i>?Oh,</i> of course. I¡¯m talking about the real Aruntal, not the fake Aruntal under Dane. I guess he was able to escape with his life before all of Aruntal was captured and executed. However, he pulled out some interesting records from Aruntal¡¯s records.¡±


    ¡°What kind of records?¡±


    ¡°There was no such thing as heterogenous races until the Ancient Dragon Age. It is said that the only intelligent creatures were humans. However, when the mythological age came, the gods made it so that humans would dere themselves as their own race. Therefore, it was only natural that the gods protected the heterogeneous races in exchange for the heterogeneous races¡¯ servitude. That¡¯s why only humans have no gods.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hah¡­</i>¡± Sina sighed, seemingly dumbfounded. ¡°So it was only natural that the heterogenous races lost their unique characteristic and returned to their original forms when the gods died. Wait, then Dane¡¯s n to make a god for mankind was¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all to ultimately make a god for all races, and it was His Majesty. The heterogeneous races were a bit distorted until the emperor¡¯s assassination because of Dane¡¯s allusion, but they regained their original forms after His Majesty was resurrected. Isn¡¯t that interesting?¡±


    ¡°That makes sense,¡± Sina replied with a smile.


    Heretia smiled as well and put down the teacup.


    ¡°Well, I guess this is it then. I¡¯m ashamed to have asked you for such an embarrassing favor.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that, Heretia.¡±


    Heretia remained seated in silence for quite a while.


    Sina btedly noticed the tears running down Heretia¡¯s cheeks.


    The confused Sina brought a handkerchief and handed it over to Heretia.


    ¡°<i>Oh,</i> no. This is just¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I just can¡¯t help but think that what we had done was in vain.¡±


    ¡°Heretia.¡±


    ¡°I thought that we were making a great history when we fought as one under His Majesty¡¯s banner. We stood together against a great disaster. But now¡­ we¡¯re fighting against each other again. Are we destined to fight each other until thest man standing? If the eternal emperor were here, then things would have been rather¡ª¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s nonsense, Heretia,¡± Sina interrupted Heretia with a firm voice.


    Heretia lowered her head upon realizing her slip of the tongue.


    However, Sina could understand where Heretia wasing from.


    In the end, it was hard to say who was right or wrong. They could only hope that the world would stabilize and change rather than remain chaotic until the end of time.


    Sina hoped that her words would console Heretia as she spoke carefully, ¡°Heretia. We don¡¯t know what¡¯s going to happen in the future, but¡­¡±


    ¡°But?¡±


    ¡°But if you¡¯re concerned about war, then you don¡¯t have to worry about war breaking out in the near future. However, the deterrent isn¡¯t me nor this orphanage¡ªit¡¯s someone else.¡±

 Chapter 261 – Epilogue: Old Tree

    <h4>Chapter 261 ¨C Epilogue: Old Tree</h4>


    There were two people lying down on a shallow hill with their eyes on the farmhouse. A hundred fully armed mercenaries were waiting for instructions while standing behind the two.


    The man looking at the farmhouse through a cylindrical object said, ¡°I¡¯m sure, sis. It¡¯s Sina Solvane, and that fucking bitch Heretia is next to her.¡±


    ¡°<i>Wow,</i> Colter did something right for the first time. Our enemies are finally all in one ce.¡±


    They were Igel and Ioshiff, the Ilde siblings.


    Five years ago, Imil Ilde came to the conclusion that he neither had the ce to stand in the Crack nor did he want to join forces with the monsters. He had decided topromise and decided to rule the empire.


    Imil Ilde¡¯s judgment ended up being right to some extent, considering that Gerard¡¯s forces left in the Crack ended up suffering. However, he had no idea that Heretia had the authority to control the Golems in the holy city of Torra.


    Imil and his meager army of rebels were ruthlessly crushed. Of course, Imil¡¯s corpse couldn¡¯t be found anywhere after being crushed along with the other rebels.


    Igel and Ioshiff miraculously managed to survive the chaos. However, there was nothing the two could do after beingbeled as fugitives by the empire. Aruntal was scattered everywhere, and their strong background as members of the Ilde family was gone.


    In the end, all they could do was wander around the slums to rob people and work as mercenaries.


    Ioshiff signaled at the mercenaries. They used to be members of the same bandit group, but they were now mercenaries.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be able to take revenge and get paid at the same time. We¡¯re about to kill two birds with one stone,¡± Ioshiff said.


    ¡°Sis. Do you think we¡¯ll be able to confront Sina Solvane?¡± Igel asked.


    ¡°It has been a long time since she wielded her sword, so she won¡¯t be that much of a threat. However, there¡¯s a possibility that someone might avenge them if we aren¡¯t careful enough, so why don¡¯t we just kill the children and set the farmhouse on fire?¡±


    ¡°I think that¡¯s a great n. By the way, I want to catch Heretia myself. I want to see her crawl like a bug after I break that prosthetic leg of hers,¡± Igel said.


    Igel tried to stand up with a satisfied look on his face, but he heard a voiceing from behind.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    The voice belonged to an old man speaking haughtily in an ented voice. The old man was riding a carriage on the road. The soldiers and the Ilde siblings were confused.


    They hadn¡¯t been able to hear the sound of the carriage until now.


    However, the old man sat still without moving a single inch.


    Igel suddenly remembered that a peddler would sometimes stop by this orphanage.


    ¡°Let me ask again. Who are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not really looking for a bonus, but I guess there¡¯s no other choice.¡±


    Igel clicked his tongue and signaled at the mercenaries.


    Five mercenaries approached the old man to try and bring him down.


    However, the old man simply frowned and said, ¡°You must be bandits.¡±


    There was a sh, and the severed hands of the five mercenaries flew into the air.


    Igel knew that the old man couldn¡¯t be an ordinary peddler, and his assumption ended up being correct. He noticed a small brooch hiding beneath the old man¡¯s coat.


    The brooch had the emblem of a dark red crow.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Order of Huginn!¡±


    ¡°Why are all bandits so loud?¡± the old man muttered.


    Igel and Ioshiff judged that things had gone wrong. They quickly sent the mercenaries to charge at the old man. They reckoned that the old man wouldn¡¯t be able to deal with a hundred mercenaries on his own, even if he was a Huginn knight.


    The bigger issue was that the Order of Huginn mighte here after hearing of themotion.


    Igel and Ioshiff hurriedly looked for a way out.


    They turned and heard a soft noise. Their eyes were pierced at the same time. They could feel a grotesque sensation as if the objects that had pierced their eyes were scratching the insides of their skull.


    However, they had no time to react as their brains were quickly stirred into a fine mush.


    The final image that the Ilde siblings saw was a woman with the emblem of a dark red crow on her chest.


    The eyes of the Ilde siblings zed over as the woman hurled them toward the mercenaries.


    Igel and Ioshiff roared and charged at the mercenaries before their feet could even touch the ground.


    The mercenaries were quickly massacred by the two without being able to react.


    The mercenaries were killed, and they became knights of the dead in the proverbial blink of an eye. The number of undead creatures had grown once more, and Anya stared quietly at them.


    ***


    ¡°She¡¯s getting better and better.¡±


    ¡°It will be hard to find a necromancer as good as her. Actually, it will be hard to find a magician on the same level as her. Even the Tower Master of the Magic Tower is probably no match for her.¡±


    Pavan saw Anya¡¯s ughter through a telescope from a distance. He was so far from the farmhouse that the farmhouse looked even smaller than his fingernails. Captain Kilt of the Order of the Capital was standing next to him. Captain Kilt used to be the deputy.


    Pavan had been tracking down the Ilde siblings. But instead of ending them with his own hands, Pavan decided to throw them as meat to the wildest dog he knew¡ªto Anya, the Captain of the Order of Huginn who had been protecting ine Elliot¡¯s orphanage.


    The mercenaries and the Ilde siblings didn¡¯t evenst ten seconds before they became members of Anya¡¯s undead.


    The old man, whom they thought was just an ordinary peddler, was unscathed.


    ¡°She was already a powerful monster five years ago, but she has be even stronger. It won¡¯t be an exaggeration to call her the goddess of death at this point,¡± Pavan said.


    ¡°But the captain of the Order of Huginn¡¯s lifespan is limited¡­ as far as I know,¡± Kilt answered.


    ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t know how long she¡¯ll live, but our descendants may start heading toward the East one day.¡±


    Pavan smiled bitterly and nced behind him. The young talents with important positions in the military and those who were expected to y important roles in the Order of the Capital in the future were standing behind Pavan. Most of them were hard-liners for an expedition to the East.


    They watched the scene of Anya¡¯s ughter with pale expressions as they exchanged the telescopes with each other. One of the knights asked with a trembling voice.


    ¡°Is she the captain of the Order of Huginn?¡±


    ¡°Yes. What do you think?¡± Pavan asked.


    ¡°...She¡¯s a monster.¡±


    The hard-liners quickly gave up their lingering attachment to the East. There were more reasons why Pavan had been dying the expedition to the East aside from Heretia¡¯s resistance and his respect for Sina.


    The biggest reason was Anya. She was like a ghost, and she had always destroyed everything that Pavan had sent to approach the East.


    ine Elliot¡¯s orphanage was located exquisitely near the border between the empire and the East, so the imperial military even had to draw a separate borderline on the map.


    Anya had an overwhelming presence in the empire in terms of force alone. Ever since the disappearance of the emperor and his children, Anya was the only one in the empire with thebat level befitting someone from the mythological era.


    Her presence was terrifying, and everyone coveted her.


    Pavan suddenly noticed something strange while observing Anya through the telescope.


    Anya was staring at him.


    Pavan thought that there was no way she could have noticed him, considering the distance, but he broke out into a cold sweat for some reason.


    Pavan quickly folded the telescope and tried to stand up.


    Someone snatched the telescope away from him the moment he tried to stand up.


    Anya was now standing in front of him.


    Anya looked around at the telescope and held it upside down to hold it close to her eyes. The telescope was thetest invention, even in the empire, so it was only natural that Anya had no idea what it was.


    ¡°Anya. I mean¡­ Captain of the Order of Huginn,¡± Pavan said as he tried his best to make a friendly smile.


    Kilt tried to grab his sword in a hurry, but there was nothing around his waist as Pavan instructed him to leave his arms off before approaching ine Elliot¡¯s orphanage. Nothing would have changed even if Kilt had a sword since his swordsmanship was not as good as Pavan¡¯s. But even Pavan couldn¡¯t imagine how to attack Anya.


    ¡°Pavan Peltere,¡± Anya said with a bright smile.


    However, Anya¡¯s smile felt bizarre in Pavan¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Is it fun to y the emperor?¡± Anya asked.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve been having fun...¡±


    ¡°If you want to keep having fun¡­¡± Anya brought her face close to Pavan¡¯s ear and whispered, ¡°You better not go anywhere near Sina.¡±


    Pavan gulped and nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡±


    ¡°You would have been mumbling and wandering around with the mercenaries over there if you hadn¡¯t informed me in advance that you were sending those twin siblings over to me. You gave me a pretty good gift.¡± Anya giggled and continued. ¡°From now on, you don¡¯t have to see me in person. Just send the gifts over.¡±


    Pavan quickly nodded.


    Anya fiddled with the telescope in her hand as if it belonged to her before dissolving into a liquid that quickly disappeared.


    Pavan wiped the cold sweat off of his forehead and staggered backward.


    Kilt rushed over to support Pavan.


    ¡°She¡¯s so creepy,¡± Kiltined.


    ¡°But she¡¯s reliable as well, don¡¯t you think? She acts like that, but I kind of have a close rtionship with her. I might be able to get her on my side one day if I continue to diligently send her gifts.¡± Pavan shrugged.


    Kilt stared dumbfoundedly at Pavan.


    ¡°Do you actually mean that? If you do, I guess it will be yourst will.¡±


    ¡°You cheeky punk.¡±


    ¡°What are you going to do with Heretia? She has technicallymitted treason,¡± Kilt asked.


    Pavan stared in the direction where ine Elliot¡¯s orphanage was located without saying anything. He could no longer tell whether Heretia had left or not because Anya had taken away his telescope.


    Pavan quickly made a decision, but he thought that it was a decision that didn¡¯t fit him at all.


    ¡°Just let her be.¡±


    ***


    Heretia was gone, and Sina was sitting in the empty yard of the orphanage.


    When the sun set and the color of the wheat field started to turn orange, Sina suddenly felt lonely. Anya woulde back at night, but Sina would often feel this unbearable sense of loneliness until Anya¡¯s return.


    Sina was shaken by Heretia¡¯s suggestion because she had been feeling more and more lonely in recent days. She wanted to meet her oldrades again. She wanted tough with them, talk to them, and run with them.


    Sina had never once thought that she would miss the times when she had to fend for herself in multiple life-and-death situations. However, Sina knew that she was missing someone who had been standing next to her during those times rather than those times.


    ¡®<i>Juan.</i>¡¯


    The wind shook the wheat field. A long shadow drooped and mingled between the wheat field, and it seemed like someone was walking toward her through the wheat field.


    In the past few years, there have been several times Sina stood up and ran after thinking that Juan had appeared in the wheat field and was walking toward her.


    Juan¡¯s figure on the battlefield appeared numerous times in the wheat field.


    Sina thought that she had already gotten used to it, but she was still chasing after Juan¡¯s figure. She hoped that Juan would appear in the wheat fields one day, and she reckoned that the feeling had gotten stronger after Heretia¡¯s sudden visit.


    After all, visits from herrades during those times were rare.


    In fact, Haild had only visited Sina once. She was happy to see him again, and she had many conversations with him. However, Haild had told her to stand on his side. Of course, Sina wasn¡¯t the only one who had been missing therades of those times.


    Haild had proposed that Sina should stand on his side because he also wanted to relive those moments.


    However, Sina refused Haild¡¯s suggestion because she had to protect this ce. She had to protect ine Elliot¡¯s orphanage until Juan¡¯s return one day.


    It was questionable if Juan could return when the Crack hadpletely closed, and he had already be one with Qzatquizail. However, Sina believed that Juan woulde back one day as long as he was still alive.


    It seemed impossible, but everyone had the same thought¡ªJuan would return one day.


    ¡®<i>But will he return while I¡¯m still alive?</i>¡¯


    The sun turned red.


    Sina would always suffer during these times. She would always feel like Juan was approaching her through the wheat field in the distance during these times.


    Her logic was telling her that it was just an illusion. The Juan approaching her was either just a traveler who got lost or an animal looking around for food. However, she was surprisingly convinced that the silhouette approaching her right now was Juan.


    ¡®<i>I¡¯ll end up losing my mind at this rate.</i>¡¯


    Sina closed her eyes tightly and held gripped the armrests of her chair. She felt like she would stand up and greet the figure approaching her from the wheat field, but it wasn¡¯t just a feeling. She was already standing up.


    Sina was dumbfounded by herck of self-control.


    ¡®<i>But I swore to His Majesty¡­</i>¡¯


    This time, Sina wasn¡¯t hallucinating. Someone was really walking toward her.


    It was a ck-haired boy. The ck-haired boy was wearing exotic clothing that Sina had never seen before, but the skinny ck-haired boy definitely looked the same as that person¡ªparticrly during their first meeting.


    Sina thought that it was a kind of illusion that the setting sun had created, but the ck-haired boy stared at Sina for a while before moving his mouth.


    The wind sweeping across the wheat field muffled the ck-haired boy¡¯s voice, and Sina couldn¡¯t exactly make out what the ck-haired boy was saying.


    However, she was incredibly familiar with the ck-haired boy¡¯s voice.


    Upon realizing that, Sina had to acknowledge that she had truly gone crazy and that she had fallen into an inextricable hallucination. Sina wanted to shout Juan¡¯s name and hug the ck-haired boy tightly¡ªit didn¡¯t matter even if the ck-haired boy wasn¡¯t Juan.


    ¡°Juan?¡±


    The name that had been tickling Sina¡¯s throat finally burst out of her mouth like a sneeze.


    However, the ck-haired boy nodded in response.


    At that, Sina couldn¡¯t hold herself back anymore. She ran as fast as she could as if she was afraid that the ck-haired boy would disappear once more and as if she were an amputee whose leg had just grown back.


    Innread dot".


    Sina hugged Juan tightly, and they copsed on the wheat field in each other¡¯s arms.


    It seemed that the old tree had ended its own life to move on.


    And it became a sprout that was about to bloom...

 Chapter 262 – Side Story 1: To My Shining Emperor (1)

    <h4>Chapter 262 ¨C Side Story 1: To My Shining Emperor (1)</h4>


    ¡°Are you Miss ine Elliot?¡±


    A shadow loomed over ine, who was lying in the garden of the Imperial Pce and was enjoying the sunshine like a drowsy cat during spring. ine opened her eyes and found a familiar silhouette standing in front of her.


    ¡®<i>Juan?</i>¡¯


    She was about to speak Juan¡¯s name, but she realized that the individual in question was blond. It took her a bit longer to realize that the hair color was different due to the lighting, but ine soon recalled the identity of the individual looming over her.


    She stood up and smiled. ¡°Mr. Gerard.¡±


    Gerard revealed a surprised look, but he soon nodded while blushing.


    ine knew that Juan was raising an adopted son named Gerard. However, Gerard found it unfamiliar and difficult to meet new people. It wasn¡¯t because he was shy. It was all because everyone simply had no idea how to deal with Gerard, who looked exactly like Juan.


    This was ine¡¯s first time seeing Gerard.


    His Majesty Juan Calberg didn¡¯t have an official wife.


    ¡®<i>Even so, they really look alike.</i>¡¯


    ine was aware of the news about how the emperor had a hidden child, but ine also knew that it was just a rumor. Still, she was surprised to see Gerard¡¯s face. His face was exactly the same as Juan''s when Juan was still a child.


    However, ine didn¡¯t think that Gerard was Juan¡¯s biological child.


    To be exact, she didn¡¯t think it was any of her business.


    ine politely bowed toward Gerard.


    ¡°Yes. I am ine Elliot. What brings you here?¡±


    ¡°<i>Um,</i> well¡­¡±


    Gerard hesitated. His eyes stared alternatingly between ine and the ground. ine thought that Gerard was just acting cute, but she probably thought that way because he looked a lot like Juan.


    ¡®<i>Did he actually name him Gerard Gain? Seriously?</i>¡¯ ine recalled telling Juan that she didn¡¯t like that name because it sounded insincere. ¡®<i>But he still gave that name to his child. It¡¯s not like his child has any connections to that area.</i>¡¯


    Juan¡¯s abysmal naming sense stupefied ine.


    Gerard finally spoke, ¡°<i>Um,?</i>by any chance¡­ is Miss ine Elliot¡­ my mother?¡±


    ine abruptly froze. She spoke with difficulty, ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡±


    ¡°E-everyone has been saying that Miss ine is His Majesty¡¯s lover. I heard that you two are very old friends, and it has been a long time since you¡¯ve shared your wills. I¡ªwell¡­ I heard that you can still have children even if you¡¯re not married, so¡­¡±


    Gerard lowered his head and blushed.


    Gerard was still a young boy, but ine nodded. She figured that he was old enough to know about such a topic. However, the depths of Gerard¡¯s concerns could be seen clearly even in his immature question.


    ¡®<i>It must be an important question for him.</i>¡¯


    ine carefully chose her words before saying, ¡°No, I am not your mother.¡±


    Gerard¡¯s face turned even redder at ine¡¯s answer. He bit his lips and tried to say something.


    However, ine interrupted him by raising her hand and speaking, ¡°It¡¯s correct to call us lovers. I do love His Majesty, and His Majesty has also mentioned that he loves me as well.¡±


    ¡°Then, does that mean¡­¡±


    ¡°But didn¡¯t His Majesty also tell you that he loves you, Mr. Gerard? Don¡¯t you also love His Majesty, Mr. Gerard?¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a little different¡­ I mean, His Majesty said that he loves humanity.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough. Well, it is hard to imagine His Majesty loving someone exceptionally more than the others. In that sense, perhaps I¡¯m not his lover. I understand why the public is saying that I am receiving His Majesty¡¯s special treatment. His Majesty doesn¡¯t have that many women by his side, after all.¡±


    ¡°So are you saying that you are not His Majesty¡¯s lover?¡±


    ¡°The definition of lovers means people who love each other. But His Majesty loves humanity, so I guess you can technically say that we are lovers. However, the level of affection may vary depending on the individual in question, like if they¡¯re rebels or not. National policies and statistics cannot measure His Majesty¡¯s love for humanity. The empire will face difficulties if His Majesty ended up being biased toward a particr individual, and that individual can be his weakness as well. Therefore¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t quite understand what you mean¡­¡± Gerard interrupted.


    ¡®<i>That¡¯s because I don¡¯t want you to understand.</i>¡¯


    ine smiled and patted Gerard¡¯s head rather than giving him a clear answer.


    ¡°I cannot dare to im that I am His Majesty¡¯s lover. He has to find someone more suitable than me.¡±


    Gerard looked up at in with eyes filled with a thirst for knowledge.


    ine was familiar with such a gaze because she had grown up in an orphanage, and those eyes resembled Juan in his childhood.


    ¡®<i>He really looks like Juan to say that he is just an adopted child.</i>¡¯


    Unlike Juan, Gerard seemed introverted.


    However, ine could see that Gerard had Juan¡¯s characteristics to some extent.


    ¡®<i>He won¡¯t stay introverted for too long</i>.¡¯


    ine figured that Gerard simply wasn¡¯t sure of his identity. To be honest, Juan wasn¡¯t the type of person whom one should rely on emotionally. Of course, this didn¡¯t mean that Juan was a bad parent.


    Unfortunately, a child was bound to feel insecure if their parent was a mighty figure. They would start doubting if they could even match their parent¡¯s achievements. This was especially true for Gerard, whom everyone misunderstood as Juan¡¯s hidden child.


    After all, Juan was mankind¡¯s guardian.


    ¡®<i>I guess it¡¯s not strange that he feels shaken up by everyone¡¯s words.</i>¡¯


    ine thought that it would have been better if Gerard had a real mother whom he could rely on.


    ¡®<i>But I can¡¯t lie¡­¡¯</i>


    Gerard grabbed ine¡¯s hand.


    He looked down at the ground with a sullen gaze and mumbled, ¡°I was hoping that Miss ine was my mother. His Majesty seemed to really care a lot about Miss ine. He also said that you were a respectable person.¡±


    Gerard then carefully raised his head and asked, ¡°Since you love His Majesty, can you be my mother?¡±


    ine¡¯s expression turnedplicated at Gerard¡¯s words.


    ***


    ¡°I hate to ask you this, but¡­¡±


    Someone spoke to ine, who was dusting off the old books in the Imperial Library.


    It was Harmon Helwin, the Grand Duke of the empire.


    ine visited the Imperial Library because she was curious about a book that was written more than a hundred years ago, but she had no choice but to ce the book back on the bookshelf, thanks to Harmon¡¯s sudden visit.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to ask¡­¡±


    ine wanted Harmon to get straight to the point because she didn¡¯t want to talk to Harmon.


    However, Harmon¡¯s words were more surprising than ine could have bargained for.


    ¡°Is His Majesty sexually functional?¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯m sorry?¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t have erectile dysfunction or anything, does he?¡±


    ine red at Harmon.


    The old man with a stern face looked back at ine as if he was saying ¡®what are you going to do by ring at me like that?¡¯


    ine could crush that face if she really wanted to do so, but it didn¡¯t seem like a great idea, so she refrained from doing it.


    ¡°That¡¯s a private matter,¡± ine answered in a firm voice.


    ¡°His Majesty has no privacy¡ªespecially when ites to the security of the empire.¡±


    ¡°Then, why don¡¯t you ask him yourself?¡±


    ¡°His Majesty trusts me a lot, so how could I ask such a rude question to his face?¡±


    ¡®<i>It¡¯s not that Juan trusts you. He has already given up on you.</i>¡¯


    Harmon was a rude old man with an inted sense of self, but he was also a genius and a workaholic. The reason Harmon was still alive, despite the crazy things he had done in front of the emperor, was that Juan thought highly of his abilities.


    ine sighed and said, ¡°At least you know that¡¯s a rude question.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m asking you because you¡¯re the only one who has ever entered His Majesty¡¯s bed chambers.¡±


    ¡°Right. Are you sure about that?¡±


    ¡°No. I lied because I wanted to protect your self-esteem. I can¡¯t give you the details.¡±


    ¡°All I did in His Majesty¡¯s bed chambers was sleep. We either slept next to each other or talked until dawn. That is what we have always been doing since we were young.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re lying.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t my lie better than saying that His Majesty has erectile dysfunction?¡±


    Harmon frowned. ine was right. The idea that the almighty Sun of the Empire was impotent was something that Harmon didn¡¯t want to admit.


    With a determined look, Harmon said, ¡°I will go and ask him myself.¡±


    ¡°...Are you out of your mind?¡±


    ¡°He won¡¯t kill me. This is a problem that men can resolve by consulting each other. I¡¯ll hand him over some effective pills, and then I¡¯ll ask him. I¡¯ve already gotten old enough that it¡¯s impossible for me to get hard, so he should be able to rte to me. Won¡¯t it be great for you if this works out, Miss ine?¡±


    ine red at Harmon.


    She couldn¡¯t help but think that Harmon was actually serious. Regardless of whether Harmon was serious or not, ine still didn¡¯t want to talk about her intimacy with Juan.


    ine kept her re at Harmon and said, ¡°You¡¯re lying. You¡¯re not actually going to ask him, are you?¡±


    ¡°I have been serving him some decent pills during dinners. I¡¯ve also sent several beautiful women to his bed chambers before, but he dismissed them all. You¡¯re the only one who came out of his bed chambers in the morning,¡± Harmon said.


    He directed a displeased look at ine.


    More specifically, he was staring at ine¡¯s stomach.


    ¡°By any chance¡­ should I be serving you those fertility pills rather than His Majesty?¡±


    ¡®<i>All right. I¡¯m done.</i>¡¯ ine was done being generous. She mmed the book she was holding against Harmon¡¯s head.


    <i>Smack!</i>


    There was a loud smack, and Harmon¡¯s hat fell to the floor.


    ¡°You¡¯re a smart man, right? You should have known better than to insult me. I can put up with you insulting Juan, but you went too far by insulting me.¡±


    Harmon staggered backward, and he only stopped after holding on to the railing. The librarian came running, and he was surprised to see blood running down Harmon¡¯s forehead.


    Fortunately, he suffered only a small cut.


    ¡°It¡¯s great that the book was thin,¡± Harmon muttered.


    ine regretted her actions just now.


    The book she was holding was written a hundred years ago.


    ¡®<i>I should have smacked him with an encyclopedia.</i>¡¯


    However, the book in ine¡¯s hand was made out of leather that was only about a finger thick. She could have still caved in Harmon¡¯s head if she had struck him a bit harder, but she didn¡¯t want to hurt Harmon to that extent.


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you this in advance, but this book has many volumes even though it looks thin. You better choose your words wisely.¡±


    ine was saying that she wouldn¡¯t harm Harmon any further for the time being, but she would change her mind if Harmon said another rude remark.


    It seemed that Harmon now had a bounty on his cheek.


    Naturally, the bounty wasn¡¯t true, but it was true that many people wanted to p Harmon. Unfortunately for Harmon, ine was one of the very few people who would remain safe even if she pped him.


    ¡°His Majesty was right; you¡¯re amazing. Winoa Weaver also thinks pretty highly of you. I don¡¯t know how long it has been since someone hit me like this. I mean, I used to be pretty good at fighting, you know.¡±


    ¡°Juan and I have always been good at beating adults up.¡±


    ¡°What cheeky children you both were...¡±


    ¡°Thank you for thepliment, but as far as I know, you were kicked out of the Helwin Family because you were also a cheeky child.¡±


    Harmon and ine red at each other with eyes filled with hatred.


    The two hated meeting the same kind of people as them.


    The old and beaten Harmon raised his hand first.


    ¡°Miss ine, you have no idea just how desperate I am. His Majesty is in his prime, and the founding of the empire is still ongoing. We have just taken control of the Capital. The citizens will remain anxious until His Majesty nurtures a sessor.¡±


    ¡°But he has Gerard¡­¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter even if Gerard is His Majesty¡¯s hidden biological child; what¡¯s important is that he is <i>officially?</i>an adopted child. I¡¯m thinking that His Majesty may have announced Gerard as an adopted child to pave the way for his future biological child.¡±


    ¡°Juan isn¡¯t the type to scheme like that.¡±


    ¡°Please refer to him as His Majesty. Anyway¡ªno matter how good the adopted child is, there is no heir as adequate as the biological child.¡±


    ine was about to say something.


    However, Harmon reached out and waved his hand at her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that way, but the public will think that way. Honestly, blood means nothing. I¡¯ve seen many families that got ruined by obsessing over blood rtives. However, the idea that the sessor is the emperor''s biological child is good promotional material in itself. I¡¯m sure the citizens will love the idea as well..¡±


    ine finally understood what Harmon was trying to say.


    ine stared doubtfully at Harmon before saying, ¡°So you care more about thebel. In that case, I¡¯m sure you hate me for monopolizing the emperor¡¯s bed chambers for too long without getting pregnant.¡±


    ¡°Come on. I¡¯m not that petty.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s what you¡¯re thinking, right?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t say I hate you. I just thought that I should give you a few decent pills. To be honest, I don¡¯t understand why you are so upset. Don¡¯t you love His Majesty? The entire empire will be happy if you carry His Majesty¡¯s baby. It will also stabilize and secure your shaky position at the moment.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean shaky? What even is my position?¡±


    At the question, Harmon stared quizically at ine.


    ¡°You are the emperor¡¯s lover¡ªthe Empress.¡±


    ine¡¯s expression turnedplicated.

 Chapter 263 – Side Story 2: To My Shining Emperor (2)

    <h4>Chapter 263 ¨C Side Story 2: To My Shining Emperor (2)</h4>


    ¡°Those fucking bastards are out of their minds.¡±


    The bar owner looked at ine with anxious eyes. ine had been drinking since early evening.


    ine was a regr customer of this bar.


    Therefore, it wasn¡¯t strange for him to know about ine¡¯s identity, her rtionship with the emperor, and her alcohol tolerance. As far as he knew, ine had long exceeded her alcohol tolerance.


    ine thumped her ss down on the table and saw that she was out of beer.


    ¡°Give me another ss!¡±


    ¡°I think that¡¯s enough for tonight, Miss ine.¡±


    ¡°How many times have I made a fuss here while I¡¯m drunk?¡± ine asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember just exactly how many times I have told you that, but I do remember telling you that I will ban you from this bar if you kick up another fuss.¡±


    ine flinched and let go of her ss at the bar owner¡¯s words.


    Then, shey face down on the table with a sullen look.


    ¡°That¡¯s no good. There¡¯s no ce that sells beer that is as good as the beer here. I guess I¡¯ll have to go somewhere else to kick up a fuss.¡±


    The bar owner sighed and eventually served her another ss of beer. He thought it would be better to let her make a fuss in his bar rather than somewhere else. There was a chance that she would get in trouble with people who weren¡¯t aware of her identity.


    The bar owner admired His Majesty, so he decided to give ine what she wanted.


    ine smiled when the bar owner brought her another ss of beer.


    A young man quietly drinking from one side of the bar caught ine¡¯s eyes. The young man seemed to be a knight trainee. ine noticed him surreptitiously ncing at her while taking small sips of his beer.


    ine approached him with a grin. ¡°Hey, kiddo. Are you here alone?¡±


    The young man was confused when ine started a conversation out of nowhere.


    The bar owner quickly stepped in. He figured that it was time for ine to leave.


    ¡°Miss ine, it seems that you¡¯re already drunk. I¡¯ll bring you back to your ce safely.¡±


    ¡°<i>Ugh,</i> don¡¯t nag at me. Charge the sum to the Imperial Pce¡¯s ount. Kiddo, do you want to go out and drink with me somewhere else where no one can bother us?¡±


    ¡°<i>Um,</i> n-no. I¡¯m¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be shy. Come one.¡±


    ine pulled the young man¡¯s arm to drag him away.


    The young man blushed and followed ine.


    He obviously couldn¡¯t hide his interest in her.


    The bar owner was astonished, but he couldn¡¯t stop someone like ine.


    ine pulled the young man into a secluded alley.


    ¡°M-miss. We can¡¯t do this¡­¡±


    ¡°Do what?¡±


    ¡°I mean, I just need a little more time to prepare for¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you usually need time to prepare yourself before you get beaten up? I rmend you get rid of that habit. Crisis alwayses unannounced, you know.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡±


    ine suddenly punched the young man¡¯s face. The young man fell to the floor with a single blow. ine had a petite frame, but it seemed that her small figure contained an incredible amount of power behind them.


    ine also knew how to power up her punches by swinging her waist. Her aim was urate as well; she managed to hit the young man squarely in the chin, causing him to fall down and pass out.


    However, ine didn¡¯t stop there. She kicked him in the stomach and woke him up.


    ¡°<i>Ugh,</i> <i>blegh!</i>¡±


    The young man vomited and staggered up.


    However, ine ruthlessly trampled on his face before stomping on his face.


    ¡°The bar owner told me that he¡¯ll ban me if I make another fuss in his bar.¡±


    ine didn¡¯t seem drunk right now, unlike when she was still in the bar. She bent down and coldly whispered into the man¡¯s ears.


    ¡°Do you really think that this is my first time being followed? I¡¯ve been feeling that someone has been following me these days. Who sent you? Are you a member of the Berua Church? Or are you from Nigrato¡¯s side? If it¡¯s neither of them, is it Harmon? Well, I guess it doesn¡¯t really matter who sent you. I feel a little crappy today, so this is great.¡±


    ¡°<i>Ugh,</i> Heuk¡­I, I am a knight of the Order of the¡ª¡±


    ¡°A knight?¡± ine asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, Elliot.¡±


    ine turned to the voice that came from the entrance of the alley.


    Arge-framed man, who seemed to be about four meters in height, entered the alley.


    He was so huge that it was impossible to describe him with mere words. There was a crown-shaped on his head, and he had a ck beard.


    There was a chance that there were people who couldn¡¯t recognize the emperor, but there was no way people would fail to recognize the man because the man was thest remaining member of his species.


    ¡°Barth Baltic.¡±


    He was also known as the Great General. ine didn¡¯t really like Barth Baltic that much, and the reason was simple¡ªBarth didn¡¯t like her as well.


    ¡°That fellow is my subordinate, so just let him go.¡±


    ¡°For what reason is the Great General keeping tabs on me? Don¡¯t you have better things to do?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just one of the duties that we have to carry out. After all, you are His Majesty¡¯s¡ª¡±


    ¡°Lover?¡±


    ¡°¡ªImportant people. It¡¯ll be a problem if you get abducted.¡±


    ine was dumbfounded. She nced at the young man lying by her feet.


    ¡°So this punk is supposed to be my bodyguard? It seems that the strength of the members of the Order of the Capital is questionable. And are you sure that you came running here just because of a duty that you must carry out as the Great General?¡±


    ¡°I came here to fetch you because I heard that you¡¯re drunk again. I can¡¯t leave your well-being to someone else,¡± Barth¡¯s expression distorted as he muttered, ¡°Do you really think that I enjoy taking care of you? If you¡¯re not nning on holding him hostage, then just let him go. I¡¯ll exin.¡±


    ine shrugged and removed her foot from the young man¡¯s back.


    Barth cleaned the young man¡¯s vomit-covered face with his cloak. Barth patted the young man¡¯s shoulder and encouraged him before sending him away.


    Barth seemed like he was taking care of a child, so ine figured that he had to be telling the truth.


    ¡°Great General. Why are you keeping tabs on me? It bothers me.¡±


    ¡°Are you asking because you don¡¯t know? You are the emperor¡¯s walking weakness.¡±


    ¡°Are you overestimating me, or are you underestimating Juan? Does Juan look like someone who¡¯ll make mistakes just because of amoner?¡±


    ¡°Yes, because you are <i>totally</i> nothing more than just an ordinarymoner. Why don¡¯t you pay a little more attention to how other people see you? Even if His Majesty eventually chooses to do the right thing, people will start doubting His Majesty¡¯s ability if something were to happen to you. Whether you like it or not, the people know you as His Majesty¡¯s lover. You¡¯re one of the reasons His Majesty seems like he¡¯s not the emperor.¡±


    ¡°One of the reasons, my ass! How can you say so?¡±


    ¡°You know that His Majesty¡¯s character resembles you a lot, right? That alone is already an issue. If his personality were just a bit more serious and mature¡ªhe¡¯s even more immature when you¡¯re around him.¡±


    ine was offended, but she had no choice but to admit that Barth was speaking the truth. Juan had grown a lot, but he often acted like a child whenever he was around ine. She thought that Juan was just that kind of person, but a few people like Barth obviously didn¡¯t think so.


    ¡°Go and whine about it to His Majesty if you have a problem with that; you shouldn¡¯t whine to me. Why are there so many people whining to me these days? I¡¯m not Juan¡¯s babysitter. I was a prettypetent leader of the refugees before I joined Juan¡¯s camp.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll return your own words right back to you. If you want to be so selfish, be loyal to His Majesty. Swear that you¡¯ll serve His Majesty and ept a position from him. Didn¡¯t I promise that I¡¯ll make sure that you¡¯ll have your own ce in the Order of the Capital? Winoa Weaver seemed like he¡¯s looking up to you. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be happy to offer you his position,¡± said Barth Baltic.


    He frowned before continuing. ¡°Let¡¯s be honest here. You haven¡¯t even sworn an oath of allegiance to His Majesty, but you¡¯re constantly by his side. What do you think the public will think upon seeing that? You should consider upholding your dignity and marrying him.¡±


    ine red at Barth. This wasn¡¯t the first time she had been asked or was forced to swear her allegiance to the emperor. She was guaranteed a position within the Imperial Pce, and Juan was also looking forward to her <i>officially</i> joining his camp.


    However, ine didn¡¯t want to swear allegiance to Juan.


    ¡°Juan is my friend and a colleague; there is no reason for me to serve him.¡±


    ¡°Yes. You are His Majesty¡¯s girlfriend.¡±


    ¡®<i>Did he actually just say girlfriend?</i>¡¯


    ineughed and grinned.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to use a very childish expression, Great General. If you want to take my ce, then you should be a bit sexier. I think you¡¯ll look handsome if you shave. Do you know thatrge-framed and quiet guys like you are the ones often ying the role of the bottom, unlike what most people think?¡±


    Barth looked like he had no idea what ine was talking about, but ine quickly walked out of the alley while the former was still processing her words.


    ine started running away.


    Seeing that, Barth seemed to have finally realized what she was talking about, and his veins bulged out of fury.


    ine turned around and shouted, ¡°The next time you get your subordinate to follow me, I¡¯ll make sure he¡¯ll have to crawl back to you!¡±


    ***


    ¡°Get away from me. <i>Ah,</i> but not too far away.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Juan was confused. ine was the one who visited his office, but why was she saying that he should get away from her?


    Still, Juan obliged, and he stared at her awkwardly from a distance.


    ine didn¡¯t say anything. She simply walked around Juan¡¯s office, surrounded by an inexplicably sharp air that did not allow any questions.


    Juan cautiously returned to his desk.


    The desk had a mountain of documents from Harmon.


    Juan didn¡¯t really have to inspect every single word written on the documents because they had already passed Harmon¡¯s review. However, Juan knew that he still had to take a closer look at each and every one of them because they were all confidential.


    Unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t just ignore ine, who was obviously in a bad mood.


    ¡°ine. Why don¡¯t you go wait in my room? I¡¯ll be right there as soon as I¡¯m done with my work, so¡­¡±


    ¡°No. I came here because this is the only ce with no annoying bastards who can¡¯t just help but piss me off. I don¡¯t want to go to your room. Who knows how many more bastards will pop out and talk nonsense once I emerge from your room?¡±


    ¡®<i>Bastards? That¡¯s plural.</i>¡¯


    Juan seemed concerned.


    ¡°I did hear that you beat Harmon up earlier today. Did you perhaps beat more people up?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean I beat him up? I <i>lightly</i> tapped him with a book, that¡¯s all. And why do you think I beat people up whenever I¡¯m pissed? Did someone tell you that I beat them up?¡±


    ¡°Well, no. No one told me, but¡­¡±


    ¡°See?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m asking you just in case...¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t make careless assumptions...¡±


    ine deliberately didn¡¯t bring up the story about how she had beaten up a knight of the Order of the Capital.


    ¡°So, who made you angry?¡±


    Juan put down his pen and prepared to listen.


    ine was aware that mentioning someone''s name could potentially put them in danger, regardless of who they were. However, ine had no intention of doing so, as she knew it would only fuel the prejudice that Harmon and Barth Baltic had toward her.


    In the first ce, she had never reallyined about anyone to Juan.


    ¡°Since you¡¯vee here to talk to me about it in person, you must have heard something harsh. Tell me about it.¡±


    Juan was ready to listen to ine because she had never reallyined about other people to him. ine had handled most of her problems by herself, leaving Juan to clean the crumbs.


    ¡°No, Juan. I came here and started whining to you because you¡¯re involved.¡±


    Juan revealed aplicated look at ine¡¯s words. He wanted to do ine a favor, but she had just said that he was involved.


    ¡°And you should have asked me why I¡¯m angry rather than who made me angry.¡±


    ¡°I mean¡­ this isn¡¯t the first time you¡¯re angry, and there are many possible reasons why you¡¯re angry. It¡¯s actually a bit absurd and confusing.¡±


    ¡°Come on. It¡¯s not that absurd, is it?¡±


    ¡°Honestly, I sometimes think that you just needed an excuse to beat people you don¡¯t like.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just say that I have many ways of expressing my emotions.¡±


    ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s just say that.¡±


    ¡°And were there cases where I was unreasonable while expressing my emotions?¡±


    ¡°There were times when it got a bit too much.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hm.</i>¡± ine nodded. She looked like she had fallen into contemtion as she said, ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right if you say so, but I am not nning on changing. Anyway, take a look at me.¡±


    ine stood in front of Juan and opened her arms.


    ¡°What do you see?¡±


    Juan fell into deep thought.


    He could not figure out what kind of answer ine wanted to hear.


    ¡®<i>I¡¯d rather fight a monster or a god.</i>¡¯


    Juan considered many different answers, but he eventually chose the simplest and most obvious answer.


    ¡°ine Elliot?¡±


    ine seemed satisfied to hear Juan¡¯s answer.


    Juan was relieved to see that he got the right answer, but ine¡¯s face soon turned cold.


    At the sight, Juan¡¯s heart sank.


    ¡°Good. So you know it well. However, the three people who made me angry today were looking at me a bit differently than you do. I can forgive one of them, considering his young age and pitiful circumstances, but the other two are truly the sons of bitches.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me who they are? Who is it other than Harmon?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who they are, Juan. I used to be a pretty good warrior and a refugee leader before I decided to stand by your side. I think I was pretty decent, but I still couldn¡¯tpare to your greatness, which wasn¡¯t really strange. Oh,<i>?</i>of course. I¡¯m not trying topare our achievements or anything. It¡¯ll be meaningless to do so.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    ¡°The issue is that I somehow be nothing more than a mother, a womb, and a mistress the moment I stand next to you rather than the skilled person I had been before I joined your camp.¡±


    Juan stared agape at her. However, his expression quickly turned ugly.


    ine hurriedly raised her hands upon seeing that.


    ¡°My bad. I exaggerated it a bit because I¡¯m upset. They actually didn¡¯t say that. Let me correct myself. I feel like I have be nothing more than a mother, the empress, and a lover.¡±


    ¡°Give me their names, ine.¡±


    ¡°I told you! Their names don¡¯t matter!¡±


    ine mmed her hand on Juan¡¯s desk, scattering the mountain of documents into the air.


    ¡°Everyone looking at me has the same thoughts; those three weren¡¯t alone. Most of the people you rule seem to perceive me that way, and there are always going to be bastards who¡¯ll talk nonsense like today. Are you going to ask me each of their names every time?¡±


    Juan didn¡¯t answer.


    ine and Juan stared at each other for a long time, but Juan eventually surrendered.


    He sighed and shook his head. ¡°All right. I won¡¯t ask for their names anymore. Then, what do you want me to do?¡±


    ¡°First, I want you to make it clear to me. Make it clear that I¡¯m not someone¡¯s mother, wife, or lover¡ªI¡¯m just ine Elliot. And you are just Juan Calberg, not anyone¡¯s father, the emperor, nor the guardian of mankind.¡±


    Juan couldn¡¯t understand ine. Aruntal had told him that he was born an emperor and was born to be an emperor. Juan was the emperor from the moment he was born, so he had no idea how to start thinking that he wasn¡¯t the emperor.


    It was also an irresponsible way of thinking.


    However, Juan thought that he would rather lie than give an honest answer to ine.


    ¡°Okay. I did.¡±


    ¡°You liar!¡±


    Juan gave up on giving ine an answer.


    However, ine didn¡¯t get angry. She smiled and hugged him tightly.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way a person like you can think that way. You did a good job lying, though.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your understanding. Then, what should I do next?¡±


    ¡°Say some pleasant things that will make me feel better. It doesn¡¯t matter even if it won¡¯t resolve the issue. Just make me feel better.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s get married.¡±


    ¡°Are you proposing to me?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    ¡°Then I shall have the honor of rejecting the emperor four times.¡±


    Juan wasn¡¯t really expecting a positive answer. The first time he proposed to ine was when they were reunited after a long time of parting, and the second time was after she had ovee the crisis of death. The third time was after Juan had ovee a crisis.


    ine had given him an ambiguous answer back then, but it had been such a long time that there was a huge chance that her answer back then was already irrelevant. ine¡¯s ambiguous answer had been giving him a headache.


    However, he figured that she had to have rejected him back then, considering her answer to his fourth proposal.


    ine started patting Juan¡¯s head.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t reject you just because you didn¡¯t kneel down and give me an expensive ring in the middle of a rose garden, Juan. And it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want you either.¡±


    ¡°Then, why are you rejecting me every time?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be favored by the emperor who has to love everyone, nor do I want to receive your love when you love everyone else as well. I want my husband to love me the most in the world because I will love him the most in the world as well.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm,</i> I see.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s get married if we end up without partners even after you retire and step down from the throne. We¡¯ll probably get wrinkles and gray hair, but I¡¯ll be generous and ept you if your appearance hasn¡¯t withered too much by then. You¡¯ll have to make sure that you don¡¯t retire toote.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine with that, but will you be fine?¡±


    ¡°<i>Hm.?</i>Then, let¡¯s say that it¡¯s okay for us to date someone else if we get too lonely. It doesn¡¯t really matter, though, because I have already captivated you. There¡¯s no way you can break free from my charms.¡±


    Juan stared dumbfounded at ine. Eventually, he smiled and said, ¡°So, what is the conclusion of this story? We haven''te up with a proper solution just yet.¡±


    ine smiled with her eyes at Juan¡¯s question. ¡°Do you want me to suggest a proper solution?¡±


    Marriage couldn¡¯t be a solution because it would only strengthen the people¡¯s prejudice against ine. ine didn¡¯t want the people to look at her under the veil of prejudice.


    It wasn¡¯t like there was no solution, but she thought that it would be a better idea to leave the issue unresolved.


    Juan shook his head at ine¡¯s question.


    ine chuckled and put her hand on Juan¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Well, then¡­¡± ine whispered into his ear, ¡°It¡¯s been a while since we¡¯ve done it. Shall we have a little fun tonight?¡±

 Chapter 264 – Side Story 3: To My Shining Emperor (3)

    <h4>Chapter 264 ¨C Side Story 3: To My Shining Emperor (3)</h4>


    ¡°Is he a eunuch or what?¡± ine muttered casually.


    If Harmon were here, he would have freaked out.


    Unfortunately, Juan was a man who knew the importance and priorities of work. Juan asked ine to go to his room and wait because the documents that Harmon had handed over to him had to be processed the same day.


    Of course, everything would be meaningless to ine if he couldn¡¯t spend time with her right away. However, she wouldn¡¯t whine like a child. She nodded and calmly stepped out as if it wasn¡¯t a big deal, but she was inwardly cursing Harmon.


    ine was holding a bottle of wine she managed to procure after nagging at the imperial chef.


    The streets of Torra were dark because the moon was obscured by the clouds.


    There were a few night patrolmen here and there on the streets, but there was no one stopping ine. After all, ine had already be familiar enough with them to even greet their parents.


    ine thought about Juan while taking a sip straight out of the bottle. Juan was a good man. It would have been even better if he wasn¡¯t the emperor, but she knew better than anyone that such a thought was selfish.


    ine knew that Juan was no ordinary boy even before Aruntal had taken him away.


    Before Juan was found, an unprecedented fire broke out in the Gerard Valley. The fire turned the entire valley into an infested crater, and it only stopped when there was nothing more left to burn.


    And ine found Juan amidst the destruction¡­


    Back then, Juan was just a boy who looked to be about five or six years old. ine took the boy with her without hesitation. To be exact, the head of the orphanage who was taking care of ine with the donations at the time was the one who picked Juan.


    ¡®<i>He was no different than a wild wolf.</i>¡¯


    It wasn¡¯t important that the head of the orphanage sent out the orphans to beg for money and sold them when they were old enough. It also wasn¡¯t important that ine wasn¡¯t abused, nor had she lived a poor life because of the donations for her.


    Therefore, it also wasn¡¯t important that ine had poisoned the head of the orphanage¡¯s meal.


    What was important was that donations for ine had never decreased even after she had already buried the head of the orphanage in the backyard.


    The donations were more than enough to not only take care of the entire orphanage by herself but also take care of Juan.


    ine was only a child barely taller than the waist of an adult at the time, but she still had the guts to deal with the adults.


    ine thought that was perhaps all thanks to the mysterious benefactor who was constantly sending donations for her or the mysterious heterogenous blood flowing in her.


    Rumors were bound to be exaggerated for simple rural vigers. Of course, such a rumor with no evidence to support it sounded quite usible to ine¡¯s ears for the same reason.


    The donation was cut off a few years after Juan left the Gain Vige along with Aruntal.


    It didn¡¯t take long for Juan to wage war against the gods and heterogenous races. The heterogeneous races that had long gotten ustomed to the gods¡¯ love and blessing were defeated and ughtered by Juan.


    ine had to find a different way of life.


    Fortunately, she had grown up enough. ine did not wonder about the secrets of her parents or the origin of her blood. Knowing that there was no good in finding out, she unhesitantly threw away her lingering feelings.


    She imagined herself as a girl who suddenly emerged from the ashes and grew up with a strong fate like Juan. ine thought that bing a leader of the refugees at the time could have been due to beingrgely influenced by Juan.


    She wanted to be Juan...


    ¡®<i>I think I gave birth to you, Juan.</i>¡¯


    ine nkly looked up at the sky. The stars or even the moon could not be seen.


    ¡®<i>And perhaps you gave birth to me as well.</i>¡¯


    ine sighed, scattering her breath into the cold night breeze.


    She turned her head slightly along with her sigh. Someone was following her into the quietest and least popted alley she would always visit every day for a peaceful walk.


    ¡®<i>I let my guard down. Is it because I have a lot on my mind, or is it because I¡¯m drunk?</i>¡¯


    ine med herself for being too careless and walking into the same alley as usual. The sound of footsteps approaching her started to be rapid. ine waited for the opponent at the corner and stuck her foot out as soon as the other party popped out.


    <i>Crash!</i>


    ine took a sip of wine while looking at the opponent on the floor. Afterward, she immediately struck them with the wine bottle in her hand.


    ¡°<i>Argh!</i>¡±


    ine¡¯s eyebrows bent at the familiar scream.


    ¡°Wait a second. Are you the same guy fromst night?¡±


    ine could still remember that the young man was sent by Barth Baltic.


    ¡®<i>I warned him, but he¡¯s keeping tabs on me again?</i>¡¯


    ine sighed. She had told Barth Baltic that she would make sure that the knight would return crawling back to him, but she couldn¡¯t actually crush the knight trainee¡¯s legs because he still had a bright future ahead of him.


    ¡°You have to learn how to properly hide first. You¡¯re just¡ª¡±


    ine abruptly swung the broken wine bottle behind her after sensing the presence of someone else.


    The feedback told her that she managed to cut someone with the broken wine bottle, but that was it. A hood covered ine¡¯s head, prompting her to swing the broken wine bottle once more.


    However, the wine bottle shattered into pieces, and the ss fragments turned her hand into a pin cushion.


    The feedback told Elena that she managed to hit something, but she could only hope that she sessfully struck the perpetrator. Unfortunately, her aching fist made it clear that she struck the wall instead.


    ine inhaled sharply from the pain, and the sweet scenting from the hood covering her head made her feel out of breath.


    Eventually, ine dropped to the floor, unconscious.


    ***


    ¡°You fucking bastards. I will kill you all!¡± ine shouted.


    The people around her clicked their tongues at her attitude.


    ¡°I thought you said she¡¯s the emperor¡¯s mistress? Are you sure we got the right one? She looks more like a mercenary who has spent her entire life running the battlefield.¡±


    ¡°We got the right one for sure. I¡¯m sure I heard everything the Great General said without missing a single word.¡±


    ine was blindfolded and was tied to a chair, so she could only listen. There were four voices in total which matched the presence she felt in the alley. In addition, the unique footsteps in the room could only belong to four people¡ªnothing more, nothing less.


    ¡°How¡¯s Doug doing? Is he still unconscious?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a huge lump on his head. Is he going to die from it?¡±


    It seemed that ine did manage to hit someone on the head rather than a wall earlier.


    She confirmed that there were a total of five people involved in this operation.


    ine tried to untie the restraints on her wrists and ankles, but the rope wouldn¡¯t even budge. It seemed that she was either still drowsy due to the drug she was forced to inhale, or she had been tied too tightly.


    All of a sudden, someone roughly took off the hood covering ine¡¯s head.


    She shook her head and looked around. She was inside a dark room with no lights. It was still dark outside, so it seemed that daybreak still hadn¡¯t arrived.


    Her presumption was right. There were four people around her while the other one was recovering in another room. It didn¡¯t take long for ine to recognize her abductors¡¯ faces because of her good night vision.


    The knight who had been following her was one of the four people, and there was a man covered in bandages. It seemed that he was the one who was unfortunate enough to take a hit from ine¡¯s wine bottle. Then, there was a female dark elf with scars all over her body and a man with an eye patch.


    ine memorized their unique features and decided to call them Knight, Bandage, Scar, and One-eyed, respectively.


    Before the four people could speak, ine spoke first, ¡°You¡¯ve made a mistake.¡±


    ¡°Hmph. Do you really think that we¡¯ll abduct you without knowing who you are? We are no ordinary abductors, you know. We abducted you knowing that you are the emperor¡¯s mistress.¡±


    ¡°That alone is already a mistake, but you made an even bigger mistake than that¡ªshowing me your faces.¡±


    The abductors frowned, confused about what ine was talking about. However, the cold energy emanating from ine startled them.


    ¡°Breathe all you can now because you¡¯ll soon drown in your own blood. By then, you will realize the importance of air.¡±


    The group exchanged perplexed nces. In the end, Scar stepped forward.


    <i>Smack!</i>


    Scar pped ine on the cheek with the hammer in her hand. ine¡¯s face was flung to the side from the impact. ine spat her broken teeth out and revealed her remaining bloody teeth with a smile.


    ¡°I¡¯ll pull out all your teeth and put them back in after shattering them into pieces.¡±


    Scar lifted the hammer again, but One-eyed quickly stopped her.


    Scar growled out of anger, but she soon lowered the hammer.


    ine noticed that One-eyed was the leader of the group. One-eyed brought a bundle of gauze and stuck them into ine¡¯s mouth until the bleeding stopped. Then, he brought a chair and sat down in front of her.


    ¡°ine Elliot. The emperor¡¯s mistress. The only woman the emperor loves.¡±


    ¡°Wrong,¡± ine replied as if she was chewing out her answer. ¡°I¡¯m not the only one he loves. He loves mankind, and I just happen to have a private rtionship with him rather than a public one.¡±


    One-eyed tilted his head in wonder and replied, ¡°I don¡¯t see what¡¯s different. As far as I know, love is private.¡±


    ¡°Maybe there¡¯s no difference to bastards like you, but there is a difference for the emperor.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s undeniable that you¡¯re receiving special treatment from him, and that is enough. It doesn¡¯t matter whether the emperor is truly in love with you or not.¡± One-eyed said indifferently, ¡°We will destroy the emperor. We will make him understand how painful it feels to lose a special someone, and we will ultimately make him understand the meaning of fear. ine Elliot. You are the emperor¡¯s lover, so you are the best candidate to kickstart everything.¡±


    ine seemed dumbfounded as she stared at One-eyed. Eventually, she said, ¡°I think it¡¯s because you think that I¡¯m the weakest.¡±


    Winoa Weaver and Barth Baltic, not to mention Harmon, who was the weakest of them, wandered around under heavy escort.


    It was only natural for the free-spirited ine to be the best candidate.


    The numbers and prowess of the opponents made it clear that ine was the only one who could defeat these people. Those three weren¡¯t strong enough to escape from here if it had been them who got abducted.


    One-eyed¡¯s expression distorted, but he soon regained hisposure.


    ¡°We have the blessing of a goddess¡ªCali of Seclusion and Whispers¡ªShe hides and embraces everything. Invading the Imperial Pce is a piece of cake under her blessing...¡±


    ¡®<i>Is that so?</i>¡¯


    ine could still remember that she was unable to detect the presence of others aside from Knight. Perhaps they weren¡¯t lying.


    ¡°By the way, did you say Cali? Didn¡¯t that bitch run away beyond the Crack about half a year ago? I heard that the Dark Elves and their Church were devastated back then. I see that you managed to stay alive. You should have justid low, though.¡±


    Scars raised her hammer once again.


    However, One-eyed stopped her once again and muttered, ¡°I¡¯ll let you do whatever you want in a little while, so wait. This woman deserves to know what¡¯s about to happen to her.¡±


    ¡°You all look like stupid pieces of shits. Are you sure you¡¯re even capable of exining?¡± ine mocked with a smile.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand the attitude that you are taking here. What do you intend to do by provoking us? You are mistaken if you think the emperor wille to your rescue. During the night, our presence is nigh impossible to detect. Even the emperor cannot find us during the night, and let me tell you this¡ªyou¡¯re also hidden under the veil of Cali.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. Most people I have met so far we¡¯re confident of their chances of winning, and I always feel like a pervert whenever I crush their confidence.¡±


    One-eyed raised his hand. Scar finally walked over to ine with a big smile.


    Then, she grabbed ine¡¯s left pinky finger.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    ine bit her lips. Scar had just broken her pinky finger.


    ¡°There are still three hours until daybreak. We n to torture you as much as we can and throw you out on the streets once daybreak arrives. We¡¯ll make sure to leave enough identifying features so that the emperor will recognize you.¡±


    ¡°And what¡¯s the point of that?¡±


    ¡°I told you. The emperor thinks that he¡¯s invincible, but he should have known that the things he loves aren¡¯t invincible. You are the emperor¡¯s weakness, after all.¡±


    ine¡¯s expression turned slightlyplicated.


    However, her lips soon curled up coldly as her eyes shone with killing intent.


    One-eyed disliked the change in ine¡¯s expression. He gestured at Scar with his chin, and Scar rolled up her sleeves. Knight and Bandage also rose from their seats.


    ¡°We¡¯ll let the descendants of Cali have the first dibs.¡±


    Knight and Bandage stepped out. Scar searched through her tools of torture while One-eyed sat behind her and watched without saying anything.


    Scar finally approached ine with a saw.


    ine spoke, ¡°By the way, I have a question about that knight trainee who just stepped out. Is Barth Baltic involved in this by chance? The Great General had also split the heads of many dark elves in the past.¡±


    ¡°Is there any reason why I should answer your question?¡±


    ¡°Nope. You don¡¯t actually have to tell me yourself. I¡¯ll find out soon.¡±


    One-eyed¡¯s expression turned strange.


    ine finally turned to look at Scar.


    Scar grinned and brought the saw closer to ine¡¯s face. They were so close to each other that they could feel each other¡¯s breath.


    ine could even see the fine details of the scars that littered Scar¡¯s face.


    ¡°You¡¯ll look exactly like me by the time the emperor finds you,¡± Scar spat coldly.


    However, ine¡¯s right hand suddenly grabbed Scar¡¯s wrist holding the saw.


    Scar panicked, and One-eyed sprang up from his seat.


    ine spat at Scar¡¯s face. It turned out to be a broken tooth, and it pierced Scar¡¯s eye, eliciting a scream of agony from thetter. Afterward, ine snatched the saw out of Scar¡¯s hand and cutting thetter¡¯s neck.


    Blood furiously rushed out of the wound on Scar¡¯s neck, creating a fountain of blood.


    One-eyed immediately charged at ine.


    In response, ine hurled something toward One-eyed, which struck One-eyed¡¯s eye.


    One-eyed finally remembered the bottle of wine that shattered in ine¡¯s hand just before she lost consciousness. He thought that in was only injured at the time, but it seemed that she buried a shard of ss into the wound on her hand.


    ine then proceeded to cut through her restraints using the shard of ss.


    ¡®<i>I thought she was just a mistress...</i>¡¯ One-eyed faltered.


    Meanwhile, ine cut the rope around her ankle using Scar¡¯s saw.


    At the sight, One-eyed urgently unsheathed his double daggers.


    He had to suppress her while she was busy freeing herself.


    However, a dazzling light broke through the window and interrupted him. The light was so dazzling that One-eyed had to cover his eyes. When he could finally open his eyes once more, he was stupefied by the scene in front of him.


    The night seemed to have been vanquished. One-eyed could swear that daybreak still hadn¡¯t arrived, but the outside world was already bright as if it were high noon.


    ¡°You said that you¡¯re nigh impossible to find during the night?¡±


    One-eyed heard ine¡¯s voiceing from the side. She had already freed herself and was in the middle of picking up a hammer from Scar¡¯s toolbox.


    ¡°It is unfortunate, but the one looking for me right now is the Sun.¡±


    ¡°Everyone! Come back here!¡± One-eyed immediately cried out.


    Knight and Bandage rushed into the room after hearing One-eyed¡¯s shout.


    Despite being surrounded, ine seemed calm as she swept her gaze across them.

 Chapter 265 – Side Story 4: To My Shining Emperor (4)

    <h4>Chapter 265 ¨C Side Story 4: To My Shining Emperor (4)</h4>


    Barth Baltic opened the door and stepped into the room filled with the disgusting smell of blood. There was no one standing in the room. However, Barth Baltic could see someone crouching on the darker side of the room beneath the dazzling lighting from the window.


    It was ine Elliot.


    ine calmly stared at Bartha and said, ¡°Give me a moment. It¡¯s almost over.¡±


    A few consecutive dull noises could be heard.


    Finally, ine stood up and wiped the sweat off her forehead. By her feet was a female dark elf covered in scars. The dark elf was bleeding with her mouth wide open, and her bloody mouth was filled with broken teeth.


    ¡°I made a promise with this fe, and I have to keep it.¡±


    ine approached Barth with a bloody hammer in her hand. When she saw that Barth¡¯s face was covered in bruises, she revealed a surprised look and asked, ¡°What happened? Who beat you up?¡±


    ¡°I trained with His Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious? He refused to have fun with me, but he actually went to see you in the meantime. I¡¯m jealous.¡±


    Juan and Barth often trained together, but there was no reason for Barth to receive such a severe beating. However, ine had an idea why Barth received such a harsh beatdown.


    Juan had exceeded ine¡¯s expectations once more. He always seemed like he was a few steps ahead of ine. ine hadn¡¯t mentioned any names, but Juan easily extrapted what was necessary.


    ¡°Where is His Majesty?¡±


    ¡°He is on his way here. I was supposed to find you while he maintains the sun. We were confused when you suddenly disappeared, but then we remembered that Cali¡¯s believers had simr abilities when we encountered them about half a year ago.¡±


    Juan forcibly manifested the sun, and it quickly faded away once Juan¡¯s influence was gone. The daylight that vanquished the night of the empire soon disappeared, and the empire was once again nketed in darkness.


    ine looked around and saw Cali¡¯s believers on the floor. At the sight, she couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°I¡¯m assuming that you have nothing to do with these people, Great General?¡±


    Barth¡¯s face distorted when he saw the knight trainee of the Order of the Capital among those on the floor. However, it seemed that he was also suspicious of the knight trainee.


    ¡°I apologize about the knight, even though it is not something that can be overlooked by a simple apology. If I were to make an excuse, then it seems that your abductors managed to persuade him to jump ships. Anyway, I will do my best to take care of this.¡±


    Barth reached out and stroked ine¡¯s swollen left cheek.


    Barth seemed confused.


    Upon seeing his expression, ine kicked Barth in the leg out of anger. There was no way that ine could inflict a lot of damage to Barth¡¯s hard pir-like leg, but he hurriedly corrected his expression.


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you if you¡¯re thinking that Juan will get mad that I got a wound that might be a scar on my face. Juan fell in love with my kind heart and grace rather than my face.¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡±


    A few wounds here and there wasn¡¯t an issue. The most important part was that ine had managed to subdue her abductors despite being restrained.


    Of course, Juan might get angry that ine was hurt, but he wasn¡¯t the type to get angry because of a scar.


    Soon, the wall split in the middle, and Juan appeared the moment the sunpletely disappeared from the sky. It didn¡¯t seem like he came running because he was walking calmly, but his eyes were full of anxiety and urgency.


    ine had no doubt that Juan woulde to her aid as soon as possible. She rushed toward Juan and jumped into his arms right away. Juan was perplexed, but he held her in his arms without hesitation.


    ine whispered into Juan¡¯s ear, ¡°The door is over there.¡±


    ¡°ine.¡±


    Juan couldn¡¯t examine ine¡¯s condition because she was hugging Juan with her legs as if she were a Ko hugging a tree.


    However, Juan could tell that ine was trying to avoid showing her face to him. Of course, it wasn¡¯t because she was ashamed of the injury she sustained. Rather, it was because she knew that Juan would be heartbroken to see her injured.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡ª¡±


    ¡°<i>Shhh¡­!</i>¡±


    Juan closed his mouth. It was obvious why ine was abducted.


    It was because of Juan himself.


    Juan¡¯s heart was boiling in fury, but he feltplicated as well. Not only has ine had unpleasant experiences throughout the whole day, but she was also abducted and tortured just because she was the closest person to the emperor.


    Juan knew that the issue would be immediately resolved if he made ine stay within the confines of the Imperial Pce or assigned guards to protect her. Unfortunately, he knew that ine wouldn¡¯t be happy about all that.


    ¡°Those assholes called me the emperor¡¯s weakness. Such bullshit, isn¡¯t it?¡± ine smiled and whispered into Juan¡¯s ear. ¡°Killing me won¡¯t weaken you, and there¡¯s no way you¡¯ll give in even if I were taken hostage.¡±


    ¡°ine.¡±


    ¡°Just listen...¡± ine hugged Juan even tighter. ¡°Even if it¡¯s a lie, I don¡¯t want you to tell me that you¡¯re going to give in because that will make me feel miserable.¡±


    Juan remained silent.


    ¡°Perhaps everyone is right. I could be a parent, the empress, and your lover. The emperor¡¯s weakness is probably the right word to describe who I am. After all, it is true that I really like you. I love you, but¡­¡±


    ine let out a hot breath because Juan was burning hot.


    ¡°I love you, but why can¡¯t my existence be separated from you?¡±


    ¡°Why do you want to be separated from me?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°If you and I aren¡¯t separated, it¡¯ll be meaningless for me to remain as your lover.¡±


    ine grinned and yfully bit Juan¡¯s neck.


    Juan flinched while Barth covered his eyes with his hand and hurriedly left the room.


    ine grinned and went on. ¡°I want to love you for who I am; I don¡¯t want to be someone who belongs to you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand...¡±


    ¡°I know. It¡¯s my fault for being unable to exin it properly. It¡¯s all because I¡¯m dumb. Or maybe I¡¯m just making excuses because I¡¯m not suitable to be the empress. It¡¯s your fault for liking someone like me.¡±


    ineughed and chewed on Juan¡¯s neck with her canines.


    Then, she continued whispering into Juan¡¯s ear, ¡°There¡¯s a meaning behind wanting to love you for who I am and wishing for your eternity. Someone should remember you as Juan Calberg rather than just His Majesty the Emperor, and someone should remember me as ine Elliot rather than Her Majesty the Empress.¡±


    Juan wanted to say that ine was making a mountain out of a molehill, but all those attributes belonged to both Juan and ine, so there was no reason to think of them as separate.


    However, ine seemed to find it unbearable to be addressed by a title other than her name. ine held Juan tightly and stuck close to him as much as she could until where they could feel each other¡¯s hearts.


    ¡°Even if a light is faint and trivial, that light belongs to me. I don¡¯t want to be overshadowed by your sun,¡± ine whispered.


    Then, she quickly let Juan go and took a step back. ine¡¯s appearance became invisible in the shadow of the dim room. However, Juan could clearly feel her in the shadows, and he could feel that her heart was beating fast.


    Juan recalled the conversation he had with ine in the middle of the night about the proper solution.


    Unfortunately, there was only one way for ine to resolve this situation.


    She had to leave Juan.


    ¡°Juan. You know this doesn¡¯t mean that I don¡¯t love you. Right?¡±


    ¡°I know¡­¡±


    ¡°Even if I end up hating you for some reason, you shouldn¡¯t hate me back. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°I understand¡­¡±


    ¡°You know I¡¯lle back as if I have never left as long you keep on waiting.¡±


    ¡°Of course¡­¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t go too far, so don¡¯t worry about me.¡±


    ¡°There are many things I have to be worried about aside from you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. But you¡¯re the only person I¡¯m worried about. I¡¯lle to see you from time to time.¡±


    ¡°From time to time?¡±


    ¡°Okay. Maybe more often than you think.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind even if you bother me anytime you want.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯ll be under one condition: we will only meet whenever I visit you. You shouldn¡¯t go ahead and start looking for me. Got it?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so picky.¡±


    ine chuckled and took a few steps backward to hide even deeper into the shadows.


    Juan knew that ine would hide in a ce where neither the emperor¡¯s acquaintances nor enemies could find her. However, he had no doubt that she would be able to live her own life wherever she went.


    All of a sudden, Juan realized that ine had stopped moving.


    He saw that her shoulders were trembling ever so slightly.


    Juan felt a strong urge to share his essence with her to give her the power to avoid the curse of aging and death. However, Juan¡¯s identity as the emperor suppressed that urge.


    The emperor¡¯s power was the power of mankind.


    It couldn¡¯t be used for private purposes.


    ine took a deep breath and slowly walked out of the shadows toward Juan.


    ¡°I thought about saying something sweet as my parting praise, but I can¡¯t think of what to say.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve said enough.¡±


    ine grinned and pulled Juan toward her.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do it onest time before we say goodbye.¡±


    ***


    In the fall of the forty-seventh year of the imperial calendar, the news of the emperor¡¯s assassination spread throughout the empire.


    ine was in a deserted location, so ine didn¡¯t hear the news until Barth Baltic reached her and told her the news. ine was excavating the ruins of an ancient god when Barth Baltic approached her and informed her of the news.


    in sat on the ruins of the historic site. She repeatedly nodded with zed eyes.


    ¡°I see. Gerard¡­¡±


    ine recalled Gerard¡¯s face. In her memory, Gerard was a just child with a reputation for being timid but thirsty for affection.


    Gerard would grow noticeably bigger every time ine visited the Imperial Pce, and he eventually grew strong enough to be a textbook model of knights.


    She could still see the thirst Gerard had since he was a child, but she had never expected that Gerard would stab Juan in the back.


    ¡°Since Gerard has run away, you must be the one maintaining the stability of the regime, Great General.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ine looked at Barth. Thest time she visited the Imperial Pce, she thought that the contrast between his white horns and ck hair was quite impressive. However, Barth had be noticeably older in just a year.


    ine thought that she was the pot calling the kettle ck. After all, she was also about to turn fifty herself.


    ¡°Harmon died as well?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Dismas killed him, and I killed Winoa Weaver.¡±


    ¡°What about Ras and Nienna?¡±


    ¡°Ras is involved in the treason, but he is resisting. Nienna came back after hearing about the emperor¡¯s assassination, and she seemed like she was not involved. It¡¯s understandable because there¡¯s no way she¡¯ll be interested in anything else other than the Crack.¡±


    ine nodded at Barth¡¯s words.


    Then, she raised her head and looked up at Barth Baltic¡¯s face.


    Barth had to be busy because the emperor was dead.


    In other words, there should have been no reason for him to visit her.


    ine grabbed her weapon.


    ¡°Many people still remember you¡­¡± Barth muttered while looking down at ine. ¡°They remember you as ine Elliot, the one who deceived and blindfolded the emperor.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s an honor. I guess I have to admit that I¡¯m a charmingdy.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a crazy guy named Helmut, and he¡¯s quite good at inciting. He¡¯s crazy, but he has been very helpful in patching up the empire. However, he doesn¡¯t like you. In fact, he doesn¡¯t like the fact that there was a woman beside the emperor.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know who he is¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no reason for you to know who he is¡­¡±


    ¡°So? Did youe to kill me as well?¡±


    Barth wordlessly stared at ine for a while.


    The ufortable silence continued for a long time before he eventually spoke, ¡°I havee here to know some of the truth about the emperor and to know your role as well. I wanted to kill the emperor, but I also wanted to repay him. Unfortunately, the emperor is dead, and I cannot repay him anymore.¡±


    Barth slowly unsheathed his sword while saying, ¡°You have neither a position nor a deep connection to the Imperial Pce. If you had even one child, I would have had no choice but to kill both you and the child, regardless of the father¡¯s identity. However, you never had any...¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your point?¡±


    ¡°I will spare your life.¡±


    ine didn¡¯t mock Barth by saying something like <i>how generous of you.</i>


    She had been trying her best to avoid living beneath Juan¡¯s shadow, but she finally realized that what she had been trying to do was impossible in the first ce.


    ¡®<i>But if I had stayed beside Juan, I could have died as well.</i>¡¯


    If that had happened, then she wouldn¡¯t be able to fulfill his promise of giving birth to Juan if he died.


    Barth muttered once more, ¡°However, the records and achievements you have made will be erased from history. The only fact that will remain is the fact that you almost became the emperor¡¯s lover, wife, and empress. The mere fact that you were once the emperor¡¯s lover but werebeled as one of the traitors who assassinated him would be considered the emperor¡¯s disgrace.¡±


    ¡°I understand¡­¡±


    ¡°Still, I know that every opinion out there about you is all bullshit. You are a great warrior, and I will remember you as a great warrior. I¡¯ll take care not to let you be threatened or found by anyone. I¡¯ll make sure that even those who were involved in the emperor¡¯s assassination won¡¯t find you. However, you should start living in seclusion. With this, my debt to the emperor is settled.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Barth wondered if ine was being sarcastic, but he soon noticed that she was truly grateful. It seemed that survival was more important to ine than he thought. Of course, Barth had no idea that she had to live for Juan¡¯s sake.


    ¡°But all of that is only on the condition that you don¡¯t have children. I won¡¯t be able to protect you anymore if the rumors that ine Elliot, the emperor¡¯s lover, gave birth. If that happens, someone else will kill you rather than me.¡±


    ine stared indifferently at Barth Baltic, but her eyes were trembling ever so slightly.


    ¡®<i>If I can¡¯t have children¡­</i>¡¯


    She wouldn¡¯t be able to keep the promise she had made to Juan, so her survival would be meaningless.


    Barth¡¯s heart felt heavy while staring into ine¡¯s eyes.


    Unable to bear the weight, Barth turned away and left.


    ine sat in the same spot for a long time. She remained sitting in the same spot, even though it was alreadyte in the night. The countless stars in the night sky looked cold, and it seemed that the eternal cold and night would continue for the rest of her life.


    The chirping night birds sounded like they were singing a funeral song.


    ine sped her cold hands.


    ¡°If I had known that this would happen, I would have spent more time with you.¡±


    <i>¡®If I had died with him, would I have been happier?¡¯</i>


    ine repeatedly muttered words that no one would hear. Her voice echoed throughout the old historic site, and it sounded like a solemn prayer for a new day.


    By the time her voice started to disappear, the sky was starting to turn blue, and the bright red light that rolled down from the horizon as if it were a red carpet erased the stars in the night sky.


    ine looked up and stared at the sunrise. The light was so bright that it hurt ine¡¯s eyes, and a clear circle was reflected in her retina. The massive sun that Juan had manifested a long time ago when she had been abducted appeared in her eye.


    ine felt like Juan would appear and call her name.


    ¡®<i>This time, I¡¯ll hug him even tighter.¡¯</i>


    The warmth of the sun felt like it was embracing her. At the lukewarm light, ine felt like crying. ine tried to cover the sunlight with her hand, but the sun soon climbed over her hand.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid.¡±


    ine abruptly looked up at the voice. Then, she realized that it was her own voice. ine stared nkly into space for a while, and when the sun hadpletely risen, she stood up and shook the dirt off of her knees.


    Her job wasn¡¯t to sit here in a daze¡ªher job was to fight.


    ine gnashed her teeth. She stared into the horizon once more and clenched her fists.


    Then, she finally took a step forward.


    Juan was dead, and everyone in the world would remember her as a wicked woman.


    If she was discovered, she could get captured.


    In addition, people might keep onughing at her no matter what.


    However, she couldn¡¯t just sit back and do nothing.


    The light was faint and trivial, but it belonged to her. The stars in the night sky were distant, but the light from those stars still originated from the sun.


    ine was sure of it¡ªshe was sure that the faint light she possessed would be like a lighthouse that would guide Juan.

 Chapter 266 – Side Story 5: Woman of the Lake (1)

    <h4>Chapter 266 ¨C Side Story 5: Woman of the Lake (1)</h4>


    <i>¡®I came to give you victory, glory, and eternity. But how much are you willing to give up to lose?¡¯</i>


    The best first move that one could make on the battlefield was the move that would smoothly lead them to the next move.


    There was no such thing as a method that would guarantee Juan¡¯s victory. He had simply decided to extend his sword to the right so that he could bring about even the tiniest change on the battlefield.


    ¡°To the right!¡±


    The Imperial Army¡¯s line turned right while running. A huge ck dog dressed with golden decorations swept through the Imperial Army¡¯s line. Instead of barking, the dog exhaled harshly.


    The grass on the ground dried up and turned into small grains of sand as the heat from the dog¡¯s breath swept past them. The swamp-like desert seized the cavalry¡¯s ankles at once, and the horses copsed.


    The screams of the soldiers could be heard everywhere.


    However, Juan gnashed his teeth and made a path in the middle of the hot, harsh tempest. The armor on him withered and scattered away.


    Mallev of Sopse and Sand was creating another huge desert in the Middle East. If Juan failed to stop Mallev, Torra would be in danger. A great famine would ur once the fertile ins of the central region of the empire were devastated.


    Mallev snorted and jumped backward with a deriding bark instead of tackling Juan.


    However, Juan could easily cover the distance between them with a single leap.


    However, the unit that Juan had sent in advance to the right nk was closer to Mallev than him. Someone among the fallen knights stood up and pulled the string of his backward.


    Mallev noticed the archer a bit toote because he was too focused on Juan. When the knight released the bowstring, his arrow instantly prated Mallev¡¯s eye.


    Mallev whimpered and started rolling on the ground from the pain.


    He suddenly remembered the long-cherished sun of the southern desert. However, thest thing he saw was not the sun of the southern desert but Juan¡¯s burning sword.


    ***


    <i>Crack!</i>


    There was a shattering noise.


    Juan managed to crawl up with difficulty.


    It had been difficult for Juan to kill Mallev because Mallev possessed the attribute of fire like Juan, and he could also turn into sand.


    Therefore, Juan decided to create a fire that was hot enough to turn Mallev into ss.


    Mallev couldn¡¯t transform, and he shattered into pieces with a terrible scream.


    Juan also ended up being trapped inside the ss, but he was fortunate enough to avoid being humiliated in front of his subordinates.


    Winoa Weaver and the Imperial Guards were running toward Juan.


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡±


    ¡°Winoa, do you happen to have water with you?¡±


    Winoa was perplexed, but he quickly grabbed a water canteen from his side and held it out to Juan. However, Juan didn¡¯t drink Winoa¡¯s water. He poured it over his head. He couldn¡¯t feel the heat, but the sand all over him made him feel ufortable.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to take a shower when I go back. How are the casualties?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°The exact number is unknown, but there are significantly fewer reports of injuries and deathspared to the previous three battles. It¡¯s all thanks to Your Majesty¡¯s strategy of shortening the battle.¡±


    Unlike the other gods, Mallev was using gueri tactics against the empire rather than confronting Juan. Therefore, it had been extremely difficult to track Mallev down, and he had managed to deal extensive damage to the empire due to his gueri tactics.


    Juan even thought about pushing Mallev all the way to the North. However, Mallev was found to be in the South and was approaching the Middle East, so Juan had no choice but to confront Mallev as soon as possible.


    Juan shook his head at Winoa¡¯s words.


    ¡°This victory is not thanks to me.¡±


    Juan looked up at the eastern hill. A knight in pale green armor was looking down at Juan with arge bow in her hand. The pale green armor that she was wearing emitted a type of energy that seemed too surreal to exist. Juan instantly realized that the armor couldn¡¯t have possibly been made by humans.


    ¡°Is she an elf?¡± Winoa carefully asked as he followed Juan¡¯s gaze.


    The unique shape of the luxurious leaf engraved on top of the steel was a symbol that the elves used exclusively. The helmet even had plenty of space to cover their long protruded ears. Looking at the knight¡¯s armor, it also became clear that she was a member of the elven high society.


    ¡°Why does an elf keep on helping us? I thought our rtionship with the elves was destroyed after Haranbal,¡± Winoa asked.


    ¡°Who knows?¡± Juan shrugged.


    The knight in pale green armor stared down at Juan for a while, but she soon disappeared.


    This was not the first time that an unknown elf had helped Juan. Juan had received the help of that knight three times in total¡ªand they were all in the crucial moments while he was subduing three gods.


    It was no exaggeration to say that both Juan and the knight in pale green armor owed each other their lives when they captured Gepelude of Conquest and Domination.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯lle back again. The way she keeps on making us owe a debt to her means that she has something she wants to tell us.¡±


    ¡°I think she¡¯sing back¡­¡±


    Juan turned toward the hill at Winoa¡¯s answer.


    The knight in pale green armor who had disappeared down the sandy hill was running toward Juan.


    Winoa gripped his weapon tightly, just in case.


    Iolin, the god of elves, had yet to appear. Elves and humans were intertwined in aplex love-hate rtionship with each other, so Winoa couldn¡¯t put his guard down because the elves could turn their backs on them at any time.


    ¡°Lower your weapon.¡±


    Juan lowered the tip of Winoa¡¯s spear.


    The knight in pale green armor was running on horseback, and shended gracefully after jumping off of her horse. Then, she started walking toward Juan. The graceful demeanor and bearing she emitted while walking seemed a bit surreal.


    The knight in pale green armor crossed her arms upon arriving in front of Juan.


    ¡°Long time no see.¡±


    Winoa¡¯s eyes widened at the knight¡¯s voice.


    However, Juan only nodded calmly. ¡°Are you sure about that? I feel like I¡¯ve seen you a few times recently, Haranbal.¡±


    ¡°Yes. But it¡¯s been five years since we saw each other¡¯s faces, Juan.¡±


    The knight in pale green armor took off her helmet. Shining blonde hair poured down from her helmet, and her hair seemed transparent beneath bright sunshine. A few of the Imperial Guards were mesmerized by her otherworldly beauty.


    However, Winoa rather lifted up his spear again.


    ¡°You¡­! You shot an arrow at His Majesty, and you appeared again?! How dare you!¡±


    Haranbal pushed the spear away with a frown.


    ¡°I¡¯m talking to your owner, dog. Do not interrupt me.¡±


    Juan held Winoa¡¯s spear and pushed it down before Winoa got even angrier.


    ¡°Winoa, I¡¯m sure Haranbal is mad at me just as much as you are mad at her. There must be a reason she came back, even though she is upset. So, what¡¯s going on, Haranbal? I thought I made it very clear that elves can¡¯t be my ally unless the prerequisites are met?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I know.¡± Haranbal snapped with a displeased look. ¡°I do feel bad about shooting an arrow at your face. Yes, I was angry, but I shouldn¡¯t have done that. But I was just so angry that you didn¡¯t listen to me at all.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t apologize to me. Apologize to Winoa instead of me. He was the one who took the shot.¡±


    Haranbal¡¯s expression turned ugly.


    However, she soon turned to Winoa as if she had no other choice.


    She was clearly displeased, but he extended her hand out to him.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Winoa stared alternatingly between Haranbal and Juan with a perplexed expression while still holding his spear. It was only after Juan kicked him in the foot that he dropped his spear and held Haranbal¡¯s hand.


    However, Haranbal pulled out her hand as soon as Winoa¡¯s palm touched her palm.


    Then, she shrugged toward Juan and said, ¡°That was good enough, right?¡±


    ¡°You should ask Winoa if that apology was good enough, but¡­¡±


    Winoa¡¯s expression was ugly while he was rubbing his hand against his armor, looking like he had touched something filthy.


    ¡°I think a forced apology would be rather rude.¡±


    Juan decided to respect Haranbal.


    It was already a surprise that she was apologizing to someone.


    ¡°Why are you suddenly helping me?¡±


    Haranbal looked surprised at Juan¡¯s words.


    ¡°You knew all along that it was me?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to find an expert archer as good as you¡ªeven among the elves.¡±


    When it came to archery, no one was good as Haranbal throughout the continent. In addition, she was using a bow made out of dragon horns as well as the branches of the owner of the forest where the elves lived.


    If her skills were added on top of her superior equipment, Juan reckoned that Haranbal was capable of piercing even divine beings with her arrow.


    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll be straightforward since you already knew,¡± Haranbal said with a bitter look, ¡°I suggest that you offer the elves an alliance once again.¡±


    ¡°The terms I mentioned before are still valid,¡± Juan answered firmly. He answered so quickly and firmly that even Winoa could feel that Juan was frustrated.


    It wasn¡¯t really strange because many people were frustrated when the alliance between the elves didn¡¯te to fruition.


    The elves were at their prime after the fall of the Hornsluines, so mankind would have gained not only tremendous power but they would have had fewer enemies as well if the alliance hade to fruition.


    Haranbal¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change even after hearing Juan¡¯s firm answer.


    She simply muttered to herself, ¡°I know. I just thought I¡¯d ask again just in case you need help because of my absence, but I guess you were fine.¡±


    ¡°Of course, it was very difficult to fill your gap. You have been a great help to us in our quest to kill the gods. However, we can already fight without your help, and we still have not forgotten why we started this war.¡±


    ¡°I told you that I know...¡± Haranbal grumbled as if something was bothering her.


    Juan grew curious upon seeing Haranbal walk back and forth while kicking sand with her foot. Haranbal had to have known that her suggestion would get rejected because Juan had always been a stubborn individual.


    ¡®<i>So why did she show up again?</i>¡¯


    Haranbal sighed. She looked like she had made up her mind as she said, ¡°Juan. My third wedding is in two weeks.¡±


    ¡°A wedding?¡±


    Elves had a long lifespan, so most of them would get married multiple times throughout their lives. Considering Haranbal¡¯s age, a third marriage wasn¡¯t out of ce.


    ¡°The wedding will be held at Bayeho Horm in the South-East, which is also called Fog Forest in humannguage. I¡¯d like to invite you there.¡±


    ***


    ¡°It¡¯s a trap,¡± Winoa suddenly whispered to Juan while they were on their way back to Torra. Juan stared at Winoa in silence, and Winoa knew that Juan was looking at him as if he were an idiot.


    Winoa was no stranger to such a gaze, so he instantly saw through Juan¡¯s thoughts.


    Fortunately, Winoa didn¡¯t really care about what other people thought.


    ¡°Is there a reason why you don¡¯t think it¡¯s a trap?¡± Winoa asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s because even an idiot can think of that possibility, and do I look like an idiot to you?¡±


    ¡®<i>Wow.</i>¡¯


    However, Winoa wasn¡¯t really the type of person Juan should talk to when it came to serious matters.


    After all, Winoa was so infatuated with Juan that he would probably believe Juan if thetter said that the sun would rise from the west tomorrow and that Juan could see the future.


    However, Juan had already made a decision. In other words, he didn¡¯t have to discuss to anyone else about what Haranbal and the other elves were thinking.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to attend, are you?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m going to attend.¡±


    ¡°...Your Majesty. Didn¡¯t you just say that even an idiot could tell that it¡¯s a trap?¡±


    ¡°The elves aren¡¯t a bunch of idiots, especially Haranbal. If they really wanted to kill me, then they shouldn¡¯t have created such an obvious trap. They could have also shot me down directly.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a chance that they have anticipated that and have set up a double trap¡­¡±


    ¡°Then, there will be endless doubts. Haranbal could have colluded with other gods to try and kill me. There were many opportunities where she could have done that, but Haranbal helped me and tried to win my favor by doing so. In addition, I know her.¡±


    Winoa still seemed dissatisfied with Juan¡¯s decision, but there was no way he could go against the emperor¡¯s decision as the captain of the Imperial Guards. He couldn¡¯t do anything else other than do his best by following Juan¡¯s orders depending on the decision he had made.


    ¡°I know that Your Majesty has spent a long time with Haranbal¡­¡±


    ¡°It was from when I killed Talter.¡±


    Talter was the first god Juan had killed. Winoa was surprised upon hearing that. In that case, the history between the two was longer than Winoa had expected. Many people hade and gone by Juan¡¯s side in the interim, which meant that Haranbal could be considered one of Juan¡¯s very firstrades.


    Juan made a sidelong nce at Winoa.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think that we¡¯rerades or anything. She¡¯s just a guide from Aruntal. They got me a guide because they knew that I would be unfamiliar with the world. Haranbal used to be a wanderer despite being an elf.¡±


    ¡°Aruntal¡­¡±


    Winoa didn¡¯t know that much about Aruntal. He only knew them as a group of advisors who taught and guided Juan. If Haranbal was a member of Aruntal, then her skills and equipment all made sense.


    ¡°Haranbal only saw me as a filthy little boy at that time. She seemed to be interested in my determination to hunt the gods rather than taking the mission seriously. When I killed Talter, she was surprised and thought that it was a miracle.¡±


    <i>¡°Hah,?</i>that¡¯s ridiculous.¡± Winoa snorted.


    However, Juan understood both Winoa and Haranbal. It was after Juan had already hunted more than a dozen gods that he met Winoa. In other words, Winoa had already taken for granted Juan¡¯s ability to kill gods.


    However, Haranbal had lived for hundreds of years, but she had never seen other gods die unless they were killed by other gods.


    Haranbal thought it was just a fluke the first time, but she was surprised the second time. When Juan killed his third god, Haranbal was finally convinced that Juan could kill gods. Upon killing ten gods, however, Haranbal became sure that Juan was the pioneer who would open up a new era.


    It wasn¡¯t that long after Juan killed his tenth god that Haranbal finally collected the seven seals of the elves¡¯ noble families and was entrusted with their authority.


    She then offered Juan an alliance with the elves.


    ¡°Haranbal is arrogant, but she has foresight. We did not have any decent territory except for the Capital at the time, but she still managed to convince the other elves. In other words, she¡¯s smart and decisive, as well as quick on the uptake.¡±


    The elves upied thergest territory and enjoyed their heyday after the fall of Hornsluines. Nevertheless, Haranbal did note bare-handed when she suggested an alliance. She proposed an alliance with enough gold to cover the entirety of Torra, promises of enormous troops, and countless weapons made by their craftsmen.


    It was such a generous offer that it felt servile beyond generosity. Above all, Haranbal was a colleague who had shared life-and-death experiences with Juan. Therefore, Haranbal didn¡¯t think that Juan would refuse.


    It was an understatement to say that Haranbal¡¯s offer was generous.


    Juan only had one condition.


    ¡°All gods must die.¡±


    Juan dered that he would ept the alliance with the elves if they agreed to ept his condition. Juan smiled and looked back at Winoa. Winoa was eagerly nodding as he listened to Juan¡¯s story.


    However, none of the elves approved of Juan¡¯s condition.


    The death of a god meant losing all the blessings that the species had been enjoying.


    The death of the elven god meant that the elves would lose their long lifespan, the blessing of the spirits, and their amazing physical prowess. They would be rendered to nothing more than an ordinary human being.


    Haranbal tried to convince Juan for a long time and even threatened him. She even threw away her pride and begged him for a few days, but Juan stubbornly refused to ept her offer.


    The noble families of the elves withdrew their decision to give their authority to Haranbal after hearing about Juan¡¯s term. In the end, the alliance was shattered before it even started.


    Haranbal¡¯s frustration reached its peak, and she shot an arrow at Juan and ran away.


    ¡°Well, I thought that was the end of the alliance with the elves, but¡­¡± Winoa murmured.


    Winao took Haranbal¡¯s arrow for Juan, but even he couldn¡¯t help but feel disappointed. The elves¡¯ proposal was like a rainstorm in drought for the empire thatcked money, troops, and weapons.


    There were some who were more than disappointed. The Western Kingdom and the Northern Tribal Union broke their alliance with Juan out of anger.


    After all, Juan had not only lost his biggest ally but had also made the biggest possible enemy out there. Their judgment would have ended up being correct if a war with the elves started.


    However, the elves didn¡¯t wage war for some reason.


    Juan couldn¡¯t tell whether it was because of Haranbal or the nobles¡¯ decision to wait and see, but the elves didn¡¯t budge in the forest. However, the unlucky people who got lost and inadvertently entered their forest were never found.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s because of a new alliance proposal that Haranbal has invited Your Majesty to her wedding?¡±


    ¡°If they have changed their minds, then it¡¯s possible.¡±


    ¡°What if their n is to kill us if something goes wrong?¡±


    ¡®<i>He is still suspicious, huh?</i>¡¯


    Juan sighed and looked back at Winoa. ¡°I believe in Haranbal. Yes, she can betray us, but the possibility is very unlikely¡ªI would say about one in a hundred. In addition, I still believe in the elves.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty believes in the elves?¡± asked Winoa, seemingly dumbfounded.


    Juan nodded. ¡°I believe that the elves cannot kill me.¡±

 Chapter 267 – Side Story 6: Woman of the Lake (2)

    <h4>Chapter 267 ¨C Side Story 6: Woman of the Lake (2)</h4>


    The forest was densely filled with trees that were at least a hundred years old. There were so many trees that the sky looked like puzzle pieces.


    The forest was called Fog Forest, and it truly deserved its name because the forest was humid with wet trees but with dry ground.


    Juan was walking along the clean stone pavement, which was neatlyid out with nary a single gap. Juan¡¯s rtionship with the elves wasn¡¯t exactly amicable, but Juan could still see that the elves had to have agonized over how they should wee him.


    ¡°We¡¯re surrounded by fog,¡± Winoa said, seemingly bothered.


    Winoa and Juan were walking on a train without any fog, but they couldn¡¯t see even a single gap in the fog around them, especially around the trees. Winoa was nervous that there could be an ambush behind the fog. It seemed that he was still nervous that Haranbal¡¯s wedding was a trap.


    ¡°This fog is their line of defense. This is rather a polite way of opening the way to their residence. I heard that they usually send someone as a guide to greet people and make them walk in the fog.¡±


    ¡°Will we really be fine? There are only the two of us¡­¡±


    Winoa looked behind him as if he still had lingering feelings. The road they had already passed was covered with white fog, but the troops they had left on the outskirts of the forest could enter at any time if they gave a signal.


    ¡°I told you that I could go alone, but you kept on whining, so I had no choice but to let you join.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­¡± Winoa groaned like a puppy. He didn¡¯t say anything anymore as he followed Juan on high alert. Winoa was about to have a breakdown out of anxiety, but a group of people finally appeared in front of them.


    They were the elves¡­


    Winoa held the hilt of his weapon nervously, and the elves responded by gripping their bows tightly.


    Juan raised his hand to stop Winoa. ¡°We¡¯ve arrived.¡±


    However, Winoa was still on high alert while holding his spear.


    At the sight, Juan exined calmly, ¡°We¡¯re already on the periphery of their residence, so we¡¯re deep enough in the forest. If they had bad intentions, then they would have already ambushed us¡­¡±


    ¡±However, they¡¯re carrying decorative bows with them rather than proper bows. It seems that they aren¡¯t here to fight, are they?¡±


    ¡°No, they aren¡¯t¡­¡± Winoa muttered.


    Juan nodded and said, ¡°Lower your spear, then.¡±


    The elves¡¯ decorative bows couldn¡¯t even bend.


    Winoa nodded and loosened his grip on his spear.


    The elves seemed just as nervous as Winoa, so when Winoa withdrew his weapon, the elves hurriedly put down the decorative bows in their hands.


    They hesitated for a moment, but the youngest-looking elf among them slowly approached Juan and said, ¡°Are you His Majesty Juan Calberg Kennosis, the emperor of the empire?¡±


    ¡°I am.¡±


    The elf looked like a young child, but he was certainly older than Juan.


    However, Juan wasn¡¯t the type to use honorifics on anyone unless they were a respectable opponent. It wasn¡¯t a matter of status.


    The elf nodded and politely guided Juan and Winoa.


    ¡°His Highness Aunkel is waiting for you. Please allow me to show you around.¡±


    ¡°Arunkel? Not Haranbal?¡±


    The elf nodded. ¡°Haranbal is His Highness Aunkel¡¯s daughter. He wanted to meet Your Majesty first.¡±


    Winoa looked at Juan, and Juan simply shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s just right to meet the bride and the groom¡¯s parents first at a wedding. Don¡¯t you think so?¡±


    ***


    The wedding¡¯s atmosphere was solemn and mellow. It wasn¡¯t as festive as the weddings of humans.


    The elves were busy chatting beneath the somber tent set up in the open space surrounded by tall trees. Young elves were moving back and forth between the elves at the tent while carrying tes of food.


    Spirits were flying around to spray powders of light, but there was no splendor.


    However, the rowdy open space went silent the moment Juan appeared.


    Everyone was looking at Juan¡ªthe new divine of the continent, a god¨Ceating monster, or perhaps a different type of god. The person in those rumors was standing in front of them.


    Juan calmly walked beneath the elves¡¯ gazes.


    Winoa followed Juan¡¯s back, but he looked stiff, obviously nervous.


    Juan sensed that the elves were staring at him in frustration, curiosity, and fear.


    ¡°Winoa. If you¡¯re going to be so nervous, you should walk a bit further away from me. You¡¯re making me nervous, too.¡±


    ¡°I never thought that Your Majesty could get nervous.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so nervous that I feel like breaking down.¡±


    At that moment, the young elf leading the way came to a halt. Then, one of the elves who had been quietly talking under the tent soon rose from his seat. The elf was a long-haired man whose hair was a mixture of gray and gold.


    He was dressed so modestly that he could not be distinguished from other elves.


    Although it was strange topare a person to a nt, Juan thought that the man looked like a weeping willow. The elf man stepped barefoot onto the grass and approached Juan.


    He reached out with his hand and smiled before saying, ¡°Your Majesty, Juan Calberg. Thank you foring this far to visit us.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness Aunkel.¡±


    Juan responded by politely bowing and receiving Aunkel¡¯s hand.


    Even among humans, many people respected Aunkel. It had been a while since he wasst active, but the legends he had left throughout the continent remained the subject of the many knights¡¯ admiration.


    Aunkel had saved many cities and towns, and the stories of his feat could still be heard and read in many songs and records. It wouldn¡¯t be strange if he were a member of Aruntal. Of course, he wouldn¡¯t be able to join <i>officially</i> because he was an elf royalty.


    ¡°I have heard a lot about Your Highness¡¯s legend. Someone who had raised me¡ªand who is like a sister to me¡ªhad once told me that I should be a great man like Your Highness,¡± Juan said.


    ¡°Those are stories from a distant past. Compared to Your Majesty¡¯s achievements, what I have achieved is like a candle in front of the sun.¡±


    Neither of them was talking out of modesty.


    Juan and Aunkel truly respected each other.


    Aunkel nced at Winoa standing behind Juan.


    Aunkel smiled upon seeing the nervous Winoa and said, ¡°It seems like your attendant is a bit nervous. I promise that there¡¯s nothing to be worried about here. The people here are acquaintances of mine and Haranbal¡¯s. No one has any weapons except those in charge of security.¡±


    ¡°It seems like they don¡¯t really need weapons.¡±


    Juan could tell from a single nce that the elves here possessed extraordinary battle prowess. Elves were masters of more than just one or two weapons because of their long lifespan. It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that many of the elves here were on the same level as the empire¡¯s elite knights.


    Aunkel smiled awkwardly as if he could not help it. ¡°Haranbal¡¯s interpersonal rtionship seems to be somewhat biased. The same is true of me as well.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s Haranbal?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°She¡¯s this way.¡±


    Juan followed Aunkel to one of thergest and most beautiful tents surrounding the open space. Aunkel carefully rolled up the veil hanging at the entrance.


    Haranbal was just beyond the veil.


    Juan momentarily felt out of breath.


    Haranbal was breathtakingly beautiful in her white wedding dress decorated with all kinds of rare jewels. The sunlight leaking from the ceiling also made her seem as if she was shining brilliantly.


    Haranbal¡¯s fancy but natural appearance reminded Juan of a lily in full bloom. It was a type of beauty beyond humanity¡¯s reach. Juan looked at Haranbal in admiration. He felt like he was witnessing the meaning of pure beauty itself.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s my first time meeting you in a dress, Your Majesty.¡±


    Haranbal smiled and elegantly bowed.


    She was using honorifics, perhaps due to the special asion.


    Winoa started coughing from the side. Winoa had been holding his breath until Haranbal opened her mouth. He looked back and forth between Haranbal and Juan in disbelief.


    ¡°Is she really Haranbal? Is she really that Haranbal¡ªwho used to look like a member of a gang?¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be saying that in front of a bride on her wedding day,¡± Juan said and kicked Winoa¡¯s foot.


    Winoa abruptly closed his mouth.


    Haranbal smiled and pointed to the seat on the right. It was the seat for the bride¡¯s closest guests, and it was the nearest seat to Aunkel.


    ¡°We have prepared the most special seat for Your Majesty.¡±


    Juan nced at the seat, but he didn¡¯t take a seat. He looked around in silence and sighed. The individual he was looking for couldn¡¯t be found, so he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Where¡¯s the groom, Haranbal?¡±


    ¡°The groom hasn¡¯t been decided yet.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re choosing the groom today. When the groom is chosen, the wedding will be held the next morning.¡±


    Juan grew curious at Haranbal¡¯s answer.


    Juan was aware that that wasn¡¯t how elves would get married.


    This type of wedding was closer to weddings between humans who were members of the nobility. It was a type of wedding that would allow humans to obtain power through marriage and establish alliances through blood ties.


    In fact, the term for this type of wedding had already been coined long ago.


    ¡°So you¡¯re selecting a spouse for the royal family.¡±


    There was no reason for an elf with high status and capability like Haranbal to select a spouse to gain more power for the royal family. Aunkel also wasn¡¯t the type of person to force his daughter into marrying someone for more power.


    If Haranbal liked someone, she could simply do the first move and propose.


    In other words, this only meant one thing¡­


    ¡°I believe you¡¯ll participate until the end, Your Majesty.¡±


    Juan realized that he had fallen into a trap, but it was a different kind of trap than what he had in mind.


    ***


    ¡°Your Majesty has to participate in the groom search?¡±


    ¡°It seems that Haranbal¡¯s intentions are indeed like that.¡±


    Juan sat in the seat Haranbal had assigned to him on the right side of the tent and stared at the mes burning in the middle of the open space.


    Winoa red at Haranbal, but he kept on zoning out while doing so. It seemed that Haranbal was beautiful enough to make any ordinary humans fall into a daze while looking at her.


    Winoa coughed and whispered to Juan, ¡°But when Miss ine finds out¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to tell her about it anyway, and I highly doubt she¡¯ll care.¡±


    Juan recalled ine, who should be waiting for him in Torra. Of course, ine had also met Haranbal before. He didn¡¯t know what Haranbal thought of ine, but ine had never thought of Haranbal as her rival.


    It was all because ine believed that Haranbal was no match for her, and ine was right.


    The rule of the spouse selection was simple¡ªthe strongest would win the bride.


    The elves were currently fighting each other in a one-on-one duel out in the open space, and the first one to lose their weapons or be incapacitated would lose.


    Most of the challengers were men, but there were a few women as well. They were young and capable elves, but the duel wasn¡¯t very fierce. It was more like a diatorial exhibition than a duel.


    Winoa tilted his head in wonder and muttered, ¡°<i>Hmm.?</i>From what I have seen so far, I feel like I can win if I step up.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a married man with a child, Winoa.¡±


    ¡°I-it¡¯s not that I want to be the groom! I just thought that I could win, that¡¯s all!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get your hopes up. It seems that the groom has already been decided.¡±


    Juan quietly examined the elves¡¯ prowess. None of the elves so far had fought with all their might, and none of them kept on winning as well.


    Juan figured that someone would eventually step up to end this diatorial exhibition.


    ¡°By the way, is there any reason why Haranbal thinks Your Majesty will participate in the selection process? Your Majesty could have simply rejected it as well.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see what happens,¡± replied Juan. Afterward, he nced at Haranbal.


    However, Haranbal only smiled ambiguously at him without saying anything. Elves had good hearing, which meant that she was probably listening to Juan¡¯s conversation with Winoa.


    At that moment, a gray-haired elf stepped out into the open space. His entrance was grandiose because he kicked off the ground andnded on the open space. The slender and tall elf with gray hair looked much older than Aunkel, Haranbal¡¯s father.


    The young female elf standing in front of him humbly bent down, and powerful energy suddenly pervaded the open space. The energy was so powerful that it made Winoa instinctively flinch.


    The sound of metal shing against metal could be heard throughout the open space as the white-haired elf and the gray-haired elf exchanged moves.


    They swung their swords so quickly that the spectators couldn¡¯t catch up to their movements. The spectators were aware that the two were still fighting because of the loud noise of metal shing against metal.


    Their attacks sent sparks flying everywhere.


    For a short moment, a spark could be seen in the young female elf¡¯s eyes.


    The young female elf flinched, and the gray-haired elf took advantage of that opportunity to strike the back of the young female elf¡¯s hand with his sword.


    The young female elf lost her sword, and the murderous intent which had pervaded the open space vanished in the proverbial blink of an eye.


    Winoa couldn¡¯t help but admire the gray-haired elf¡¯s control over his murderous intent. It was such a thick murderous intent as well¡ªas if the gray-haired elf had been standing in front of the person who had murdered his parents rather than in front of a young elf.


    Winoa pped with the spectators.


    ¡°He is amazing. He looks quite old, though. It doesn¡¯t look like he came out to be selected as the groom. Is it a scripted performance to make the actual groom look better?¡±


    Juan didn¡¯t answer.


    Another elf walked over to the gray-haired elf.


    The second duel quickly started.


    Haranbal leaned toward Juan and said, ¡°That man¡¯s name is Berinsil.¡±


    ¡°What a peculiar name.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a very old name...¡±


    The elves¡¯ naming sense was unique, but their predecessors had much stranger names. Haranbal and Aunkel¡¯s names were rtively ordinary.


    Juan had never heard of Berinsil¡¯s name before, but he seemed to be a powerful man among the elves.


    When Haranbal mentioned Berinsil, Juan deduced that Berinsil was the main character of this y. As expected, Berinsil was expertly beating up the challengers without much difficulty. After beating another challenger, Berinsil red at Haranbal with fiery eyes.


    Haranbal gracefully stared at him without saying anything.


    ¡°He seems to be a bit too old to be your groom.¡±


    ¡°Do you really think that elves care about the age gap?¡±


    ¡°The age gap seems to be too huge, even though you¡¯re an elf. I bet that man saw the rise and copse of at least two or maybe even three kingdoms.¡±


    Haranbal chuckled. Then, she whispered into Juan¡¯s ears. ¡°Why don¡¯t you save me from the clutches of a greedy and disgusting old man, then?¡±


    Juan looked at Haranbal in silence.


    However, Haranbal was still smiling.


    ¡°This is an overly cheap and childish way to get me involved.¡±


    ¡°Well, many people are fans of cliched fairytales.¡±


    ¡®<i>A young warrior saving the princess from being forced to marry an evil viin, huh.</i>¡¯


    It was indeed a suitable role for Juan. After all, he was both a hero and a warrior. It was a story that most people liked as well, but Haranbal made a mistake.


    ¡°The warrior might not necessarily marry the princess.¡±


    ¡°Are you even willing to be a warrior?¡±


    Juan knew that Haranbal would actually marry Berinsil for real just to guilt trip Juan.


    Haranbal was trying to manipte Juan, but Juan could see her desperation.


    ¡°How much weight do I have in your life, Juan?¡±


    Haranbal quietly reached out with her hand and pointed at Juan¡¯s fingertip.


    ¡°Do I have at least this much space inside your heart?¡±


    Juan grabbed Haranbal¡¯s fingertip. At the end of her thin finger was a thick callus that formed after pulling the bowstring too often.


    She had saved Juan¡¯s life many times before with her callused fingers, and she had also stayed next to him as arade for a long time.


    There was a heavy bond between Juan and Haranbal.


    ¡°How could I not make a space for you in my heart, Haranbal?¡± Juan whispered, ¡°I couldn¡¯t even fill your gap after you left. I have always been feeling empty because I left a space for you in one corner of my heart. Cold and dry winds are blowing through the gap you left in my heart.¡±


    Juan fiddled with Haranbal¡¯s finger, but he soon let her go.


    Haranbal¡¯s hand remained suspended in the air.


    Meanwhile, Berinsil had just defeated thest remaining challenger.


    Every participating elf had already been defeated aside from Berinsil, but Berinsil didn¡¯t seem to be tired at all.


    At this rate, Berinsil would truly be Haranbal¡¯s groom.


    ¡°Moreover, you¡¯re more suitable for the role of the female knight who will save the prince rather than the role of the princess in distress.¡±


    Juan stood up and started walking toward the open space.

 Chapter 268 – Side Story 7: Woman of the Lake (3)

    <h4>Chapter 268 ¨C Side Story 7: Woman of the Lake (3)</h4>


    Berinsil wore a ferocious expression, but his posture was courteous. He wordlessly stared at Juan. Berinsil was the first to bow and show respect. Challengers would usually show respect to their opponent first, but Berinsil already knew that the main character of this y was Juan rather than himself.


    His role was to draw Juan out of the crowd.


    ¡®<i>Was he chosen to y this role just because he seems ill-tempered?</i>¡¯ thought Juan. However, Juan was forced to correct his thoughts as soon as Berinsil got into a proper position and started swinging his sword.


    Berinsil was a real talent. If he were to decide to fight for real, then he would undoubtedly win and be Haranbal¡¯s groom.


    Juan barely managed to block Berinsil¡¯s sword. However, Berinsil quickly corrected his posture as if he had expected Juan¡¯s reaction.


    Berinsil¡¯s swordsmanship felt familiar to Juan. The traces of the elf swordsman of Aruntal who had taught Juan swordsmanship could be clearly seen from Berinsil¡¯s movements. Berinsil was as powerful as the elf swordsman of Aruntal¡ªif not more.


    ¡®<i>He didn¡¯t show even half of his skills when he fought the other elves.</i>¡¯


    Even if the elves in the open space attacked Berinsil at once, they would still not be able to defeat him. However, it would be a different story if Haranbal or Aunkel decided to get involved.


    Meanwhile, Berinsil was about to deliver his third attack.


    However, Juan could already beat the elf swordsman of Aruntal. Thinking that he had been polite enough and showed considerable respect, Juan struck the sword rushing toward him.


    Juan didn¡¯t have to perform <i>proper</i> swordsmanship. His vision, strength, and speed were overwhelmingly better than Berinsil¡¯s. Berinsil¡¯s eyes widened, and he tried his best to hold the sword in his hand, but the de was split into two.


    Berinsil looked at his broken sword in disbelief.


    At that moment, murderous intent soared from Berinsil. However, he wasn¡¯t furious because he got defeated or because his sword was split into two. The murderous intent soaring was out of desperation.


    Berinsil was about to execute an attack carrying his murderous intent, but someone ced their hand on his shoulder.


    ¡°Thank you for your hard work, Berinsil.¡±


    It was Aunkel.


    Berinsil red at Arunkel and muttered something to himself. However, he soon turned around and walked away. He didn¡¯t look as polite as when the duel first started. Juan wondered if it was because he was angry about being defeated, but there was something odd about thinking that Berinsil¡¯s fury was only due to his defeat.


    ¡°So what happens now? Am I Haranbal¡¯s groom?¡±


    Aunkel chuckled and replied, ¡°No, not yet.¡±


    ¡°Are there any challengers left?¡±


    Aunkel smiled awkwardly before unsheathing two swords from his waist.


    Juan stared dumbfoundedly at Aunkel. ¡°The bride¡¯s father is going to take part in his daughter¡¯s groom selection process?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m ashamed, Your Majesty. However, incest is not that umon among us elves. The same is true of humans as far as I know.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    Incest was banned in Juan¡¯s empire, but incest wasmon among the ancient kingdoms and tribes. It was all to prevent losing the power of the tribe as a whole.


    However, Juan couldn¡¯t have expected that a king as honorable as Aunkel would do such a thing.


    Aunkel raised his two swords with a bitter expression.


    ¡°Please think of me as a shameless old man acting up to his future son-inw.¡±


    Juan finally realized that Aunkel had been waiting for this moment all along. Winoa was showing his burning desire to fight beside Juan.


    Juan sighed as if he couldn¡¯t help it.


    ¡°Then¡­¡±


    As soon as Juan agreed to the duel, Aunkel immediately rushed at Juan without even showing his respect. Aunkel¡¯s powerful attack with both of his swords at the same time had enough power to split a dragon''s head in half.


    Juan¡¯s eyes widened as he received the blow, kicking up a cloud of dust that shook the tents in the surroundings.


    The shockwave from the attack ruined the wedding hall.


    ¡®<i>He is serious.</i>¡¯


    Aunkel¡¯s attack just now could kill Juan with a single blow. Juan wondered whether this was the trap Winoa was talking about or not, but it would be strange to think that way because they could have just swarmed and worn him down.


    In addition, if Haranbal and Berinsil joined the fray, it would have been difficult for Juan to survive.


    However, Haranbal sat and watched the duel between Juan and Aunkel in silence.


    Aunkel attacked Juan once again by rotating his sword and swiping left. Juan raised his sword vertically to block Aukel¡¯s sword, but Aunkel¡¯s sword abruptly bent like a snake.


    Aunkel held the sword in a reverse grip and thrust at Juan¡¯s abdomen.


    Juan barely managed to dodge. A hole was made in his clothes, but he wasn¡¯t wounded. Aunkel¡¯s odd swordsmanship was a swordsmanship that Juan had never seen before. Juan felt like there was a thorn sticking out of Aunkel¡¯s sword.


    Meanwhile, Aunkel took a stance with his swords and charged at Juan.


    It seemed that he was nning on cornering Juan, locking him up in a prison of swords.


    The loud noises of metal shing against metal could be heard.


    Winoa was nervously watching the duel between Aunkel and Juan, and he could feel an unknown sense of urgency from Aunkel.


    Winoa couldn¡¯t understand such urgency and desperation, so he started thinking that perhaps the elves had invited the emperor to force Juan to marry Haranbal for the sake of forming an alliance. However, this was a real life-and-death battle rather than a duel.


    Aunkel¡¯s sword moves were fatal, and Juan couldn¡¯t do anything other than dodge.


    There was a shrill noise as their swords collided with each other.


    All of a sudden, Juan¡¯s figure blurred within the prison of swords built by Aunkel. Juan suddenly extended his sword toward Aunkel as he squeezed out of the small space where not even a finger could stick out.


    Aunkel was confused, and he momentarily lost his focus. There was a loud ng as he dropped his sword after receiving a wound on the back of his hand.


    Aunkel groaned as he looked at the sword on the ground.


    Juan could feel that Aunkel¡¯s murderous intent still hadn¡¯t dissipated. Aunkel tightly gripped the remaining sword in his hand. Aunkel¡¯s murderous intent burned like a prairie fire, but his mes were abating.


    Aunkel was trying to catch his breath while still holding thest remaining sword in his hand. Eventually, he seemed to have made a decision as he let go of the sword, seemingly throwing it away.


    The sword produced a loud noise upon hitting the ground.


    The pallid Aunkel stared at Juan. ¡°That was a good¡­ good duel.¡±


    However, Aunkel wasn¡¯t smiling at all. He had swung his swords many times, but he only managed to force Juan into defending himself with his sword four times.


    It was apparent that Juan had gone easy on Berinsil earlier.


    Juan saw through the essence of Aunkel¡¯s swordsmanship in just two moves, and it became clear that Juan had been going easy on Aunkel all this while. However, Aunkel was upset not because Juan had defeated him.


    Juan bowed as a show of respect.


    Winoa hurriedly approached Juan and handed him a ss of water. Juan wasn¡¯t physically thirsty, but he felt thirst in a different sense. Aunkel and Berinsil seemed to have been shaken by the results of the duels, and it made Juan feel uneasy.


    It seemed that Aunkel and Berinsil had been living with honor as their core values, so Juan felt like he had left a stain on their honors.


    Winoa spoke carefully, ¡°Well, it seems that things have gotten a bit awkward here.¡±


    ¡°I suppose so.¡±


    ¡°His Highness doesn¡¯t seem to think of Your Majesty as a groom material. What if we were mistaken? Considering the beauty standards of the elves, we humans might look ugly as a squid in their eyes and¡ª¡±


    Juan stared at Winoa. Winoa instantly realized his slip of the tongue and hurriedly corrected himself. ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t mean that Your Majesty is ugly. It¡¯s just that¡­ it could be the case in the eyes of the arrogant elves. Your Majesty is probably a good-looking squid and¡ª¡±


    ¡°All right, that¡¯s enough. Be quiet. However, I must admit that I¡¯m d that I brought you here with me. You made me feel a bit better.¡±


    Winoa couldn¡¯t understand what Juan was talking about, but he seemed to have taken Juan¡¯s words as praise.


    Juan moistened his throat with water and looked around.


    There wasplete silence.


    No one among the elves seemed to be willing to step out.


    Winoa whispered into Juan¡¯s ear, ¡°If Your Majesty ends up being chosen as the groom, what will you tell Miss ine?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a useless concern.¡±


    Someone finally stood up from their seat. Winoa turned, wondering if there was still someone brave enough to challenge Juan.


    However, his eyes widened upon seeing a figure he could have never expected.


    Haranbal was picking up a sword with a bitter smile on her face.


    ¡°You did a great job, Juan.¡±


    Haranbal¡¯s tone of voice had returned to her usual self.


    ¡°I¡¯m the final challenger.¡±


    ***


    ¡°I¡¯m starting to wonder about the intention of this duel,¡± Juan said.


    ¡°I thought you said that the role of a female knight saving the prince suits me more than a princess in distress?¡± Haranbal answered with a smile. The elves weren¡¯t agitated. It seemed that they knew that this would happen.


    ¡°Please forgive them, Juan. It was out of our expectations that the fight became so fierce. I just allowed them to have a duel with you because they wanted to see how good you were, but I guess they got too emotional.¡±


    ¡°Do you consider yourself better than those two?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t say yes with confidence.¡±


    Juan carefully examined Haranbal¡¯s posture. Haranbal often used the bow, but Juan knew that she could use the sword as well because she would use it whenever she was cutting leather, trimming meat, or interrogating prisoners.


    However, it was very rare for her to use a sword against an opponent in close-quartersbat. Of course, she was a great swordswoman, but her prowess with the sword wasn¡¯t good enough for her to start using the sword as her main weapon.


    Haranbal¡¯s archery had already reached the summit. There was no way that Haranbal could use her sword better than Aunkel or Berinsil, who had devoted their entire lives to swordsmanship.


    ¡°You can use your bow.¡±


    ¡°Do you really think that I¡¯m standing here right in front of you just to beat you? I wouldn¡¯t have created this situation to begin with if that were the case.¡±


    ¡®<i>I suppose so.</i>¡¯


    Juan nodded and took a stance with his sword.


    However, Haranbal only looked at Juan with a sword held loosely in her hand.


    ¡°Juan. Do you know anything about our god?¡±


    Juan frowned at Haranbal¡¯s question. He was about to answer, but Haranbal went on.


    ¡°I¡¯m not talking about her strengths or weaknesses. I¡¯m talking about Iolin¡¯s story.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Juan wasn¡¯t very interested in anything else other than Iolin¡¯s strengths or weaknesses. Iolin was very rarely seen, but the same was true of many other gods.


    She was a god that could only be found in mythology, and only the knights and elves she had chosen could meet her.


    Iolin¡¯s appearance in the mythology was consistent. She was a goddess who was elegant, honorable, and willing to side with the weak.


    Iolin would always put the individual¡¯s values first before anything else, and many humans received help from the elves because of it. Therefore, it was a big deal when Juan refused to form an alliance with them. Their antipathy was understandable.


    ¡°I have no idea why you¡¯re asking me that, but I do know that she is a noble being who values honor.¡±


    Haranbal stared at Juan without saying anything. What she wanted to say to Juan was clear¡ªshe was begging Juan to spare Iolin¡¯s life.


    By then, the elves would naturally fall under Juan¡¯s rule and will. However, Haranbal was convinced that the elves wouldn¡¯t suffer beneath Juan. After all, Haranbal was sure of Juan¡¯s nature.


    Unfortunately, Juan was stubborn.


    ¡°Iolin¡¯s greatness doesn¡¯t matter. Her existence alone is more harmful than her values. As long as Iolin exists, I doubt that equality will exist,¡± said Juan. He quickly added, ¡°I suggest you don¡¯t try to persuade me, Haranbal. Iolin gave the elves all sorts of blessings. You have been enjoying the privileges of her blessings without doing anything in exchange, so you people do not deserve toin.¡±


    ¡±We¡ªhumans¡ªalso have no intention of living under your sympathy forever.¡±


    Haranbal smiled bitterly at Juan¡¯s attitude and stomped, kicking up a cloud of dust. However, she was neither angry nor disappointed. She simply remained silent as if she already knew Juan¡¯s reaction.


    Then, she spoke slowly, ¡°I don¡¯t know, Juan. I know that what you say, what you think, and what you mean will surelye in the future, but I have never thought that what Iolin had been doing is wrong.¡±


    Haranbal looked at Juan with a steady gaze.


    ¡°Iolin and the elves have been trying our best to protect our rationality in the era of madness, and when you still didn¡¯t exist...¡±


    Juan remained silent.


    ¡°We fought even when the continent burned under Gepelude¡¯s g and when the Army of the Dead ripped apart half of the poption. We fought to protect the things we had to protect even when the dwarfs burned forests and made holes in the mountains.¡±


    The existence of the elves and Iolin was the only shining light in the dark era.


    ¡°Are we sinners for enduring all those hard times now that the era of madness is over?¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t sinners,¡± Juan replied.


    Haranbal felt a bit hopeful at Juan¡¯s answer.


    However, Juan¡¯s following words shattered Haranbal¡¯s hope. ¡°Because I will put an end to everything before you be sinners. Some things turn into hope once they disappear.¡±


    Haranbal looked devastated. She sighed upon seeing Juan¡¯s determination.


    In the end, she slowly lifted another sword. Juan was concerned upon seeing that Haranbal was using two swords. Although rare, he had seen Haranbal fight with a sword, but it was Juan¡¯s first time seeing her fight using two swords.


    ¡°I came to give you victory, glory, and eternity,<i>¡±?</i>Haranbal¡¯s voice was trembling as she muttered, ¡°I could have been the most powerful helper for your ideals, dreams, and more. We simply wanted to sit next to your shining throne. Your beauty could have shone forever if you were willing, but¡­¡±


    Haranbal held one of the two swords in reverse and stared at Juan.


    ¡°But how much are you willing to give up to lose?<i>¡±</i>

 Chapter 269 – Side Story 8: Woman of the Lake (4)

    <h4>Chapter 269 ¨C Side Story 8: Woman of the Lake (4)</h4>


    Juan felt as if he had fallen into an illusion where the leaves of the entire forest had turned into sharp des.


    Haranbal¡¯s swords were neither avoidable nor stoppable. Even the wind itself seemed sharp enough to cut skin, and the singing voices of the birds were alsoced with murderous intent.


    ¡®<i>This is not an ordinary level of swordsmanship.</i>¡¯


    This wasn¡¯t a level of swordsmanship that mere mortals could achieve. Haranbal¡¯s swords were slow, but they were sharp. Haranbal¡¯s eyes were clearly visible in theplete silence, and the color of her eyes was light blue¡ªlike that of ake.


    Juan tried to raise his sword, but he knew that he couldn¡¯t stop Haranbal¡¯s assault. He could already see Haranbal¡¯s attack slicing his liver apart,cerating his heart, and cutting off his head.


    Juan could feel the traces of Berinsil, Aunkel, and the elf swordsmanship of Aruntal, who had taught him swordsmanship from Haranbal. Juan could see countless legendary figures swinging the two swords with her.


    Haranbal was attacking Juan with all of their might.


    It was overwhelming.


    Juan couldn¡¯t help but admire Haranbal.


    Haranbal was attacking Juan on behalf of everyone¡¯s will rather than simply performing her own swordsmanship.


    However, Juan wasn¡¯t alone as well.


    Juan gripped his sword rightly, and an intense heat burst from his sword.


    Juan stared directly at Haranbal.


    <i>Crash!</i>


    However, the countless legendary figures attacking Juan suddenly vanished like smoke.


    Juan was about to swing his sword when he realized that Haranbal had mmed her swords into the ground. Juan was stupefied to find that the surroundingnd was devastated by Haranbal¡¯s attack.


    ¡°But why?¡±


    Juan didn¡¯t attack. Still, Haranbal let go of her swords first.


    Juan wasn¡¯t confident in winning against Haranbal.


    He could probably force a victory, but it meant risking a fatal injury.


    Haranbal¡¯s head drooped. She remained silent for a while before she stood up, revealing her tear-stricken face and bloodshot eyes.


    ¡°The person who loves the other person more will always lose.¡± Haranbal pressed the corner of her eyes with her finger to wipe the tears away. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you swing your sword?¡±


    Juan didn¡¯t answer.


    Haranbal took a deep breath and approached Juan.


    Then, she held out her hand and said, ¡°Congrattions, Juan. You have defeated the genealogy of swordsmanship that the elves have been honing for three thousand years. You¡¯ve defeated it in less than thirty years without swinging your sword even once.¡±


    Juan didn¡¯t hold Haranbal¡¯s hand. He only stared at her in silence.


    However, someone suddenly grabbed Juan¡¯s hand¡ªit was Aunkel.


    Aunkel¡¯s hands were trembling, and his voice was trembling as well as he said, ¡°The chosen groom is His Majesty Juan Calberg Kennosis.¡±


    Aunkel held Juan¡¯s hand tightly before continuing. ¡°The groom and the bride will¡­ swear their vows¡­ in front of Iolin tomorrow morning¡­¡±


    Aunkel gnashed his teeth and trembled.


    Aunkel couldn¡¯t finish talking, and the elves started to get a bit agitated.


    Haranbal took over and spoke, ¡°This man is the knight of the knights and king of the kings. I am honored to be the wife of this great man, and I promise him all the blessings I can give¡­!¡±


    Haranbal dered firmly and looked at Juan.


    However, Juan did not say anything.


    Aunkel breathed heavily for a while as if he were catching his breath. Finally, he gathered enough strength to continue speaking, ¡°The two will be recognized as a married couple after swearing their vows in front of Iolin. Let the goddess bless them so they can stay together forever.¡±


    Aunkel let go of Juan¡¯s hand as if he had no more strength left in him. Then, he turned around and disappeared. The same was true of the other guests. Everyone disappeared one by one into the fog with stiff expressions.


    The lively atmosphere had faded.


    Winoa approached Juan, seemingly confused.


    ¡°I¡¯ve participated in quite a few weddings before, but it¡¯s my first time attending a strange wedding like this. It feels more like a funeral than a wedding.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it too much.¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t it be Your Majesty who should be worried right now, not me? I think I¡¯ve just heard a one-sided deration that Your Majesty is now a groom. Oh, maybe it¡¯s not one-sided because the fact that Your Majesty participated in the duel means you were willing to be the groom from the beginning.¡±


    However, Haranbal answered Winoa rather than Juan.


    ¡°Forget about ine.¡±


    Before anyone knew it, Haranbal was smiling while walking toward Winoa and Juan with three bottles of alcohol. Haranbal threw one of the bottles toward Winoa, which he caught out of instinct.


    ¡°ine and Juan aren¡¯t actually a thing. Isn¡¯t Juan just chasing after her one-sidedly? Anyway, Juan is my groom for today. Don¡¯t even think about disturbing our first night, Winoa.¡±


    Winoa looked closely into the bottle. Winoa often enjoyed drinking with Harmon. Harmon had been talking about a rare and luxurious liquor. Harmon had mentioned that he wanted to drink it again, and here it was¡ªsitting in Winoa¡¯s hand.


    Winoa contemted deeply whether he should ept the bribe or not.


    However, he decided to consider Juan¡¯s silence as implied consent.


    ¡°<i>Hmm.?</i>I¡¯m sure Harmon will be very happy.¡±


    ***


    Juan opened his eyes.


    A lonely wind blew into the loosely hanging tent. Juan looked next to him and found a few empty bottles of alcohol on the floor, but Haranbal was nowhere to be seen.


    Juan drank with Haranbal and talked about their old memoriesst night. Then, Haranbal started dozing off first, and she fell asleep on Juan¡¯s arm.


    Juan tried to stay awake, but he somehow ended up falling asleep without realizing it.


    Perhaps he was simply too tired. He slept exceptionally well. It was a deep sleep that he had never experienced ever since he waged war on the gods.


    Juan stood up and went outside. The bonfire in the open space had already been extinguished, and the pale sky was starting to light up. The dawn was so quiet that made Juan want to sleep again.


    Then, Juan noticed that a part of the forest had no fog.


    Juan slowly moved toward that side, getting his feet wet with dew.


    The air in the forest was heavy and humid. It felt like many people had sobbed their way through the night.


    Juan noticed someone standing like a dead old tree in the middle of the forest.


    The individual in question was Aunkel.


    It was unknown when Aunkel had been standing there, but his hair was wet with dew.


    Aunkel opened his mouth just as Juan passed by him.


    ¡°I hope you won¡¯t misunderstand Miss Haranbal.¡±


    Juan turned upon hearing Aunkel refer to his own daughter in honorifics.


    Aunkel whispered in a trembling voice, ¡°Miss Haranbal is not someone who would marry a person she doesn¡¯t love for the sake of an alliance. She wasn¡¯t trying to beg for her life as well. However, it doesn¡¯t mean that she¡¯s ready to abandon her servants for the sake of her personal desires.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­¡± Juan asked, ¡°Then why did I have to go through such aplicated process?¡±


    ¡°Please ask her,¡± Aunkel muttered in a piteous voice, ¡°Please ask her why she chose to be a tree that would be cut down rather than a tree that would only fall down at the end of its lifespan.¡±


    Juan stared at Aunkel in silence before passing by thetter.


    The fog enveloped Aunkel, and he soon disappeared from Juan¡¯s view due to the surrounding trees. Not long after, Juan could hear beastly howls in the forest.


    However, Juan didn¡¯t look back. He continued walking.


    Soon, Juan caught a whiff of the strong scent of fresh water. Juan broke through the bushes and arrived at a hugeke that shone light blue.


    A cold mist of water rising at dawn covered the entireke like a quilt. Theke looked like it was still asleep.


    Juan found Haranbal near theke.


    Haranbal was wearing the same wedding dress and white cloth over her hair, just like yesterday. When she turned and saw Juan, Haranbal revealed a feeble smile. ¡°I was hoping you¡¯ll sleep well until lunch.¡±


    Juan wordlessly approached Haranbal.


    Haranbal smiled mischievously and said, ¡°Do you feel like you¡¯re ready to swear your love to me now that you woke up?¡±


    ¡°Stop joking around. Since when?¡±


    Haranbal quietly turned her gaze toward theke.


    The waves of theke ticked her ankles.


    ¡°Since when have you been with Haranbal? Iolin,¡± Juan asked once more.


    Hearing that, <i>Iolin?</i>turned to look at him and said, ¡°When do you think?¡±


    Juan felt like Haranbal¡¯s attitude hadn¡¯t changed. She was moving and talking like usual, and there seemed to be no issues with her memory.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been Iolin from the very beginning...¡±


    Haranbal had always been Iolin since she first met Juan. It was when Juan killed Talter.


    Haranbal¡ªno, Iolin lightly kicked the waves of theke. The water sshed upward.


    ¡°You know Yoruq, the elf swordsman who taught you. I wondered what he meant when he asked me to keep an eye on you. It was odd to ask a god to keep an eye on a hunter who was hunting for the gods, right? I decided to spend a long time with you, and it was then that I realized what he meant. He wanted me to be prepared for the inevitable.¡±


    ¡°What about Haranbal?¡±


    ¡°Haranbal is indeed Aunkel¡¯s daughter. She was born prematurely, and I epted her as a sacrifice because she was marked for death. She is one of the few bodies I wear to move around.¡±


    The name was different, but Haranbal had always been Iolin. She was a colleague and a friend who had been with Juan since the start of his journey. In fact, Juan had been unconsciously aware of such a fact sincest night.


    His question was just for the sake of confirming it.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want you toe to the wedding,¡± Iolin whispered when she saw Juan approaching her. ¡°I didn¡¯t want you to participate in the groom selection process. I didn¡¯t want you to beat the other elves. When you confronted me at the end, I didn¡¯t want you to stand up to me if it meant risking your life. I didn¡¯t want you toe to thiske. I didn¡¯t want you to swear your vows to me.¡±


    ¡°Then, why did you choose this?¡± Juan came close enough to step on the sand of theke. ¡°Why did you show yourself to me even though you knew that I would kill you, Iolin?¡±


    Juan responded positively to Haranbal¡¯s wedding invitation so that he could kill Iolin.


    After all, the best first move that one could make on the battlefield was the move that would smoothly lead them to the next move. He had already known that the elves'' marriage vows were blessed in front of Iolin.


    Therefore, it was only natural for Juan to participate in Haranbal¡¯s groom selection process because he had to be with her to meet Iolin. It was the only way for Juan to meet Iolin, whom the elves were hiding.


    Upon seeing Aunkel and Berinsil¡¯s reactions, Juan realized that Iolin was the one who sent the wedding invitation.


    Iolin stared at Juan, and he could see that her eyes were trembling.


    ¡°Because I feel bad for you,¡± said Iolin, prompting Juan to stop walking. ¡°The person who loves the other person more will always lose.¡±


    Iolin repeated her words fromst night¡¯s diatorial exhibition. She had spoken those words after deliberately canceling her move. At that time, Iolin and Juan could have fatally injured each other¡ªbut neither of them did so.


    Juan finally understood Iolin¡¯s intentions.


    If the hostile rtionship were to continue, the conflict between the elves and the humans would be inevitable. Juan was strong, but he couldn¡¯t protect the entire empire on his own. If one of the elves decided that the empire should be taken care of before it got bigger, the empire would quickly be ruined.


    Juan was still confident of protecting the empire and bing the final winner, but he was sure that his empire would be reduced to ashes by then. The same would be true of the elves.


    Iolin couldn¡¯t bear such a tragic future.


    ¡°I wanted to give many good things to my beloved. It was a foolish and childish idea, but I still don¡¯t think that was necessarily bad.¡±


    ¡°You can think that way.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you think that way, too? Can you bear seeing your people being so weak and pathetic? Don¡¯t you want to give those poor beings eternal victory, honor, and eternal life?¡±


    ¡°That is not for me to give. It¡¯s something that they should get for themselves.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand you.¡± Iolin let out a sigh and bent down. She dipped her hand into the paleke water and picked something up from the soft pearl she managed to fish out of theke.


    It was a sword that was emitting a blue light. The sword was wrapped with Iolin¡¯s veil.


    Juan could feel an indescribable force from the sword.


    ¡°Inside this sword is the epic of glories from the elves and knights who had sworn their allegiance to me. This is a record of victory, reward, and a promise. I wanted to give this to you, but I know that you won¡¯t take it.¡±


    Iolin could see her face being reflected on the sword¡¯s handle as she held it out to Juan.


    Juan epted the sword, but he immediately threw the sword toward theke. The de glistened in the sunshine, which had just begun to rise and disappeared into the depths of theke without a sound.


    Iolin revealed a depressed look.


    ¡°It¡¯s sinking.¡±


    ¡®<i>Everything is sinking.</i>¡¯


    The glory and triumph that Iolin had promised the elves and knights were sinking, and it would remain there forever. The glorious kingdom, which could havested forever, was sinking into the depths of theke.


    Juan took a step closer to Iolin.


    Iolin shook her head when Juan¡¯s hand reached out for his sword.


    ¡°Do it with your own hands.¡±


    Juan flinched, but he soon nodded. He also didn¡¯t want to stick iron into Iolin.


    Juan¡¯s hands slowly climbed up and reached Iolin¡¯s neck.


    Juan couldn¡¯t even tell if his hands were moving properly.


    Iolin stared at Juan¡¯s face.


    ¡°Consider it an honor that I epted you as my first groom.¡±


    ¡°I thought I was the third?¡±


    ¡°The setting had to be believable,¡± Iolin smiled and whispered into Juan¡¯s ear, ¡°What should I do so that you will remember me? I don¡¯t want to be in your memories as a dying loser in pain or a pale corpse. I¡ª¡±


    ¡°You had always been like the sun to me,¡± Juan whispered to Iolin.


    Juan raised his hands and wrapped them around Iolin¡¯s cheeks instead of her neck.


    Her cheeks were wet with tears.


    ¡°There are many holes in my heart, Haranbal. They are all spaces that I left empty for those I care deeply about. Sometimes someone would fill those holes, but there are empty holes that still haven¡¯t been filled.¡±


    Juan ced his forehead against Iolin¡¯s forehead and continued. ¡°I can hear a lonely whistle whenever a dry and cold wind blows through the holes. The cold wind will eventually freeze my fire and heart, but I will remember you shining like the sun every time my heart whistles.¡±


    Iolin smiled.


    Juan¡¯s hands around Iolin¡¯s cheeks slowly wrapped around her neck.


    Iolin¡¯s slender neck was trembling.


    ¡°You say that now.¡±


    Juan¡¯s hands tightened.


    Iolin stared at Juan and started stroking his face with a mournful smile.


    ¡°You denied eternity, but I hope you will remain as beautiful as you are today. May your empire and your people be as beautiful as your ideals.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡±


    Winoa was searching for Juan. He ran around the whole forest as soon as he realized that Juan had gone missing, but he couldn¡¯t even find any elves, let alone Juan.


    The dense fog which had surrounded the forest had disappeared, and the sunshine finally prated the forest. However, Juan was still nowhere to be found.


    All of a sudden, Winoa recalled Aunkel¡¯s words fromst night¡ªJuan had to go to theke to swear his vows.


    Winoa started to get concerned that Juan might have actually married Haranbal rather than just spending a night with her for fun. In the end, he started running as fast as he could toward theke.


    Winoa¡¯s mood wasplicated as he arrived at theke. It was all because he had no idea what to say to ine. However, he still couldn¡¯t find Juan anywhere around theke.


    However, he could see footprints by theke.


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡±


    Winoa¡¯s shout echoed throughout theke. He started having suspicions about the possibility of Haranbal jumping into theke with His Majesty.


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡± he shouted once again, but theke remained calm and beautiful.


    For some reason, Winoa started feeling guilty for yelling at such a peacefulke.


    At that moment, someone tapped Winoa¡¯s shoulder.


    Winoa freaked out and turned around. He saw Juan standing behind him.


    ¡°Your Majesty! Where the heck have you been while¡ª¡±


    Winoa couldn¡¯t finish his question.


    Juan waspletely wet from head to toe. Aquatic nts and pearls were all over Juan. Naturally, Winoa quickly removes the aquatic nts all over Juan. The former¡¯s appearance was a bit shocking to behold, but Winoa didn¡¯t hesitate to make a move.


    ¡°Did you almost drown to death, Your Majesty?¡±


    ¡°Winoa.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    Juan didn¡¯t exin anything.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back,¡± Juan ordered as if he couldn¡¯t bear to stay here any longer.


    Winoa stared at Juan for a moment.


    Then, he nodded and wiped Juan clean with a towel.


    Theke scattered the sunshine behind them.


    The sunshine behind them scattered throughout theke, and the eternal kingdom of theke shone brightly as it copsed, seemingly in an effort to shake off the lingering feelings.


    Juan couldn¡¯t tell if the lingering feelings were holding him back, but he turned around without realizing it.


    Unfortunately, the destruction unfolding in front of him was a beautiful sight to behold.

 Chapter 270 – Side Story 9: Winter Flower (1)

    <h4>Chapter 270 ¨C Side Story 9: Winter Flower (1)</h4>


    The North would snow for at least half a year, so winter was the subject of both love and hatred in the North.


    Winter was the northerner¡¯s most feared enemy and grave, but it was also a shield and cradle. It wasmon to see northerners walking around with their tops off in the Capital of the empire, even in the middle of winter.


    For such a reason, there was a popr rumor about how northerners were numb to cold or they had been blessed by winter, but this wasn¡¯t the case.


    The rate of incidence was less frequent than in the other regions, but the northerners could also catch a cold. After all, they were human beings. The northerners would dress up properly in the North but wore thin clothing in the other regions during winter to boast their resistance to cold.


    It was a popr bluff that the winter in the North was cold beyond imagination.


    However, there were times when even the cold-hardened northerners would lock their doors and only stay indoors.


    Those times were whenever the Winter Duke was about to visit.


    An old man with pale eyes and stooped posture wearing the biggest cape in the world around his shoulder would apparently visit the North. The old man¡¯s cape was so long that it was measured by days rather than inches.


    It took six days to measure the distance from the Winter Duke¡¯s shoulder to the end of his cape. The Winter Duke dragged his cape while patrolling his territory, and then he would return to hisnd in the North, where spring could never arrive.


    During the Winter Duke¡¯s visit, he would sweep past the entire North. The Winter Duke¡¯s visit onlysted for six days in a year, but everything in the North would freeze during those six days, which was a phenomenon called the Winter Duke¡¯s Cape.


    The cycle wasn¡¯t exactly urate, but the cold would always subside whenever the Winter Duke¡¯s Cape disappeared.


    Northerners would n their year ordingly because there was a huge chance that even their strongest warriors would get lost in a snowstorm if they wandered around recklessly during those six days.


    Therefore, Ivy Isildin couldn¡¯t help but doubt her ears when someone knocked on her door. It was only three days into the Winter Duke¡¯s Cape. At first, Ivy thought that it had to have been the wind. After all, the only possible visitor she could have these days would be the Winter Duke.


    However, Ivy Isildin was once a saintess, so she didn¡¯t really believe in the legend of the Winter Duke.


    <i>Knock! Knock!</i>


    However, it seemed that the cold outside had be corporeal. The knocking was too loud and clear for it to be a mere illusion.


    ¡°Who, who is it?¡±


    No one answered. Ivy grabbed her spear anxiously. The windows were boarded up, so she didn¡¯t have to worry about someone breaking in through the windows.


    Honestly, she highly doubted that there was someone outside her door. The Winter Duke¡¯s Cape wasn¡¯t just a severe cold. It brought about it a cold that was too intense that even white bears would freeze, and it had long been terrorizing the northerners.


    <i>Knock! Knock! Knock!</i>


    The knock didn¡¯t stop.


    Ivy was frightened, but she thought that she should open her door just in case.


    ¡®<i>What if someone got cast away, and they came across my cabin? What if they¡¯re asking for help from their severe injuries?</i>¡¯


    Ivy wouldn¡¯t have such thoughts if she had been born in the North. The Northerners would never step outside during the Winter Duke¡¯s Cape sweeping the North unless they were wearing a rope tied to their house.


    It was all because getting lost in the wild in the middle of the Winter Duke¡¯s Cape meant freezing to death in the proverbial blink of an eye.


    However, it had only been six months since Ivy started living in the North. Despite the countless warnings she had heard before she settled in the North, Ivy went against those warnings and decided to open the door.


    ¡®<i>There could be a poor wanderer out there in desperate need of help.</i>¡¯


    Ivy couldn¡¯t be med for having such thoughts.


    After all, it was very shocking to even the northerners that there was someone knocking on the door during this period. Most northerners would have covered their ears, started praying, and nailed their doors shut if they were in Ivy¡¯s shoes.


    Ivy carefully unlocked the door and opened it slightly. A gust of cold wind squeezed through the small gap in the door.


    Ivy felt a burning pain on her face, even though the wind was cold.


    Ivy tried to close the door because of the unexpected pain, but the individual outside the door quickly grabbed the handle of the door.


    The stranger hurriedly squeezed in through the gap and shut the door.


    ¡°I made it!¡± The stranger was a child in northern winter clothing. The child was wearing all kinds of animal furs, and only her eyes could be seen. Ivy wouldn¡¯t have known that the child was a girl if she didn¡¯t hear her voice.


    The girl hurriedly shook off the snow from all over her. Just like any other ordinary house in the North, there was a space at the entrance dedicated to shaking off the snow on one¡¯s body.


    The girl shook off all the snow and started taking off her jacket, coat, hat, scarf, boots, mask, gloves, and all sorts of clothes. It was only after throwing off her clothes like peeling an onion and hanging them in the doorway that the girl could finally be seen.


    The girl looked like a white cymen.


    Many northerners called cymen a winter flower. They were huge fans of the flower because of its tough vitality. The girl was as lively and vivid as a cymen sprouting in the middle of winter.


    ¡°Thank you so much! No one opened the door for me for the past three days!¡±


    The girl¡¯s words didn¡¯t make sense in Ivy¡¯s ears.


    <i>¡®This girl was outside the whole time while the Winter Duke¡¯s Cape was sweeping past the North? How is she still alive? No, how does she still have so much energy?¡¯</i>


    ¡°I thought I¡¯d have to stay outside for six days wearing those clothes. I don¡¯t really like wearing them because they¡¯re hot and stuffy!¡±


    Ivy found it strange and surreal.


    ¡®<i>Who the heck is this girl?</i>¡¯


    ¡°What¡¯s your name? My name is Nimeria Nelben.¡±


    ¡®<i>Nelben?</i>¡¯


    Ivy inadvertently looked up and stared at the girl¡¯s hair. A silver-haired general immediately came to her mind¡ªshe was the woman who once ruled the North and devoted her entire life fighting the Crack.


    In the end, she finally disappeared beyond the Crack.


    Most of the imperial people remembered her as the emperor¡¯s eldest daughter, but she was more famous in the North because of her other titles¡ªthe daughter of the Winter Duke and the ruler of the North.


    Ivy could only think of one question upon looking at the girl with hair and eyes resembling Nienna Nelben.


    ¡°What¡¯s your rtionship with General Nienna Nelben?¡±


    Ivy found it strange that she was asking such a question. Nelben was not a family name but the name of the area where Nienna was found. Nienna¡¯s rtives had died in her hands when the Crack encroached on them.


    Nienna also hadn¡¯t left any children. In addition, it had only been five years since Nienna disappeared beyond the Crack, so there was no way that the girl in front of Ivy was rted to Nienna.


    ¡°She¡¯s my mother.¡±


    At the unexpected answer, Ivy copsed to the floor. The spear helplessly slipped out of her hand as well. Ivy doubted the girl, but Nienna¡¯s image kept oning to her mind whenever she nced at Nimeria¡¯s hair.


    ¡°Do you know my mother?¡±


    ¡°...Of course I do. Everyone knows her.¡±


    ¡°Wow, as expected¡­ Mother did say that she was a very famous person. She had told me that everyone would keep on asking me about her because everyone knew her. She told me not to tell anyone that she¡¯s my mother to avoid being bothered, but I guess she was right.¡±


    ¡°I suppose so¡­¡± Ivy finally realized that she still hadn¡¯t told Nimeria her own name. ¡°Anyway, my name is Ivy Isildin. Have you ever heard of me?¡±


    Nimeria frowned. She looked troubled as she tried her best to remember Nimeria groaned and agonized for a long time. Eventually, she carefully observed Ivy¡¯s expression and said, ¡°I think I¡¯ve heard of you.¡±


    ¡°...I mean, well. I wasn¡¯t very important, anyway¡­¡±


    Ivy wasn¡¯t disappointed at all despite Nimeria¡¯s efforts to avoid hurting her. After all, Ivy wasn¡¯t really close to Nienna. The only time they truly interacted was when Nienna rooted for Ivy when she took part in the Western expedition.


    Ivy staggered up and started preparing to properly wee her strange visitor. In the meantime, she made a decision to think of more useful questions she should ask her visitor.


    ***


    Nimeria was staring intently at the spear on the floor when Ivy came back with some tea and snacks.


    The spear was taller than her, but Nimeria seemed like she would have no issues handling the spear. Ivy had no choice but to believe that Nimeria was Nienna¡¯s daughter. It seemed that the daughter had taken after her mother.


    ¡°This is a unique spear. It is entirely made out of iron, but it¡¯s not heavy at all. In addition, the core material is unknown. Honestly, it looks like a big awl rather than a spear,¡± said Nimeria.


    Ivy couldn¡¯t afford to answer Nimeria. She decided to ask the most important question she hade up with while preparing their snacks and tea.


    ¡°Has General Nienna returned?¡±


    ¡®<i>Then, has His Majesty¡­¡¯</i>


    Ivy wanted to ask about Juan, but she was ashamed of herself, so she couldn¡¯t quite bring herself to ask such a question. Moreover, the mistakes she hadmitted back then were still haunting her.


    As far as Ivy knew, Nienna had certainly disappeared beyond the Crack. If her daughter hade from the Crack, it meant that the others could return as well.


    ¡°No, Mother hasn¡¯te back. Grandfather allowed no one else but me toe here.¡±


    ¡®<i>Grandfather? Who¡¯s that?</i>¡¯


    There was a rumor in the North that Nienna was the daughter of the legendary Winter Duke. In other words, Nimeria¡¯s grandfather was the Winter Duke.


    ¡®<i>The blood rtive of an ancient existence with an unknown history, huh¡­</i>¡¯


    ¡°...How is General Nienna doing? What about the warriors of the Northern Amy that crossed over the Crack together with her?¡± Ivy asked.


    ¡°As always, my mother is still doing what she likes...¡±


    Ivy couldn¡¯t help but wonder what Nienna liked to do. As far as she could remember, Nienna had no other hobbies other than killing monsters from the Crack.


    However, Ivy suddenly recalled that there were a ton of monsters in the Crack.


    ¡°So she¡¯s still alive, even beyond the Crack¡­¡±


    .


    Ivy had heard about the final showdown, and she thought that it would be wishful thinking to say that Nienna was still alive, even beyond the Crack. After all, it wasn¡¯t a hospitable world for humans, thanks to the countless hostile creatures living there.


    ¡°The Crack?¡± Nimeria asked, seemingly curious. However, she soon understood what Ivy was talking about as she repeatedly nodded. ¡°You¡¯re talking about the gap in the world, right? The Crack is just a gap. There is a huge world beyond the gap. Naturally, my mother has enough space to stay in that huge world.¡±


    Nimeria smiled and continued. ¡°However, I heard that it was a barrennd when she first arrived. But¡­ <i>um,?</i>many people offered to help her at the time.¡±


    ¡°Help?¡±


    ¡°The Thornbush Priest Organization wasn¡¯t the only organization that felt Qzatquizail¡¯s awakening. If Qzatquizail truly awakened, then a cosmic disaster would have transpired. Many people had gathered to stop it¡ªincluding my grandfather.¡±


    Ivy was disturbed by Nimeria¡¯s horrible story.


    Hearing Qzatquizail¡¯s name alone made Ivy feel a shiver down her spine.


    ¡°No one knows who it was that yed a critical role in stopping Qzatquizail from awakening, but¡ªanyway, it seems that my mother is respected in this world as well, not just in that world. She¡¯s currently living well and is having fun with her life.¡±


    Ivy was relieved to hear that there was a hospitable world for humans beyond the Crack. After all, the many people who had disappeared into the Crack had always been one of the empire¡¯s debt to the people they had left behind.


    In addition, Ivy felt like she could finally let go of a burden.


    Upon letting it go, Ivy started seeing other things.

 Chapter 271 – Side Story 10: Winter Flower (2)

    <h4>Chapter 271 ¨C Side Story 10: Winter Flower (2)</h4>


    ¡°It¡¯s such a relief that General Nienna is still alive. I remember hearing that she¡¯s very picky when ites to choosing men. Did she manage to find a good husband? I thought she was a bit too old to have a child, but I¡¯m d to see that you¡¯re healthy. Come to think of it, how did you even get here? You¡¯re so young, but you¡¯ve already left your mother¡¯s side...¡±


    Ivy¡¯s questions poured out like a waterfall after she was convinced that Nimeria was Nienna¡¯s child.


    Nimeria seemed perplexed by Ivy¡¯s questions.


    ¡°<i>Um...</i> actually, my mother wasn¡¯t as sad as you think when she sent me here. She has twelve more children aside from me, after all.¡±


    ¡°...Did you say twelve children?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Ivy was momentarily confused. Nimeria looked like a child around the age of ten years old, no matter how much she stared at Nimeria. Considering that it was only five years ago when Nienna disappeared beyond the Crack, Nimeria¡¯s age didn¡¯t make sense.


    ¡®<i>And she even has thirteen kids in total?</i>¡¯


    ¡°My mother has been quite... motivated to make a family ever since she crossed over the gap of the world,¡± Nimeria said.


    ¡°What about your father?¡±


    ¡°I have more fathers than siblings, so I don¡¯t know their names. She also has a few wives as well.¡±


    <i>¡®She has so many husbands that her children don¡¯t even know their names, and she even has wives?¡¯</i>


    Ivy wrapped her hand around her head and decided to bring this matter to the grave.


    ¡°...Nimeria, perhaps it¡¯s for the best that you don¡¯t talk about General Nienna to other people.¡±


    Ivy found it a bit worrying, but she understood Nimeria¡¯s story since she was a Westerner. However, the northerners would definitely faint once they heard stories about what Nienna was up to.


    Nimeria nodded as if she understood.


    Ivy figured that Nienna definitely seemed strange, even in Nimeria¡¯s eyes.


    ¡®<i>I think it¡¯s too much to have as many husbands as my mother. So, I¡¯m nning to have only three husbands.</i>¡¯


    Ivy remained silent. She contemted if she should teach Nimeriamon sense or morals, but it didn¡¯t seem like Nimeriacked manners or knowledge. Compared to Nienna, Nimeria was gentler and more polite.


    This meant that she was well educated despite living in a barren world.


    ¡®<i>Then, I guess there is no need for me to give her unnecessary advice.</i>¡¯


    Ivy thought of Nienna as a more respectable personpared to herself, anyway.


    ¡°What brings you here?¡± Ivy asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m ten years old now, so it¡¯s about time I have to start adulting.¡±


    Ivy was speechless.


    ¡°My mother said that she became the leader of her tribe when she was only ten years old, so she said that we should also do something big. You know, something like preventing the end of the world or bing a king of a country... grandfather also just told me that the time hase.¡±


    Ivy seriously considered taking back her thought that everything Nienna had been doing had to have a deep meaning behind them.


    Nimeria looked serious.


    At the sight, Ivy wondered what would happen if Nimeria appeared in the empire after the Winter Duke¡¯s Cape.


    ***


    Nimeria stayed at Ivy¡¯s ce throughout the end of the Winter Duke¡¯s Cape.


    The freezing cold didn¡¯t seem to bother Nimeria that much, but she chose to stay in the house and behave after she almost got buried alive in the falling snow. Ivy wondered how Nimeria managed to make it to this cabin for three entire days on her own.


    ¡°My grandfather must have been watching over me.¡±


    ¡°Are you talking about the Winter Duke?¡±


    The day after the Winter Duke¡¯s Cape ended, Nimeria stopped swinging a spear in the snowy yard upon hearing Ivy¡¯s question.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if Winter Duke... is the title referring to my grandfather, but the others used to call him Frozen Star.¡±


    ¡°But he must have a real name...¡±


    ¡°My mother did call him a bastard quite often.¡±


    ¡°...Let¡¯s just call him Winter Duke, then.¡±


    Nimeria shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s very rare to see my grandfather in person. He doesn¡¯t get along with my mother very well either.¡±


    With that being said, Nimeria began to swing the spear again. Her movements had gotten much more borate and precise. Nimeria had been ying around with the spear indoors throughout her stay in the cabin during the Winter Duke¡¯s Cape.


    She seemed quite pleased with the spear.


    ¡°Do you like that spear?¡± Ivy asked.


    Nimeria shook Ivy¡¯s spear around with wonder as if she was curious.


    ¡°I like it because it¡¯s perfectly bnced and light in weight. It¡¯s strong, and it seems to have magical power. I feel like the previous owner of this spear was no ordinary human.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? I suppose you¡¯re right, but I don¡¯t know much about that,¡± Ivy replied feebly, ¡°I found it while searching through the ruins of the Walls of Nulvin. I brought it with me because it was light and it seemed easy to use. I¡¯ve been digging up the ruins of the Walls of Nulvin with a team of investigators to research the traces of that time. We recover corpses and search for traces of the missing. Their possibility of survival is very low, but still...¡±


    Ivy smiled at Nimeria.


    ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that one of the missing people is still alive and in good health. She even has twelve children. You can keep the spear if you like it. I¡¯m pretty sure that one of your mother¡¯s subordinates used that spear long ago.¡±


    ¡°Really? I think this spear is better than my mother¡¯s Oberon.¡±


    ¡®<i>Is it that good of a spear?</i>¡¯


    Ivy was surprised to hear that the weapon she had been keeping for self-defense was better than Nienna¡¯s magic weapon. As far as she was concerned, Oberon was a powerful weapon capable of almost killing Dismas Dilver, the emperor¡¯s third son.


    Ivy wondered if it would be okay to leave such a powerful weapon in Nimeria¡¯s hands, but she was once again reminded that Nimeria was Nienna¡¯s daughter.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, you can keep it. It will be better for you to keep that powerful weapon because you can actually use it, unlike me. Besides, I still have many other weapons that I can use here.¡±


    Ivy retrieved a sparkler covered with ck coals from the stove. It was once a holy sword used by the Temrs, but it had be nothing more than just an ordinary sword after the power of the emperor was exhausted.


    ¡°That sword doesn¡¯t seem like an ordinary sword either. It must have been crafted with great care.¡±


    ¡°You think so?¡±


    It looked dirty, but Nimeria immediately recognized that it was a very strong weapon.


    The sword was also one of the objects that Ivy had found in the ruins of the Walls of Nulvin. There was no way that the weapons of a Temple Order would be in such a remote area, but Ivy knew of one knight who had taken his holy sword to the Walls of Nulvin¡ªthe knight who was once the captain of the emperor¡¯s Imperial Guards.


    It was actually unknown if the sword actually belonged to that knight, but it was Ivy¡¯s educated guess.


    ¡°I¡¯m using it as a sparkler because I don¡¯t have one. I¡¯m nning on sending it to Torra and having it melted when springes since the empire owns it. The empire won¡¯t have to use any weapons for the time being as long as the current emperor doesn¡¯t start kicking up a fuss.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hm, </i>is that so?¡± Nimeria tilted her head. All of a sudden, her new spear caught her attention, and she stared at it intently. ¡°Its name is apparently Solvane.¡±


    Ivy revealed aplicated look and asked, ¡°Solvane?¡±


    ¡°Yes, the spear told me that its name is Solvane.¡±


    Ivy¡¯s expression became even stranger. There were often people who spoke nonsense about how they could speak to their armor or weapon. Perhaps Nimeria was one of those people.


    In addition, Ivy had never heard of magical weapons that could speak despite containing Spirits like Oberon.


    ¡°That¡¯s unusual. I know someone who has the samest name, but she doesn¡¯t wield the spear.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really?¡± Nimeria nodded as if she weren¡¯t very interested. Ivy wondered if Nimeria was joking about the spear telling her its name.


    However, Nimeria seemed like she wasn¡¯t the type to make jokes.


    Nimeria swung the spear, carving a long arc in the air. The spearhead shone yellow, and it started heating up. It became so hot that the snow melted along the arc that the spear had drawn, which rained down and formed a puddle of water.


    Ivy flinched and stepped back. She was standing near the door and was a bit distant from Nimeria, but she could still feel the heat from all the way here. Nimeria looked at the spearhead and nodded, seemingly satisfied.


    The spear cooled down.


    ¡°This is all that it¡¯s got at the moment, but it¡¯s still pretty useful.¡±


    ¡°...Are you going to be fine?¡± Ivy asked.


    ¡°<i>Huh?</i> What do you mean?¡± Nimeria asked back.


    Ivy didn¡¯t bother asking if Nimeria could handle the cold like Nienna.


    However, Nimeria had never shown that she could handle the cold.


    Nienna could handle the cold because of magic, blessings, and armor. Nimeria wasn¡¯t the daughter of the Winter Duke, and she had neither blessings nor the appropriate armor, so she couldn¡¯t have inherited the ability to resist the cold.


    In the end, Ivy said something that was a bit off. ¡°Don¡¯t you think your mother will feel ufortable?¡±


    Nimeria¡¯s eyes widened at the unexpected question, but she quickly burst intoughter.


    ¡°My mother has always told me that children should try their best to ovee their parents. She said that parents are objects of respect, but they are also the children¡¯s very first obstacles.¡±


    Ivy suddenly remembered a certain someone. She recalled Gerard, the adopted son who resembled the emperor more than anyone else. He had a father that he respected from the bottom of his heart, but he had never managed to ovee.


    ¡®<i>I wonder what his thoughts were after he made the decision to destroy the world just to ovee His Majesty.</i>¡¯


    Ivy couldn¡¯t help but think about what meaning the emperor¡¯s children still had in this world. After all, they weren¡¯t really rted to each other.


    ¡®<i>And I wonder what General Nienna thought when she pushed her brother to death?</i>¡¯


    Ivy thought that Nienna could have simply felt exhrated because Nienna was Nienna.


    .


    Listening to Nimeria, it seemed that Nienna hadn¡¯t changed that much despite going beyond the Crack.


    However, the fact that Nienna had thirteen children made Ivy think that her children had definitely changed her life. Ivy felt that she could finally somewhat understand Nienna¡¯s reasoning about why she still hadn¡¯t returned to the empire.


    The empire wasn¡¯t just a battlefield. It was also a tomb to Nienna, who had been fighting since she was old enough to hold a sword. After defeating the Crack that she despised a lot, Nienna could finally live her life as a human being rather than as a mere weapon.


    ¡°I see,¡± Ivy answered with much difficulty.


    Nimeria grinned and turned toward the South.


    The sky was finally clear after the Winter Duke¡¯s Cape. Ivy realized that Nimeria was about to leave. A midwinter trip was something even the northerners wouldn¡¯t want to do, but it wouldn¡¯t be a huge problem for Nimeria.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Ivy asked.


    ¡°There¡¯s someone I¡¯d like to visit first. My mother said that he is the only person she respects and admires, but I have never met him before.¡±


    Ivy thought about the identity of the individual that Nienna respected and admired, but only one person came to mind.


    Ivy thought that it couldn¡¯t be him, but she also wondered why it couldn¡¯t be him.


    Ivy had a burning question, and it appeared when Nimeria visited her.


    <i>¡®Will His Majesty return one day?¡¯</i>


    However, Ivy decided not to say anything. The world would bow down at His Majesty¡¯s return, just like a few years ago when he woke up in the South and started taking down the empire.


    There was a chance that he had already returned, but if that was the case, then why was the world so quiet? There could only be one answer¡ªit was His Majesty¡¯s will.


    ¡°Once you meet him...¡± Ivy gulped and asked Nimeria for a favor. ¡°Can you tell him that there¡¯s someone who has always been praying for him?¡±


    Ivy wasn¡¯t a real Saintess, but she had always been sincere whenever she prayed for him. However, there was someone else who prayed for him much more earnestly than her.


    Nimeria vigorously nodded.


    The Winter Duke¡¯s Cape had just swept across the North, and the North was now racing toward the end of winter. There were many ces in the North with snow even in the middle of summer, but life in those ces was as strong as the North¡¯s climate.


    Among them, winter flowers were bound to flourish first. The winter flowers started approaching the South while carrying a brand-new spring in their arms.


    -The End-


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