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Chapter 189
"You should be preparing to withdraw, as promised."
I’m here representing the royal family of Bata.
Considering I was chosen to oversee this place instead of other supposedly prominent nobles, it's best for Melissa if I refrain from making rash moves.
At my question, the two men coughed awkwardly, visibly displeased.
"Ahem. We cannot accept that outcome."
"Now you’re contradicting yourselves?"
"Besides, Gordon Roswell was merely a low-ranking official dispatched by the military. It had nothing to do with Coral’s will."
"That goes both ways. Leaving the affairs of the noble houses to that young man is just as absurd."
These men… trying to wash their hands by blaming it on some low-ranking subordinate.
Sure, it was an excuse we could use too, if necessary.
They could just insist this wasn’t their country’s official stance and drag things out.
"If you’re unhappy with this, you’re free to leave."
Their attitude screamed, “We don’t care. Act accordingly. You’re the one who’ll lose out.”
That smugness—the way the strong toy with the weak—made me smile faintly.
"So if there’s an expedition, Gordon Roswell and Karim Selvon are excluded?"
"That’s up to our homeland to decide."
Oh, so you’re just going to do whatever you want, huh?
Is that why you unsealed that boy called Ma Cheon?
I thought deeply about why the princess of Bata gave me full authority.
If it were about political experience or insight, there are others more qualified—Melissa, or other experts.
But she chose me, specifically.
Ah.
She knew.
That whatever happened, it would ultimately come down to a show of force.
So I asked one more thing, just to confirm.
"So what, exactly, do you expect me to do? You stir up trouble, then want to pretend it never happened? Did you really think I’d just let that go?"
"You arrogant brat. No matter how powerful you are, you’re still just a child. You really don’t know your place, do you?"
That shamelessness—maybe it's a required trait for them.
"Oh, really? Then let’s do this. I’ll now transfer all authority, granted by Bata’s royal family, to my younger sister, Melissa."
"What?"
"That means I’m no longer a noble. No title, no official rank—just a low-ranking nobody."
Then I grinned.
"So if I kill everyone here on my own accord, it’s got nothing to do with Bata, right?"
"You—! You insane bastard!!"
Reacting to the murderous aura I unleashed, the two men instinctively drew their weapons.
"You think you’ll survive after that?! You think we’d let this slide?!"
"You're the ones being stubborn here, not us."
"You arrogant little…!!"
With lightning speed, one of the elders from the Western Faction drew his sword and slashed toward me.
It was an incredibly fast and precise strike aimed at my neck, but I simply raised my hand and grasped the air.
Clang!!!
The elder's sword stopped just before it reached my neck, blocked by what seemed to be an invisible wall.
"W-What…?"
He was briefly shocked by my seemingly empty-handed action.
Then, my right hand slowly revealed a red sword, gripped in a reverse hold, beginning to spark as it materialized.
The Demon Sword, Elekstra.
Drawn from subspace, the sword finally revealed itself.
"Then I’ll take that as your decision…"
Clank! Clang!
The elder’s sword was suddenly knocked away, and he instinctively jumped back, startled.
It was a reflex—his survival instinct kicking in.
Slice!
In that small window of movement, my sword grazed his face, leaving a deep cut across his cheek.
"Urgh?!"
The brief clash triggered an explosive burst of aura from the elder’s entire body.
"You dare…"
Enraged at being wounded, the elder moved, and this time, Coral’s Swordmaster moved as well.
But I wasn’t alone.
Tap!
"Guh?!"
Just as Coral’s Swordmaster rushed toward me, a slender, pale-white arm suddenly intervened, coiling like a snake and interrupting his attack.
BOOOOM!!!
And the cost of letting his guard down was immediate.
He was blown clean out of the tent.
"Urgh?!"
Just one strike was enough to leave him pale and shaken.
"W-Who the hell is she…?"
He finally got a clear look at Luna, who had attacked him.
She looked delicate and harmless, her expression calm and composed—but her martial power was clearly formidable.
"Leon, this is turning into a battlefield."
"I know."
Let’s give them a chance to rethink their choices.
"Are you going to keep going?"
I felt the eyes of many turning toward us.
Most were non-combatants, so few were armed.
Still, the sudden commotion naturally drew attention.
"You think you can walk out of here alive?"
"That’s a question you should be asking yourselves."
At my words, the two Swordmasters exchanged glances.
From our earlier exchange, they’d already gotten a rough sense of my strength.
"Y-Your Grace, what is going on…?"
As the Eastern Continent delegates began to panic, Coral’s Swordmaster spoke quietly.
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"Elder, there’s no need to fight here."
"I… I will never forget this humiliation."
As they turned and left, I tossed Elekstra into the air.
The blade vanished, slipping silently back into subspace.
There was no point in killing those who’d already surrendered—it would only make things worse.
"Leon."
“What?”
“You go on ahead. I have somewhere to stop by.”
“Hm? Alright, then.”
* * *
After Leon had left, the Elder of Sichuan looked down at his trembling hand.
Just a single exchange.
They hadn’t even clashed properly, and he wasn’t injured, yet his hand was trembling.
Recoil from exposure to an extremely dense aura.
Something like this only occurred when he faced enemies he had to risk his life to fight.
What if he hadn’t instinctively stepped back at that moment?
He was a seasoned warrior who had survived many years.
And the Eastern Continent was a land ruled by the law of the strong.
To survive so long in such a place, strength and the power of his clan certainly played a role—but so did his finely-honed instinct for danger.
“This is beyond absurd…”
The elder looked toward a man silently standing nearby.
He, too, seemed to feel the same emotion as the elder.
Leon Cascadia.
He’d heard the rumors, but could something like that even be called human?
Humans could possess various talents, but this felt like something so twisted that calling it "talent" felt wrong.
And it wasn’t just the infamous Leon Cascadia that had shocked them.
That girl…
The girl who followed Leon—strikingly beautiful to the point of astonishment—also wielded strength far beyond normal bounds.
‘There’s no need to fight head-on with monsters we don’t even understand.’
The aggressive stance from Bata was unexpected, but it didn’t matter.
Neither the Sichuan clan nor Coral had any intention of giving up on the rift.
They would retreat this time, but if they were to clash with Leon again, the elder would see his head roll beneath his blade.
“Sir Bachen!”
Right then, Gordon Roswell and Karim Selvon came running toward them.
“What happened?”
“Useless fools. It’s because you couldn’t win the duel that we had to retreat like this!”
Coral’s Sword Master Bachen lashed out in frustration, and Gordon bowed his head deeply.
“I have no excuse…”
“Enough. We’ve stepped back more than expected, but the plan remains unchanged.”
“We’re withdrawing.”
“What?!”
“Of course, it’s just a feint. If we appear to retreat, they’ll likely begin exploring the rift. Especially now that you’re out, the core forces on their side, including Leon Cascadia, will likely go in.”
“Then…”
“As soon as they enter, we’ll eliminate all external personnel, seal the rift, and activate the penalty.”
A rift with penalties activated became a dungeon so dangerous that even Sword Masters couldn’t handle it.
No matter how powerful Leon Cascadia was, he wouldn’t walk away unscathed.
“Even if he survives, it doesn’t matter. We’ll go in afterward and finish things.”
Once they were wiped out, Coral would just claim the failure and clear the rift themselves.
The Sichuan elder spoke curtly.
“Do not forget. If we help you obtain the Dragon’s Essence to control the Dragon Soldiers, your side must assist us in finding the hidden rewards we seek.”
Coral wanted powerful military might—control over the Dragon Soldiers.
The Sichuan clan wanted something to complete their ongoing project.
“Of course.”
Bachen and the elder’s interests aligned.
But they did not know.
That perched high on a tent nearby, a single crow had heard everything.
—Kaa-ha-ha-ha-ha!
With a bizarre cackle, the crow flapped its wings once.
Then it dissolved into black mist, melting into the shadows.
It was one of Leon’s undead.
* * *
After parting with Leon, Luna didn’t head toward Bata but into the forest.
There, she saw Cheon Ryeong sitting in a cold sweat, circulating his aura, with Hwa Ryeong behind him casting a mysterious formation.
“Who are you?!”
Cheon Ryeong, eyes closed and focused, didn’t react strongly—but Hwa Ryeong’s face was filled with wariness.
“I don’t intend any harm. Is he poisoned?”
“…”
Cheon Ryeong remained silent.
Hwa Ryeong answered in his place.
“Cheon’s body is afflicted with a deadly poison.”
“That’s quite a nasty one.”
Luna replied calmly and slowly approached, squatting before Cheon Ryeong.
For a moment, her eyes seemed to gleam, but Hwa Ryeong didn’t notice.
“I came to ask something.”
“Excuse me, but my brother is in no condition to speak…”
“It’s alright, Hwa Ryeong.”
At that moment, Cheon Ryeong opened his eyes and looked directly at Luna, face pale and breathing heavily.
“You’re the girl who was with Lord Leon.”
“Brother… How are you speaking…?”
“Is it your power? A mysterious one indeed… Alright, what do you wish to ask?”
“Just two things. Was there a reason you saved Melissa that time?”
At her question, Cheon Ryeong quietly closed his eyes.
“Why do you ask?”
“I just want to know. We're technically enemies, and you knew you'd lose your arm—so why save her?”
“It’s nothing special. There was a person in danger before me, so I saved her. And…”
“And?”
“I couldn’t allow Cheon to become a killer.”
At that answer, Luna nodded.
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