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Chapter 235: Julius Baltahar
Sword Duke, Julius Baltahar.
His white hair and grizzled eyebrows resembled those of an old man, yet his features appeared to be those of someone in their forties at most.
His gaze was as deep as an abyss, difficult to read.
"You know who I am?"
As if it were only natural, I nodded.
The worth of Baltahar came from the Sword Path they pursued.
His presence, qi, was strikingly similar to that of Magnus, who had awed the demon race with only his lone self and a single sword.
"How could I not know?"
In that instant, the swordsmen around us once again emitted an overwhelming pressure, but Julius himself simply nodded, his expression unchanging.
"Ruin Samael."
This time, I was the one to ask.
"You know who I am?"
"I, too, have been wanting to meet you."
The moment my gaze met Julius's, he spoke.
"Let us have a talk."
* * *
In the temporary barracks of Baltahar, set up at the northernmost point, we began our private audience, just the two of us.
The atmosphere was calm, all outside noise blocked, yet somehow, it didn't feel comfortable.
The Head of the Baltahar Clan.
I had certainly intended to meet him, but I hadn't expected it to be at this time, in this manner.
'He wanted to meet me?'
The head of a divine clan, overseeing the great and small affairs of the continent. The fact that he knew of me wasn't strange in itself, but the atmosphere was somewhat peculiar.
He had wanted to meet me?
A person of his standing, the head of a divine clan, wouldn't just say such things lightly.
As Julius was pouring tea to the side, he suddenly spoke.
"I've been hearing impressive things about Samael's recent activities."
"I didn't expect you to personally visit the Land of Death."
This meeting certainly carried risks, but there was no reason to avoid it.
I immediately threw out a pointed question.
"Have you finally become aware of the danger posed by the demons?"
Julius shook his head.
"We always have been."
"..."
"Keeping watch over the beings that threaten humanity is, after all, the ancient duty of our divine clans."
"Then why did you not respond to the request for support that was made in Keplan?"
"There were reasons. Didn't you handle it well?"
"That's speaking in hindsight."
Sitting across from me, Julius stared intently at me and then asked.
"The divine clan of the Sword. That's what the people of the continent call us. Respect and fear always coexist. However, you do not seem to fear me."
"I didn't think the Sword Duke was the type to care about such things."
"You sensed that?"
"Of course. I am not a man who concerns himself with such things, either. But if you wish, I can treat you with the respect a senior deserves."
Julius Baltahar.
He leaned his slight frame deep into the simple chair and raised his head again.
A faint smile curled his lips, and the moment I saw it, a feeling of displeasure subtly crept in.
"A rare spirit. But one question troubles me. Will you allow me to seek an answer?"
"Speak."
"How do you know me?"
"What do you mean?"
A gleam of light flickered in Julius's pupils as he stared intently at me.
"It feels as if you're speaking as though you've known me for a long time. As if you already knew me, Julius. But we have never met. Is it my misinterpretation? Or..."
"..."
"Did Samael have some kind of connection with our Baltahar in the past?"
What was the meaning of this?
For a while, our gazes locked, and I kept thinking.
There was no sign of any demons. But I couldn't be certain.
Julius—this man could be one of the Seven Demons.
Or, he could be a demon belonging to the Realm.
"I don't know about any connection. It's just a feeling."
"It is a personal opinion, so do not take it to heart."
It wasn't just a casual question.
It was a question with clear intent, but there wasn't much time to think.
After taking a sip of tea, Julius changed the subject.
"What do you think of the current situation? I'm curious about your opinion."
"Before that, I also have a question."
I looked directly into Julius's eyes.
I had no intention of being passively led along.
"You mentioned the duty of the divine clans earlier?"
"That's right."
"What do you think of the demons?"
"We are sufficiently aware of the danger."
"Are you also aware that it's difficult for Baltahar to handle this alone?"
Suddenly, a flicker of light shimmered in Julius's eyes.
"What do you think of our Baltahar?"
"At the very least, I can sense that the Sword Duke has long since stepped into the realm of transcendence."
"And yet you still say that?"
"Of course. And it's not just Baltahar; it applies to all the other divine clans as well."
"Interesting. Depending on the interpretation, it could also sound as if you are capable of gauging the divine clans."
Paat—!
A sharp qi, as if piercing through my vitals, flew towards me.
Just by looking into Julius's pupils, I felt as if my entire body was being cut to pieces.
It wasn't just a feeling.
Heart Void Style, The Fourth Sword.
Eye-Governing Sword.
The realm of cutting what one sees.
At the very least, Julius had already reached the realm that Magnus had attained when we set out on the expedition.
Whoosh—!
The moment I immediately began to open all the circles of my heart and faced him.
With a clap sound, Julius clapped his hands and a smile spread across his face.
Simultaneously, his qi vanished as if it had been washed away.
"Indeed, Samael is close to the truth."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that we are thinking the same thing."
Julius, raising his white eyebrows slightly, looked at me with a serious expression.
"You must already know. This isn't the first time the demons have appeared. Hundreds of years ago, a situation similar to the present one occurred. It was even worse than the time of the Giant King and the Demonic Dragons. All the divine clans shed a great deal of blood."
"..."
"There's no need to make that face. Isn't it a fact you already know?"
I immediately replied.
"Then I'll ask. Why hasn't there been any movement until now?"
"You're already guessing the reason."
"Are you saying it's because of traitors?"
"That's right. Too many records have been distorted. It didn't happen overnight. It's something that's been distorted little by little over hundreds of years. Even the records of our Sword Clan... Perhaps, I think, even the record that we exterminated the demons may have been distorted."
"..."
"Do you understand now? I believe the current situation is related to the expedition of the past. There is a traitor. We must cut them out first."
As expected.
There was no way the head of a divine clan wouldn't know. It would have been strange if he didn't know.
Julius was already close to the truth.
All the questions he had were identical to the questions I had.
But that was not a reason to eliminate my suspicions about Julius.
I immediately asked back.
"Sword Duke, senior. What is the reason for not convening the Divine Clan Assembly?"
"The Seren Clan wouldn't respond anyway."
"That's not an answer. Baltahar should be able to cut out all the suspicious parts."
Julius shook his head.
"In a normal situation, you would be right. But there is an exception."
"An exception?"
"I suspect the Heavenly Pressure."
Thump—
In that instant, with a feeling like my heart was sinking, I couldn't help but ask Julius.
"What is your intention in telling me this?"
"That is precisely the reason I wanted to meet you."
Finally, Julius revealed his true intentions.
"You, and Samael. How do you know all of this?"
I quoted Julius's words back to him.
"You're already guessing, aren't you?"
"The distorted records of the past expedition. Surely, there must be something about Samael among them. The same goes for the mysterious magic that Samael manifests. Am I correct?"
"You are."
It wasn't a difficult deduction.
"Indeed, in the end, Samael was also a clan that possessed a fragment of the truth. There is only one thing I want to ask. Who does Samael believe is behind this?"
"I suspect all three."
Julius nodded.
"It's only possible for those who stood at the end of the past. Be careful of Arihama."
"There isn't much time."
"I know. But if we find the definite culprit, we can stop it before then. Just as you did in Keplan."
'He even knows about the summoning?'
"That's just talk."
Nothing Julius was saying to me was untrue. Everything he said matched the information I had.
But could I erase all doubt with this?
The absurd question Fichte had.
And at the same time, the question I now have.
If Julius were... Magnus Baltahar.
He could easily perpetrate this level of deception.
"We must put an end to this before Verkes appears."
I spoke while staring intently at Julius.
But in Julius's pupils, there was no sign of unease, only curiosity.
"...Verkes? Who is that?"
Beeeeeep—!
It was at that moment that an ear-splitting alarm sounded from outside.
With a sense of foreboding, I got up and parted the entrance to the barracks, only to be met by the sight of Ten Thousand swordsmen.
From behind, the Sword Duke asked quietly.
"What is it?"
"My Lord, the 2nd barrier in the northeast has fallen. It's a place directly connected to the core."
"Who is at the northeast barrier?"
"Legion Commander Maohe."
"Again?"
"Young Master Black has sent word that he is moving... but we haven't received a reply. It seems he has already entered the barrier."
At this moment, I couldn't make out Fichte's expression as he looked at me from outside the barracks.
What was that urgent look supposed to mean?
Suddenly, I took a step forward and looked up at the sky. In the northeastern sky, stained with a deep darkness, a familiar pattern was blooming.
A black lotus.
'Loren?'
Only then did I recall Fichte saying that Ardehain had also gone to the northeast barrier.
I immediately turned around and looked at Julius.
"It seems there's no time to waste."
"What should we do, my Lord?"
Julius shook his head.
"Have them wait until Arihama arrives."
As soon as I heard those words, I immediately dashed out of the barracks.
Fichte shouted.
"Lord Ruin, we can't reach the Swordmaster!"
Without hesitation, I activated the Crazy Mage Style footwork and shouted.
"Crazy Mage Squad!"
As if they had been waiting, my subordinates joined, and from somewhere, Wolf and the rest of the Brothers appeared and followed.
Meanwhile, the Elders, who had been talking seriously with someone to the side, finally noticed me and called out.
"Ruin? Where are you going?!"
"I'm going to the northeast barrier. I'm going to support Ardehain."
Elder Norman replied.
"Wouldn't it be better if we went with you?"
"The path is dangerous. Elders, please take charge here. When the Head of the Clan arrives, please inform him."
Suddenly, a man caught my eye.
The face of the person talking with the Elders was familiar.
'...Crimson Flame?'
Hector Kart.
Once again, a feeling of displeasure arose, but there was no time to hesitate.
I immediately set out with my subordinates, circling around the barrier and stepping beyond it in the northeast direction. While activating my footwork, I quickly passed by other mercenaries and clans heading to support the northeast.
Crack—!
The moment I took a step into the Land of Death, a hazy, acrid heat rose.
Although not as intense as the core, I could clearly feel the lingering remnants of dense demonic energy.
Once again, I saw the black mountain range, piled up to an immense height.
Shaaaa—!
I immediately looked up at the sky in the northeast.
Far away, a lotus pattern soaring up into the sky.
It was fainter than before.
Something was wrong.
Suddenly, I remembered what the Ten Thousand swordsman who came to report to Julius had said.
'If it's a Legion Commander...'
Asura
It could be that guy.
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[Translator - Prøks]
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