《The Greatest Warrior of All Time Returns》 Chapter 4 [Trantor - Night] [Proofreader - Gun] Chapter 4 To hold the position of the Margrave, at least expert-level skills were required. So it was no wonder she struggled. From her perspective, she was already having a hard time, and then I suddenly burst intoughter in the middle of the night. How absurd and infuriating that must have been for her. I could understand her struggles. But I had my own reasons. No one could fathom the immense joy of escaping from that hellhole, the Labyrinthos. Even if the king himself had been standing before me, I would have screamed in delight. Even if the famed Sword Saint of the continent had been present, I would have acted the same way. What I went through there was simply not something a human should endure. Of course, now that it was a memory of the past, I couldugh it off. They say memories leave scars. Honestly, I thought I¡¯d be severely affected by PTSD. However, the mental defenses of the Labyrinthos were nearly perfect in protecting me from that. I tried to circte my aura to stabilize my mind and body. Then I froze. Labyrinthos was the Maze of Dreams¡ªa dream, essentially. The experiences I gained there existed, but here and now, I was just a powerless Leon Cascadia, confined to a weak physical body. And yet. "Why is my aura still intact?" In the past, I¡¯d realized I had no talent for swordsmanship. I gave up on aura cultivation and swordsmanship early on and lived as a mere bookworm. So my body shouldn¡¯t have any aura umted in it. ¡°This is insane.¡± Yet now, my body contained the aura I had umted in the Hall of Swords¡ªor more urately, nearly double that amount. Its presence was undeniable. If I focused on cirction, I could draw out tremendous power from this overwhelming aura. ¡°What is this? How can it still exist? Aura is supposed to dissipate...¡± [All energy forms, including the aura stored in you, are rewards for clearing the Hall.] ¡°What the hell?! You scared me!¡± The letters that appeared before me were a different color from those I¡¯d seen before. That bastard¡ªdidn¡¯t it say everything would vanish? Did it sell me snake oil? But the entity treated me as though we were meeting for the first time. [It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you. From now on, please call me ¡®Librarian.¡¯ I am here to provide the necessary information.] The feeling it gave off was unmistakably different from the previous one. The moment I saw the letters appear, I was rmed. Those letters were ones I had seen countless times in that ursed dream, Labyrinthos. Could it be that even now, this isn¡¯t reality? Did I merely imagine I escaped that dream? Suppressing my swirling emotions, I asked, ¡°What are you?¡± [This entity is the ¡®Librarian,¡¯ an artificial intelligence created to assist Leon Cascadia.] The letters moved in an almost yful manner, filling my vision with emojis. The sight of those cute emojis used by an artificial intelligence annoyed me immensely. ¡°Librarian, my ass. Why are you out here? Don¡¯t tell me this is still a dream?¡± [You have indeed exited Labyrinthos. This is reality, where death is final, insanity is possible, and time flows.] The three points were the exact opposite of before. Finally, I could feel some relief. ¡°So, what exactly are you?¡± [I am the ¡®Librarian.¡¯] ¡°No, I mean, what¡¯s your identity?¡± [My identity is the ¡®Librarian.¡¯] I was about to lose it. What kind of useless junk is this? ¡°Forget it. You¡¯re impossible to talk to.¡± [Currently, Leon Cascadia, your memories are sealed inyers.] I was already aware of that. If I were to receive all those vast memories at once, I might not survive even with my extraordinary mental strength in its current unprotected state. [Thus, a manager with proper authority must remain present to gradually restore your memories.] In other words, it was saying that it was here to help me recover all my memories. Right now, I held memories from the Hall of Swords and the Hall of Martial Arts. I had yet to recover the rest of my memories, but even with just these two, my head already throbbed. ¡°Then I¡¯ve definitely left Labyrinthos, right?¡± [Correct. Labyrinthos was destroyed the moment you exited it.] ¡°Who made it in the first ce, and for what purpose?¡± I didn¡¯t expect an answer. I had asked that question countless times in the Hall of Swords and the Hall of Martial Arts. But back then, the entity never gave me an answer. Now, however, the Librarian before me provided a different response. [Most records rted to Labyrinthos were erased upon its destruction.] ¡°...¡± It didn¡¯t seem to be lying. Beep! [T T] The sight of it disying a crying emoji only made me angrier. During my long captivity there, I had realized something. These letters¡ªthey were not actual beings with self-awareness. To me, they seemed more like programs. In other words, no matter how much time passed, they were unaffected. ¡°Ugh, whatever.¡± Realizing that further conversation was pointless, I brushed the letters aside with my hand and threw myself onto the bed. Now that I thought about it, I had never once sleptfortably in the Hall. But things were different here. Here, I didn¡¯t have to worry about being attacked while I slept. So, for once, I could sleep as much as I wanted to make up for all the suffering I endured. I closed my eyes to finally get some proper rest. Thatsted about ten minutes before I opened my bloodshot eyes again. ¡°I can¡¯t sleep.¡± That one sentence carried so much meaning. The harm of not sleeping for a long time? No, this was fundamentally something different. Yes, what could it be?n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om After pondering for a while, I came to a realization. What caused me to fall into the Labyrinth in the first ce? It was falling asleep, wasn¡¯t it? Even though they said it would be perfectly safe, it seems my PTSD hasn''tpletely disappeared. In the end, I was unable to fall asleep until I wasining of exhaustion after staying up the entire night. * * * It was quite a serious matter. But what difference would it make if I went around saying, "I can¡¯t sleep"? In the Labyrinth, not sleeping wasn¡¯t a problem at all. But now it was different. There could be multiple causes, but perhaps the biggest factor was trauma, or maybe just habit. It wasn¡¯t the trauma from that ce. Perhaps it was a side effect ofing out of there. At the moment, I was sitting alone in the training grounds of the count''s mansion, gathering my energy. I couldn¡¯t deny that my inability to sleep had made me more sensitive. It was more like I was desperately trying to focus on something to forget the pain. Currently, I held memories from two halls. The Hall of the Sword and the Hall of Martial Arts. Memories of cutting down enemies with a sword. [Trantor - Night] [Proofreader - Gun] And memories of being a martial artist. Both utilized something called aura, though their methods of movement were fundamentally different. Fortunately¡ªor perhaps unfortunately¡ªthe Librarian, much like the text-based entity from the Labyrinth, was able to disy my current state. Beep! Name: Leon Cascadia Age: 17 Gender: Male Abilities: (Hall of Swords) Swordman (Beginner) The pinnacle-level [Aura] is preserved. (Hall of Martial Arts) Fighter (Beginner) The primal [Aura] is preserved. The notes about "pinnacle" and "primal," as well as the techniques I had mastered, were no longer present¡ªbut I didn¡¯t care about that. The fact that the aura levels of both halls were preserved was more than enough. "Still, it¡¯s fortunate that both use aura¡­ Haaah." Yawning loudly, I began to manipte the aura within my body. Aura is an energy source primarily used by those who engage in physicalbat. It¡¯s often used to enhance one¡¯s physical abilities or externalized into a sharpened form as a weapon. However, aura is notoriously difficult to umte. Even sword masters, often referred to as strategic weapons, have aura reserves significantly lower than sixth-circle grand mages. Of course, aura''s efficiency more than makes up for its smaller quantity. But now. The aura I currently possessed far exceeded the theoretical limits of what a living being could contain. "This¡­ having too much aura seems to be a problem as well." I had known this in theory, but experiencing it firsthand was something else entirely. [Correct. It is rmended to circte the aura quickly to ensure the safety of your body.] The first step for swordsmen, the ¡°Swordman¡± stage, is the foundation. As they train and hone their techniques, they reach a level where they begin to control and circte aura¡ªthis is the realm of the ¡°Aura User.¡± Aura Users can sense, control, and circte aura within their bodies. However, the initial cirction is the hardest part, as it requires a massive amount of energy. It¡¯s like starting a car engine with a battery or the initial energy needed tounch a rocket. The more aura one possesses, the harder it is to initiate this cirction. And for someone like me, whose aura reserves far exceeded the limits of even the Grandmaster level? This wasn¡¯t going to be easy. But I thought to myself, It¡¯s difficult, but not impossible. And the benefits of seeding are immense. Once cirction begins, the aura automatically enhances the body without further effort. But this initial step is why Aura Users are rare. And with my extraordinary aura reserves¡­ "This isn¡¯t moving easily, is it?" [Normally, if the body cannot control the aura, it copses. However, in your case, the massive reserves of aura make the initial cirction exceptionally difficult.] I did my best to ignore the Librarian¡¯s sarcasticmentary. It felt like trying to move a heavy chunk of steel. Even so, I concentrated and slowly began to circte the massive aura reserves. Although I had a unique method developed through countless trials and near-physical copse, this case was unprecedented, and I had to tread carefully. Maintaining my focus, I eventually seeded in initiating full cirction. I didn¡¯t achieve anything akin to the so-called "breaking through middle and upper dantian" of martial arts novels¡ªbut that wasn¡¯t the point. What mattered was that the aura was circting. The vast amount of aura flowed through my meridians, bones, muscles, organs, and the entirety of my body, slowly enhancing them. And that wasn¡¯t the end of it. "It¡¯s already leaking outside." [This is due to the reserves exceeding their containment limits.] To break through to the rank of an "Expert," one typically follows a series of stages. But witnessing this aura leakage alone was enough to overturn established academic theories. Of course, I wasn¡¯t nning to boast about it. Not yet, at least. By my standards, it was still too insignificant. Even so, there was a noticeable change in my status window. (Hall of Swords) Aura User (Beginner) The pinnacle-level aura is preserved. (Hall of Martial Arts) Aura User (Beginner) The primal-level aura is preserved. Although the change was minimal, I had definitely reached the realm of an Aura User. Even if it wasbeled as "Beginner," the difference between levels was trivial for someone like me¡ªI could advance as easily as flipping a switch. Just then, a thought crossed my mind. [Trantor - Night] [Proofreader - Gun] Chapter 6 [Trantor - Night] [Proofreader - Gun] Chapter 6 ¡°I heard you sent a letter saying it¡¯s hard to maintain the contract? I came to find out what¡¯s going on.¡± ¡°Well, there¡¯s nothing much to say. It¡¯s as the letter states. I can¡¯t keep the contract anymore. I n to wrap up my management business and leave this ce.¡± He waved his hand as if he had no more to say.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om ¡°So stop overthinking and go back.¡± Was it his uncooperative attitude? At some point, one of the escort knights, who had followed us in, ced a hand on the hilt of his sword and growled. ¡°How rude! Show respect! Craftsman Verus!¡± ¡°Stand down. We¡¯re not here to threaten him.¡± Breaking down his door and iming not to be a threat¡ªit was no wonder the knights looked incredulous. Yet, I calmly asked. ¡°Talking doesn¡¯t cost you money, does it? Don¡¯t you have something to offer?¡± ¡°Ha.¡± Verus looked at me with disbelief. ¡°First, you smash someone¡¯s door, and now you¡¯re asking for hospitality?¡± ¡°So the tales of dwarves being bold and generous are just old stories now, huh?¡± ¡°Wait here.¡± He staggered to his feet, and soon returned from the storeroom with arge oak barrel. ¡°Oh, dwarven brew. That¡¯s good stuff.¡± ¡°...You¡¯re an unusual human, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°You two.¡± Sitting down, I called over the two knights who had apanied me. Then I told them, ¡°There¡¯s been someone tailing us for a while now. Don¡¯t make it obvious, but try tracking them instead.¡± At my words, both Verus and the knights flinched. ¡°Excuse me? What do you mean...?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make it obvious¡ªjust act like you¡¯re running an errand. Got it?¡± The two knights looked a little reluctant at mymand. ¡°But, sir, our orders are to ensure your safety...¡± ¡°Who¡¯s going to cause trouble here? I¡¯ll be fine, so go. It might be hard to track them alone, so take care of it together. I¡¯ll stay here until you get back.¡± Reluctantly, they left. Honestly, I wasn¡¯t expecting much from their pursuit, but I wanted some time to speak one-on-one. ¡°You flinched just now.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Seems like you¡¯re not entirely unrted to whoever¡¯s tailing us.¡± ¡°Just eat and go.¡± Feigning disinterest, he gulped down his drink. ¡°Verus, you¡¯ve been active in the Cascadia County since my father¡¯s days, even during my grandfather¡¯s time, haven¡¯t you?¡± Even though dwarves live longer than humans, the fact that he spent much of his life in Cascadia was undeniable. ¡°It¡¯s all in the past. Now that my lord is gone, there¡¯s no reason for me to stay attached to this ce.¡± ¡°Unlike with my father, do you find my sister unreliable?¡± At my question, his brow furrowed as if he were deep in thought. ¡°What exactly are you trying to say?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve assessed your reasons for breaking the contract, and they don¡¯t make sense to us. Moreover, you don¡¯t seem like the type to flip your promises so easily...¡± My suggestion was met with a scoff. ¡°Hmph, what could two immature kids possibly aplish...?¡± He stared into his drink, remaining silent for a long time. ¡°Won¡¯t you talk to me?¡± ¡°As you get older, you start seeing things more clearly. You might call me arrogant, but let me ask you one thing.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Does the Cascadia family currently have the capacity to focus on this matter?¡± There was distrust in his voice. ¡°The Cascadia family has significantly fallen in just a few months. The overwhelming power that a margrave should possess has been reduced to half its strength. To put it simply, neither your sister nor you can handle this situation.¡± Melissa hadn¡¯t shared critical family details with me. But such changes were evident even to an outsider. Lately, I had noticed that the troops guarding the walls and the household knights felt oddly sparse. ¡°I may not be a noble, but here¡¯s some advice from an elder. After the margrave¡¯s death, hungry wolves are circling. If you want to survive, would pride even matter? Your sister should marry into a good family, and you could be a son-inw somewhere...¡± ¡°Verus.¡± I cut him off, and he looked at me. ¡°Let¡¯s make one thing clear. My sister will be a great lord of the Cascadia family. That¡¯s a fact I¡¯ve decided, and nothing¡ªabsolutely nothing¡ªwill change it.¡± ¡°Hah, such youthful arrogance.¡± ¡°Does this seem like just youthful arrogance to you?¡± Melissa had been trained as an heir since childhood. To her, inheriting the Cascadia Margraviate wasn¡¯t just a duty¡ªit was her life¡¯s goal. I had no intention of taking that position from her. And I certainly wouldn¡¯t tolerate my sister being disrespected by anyone, least of all a subject of the territory. As if to emphasize my determination, I crushed the ss I was holding with my bare hand. His eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Ha... Hahaha!¡± For some reason, he burst intoughter like a madman. ¡°A schr who¡¯s never held a sword talks so big?¡± ¡°You said you¡¯re nning to leave anyway. Then let¡¯s do this: I won¡¯t stop you from leaving. But at the very least, in honor of your rtionship with my father, tell me everything you know.¡± I¡¯ll clean up the mess. At my words, he fell silent. ¡°We need to know who¡¯s targeting us, at the very least.¡± ¡°...It¡¯s nothing major. Lately, some unsavory types have taken root in the area.¡± ¡°Unsavory types?¡± ¡°Yes. They seem to be loan sharks. At first, they posed as respectable businessmen, offering low-interest loans to establish themselves.¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± ¡°But the problem started after that. As soon as the margrave passed, they began raising interest rates at will.¡± ¡°They raised the rates without consent? Did you report them to the guards?¡± At my question, he let out a sigh and shook his head. ¡°Did you know? More than half the guards are already in cahoots with them. Slip them some money, and they¡¯ll turn a blind eye to anything.¡± He spoke with a weary expression. ¡°Do you know about therge-scale territorial war happening in neighboringnds recently? After the margrave passed and Cascadia¡¯s military strength weakened, we had to find a way to survive. That¡¯s why I signed a contract to supply weapons for the war.¡± It wasn¡¯t particrly surprising since this was part of the business we asionally engaged in. ¡°So you borrowed money because you needed raw materials?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. There¡¯s no issue with the contract, and the interest is manageable, so we epted it.¡± The interest wasn¡¯t that high, and given the current state of the family with its reduced military capacity, he had to venture into business to sustain the armory. But once he borrowed the money, the payment from the other domain was dyed repeatedly, and when the timing was perfect, the interest began to skyrocket. It didn¡¯t end there. The loan sharks refused to meet with Verus, who was trying to pay off the interest, using all sorts of excuses while inting the interest even further. The amount he owed had already far surpassed the principal. The total debt had swelled to nearly ten times the original amount. A vicious scheme. Scoundrels like this don¡¯t change, whether in my past life or this one. [Trantor - Night] [Proofreader - Gun] ¡°This was a rigged game from the start.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just us. Most of the businesses in which the Cascadia Count¡¯s family has shares are in a simr state. I¡¯ve been managing businesses for the Count¡¯s family for a long time, but this is the limit.¡± A sudden suspicion crossed my mind. ¡°Are you telling me Melissa allowed this situation to happen?¡± ¡°Allowed it... That¡¯s not the right word. Those loan sharks im that the current head of Cascadia has no authority since the Count is absent.¡± ¡°Authority, huh...¡± I suppressed a sigh. After my father passed away, the position of Margrave has been vacant. Melissa, acting as the temporary head, has been managing the estate¡¯s affairs, but she has yet to receive the royal family¡¯s approval to officially take over the responsibilities of the Margrave. She¡¯s only been recognized as the heir. In another family, this might be seen as overstepping her bounds, but in the Kingdom of Bata, Cascadia holds significant importance. Because of Melissa¡¯s position, someone exploited this gap to carry out their scheme. ¡°Someone used ridiculous excuses to usurp the Count¡¯s authority.¡± I asked coldly, my mood darkening. It¡¯s usible that another domain would interfere with Cascadia, as there were always forces seeking to weaken the Count¡¯s power. But such a thing wouldn¡¯t have been possible without the assistance of someone within, someone with partial authority. ¡°Who allowed this to happen?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°No, wait. Anyone who could wield the Cascadia family¡¯s authority is already obvious.¡± In the current situation, only one person within the Count¡¯s family could carry out such actions with impunity: Melissa. However, there¡¯s another person outside the Count¡¯s manor who could assert authority. A member of the Cascadia bloodline, from a branch of the Count¡¯s family. My father¡¯s brother, Tyvel Cascadia. Melissa and I¡¯s uncle. Even when my father was alive, he could hardly hide his ambition for the Margrave¡¯s position. Melissa didn¡¯t seem to have mentioned him much to me. Six months might seem like a long time, but when you¡¯re constantly dealing with things, it¡¯s barely enough. I held out my hand to Verus. ¡°Can I see the promissory note?¡± ¡°Sure, here it is.¡± He pulled a piece of paper from an old box and showed it to me. The note was skillfully manipted to allow an interest rate exceeding the maximum allowed by the royal decree. There were traces of tricks used to avoid legal repercussions. But it wasn¡¯t unsolvable. It was well within the Count¡¯s power to mediate and reduce the excessive interest to a reasonable level. Considering this, their desire to leave isn¡¯t solely about the debt. It bes clear the debt is just an excuse. ¡°This is something we can handle.¡± ¡°No need. I¡¯ve already made up my mind¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s be honest. The debt isn¡¯t the real reason you¡¯re leaving, is it? In the end, this debt is just a pretext.¡± He avoided answering my question, but his gaze betrayed him. He was staring at a cracked photo frame hanging on the wall. People¡¯s eyes often reveal more than their words. It¡¯s an instinct of mine¡ªlearning to read where my enemies are looking, where their focus lies, and using that in battles. The photo showed a cheerful dwarf, Verus, standing with a young dwarf beside him. The background appeared to be Verus¡¯ smithy. The ce was familiar, but someone who should¡¯ve been there was missing. I had a hunch. ¡°That photo¡ªis that your son?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Where is he now?¡± At my question, he flinched. This was it. The talk of loan sharks andck of money were all just excuses. The reality was that his son had been kidnapped and used as leverage. ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°So, it¡¯s a kidnapping¡­ I see. They¡¯ve gone that far. Makes sense now why they¡¯ve been following you. That means they¡¯ll bite soon.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t said a word¡­¡± ¡°Am I wrong? It is a kidnapping.¡± At my confident assertion, he let out a dryugh. ¡°You¡¯re not just a soft noble, are you? Fine. What you said is true. But what do you mean by ¡®bite soon¡¯?¡± At that moment¡ª ng! ng! ¡°Lord Leon, Count Tyvel requests your presence. You muste with us.¡± While the guards were away, uninvited guests arrived. Verus looked rmed, but I wasn¡¯t surprised. I had anticipated this while talking to him. ¡°The Count? Since when did my uncle be a Count?¡± Without even turning my head, I asked as the sound of swords being drawn filled the air. Their intention to openly threaten was clear. ¡°Lord, it would be wise for you toe with us voluntarily.¡± At his words, I smirked and whispered quietly to Verus. ¡°See? Told you they¡¯d bite.¡± ¡°What are you¡­¡± ¡°To them, the tastiest hostage would obviously be me.¡± [Trantor - Night] [Proofreader - Gun] Chapter 7 [Trantor - Night] [Proofreader - Gun] Chapter 7 When I think about it, it was only natural. As soon as I heard the story of his son''s abduction, I was certain that I was the tastiest hostage. * * * Sigh... Melissa Cascadia, the acting Count of Cascadia, held her head in her hands, overwhelmed by an intense headache brought on by extreme fatigue. She let out a deep sigh. "Manpower, funds... There''s nothing that isn''tcking..." As the businesses faltered, the funds dried up, and as a result, there was no money to maintain the forces. Having fallen into the vicious cycle once, she, still young, had no idea where to begin fixing things. "No. I can''t just sit here like this." She pped her cheeks and shook her head vigorously. She wanted to throw it all away and cry, but she couldn''t. Too many people''s lives depended on her shoulders. "External pressures... Just how many people are tangled in this?" Signs of external forces reaching into the Cascadia County were bing increasingly apparent. On top of that, there was an internal saboteur. Tyvel Cascadia. Her uncle and now practically her mortal enemy. He was iming his own qualifications as the next Margrave and had been exploiting her authority as he pleased. Normally, it wouldn''t have been possible. However, unlike Melissa, who had not been formally recognized as the Count''s sessor, Tyvel Cascadia had connections to central nobles and was unterally stealing her authority. He had actually taken significant control of the private army and knights allowed to the Margrave, securing a considerable amount of forces and even filling part of the county guards with his people. Now, he was systematically getting rid of those who could support Melissa. At first, she hadn''t realized it. But by the time she figured out he was orchestrating things behind the scenes, it was far toote. As a result, the county''s military forces were in shambles, and the funds were depleted. This recent issue with the Verus Armory business was probably another one of his maneuvers. At its core, dealing with Tyvel, who had session rights, would extinguish the biggest fire. But realistically, his forces were far stronger, making that impossible. She hadn''t told her older brother, Leon, about this because she feared he might act recklessly. Though he wasn''t particrly powerful or a genius, her brother had a fiery streak, and she worried he would storm off to confront Tyvel the moment he found out. Considering Tyvel''s side was already willing to resort to murder to get rid of both Melissa and Leon, she had no choice but to hide the information to protect her brother. However, she couldn''t hide it forever. Moreover, she was so short-handed that she judged she needed his help, even if it was risky. For now, Tyvel¡¯s side was rtively quiet, so they probably wouldn¡¯t target Leon just yet. Before it was toote. ¡®I have to protect Leon...¡¯ Even if it meant marrying him off to another household as a son-inw. At that moment¡ª Bang!! ¡°Ah... Mydy!!¡± A knight burst in with a panicked shout. ¡°Hmm?¡± It was none other than Haphon, the knight who served as her escort and aide. He had originally followed the previous Count, Galeon Cascadia, but now swore his loyalty to her. ¡°Sir Haphon, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°You need toe outside right away!!¡± The urgency in Haphon¡¯s voice sent her anxiety skyrocketing. Melissa jumped from her seat and hurried out. She soon arrived at the mansion''s entrance, where two knights were kneeling with their heads bowed low. ¡°What is this...?¡± ¡°We¡¯re sorry! Mydy!¡± ¡°Please, kill us!!¡± As soon as they saw Melissa, the two knights mmed their foreheads to the ground and shouted. ¡°What happened?! Exin immediately!!¡± Her unease grew exponentially. Had Leon done something reckless? No, then where was Leon? As countless thoughts swirled in her mind, the worst possible news struck her ears. ¡°It seems that Lord Leon has been kidnapped.¡± ¡°What? By who?! Don¡¯t tell me... Was it my uncle?! That man?!¡± ¡°It appears to have been Tyvel Cascadia... His subordinates, to be precise. We tried to chase down those trailing the young master, but it seems we were outmaneuvered...¡± * * * I was now being led into a shabby underground hideout. Surrounding me were knights, their menacing demeanor pressing in on me from all sides. ¡°Move quickly.¡± ¡°Well, it''s so tantly obvious you n to lock me up that it¡¯s hard to even bother reacting.¡± As I followed the knights, I saw that the underground cavern already held numerous other captives. From young boys and girls to grown men and women, the variety was vast. But one thing was clear. The people imprisoned here were likely rtives or close acquaintances of those running businesses under the Count''s domain. After a long trek, we arrived at a cell made of sturdy iron bars. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to get hurt, get in.¡± The knights¡¯ actions were filled with an unspoken threat: noble lineage or not, resistance would get me killed. I entered the cell without resisting and asked, ¡°So you¡¯re just nning to lock me up? Didn¡¯t Tyvel specifically say he wanted me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m here.¡± The answer didn¡¯te from the knights. ¡°You¡¯ve alwayscked even a shred of courtesy.¡± Footsteps echoed through the underground prison as someone approached from the other side. Soon, a man in his thirties with short, ash-colored hair emerged into the torchlight. ¡°Long time no see, Leon.¡± He looked down at me coldly and spoke. ¡°If you had just kept quiet and hidden, this wouldn¡¯t have happened...¡± ¡°Well, someone decided to let cockroaches infest the house.¡± This man wasn¡¯t my uncle, Tyvel Cascadia. But I knew him well enough. The man before me was Tyvel Cascadia¡¯s eldest son, Vishiri Cascadia. A man who needed to be eliminated as a priority in cleaning out the branch family. That was his true nature. He was a man with considerable ambition, much like his father, and he was also the reason I hade to terms with myck of talent for the sword in the past. While I certainly disliked my uncle, who frequently barged into the count¡¯s estate to cause trouble, I loathed him even more¡ªhe who directly picked fights with me and Melissa. -You idiot. Even with noble blood, you''re utterly useless. You''re not fit to wield a sword. Doesn¡¯t the count already know that? Someone like you being a direct descendant¡ªwhat an unjust world we live in. I could never forget the words he said when he first saw me pick up a sword and swing it. Even when my father was alive, he spewed venomous insults. Now that my father was gone, it didn¡¯t take much imagination to figure out how wild he would be. ¡°So, where¡¯s my uncle, and why are you here instead?¡± ¡°My father is a busy man. He doesn¡¯t have time to meet someone like you.¡± ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re free enough toe meet me?¡± At my provocation, he let out a faint chuckle. BANG! Then, as if to threaten me, he kicked the iron bars between us. ¡°You still don¡¯t seem to understand your situation. Do you even know where this is?¡± ¡°Where else would it be? Some hideout you people set up.¡± I shrugged and casually leaned against the wall, sittingfortably. [Trantor - Night] [Proofreader - Gun] On the way here, they had dragged me into a forest outside the estate¡¯s borders. If I¡¯d tried to find this ce on my own, it would¡¯ve taken quite a while. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to grasp your predicament.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a hostage, aren¡¯t I?¡± It was obvious from the moment they brought me here. In fact, I¡¯d anticipated this oue from the start. The only reason I followed them without resistance was to see if Uncle Tyvel or Vishiri was sane enough to meet me. I also needed to confirm the location of the ce where they were holding Verus¡¯ son. Indeed, during the process of being brought here, I¡¯d seen numerous iron cages, one of which held a dwarf who seemed to be Verus¡¯ son. I had sessfully identified their secret hideout. There was no need toplicate things by searching for it myself when they were willing to bring me straight to it. This was only possible because they mistakenly believed I waspletely powerless. After all, no one in their right mind would bring a ticking time bomb to their stronghold. ¡°A hostage. Heh, yes, a hostage. So my father can formally take over the authority of the margrave.¡± ¡°Do you really think Melissa would negotiate over my life alone?¡± ¡°That remains to be seen.¡± ¡°So, the businesses the count¡¯s estate has been investing intely¡ªare they all packing up and leaving because you¡¯ve been rounding up their families?¡± ¡°Why take the long way around when there¡¯s a simpler option?¡± ¡°And you¡¯re confident you can handle the aftermath?¡± ¡°Many of the nobles in the capital are already on our side. Who would listen to the likes of you?¡± It¡¯s clear there are more than just a few traitors. If Melissa is to be the legitimate margrave, we might need to make a hit list. He sat down on a chair prepared by one of his soldiers and looked at me. ¡°Stay quiet. Once we get that woman to transfer her authority, I¡¯ll consider sparing your life, even if not your sister¡¯s.¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn ¡°Because Melissa deserves to die for being a rightful heir?¡± ¡°It¡¯s tragic, but that¡¯s how it has to be. If we¡¯re being honest, the authority should¡¯ve gone to my father or me rather than an unqualified brat like Melissa.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but let out a bitter chuckle at his words. ¡°People who shouldn¡¯t even have any im to the count¡¯s authority are buttering up central nobles to grab an opportunity, and now you¡¯re talking about legitimacy? Well, I guess whoever wins and spins the narrative gets to be the hero, while the loser bes the viin.¡± ¡°You¡¯re quick to understand. That¡¯s good. If you behave, you¡¯ll be fine.¡± He rose from his seat, seemingly out of things to say. ¡°Once my father officially takes over the authority, an official margrave appointment wille down from the capital. From that point on, Cascadia County will no longer be managed by you siblings but by my father.¡± ¡°And then you¡¯ll inherit it after him?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± He turned away. ¡°Keep him under strict watch. If he tries anything funny, feel free to break a limb or two.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Some knights bowed their heads. ¡°Those faces seem familiar. Turns out the ones who left the estate after my father passed were the ones you¡¯ve recruited. When did you start enticing them?¡± At my question, Vishiri Cascadia didn¡¯t respond and simply left. ¡°Vishiri Cascadia.¡± When I called his name, he paused. ¡°I¡¯ve got things to do right now, so I¡¯ll let you go. But let¡¯s meet again in a little while.¡± ¡°You¡¯re nothing more than a barking dog.¡± Apparently confident I couldn¡¯t escape, he promptly exited the underground prison. Left behind were five knights who seemed to be aura users, along with over ten soldiers. There was likely a considerable force waiting beyond this underground area as well. Sitting back down, I closed my eyes and began circting my aura slowly. I was already exhausted fromck of sleep, which only worsened my foul mood. Perhaps because of this, the aura coursing through my body mirrored my emotions, circting more violently. ¡°Librarian.¡± I suppressed my voice and called out to the librarian through thought, and a question mark appeared before my eyes. The librarian¡¯s text seemed invisible to others. ¡°Is there any way to force myself to sleep?¡± [It is possible to temporarily block your aura and lose consciousness, but it is not rmended.] I figured as much. With the sheer amount of aura I possess, there¡¯s no telling what might happen if something goes wrong. This is the first time I¡¯ve ever experienced a situation where my aura is overflowing like this. [However, if you exhaust yourself with strenuous activity, fatigue will likely lead you to sleep.] So, basically, I should tire myself out. [Trantor - Night] [Proofreader - Gun] Chapter 9 [Trantor - Night] [Proofreader - Gun] Chapter 9 The downside was that it was still difficult to produce sword energy or sword aura. Though I could mimic sword energy, it was softer and far less efficient than genuine sword energy. Even so, it was a bizarre situation where there was no reason for me to lose, even when facing sword energy. After retrieving the prison key from a corpse, I began unlocking the doors one by one. However, those who had been imprisoned seemed to fear me and couldn¡¯t easily step outside. ¡°Are you the son of Verus?¡± When I spoke to a young dwarf sitting dazed in one of the cells, his eyes widened as he looked up at me. ¡°What are you all doing? Come on out. You need to return to your families.¡± I said calmly and then resumed walking. It was only after I started moving that the prisoners hesitantly began stepping out of their cells. ¡°An intruder...! Gaaah!!¡± ¡°Ahhhhhh!! Monster! It''s a monster!!¡± ¡°Please, spare me! Urk!¡± As I emerged from the underground, the interior of an old, decrepit building came into view. Most of the knights stationed in this worn-down building were at best aura users¡ªmere lower-ranking knights. This meant that significant military power wasn¡¯t needed to guard this ce. After all, most of the prisoners here were ordinary people, and this location was hidden. There seemed to be no reason to assign high-ranking experts or elite forces to this area. And what if they were discovered? Who cares? There wouldn¡¯t have been any evidence left behind. ¡°Y-young master...¡± At that moment, a woman who had emerged cautiously from the prison approached me hesitantly. She was the wife of a man who managed one of the count¡¯s businesses, a pharmacy. ording to reports, the pharmacist had been acting as if bewitched, attempting to end contracts and dissolve his business. What else could he do when his wife was held captive? Forced to remain silent due to his family¡¯s lives being at stake, Melissa probably didn¡¯t have detailed knowledge of this situation either. One thing, however, was certain. Tyvel¡¯s scheme to shake the business would no longer have any effect. ¡°By the way, does anyone here know the way back to the territory?¡± This forest wasn¡¯t part of the Count¡¯s heavily monitored Forest of Monsters. Since I had been blindfolded on the way here, I had no idea how to navigate out of this forest. Perhaps one of the others might know the way¡­ ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Since this forest is so remote, there aren¡¯t many who know their way around it.¡± It seemed no one knew, as this was such a secluded ce. Should I have spared at least one of them? The regret was fleeting. It wasn¡¯t worth dwelling on. ¡°It¡¯s fine. We¡¯ll just ask someone who knows the way.¡± ¡°Someone who knows the way?¡± I turned my head toward the forest. And then, small, green-skinned goblins began emerging one by one. ¡°Eek! G-goblins!¡± The terrified response of the vigers made me wave a hand dismissively. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared. They¡¯re our navigation system.¡± Goblins. Among the weakest of monsters, and one of the most numerous in existence. With exceptional reproductive capabilities and decent cunning, they possessed enough intelligence to understand human speech to some extent. While theycked the skill to craft objects or build intricate traps, they were quick learners who could steal items and figure out how to use them. In terms of danger, they weren¡¯t particrly high on the list. Though clever, their physical capabilities were fundamentallycking. And even among them, only a small number were genuinely smart¡ªmost were outright stupid. Now, how should one interpret a goblin wearing ragged clothing to cover itself? There was only one answer. That thing must have attacked humans and stolen their belongings. If a goblin in this forest was carrying human goods, there was only one exnation. It had ventured into human settlements, stolen items, and escaped. This, at least, was an important clue for me. Kiaaaak!!! The goblins charged at me and the exhausted vigers with reckless abandon, showing no sign of fear. There were ten of them in total. Considering the number of vigers, I could easily handle them, but the goblins were clutching rusted daggers and the like. Moreover, the vigers werepletely worn out, so even if they had managed to escape, they wouldn¡¯t have fared well on their own. ¡°Y-young master!¡± ¡°Stay behind me.¡± The dagger I had been using while escaping the underground was already too damaged to be of further use. Since I wasn¡¯t using sword energy to stabilize my aura, but rather forcefully wrapping raw aura around the weapon, a poorly made de couldn¡¯t endure for long. It wasn¡¯t as though I could go back and fetch a spare weapon now. If there¡¯s no sword, use your fists. After loosening my wrists lightly, I explosively activated the aura throughout my body. Boom!!! Then, I mmed a brutal fist down onto the head of a goblin attempting to stab me with its rusted dagger. The technique I used was a simple but effective closebat move: a single strike. Squelch!!! With a horrific sound of rupturing flesh, the goblin¡¯s head exploded, spraying crimson blood everywhere. Next, I spun my body, utilizing the centrifugal force to deliver a kick that sent the next goblin flying as if it were a ser ball. Thwack!!! The heavy kick crushed the goblin¡¯s face as it was sent hurtling away.N?v(el)B\\jnn Seeing two of their kind fall so swiftly, the remaining goblins hesitated¡ªa natural response. ¡°Only one of you needs to stay alive. You, the one who looks the smartest.¡± I pointed at one of the goblins as I spoke, and the rest started sweating nervously, darting their eyes around. ¡°The rest of you will die. Why hesitate?¡± Boom!!! It didn¡¯t take long to wipe out the goblins. Most of them were so terrified that they ran away, making it take even longer to hunt them down and kill them. The monsters I had in countless times. If it were just a matter of the number of battles fought, there wouldn¡¯t be a monster I had killed more frequently than goblins. ¡°Good heavens¡­¡± ¡°Was the young master always this strong? I don¡¯t remember that¡­¡± ¡°It feels like watching the Count in his prime.¡± Some of the domain¡¯s residents, who were at least somewhat familiar with me, looked puzzled, as if struggling to ept my transformation. Of course, no one openly dared to ask, ¡°Why are you so strong?¡± Part of it was because I had rarely interacted with others, so I didn¡¯t have many close connections. But ever since the massacre of knights in the underground chamber, the residents had harbored a certain fear toward me. ¡°Kee... keeik¡­¡± The first goblin I chose was trembling in fear, sitting frozen in ce. I pointed at the rags it was wearing. ¡°That¡ªwhere did you get it?¡± [Trantor - Night] [Proofreader - Gun] The goblin rolled its eyes in every direction, then hastily began stripping off its rags as if to hand them over to me. It must have misunderstood, thinking I wanted the rags, typical of a creature born to steal and survive. Of course. Wham!! ¡°Keeeeeek!!!¡± The sound of a strategic nuke-level impactnding on its head was the inevitable result. ¡°What filthy thing are you trying to show me? I¡¯m asking where you got this.¡± I wasn¡¯t expecting an answer. I¡¯d seen plenty of goblins in the Hall of Swords, and dealing with them was simpler than one might think. You just needed to reinforce a single goal repeatedly¡ªby beating it into them until they understood. They eventually caught on quite well. Whether this goblin had the same nature as those I encountered at the Hall of Swords, I couldn¡¯t be sure. ¡°This.¡± ¡°Keeeee...¡± SMAAACK!! This time, I pped it across the face with gusto. ¡°Where did you get this? Lead me to it.¡± SMAAACK!! ¡°You don¡¯t understand? Don¡¯t worry. The more you get hit, the clearer your head will be.¡± SMAAACK!! After the repeated beating, the goblin couldn¡¯t even cry properly anymore, most of its teeth shattered. It got to the point where¡­ ¡°Um¡­ Young Master. That, uh¡­ oh, never mind.¡± The residents of the domain started casting pitying nces at the goblin. How annoying. ¡°I came here to save you all, didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Well¡­ you were captured at first¡­¡± ¡°What? So should I just leave?¡± Noticing my expression darken, the residents quickly backed off. ¡°No, absolutely not! How could we possibly interfere with your noble endeavors, Young Master? Who¡¯s the fool criticizing your actions?!¡± ¡°Yeah, who is it?!¡± The same people who had just spoken now pretended they hadn¡¯t. When I turned my attention back to the goblin, it desperately racked its brain. Then, its eyes widened as it reached out to stop me, weakly staggering to its feet. ¡°Keeik¡­ keei¡­¡± It pointed toward the depths of the forest, as if indicating it would guide me. Its eyes were filled with fear, dreading another beating. ¡°See? I told you they understand.¡± ¡°Young Master¡­ I¡¯ve encountered goblins a few times myself, but I¡¯ve never seen anything like this.¡± ¡°When you¡¯re sincere, even they will respond. If you ever lose your way, look for goblins wearing scraps of cloth or holding weapons. Those are the ones who¡¯ve attacked humans before.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ yes, I suppose¡­¡± * * * The Cascadia territory was surrounded by towering walls. One side of the territory bordered a forest teeming with extremely dangerous magical beasts, which was why the position of the border count was recognized for guarding the kingdom¡¯snd. Most of the other forests around the territory were ordinary, but this one was uniquely dangerous, making it essential for the border count to maintain a stronger military presence than typical nobles. Of course, the current forces of the Count¡¯s domain were a shadow of what they should be. The gates of the Count¡¯s castle served different purposes, and the one guarded by veteran soldier Hanson and his junior was particrly quiet. ¡°Yaaawn¡­ man, this is so boring.¡± ¡°Senior, isn¡¯t this better than guarding the south gate? At least this one¡¯s peaceful.¡± ¡°You little punk, do you know how many merchants used toe through the south gate every day? Even though the numbers have droppedtely, standing guard there was great for pocket money.¡± The south gate of the Count¡¯s domain was primarily used by merchants for trade. Many merchants, eager to enter quickly, would slip money to the guards. Merchants gained speed, the guards gained coin, and everyone was happy. For merchants, time is money. ¡°And look at this ce. Not even an ant shows up. While everyone else is raking in extra cash, we¡¯re stuck here wasting time.¡± ¡°Well, I guess it¡¯s better than guarding the gate that leads to the magical forest.¡± ¡°Even I can¡¯t argue with that. Haha.¡± The atmosphere in the domain had been tensetely, making guard duty all the more exhausting. It was then that the junior guard noticed something in the distance and tilted his head. ¡°Senior, isn¡¯t that a group of people over there?¡± ¡°What are you talking about? No one¡¯s gone out through this gate today.¡± The previous shift of guards had also reported no one leaving, so there shouldn¡¯t have been anyone returning from the forest. ¡°No, really, look over there!¡± Hanson squinted toward the forest. Surprisingly, there were indeed people. Not just one or two, but over a dozen. Realizing something was off, the guards quickly tightened their grips on their weapons. ¡°Hey, hey! Go ring the bell! We¡¯ve got unidentified individuals approaching!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± ¡°Wait! Hey, wait a second!¡± Just as his junior reached for the bell, Hanson stopped him. ¡°What? Why?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see.¡± Hanson fell silent, observing the figures closely. Soon, as the group drew nearer and their features became clearer, voices could also be heard. [Trantor - Night] [Proofreader - Gun] Chapter 10 [Trantor - Night] [Proofreader - Gun] Chapter 10 At the front of the group was an absurd sight: a goblin, not a human. ¡°Hurry up, you filthy little goblin.¡± Wham!! The goblin''s back was kicked harshly as a young man, the heir of the Count''s family, Leon Cascadia, strode forward. ¡°Leon, y-young master?!¡± ¡°Hmm? Oh, Hanson, it¡¯s been a while.¡± ¡°My goodness, is it really you, young master?¡± Rxing his guard, Hanson ran toward him. As he approached, the goblin¡¯s condition became clear¡ªit was so beaten up that there wasn¡¯t a single part of its face that wasn¡¯t swollen. ¡°Well¡­ young master? Why are you at the northern gate¡­?¡± ¡°I came to rescue some kidnapped residents. Nothing unusual on the inside, I assume?¡± ¡°K-kidnapped¡­ you can¡¯t mean¡­¡± A startled Hanson turned to look at the residents behind Leon. ¡°My goodness¡­ so the rumors were true.¡± If the rumors had spread enough to reach even these people, it was only a matter of time before they reached Melissa¡¯s ears as well. ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure the city guards have already been bought off by Tyvel Cascadia. Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ll be overhauling the whole system soon anyway.¡± ¡°But¡­ that goblin¡­¡± Hanson cautiously asked, turning his gaze to the goblin. Leon nodded lightly. ¡°Oh, right. This thing¡¯s a monster.¡± Leon gave a soft smile as he gently patted the goblin¡¯s small, green head. ¡°Well done.¡± Ki-iii¡­ The goblin looked up at him with bright, sparkling eyes, resembling a loyal pet looking at its trainer. Does the young master have a hidden talent for taming monsters? Hanson began to wonder. But just as that thought crossed his mind¡­ Smash!! Leon, who had been patting the goblin¡¯s head, mercilessly crushed its skull with his hand. ¡°If you¡¯re done with your job, go reunite with your friends. No reason for you to stick around.¡± With those words, Leon casually kicked the lifeless goblin aside. ¡°Hanson, can I go in?¡± ¡°Y-yes, of course!¡± ¡°And who were the two guards on duty two hours ago?¡± ¡°Two hours ago, you say¡­?¡± ¡°Senior, it¡¯s those two over there.¡± Following the younger guard¡¯s gesture, Leon turned his head to see two men approaching the gate,ughing and chatting. Hanson recognized them as recent recruits who had some backing, allowing them to get away with harassing women and extorting money. They were rotten to the core. Leon, listening quietly to their conversation, nodded slightly. ¡°Judging by their voices, it¡¯s definitely them. Mind if I borrow your knife?¡± Leon pulled the dagger from Hanson¡¯s belt as he spoke. At the same time, the residents who had followed Leon tightly shut their eyes, as if they already knew what was about to happen. Wham!! Thud!! ¡°Arghhh!!¡± ¡°Gaaah!!¡± The dagger flew with precision, piercing the shoulders of the two men in an instant. Leon spoke in a detached tone. ¡°They coborated with human traffickers and smuggled out our people. Arrest them. If you let them go, I¡¯ll personallye back and cut their heads off.¡± ¡°Y-young master!¡± ¡°Remember my words. Even if that old man Tyvel Cascadia shows up, don¡¯t let them go.¡± The idea that someone could leave through this gate without the guards noticing? Impossible. They simply chose to turn a blind eye. Regardless of their motives, human trafficking was a grave crime, not only within the Count¡¯s territory but across the entire kingdom. While Melissa was unable to take action, Tyvel had already sunk his ws deep into the region. ¡°People are too soft; that¡¯s why things like this go unpunished. Ugh, what a mess.¡± Leon clicked his tongue. Along with dealing with his uncle, it seemed like a full purge was in order. How much damage this process would cause, he didn¡¯t know, but letting a festering wound go untreated was a foolish decision. * * * At that moment, Melissa was meeting with Vishiri Cascadia, the son of her uncle and nemesis, Tyvel Cascadia. Her resentment toward Tyvel, who didn¡¯t even bother showing up in person, only deepened. ¡°Melissa, I won¡¯t repeat myself. Hand over all your authority to my father.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. Who do you think you are? This is the Countship my father protected. What right do you have to take it away?¡± Melissa could barely contain her anger. Her aura red around her, but Vishiri Cascadia didn¡¯t so much as flinch. ¡°You¡¯re still young and don¡¯t understand the ways of the world. Do you really think we¡¯d look down on you if you entrusted everything to my father? You and Leon are family. Do you think I would just abandon you? Really?¡± He offered his proposal in a conciliatory tone. In reality, most of the power had already been taken away from Melissa. The businesses that supported her were preparing to leave, and more than half of her military authorization had been stripped. The Countship was running out of funds, leaving them unable to sustain their knights or soldiers. The fight was already over. Tyvel and Vishiri were refraining from using force, not out of mercy, but simply to avoid creating unnecessary trouble. Melissa, an expert only at the beginner level, and Leon, whocked any talent and couldn¡¯t even hold a sword, posed no threat to Tyvel or Vishiri. ¡°The central nobles are already questioning your capabilities. If this continues, the entire family might copse. Don¡¯t you understand that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all your doing! The moment my father passed away, you disrupted our businesses, groveled to the central nobles, and abused your authority. Do you think taking power will make things any different? You¡¯ll just end up as their puppet.¡± Melissa¡¯s sharp words made Vishiri shrug his shoulders. ¡°Even if you resist, it won¡¯t change the tide. Most of the residents already want my father to take over the Countship. You need to learn to read the people.¡± ¡°Most of the residents, my foot. It¡¯s all just yourckeys. Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know that.¡± Hearing this, Vishiri sighed quietly and spoke. ¡°Fine. I knew you wouldn¡¯t give up easily.¡± He then pulled out a document from his pocket and presented it to her. "Sign it. It''s a document transferring all your authority to my father." "Are you insane? Do you really think I''d sign that?" "Ha. Why are you so foolish, Melissa? You already know, don''t you? Where Leon is." At those words, Melissa''s fists clenched tightly. "Vishiri Cascadia!!" "Shouldn''t you at least save your brother? If you keep being stubborn, only Leon will suffer." "..." "Sign it while I''m speaking kindly. If you do, I''ll spare Leon''s life." Although his tone was calm, this man had barged in after it became known that Leon had been kidnapped. No, he was likely the mastermind behind Leon''s abduction. Using Leon''s situation to threaten her, no doubt. "..." "Melissa, let me give you some advice as someone older. If you want to achieve your goals, you must be prepared to do whatever it takes. Not foolishly trying to hold onto everything like you are." "You piece of garbage..." "If you feel wronged, you should''ve built your strength. If you were a Sword Master like your father, who would dare look down on you? Hah." [Trantor - Night] [Proofreader - Gun] Vishiri curled his sharp eyes into an infuriating smirk. Then, cing a hand on Melissa''s shoulder, he spoke. "You should make the right choice, shouldn''t you? Your brother must be crying out to be saved..." "You bastard..." Tears dripped down Melissa''s face as she red at him. An uncle who sought to rob her of her family''s name and position in a single day. It was utterly revolting. Yes. People like him should have been dealt with long ago. But her father, with his overly kind nature, had left such scum alone simply because they were rtives. And this was the result. If she lost her family and estate while her father''s fate was still unknown... What if he returned only to find everything in ruins? Though she harbored deep resentment toward her father for allowing things to deteriorate this far, she still couldn''t abandon the faint hope that her parents and youngest sister might still be alive. As Melissa remained silent, gesturing toward the seal on her finger, Vishiri struck her cheek like a thunderbolt. "You insolent girl, sign it already!!!" He shouted at her with fury. "Do I need to tear Leon''s limbs apart right in front of you to make youe to your senses...?" BANG!!! Suddenly, the doors to the reception room burst open with a deafening crash, and the figure of someone stepping in came into view. "Pardon the intrusion, sister. And Vishiri Cascadia, didn''t I promise we''d meet again soon?" At the unexpected entrance, both Vishiri Cascadia and Melissa''s eyes widened in shock. "What the hell are you doing here?!" "Brother?! Why are you here?!" My arrival threw the entire room into chaos. "You''re all giving me so much attention; it''s almost embarrassing." "You... How did you...?" Melissa looked at me with disbelief, her mouth opening and closing as if struggling to find the words. Though I considered giving a brief exnation of what had happened in the forest, there was something more pressing to address. "Vishiri Cascadia." I called him softly, and his expression twisted into a scowl. "Do you have no respect for your elders, you insolent little¡ª!" Thwack!! Before he could finish, I moved faster than he could react. In a single step, I closed the gap and mmed my foot into his stomach, sending him stumbling backward. "Ugh?!" His face contorted with pain and disbelief as he reeled from the unexpected blow. "You bastard. Who gave you permission to hit my sister?" Only I have the right to tease or scold my younger sister. Sching! The sound of des being unsheathed filled the room as Vishiri¡¯s knights drew their swords and pointed them at me. "Drawing your swords without the head of the house''s permission? I''ll let it slide once, but not twice." Brushing aside a de pointed at my neck with a single finger, I casually sat down on a chair positioned between Melissa and Vishiri Cascadia. "You... you insolent brat!!" "Could you lower your weapons? We need to talk." At my smirk, Vishiri gritted his teeth audibly, but eventually motioned to his knights. Though they didn''t sheath their swords entirely, their threatening stance diminished slightly. As expected, Vishiri¡¯s entire body radiated an oppressive aura, his fury evident after being struck. Vishiri Cascadia was a mid-tier Sword Expert, just like his father. His knights were also at the entry level of Sword Experts. Naturally, their strength was far beyond that of Melissa, a sixteen-year-old girl who had just begun reaching the level of a Sword Expert herself. So where was her protection now? It was simple. They had all been sent out to search for me without thinking ahead. The remaining essential personnel would be guarding the family manor. Currently, the household was suffering from a shortage of manpower, with so many people having left. As Vishiri''s oppressive aura began to press down on the room, Melissa''s face turned pale, and she began to sway unsteadily. The difference in level between them was slight, but Vishiri Cascadia, with his years of experience, was a wily fox. His aura grew heavier, causing Melissa to tremble more and more. However, his intimidation had no effect on me. The oppressive force he emitted dissolved before reaching me, as if it were a tiny insect swallowed up by the ocean. "You''re getting too worked up over something trivial." "You arrogant little¡ª!" As his anger reached its peak and he prepared to attack, Melissa kicked up the sword lying on the floor, catching it in her hand, and pointed it at him menacingly. "If you take one more threatening step, this will be a real war." "You dare speak of war, you insolent girl?!" "You''re the one who started this." "How dare you?! You don''t know your ce!!" As Vishiri seethed with rage, Melissa stood her ground, ring at him with unwavering determination. Watching the tense standoff, I crossed my arms and leaned back in my chair, amused by the spectacle unfolding before me. [Trantor - Night] [Proofreader - Gun]N?v(el)B\\jnn Chapter 12 [Trantor - Night] [Proofreader - Gun] Chapter 12 I couldn¡¯t fully see the effect, nor could I control the range, as it wasn¡¯t deliberately regted. It was simply an overflow of aura spilling out. Normally, this crude method wouldn¡¯t even be enough to threaten someone, let alone harm them. Its power was weak, and its duration extremely short. But my greatest strength lies in my inexhaustible aura. With such a vast amount and the ability to control all of it, this tactic wasn¡¯t difficult to execute. Using the same method, I had managed to block a sword coated with aura just moments ago. ¡°Ugh... ughhh!¡± ¡°Stay back!! Don¡¯te any closer!¡± The overwhelming aura I emitted intimidated them, but they still tried to resist me. Step by step, I slowly approached them, twirling my sword lightly and flicking the blood off it. ¡°D-damn it! What the hell are you, you monster?!¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Exposing every opening as I leisurely advanced, the terrified knight unleashed a sharp wave of aura from his sword and swiftly swung it toward me. True to the skill of an Expert-level fighter, his sword¡¯s trajectory was precise, and his draw was quick. His de was already close to my neck, while mine hadn¡¯t even moved properly. Even though my aura had blocked his earlier sword wave, he seemed confident that this time his attack wouldnd. A fleeting smile of triumph appeared on his face. ¡°Leon!¡± Melissa¡¯s scream, filled with panic, added to the scene. To her, it probably looked as though I was walking straight into death. But for me, situations like this were far too familiar¡ªsomething I had seen over and over. [Nameless Sword] [One-Point sh] The sword techniques I had honed in the Hall of Swords were designed purely for my use, deviating fundamentally from traditional swordsmanship. Moreover, the Nameless Sword, which I used until the very end, had a peculiar characteristic. Instead of maintaining a consistent speed, it would restrain itself until it explosively elerated at the critical moment. It was a passive, counter-focused sword technique but incredibly effective for frequent use. There was no need to resort to an all-out offensive, either. As if time had slowed, the knight¡¯s sword neared my neck. In the blink of an eye¡ªa fraction of a second¡ª I casually walked out from behind the Expert-level knight, as though I had teleported, shaking the blood off my sword. St! Scarlet blood spattered on the ground like bullets, spreading from the tip of my de. Moments ago, when I first unsheathed Melissa¡¯s sword and killed an Expert-level knight, my movements were almost identical. To put it simply, it was an extreme burst of eleration at a crucial moment. ¡°Gah¡­ urgh¡­¡± The knight, who had been certain of his victory as he swung his sword at me, now had a face full of disbelief, unable toprehend why he was copsing. He had definitely thrust his sword at me, but when he came to his senses, his de had sliced through nothing but air. Instead, I, who hadn¡¯t even appeared to attack, had severed his throat. The knight¡¯s carotid artery was severed, and he copsed, spewing blood in spurts. Now, only one remaining Expert-level knight stood before me. Thest one, crushed by the chaotic aura I emitted, and demoralized further by the swift defeat of hisrades, had already lost the will to fight. ¡°Ahhh! Aaaahhhh!¡± Ovee by terror, he let out a scream and charged toward Melissa. Judging that Melissa, unarmed, would be easy to subdue even as an entry-level Expert, he likely aimed to take her hostage to escape. It was a fairly decent judgment, in theory. And indeed, Melissa was caught off guard by his sudden move. But there was no way I would just sit back and watch. I intercepted him, faster than his charge, positioning myself in front of Melissa and grabbing his arm with my bare hand, stopping his sword in its tracks. ¡°What¡­ What strength is this?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m just strong.¡± A closebat fighter needs to be physically strong to overpower their opponent. The synergy between the Hall of Swords and the Hall of Martial Arts was exceptional for close-rangebat. Crack! A sickening sound of bones breaking apanied the expression of intense pain on his face. At the same time, my de gently touched his shoulder. ¡°P-please¡­ spare me¡­¡± sh! I cut thest Expert-level knight¡¯s body in half with a single, diagonal stroke. ¡°Having this much aura makes everything so much easier.¡± Even as just an aura user, I could pour out aura like it was sword energy, and by releasing it around my body, I could block their sword energy. This unique phenomenon was a merit that applied solely to me. Ordinarily, one could never umte such a vast amount of aura. It was the result of enduring countless trials and tribtions to master control over an extraordinary amount of aura. On top of that, the synergy generated from the simultaneous cirction of swordsmanship and martial arts techniques was unparalleled. Right now, Ipletely ignored the conventional standards of strength. When an aura user can one-sidedly kill Experts, it¡¯s clear that something abnormal is going on. Unless a Sword Master appears, there¡¯s no one capable of stopping me, the runaway train. Not that the kingdom¡¯s sole Sword Master would bothering here. And even if they did, I had ways to handle that too. The excessive violence might¡¯ve been influenced by the stress of sleep deprivation. Melissa, still shaken from being overwhelmed by my indiscriminate aura, looked at me with a mixture of shock and bewilderment. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You¡­ are you really Leon? No way. The Leon I know is a weakling who barely knows how to hold a sword. Who the hell are you?¡± She seemed to believe I wasn¡¯t Leon but someone else disguised as him. As she looked at me with both concern and caution, I paused to think about how to exin. ¡°When did you be a Sword Master?¡± She appeared to have mistaken me for a Sword Master. While I hadn¡¯t generated sword energy or sword aura, the reckless overflow of my aura made it seem like even sword energy couldn¡¯t prate my body, leading her to such a conclusion. The status screen disyed by the Librarian stillbeled me as an aura user. ¡°What are you talking about? Sword Master? I¡¯m not even an Expert yet.¡± "Stop saying ridiculous things! How can an aura user block sword energy bare-handed? This isn''t some kind of joke¡­" Flustered, she began rambling, then heightened her intensity. "You''re not Leon, are you? What did you do to my brother?" Her determination to fight me, even at the risk of her life, was palpable. [Trantor - Night] [Proofreader - Gun] I sighed. To tell her the truth, I would need to bring up thebyrinth story, but that wasn¡¯t something I deemed appropriate to share with anyone. "What did you do to my brother!!" She lunged at me, and we engaged in a battle of strength. "Give me back my brother, you bastard!!" "Uh, what?" "He''s thest family I have left now!! Who do you think you are, taking Leon away from me?! Give him back, now!!" Looking at her desperation, I felt a mix of annoyance and amusement. To her, I might as well have appeared as a monster, not a human. Could I still be called an ordinary human, given how far I¡¯d deviated from normalcy? With memories that stretched beyond what any human could retain and an aura capacity that defied human limits, even I knew I was a little unhinged. Though, of course, "a little unhinged" was where I drew the line. "Vishiri Cascadia escaped." At the mention of Vishiri, she froze. "He hasn¡¯t been caught yet. Should you really be wasting time here?" She looked at me with suspicion. "......" "I can¡¯t exin everything, but just know this: I have a unique constitution. I know it¡¯s hard to believe, but I am Leon¡ªyour brother, the same person you know. If that¡¯s too hard to ept, just assume I went crazy and awakened some hidden talent." Given my control over an amount of aura that would be otherwise unattainable, calling it a ¡°unique constitution¡± wasn¡¯t entirely inurate. Though, in truth, this wasn¡¯t innate but something I had painstakingly built over time. To others, however, I must have seemed downright monstrous. "But¡­ where did that scumbag go?" Vishiri Cascadia had ordered his subordinates to subdue us before leaving the reception room. Considering his goal was the family crest ring on Melissa¡¯s hand, there was no reason for him to leave. Yet he had vanished¡­ "Don¡¯t tell me he ran away?" "Unlikely." He was an oddly perceptive man, even back then. But I couldn¡¯t think of a reason why he¡¯d flee. He was greedy but not irrational. She quickly gathered her thoughts and stood up. "Hey! We have to catch him no matter what now! Hand over your sword!" "Whoa there, don¡¯t go getting unnecessary blood on your hands." "This is an order from the acting head! Hand it over!" As she shouted, I shrugged with a smug expression, clearly irritating her. Grinding her teeth, she looked at the condition of the sword in my hand and gasped. "What the¡­ How did you use a sword so brutally?!" Her voice was almost tearful as she yelled. Since I hadn¡¯t yet fully awakened to the Expert level, I couldn¡¯t generate sword energy. The mastery of aura was simr to gaining a new sense¡ªlike opening one¡¯s eyes for the first time. Even with control, my current level was too low to handle the overwhelming amount of aura, which naturally overflowed and damaged the sword. "Still, it¡¯s a good-quality de. If it weren¡¯t, it would¡¯ve broken already." "And you think that¡¯s a good excuse¡­ Wait, this¡ªthis is something aura users deal with. Are you really an aura user?" The situation, resembling amon mistake among aura users, seemed to finally clue her in. Instead of answering, I spread my aura outward like a wave. It wasn¡¯t precise enough to discern details. Most aura users or ordinary people wouldn¡¯t even be able to detect it. But locating someone like Vishiri Cascadia, a mid-tier Expert who didn¡¯t even bother concealing his presence, was no challenge. "That guy¡­ he must be up to something. Got any spare swords? Preferably a sturdy one." "I¡¯ll take care of it¡ª" "You¡¯re ridiculously weak." She red at me, grinding her teeth, unable to argue but clearly brimming with words she couldn¡¯t let out. She was barely at the entry-level of an Expert, with limited experience. Vishiri Cascadia, on the other hand, was a seasoned mid-tier Expert. The oue of a fight between them was obvious. "Give me a sword. A sturdy one, preferably." "Can you catch him?" "I¡¯ll win." Hearing my response, she hesitated, then handed me a sword that had been disyed on the wall. Despite being decorative, its quality was exceptional. "This was meant to be kept for emergencies. You¡¯d better not break it." "Just wait a bit. I¡¯ll bring him back soon. In the meantime, get ready. The civil war has already begun. It won¡¯t end until one side is crushed." "Sigh¡­ I expected this, but they¡¯ve moved far faster than I anticipated. Don¡¯t overdo it. If it¡¯s dangerous, retreat immediately. I¡¯ll join you once I¡¯ve rallied the remaining forces." She rubbed her temples in frustration, clearly overwhelmed by the situation. "Leon¡­ No, brother." For once, her voice carried an unusually serious tone. "Don¡¯t you dare get hurt. That¡¯s an order." [Trantor - Night] [Proofreader - Gun] Chapter 14 [Trantor - Night] [Proofreader - Gun] Chapter 14 ¡°Leon?! How are you even¡­?¡± ¡°Oh,e on. Someone like you should¡¯ve figured it out by now.¡± Leon spun the sword he had taken from Melissa with a chilling smile. ¡°I¡¯ve been pretty tiredtely, and my control¡¯s been a bit off. But I really appreciate you all gathering in a ce with no prying eyes.¡± Aura began to seep out of Leon¡¯s entire body. Although he wasn¡¯t an Expert, the distinct traits of an Aura User were clearly visible. Yet, for some reason, Vishiri Cascadia couldn¡¯t shake his unease. An inexplicable sense of dread was pounding at his survival instincts. Afraid? Of someone who wasn¡¯t even an Expert? And he, who had reached the intermediate level of Expert? It was only natural for his face to contort with humiliation and rage. ¡°Before heading to the Count¡¯s domain, drag that man before me and make him kneel. I¡¯ll sever his head myself.¡± Even though it was a cheap provocation, it hit its mark perfectly. Then, Leon lightly shed the sword he held in one hand. A single straight line was deeply etched into the ground in front of him. He took a few steps back and yawned briefly. ¡°Cross it if you dare.¡± sh! Even before his words fully settled, one of the Expert-level knights charged swiftly toward Leon. But the moment the knight¡¯s foot crossed the line¡ª The knight¡¯s head flew into the air as if slicing through the sky. ¡­ The knight fell dead without even a chance to scream, leaving the onlookers in stunned silence. This couldn¡¯t be happening. The speed and power Leon had just disyed¡ªwas that something an Aura User was capable of? No, how was that even possible? None of them couldprehend the situation. Of course, Leon¡¯s current state, which was utterly beyond their understanding, was also his greatest advantage. The range of power an Aura User could wield. The strength, speed, and skill an entry-level or intermediate-level Expert could exhibit. Though nations differed, the vast majority of swordsmen operated within this framework. However. No matter how they looked at him, Leon¡ªa mere Aura User¡ªwas far exceeding the maximum skill, strength, and speed an Aura User could disy. ¡°I¡¯m so tired I could die¡­¡± Leon muttered under his breath, genuinely grumbling about his dire state, but to the knights, those words utterly crushed their pride. ¡°What are you waiting for?! He¡¯s alone! Take him down now!!¡± The knights began moving in unison. * * * A body far stronger than an Expert¡¯s, enhanced senses, overwhelmingbat skill¡ªthese were more than enough to make a mere Aura User a monster. Andbat experience? From my perspective, after fighting countless foes for what felt like an eternity, these human enemies were hardly a threat. In fact, the human enemies I faced in that ce were far more dangerous than this lot. ¡®This fatigue¡­ it¡¯s worse than I thought.¡¯ Could this really be chalked up to just sleep deprivation? Sure, I hadn¡¯t slept, but could a few sleepless nights leave my mind this unstable? ¡®My eyes are closing.¡¯ sh! ¡°Arghhh!!¡± Even so, I couldn¡¯t fall asleep. There¡¯s a form of torture where they prevent you from sleeping. This curse-like insomnia felt no different from that torture. sh! Crunch! Those who crossed the line¡ªExpert or not¡ªwere all cut down indiscriminately. When their numbers grew, I unleashed overwhelming aura to crush them under its weight, using the opening to strike them down. Especially since this location was a rtively narrow and deste pathway. The bottleneck meant only a few could attack me at once. Of course, some tried to flee, but most had their eyes clouded by rage and desperation to kill me, provoked by my taunts. Naturally, as I began cutting them down one by one, it seemed they finally realized something was terribly wrong. ¡°H-how is this happening¡­?¡± Meanwhile, I was having a conversation with ¡°The Librarian.¡± [Confirmed. Your mind has not yet recovered from the aftereffects of the Labyrinth. It is presumed that your soul is experiencing exhaustion as time begins to flow again.] What a mess. I caught the sh of a sword¡¯s pristine white de narrowly grazing past me. It felt as though time itself was slowing. sh! Crack! I shattered the shin of a swiftly approaching Aura User-level knight, turning him into a human obstacle. Then, I cleanly severed the neck of the knight who followed behind him. My mind grew increasingly hazy. I knew I was reaching my limit, but my sword¡¯s speed wasn¡¯t slowing. In fact, it was getting faster. As my consciousness blurred, the aura spilling uncontrobly from within me activated so strongly it began damaging my body. And the foggier my mind grew, the less hesitation I felt when striking down my opponents. I¡¯d faced far worse horrors in the Labyrinth. I¡¯d survived far more dire situations than this. If I¡¯d been the kind to back down against the likes of these men, I¡¯d have given up long ago. Corpses piled up like mountains, and fear consumed the air around me. The knights, now retreating in hesitation, had fear etched deeply into their faces. There wasn¡¯t even a shred of fighting spirit left in them. ¡°This¡­ this isn¡¯t possible¡­ He¡¯s just an Aura User¡­¡± An Aura User, and yet the sight I disyed was that of a top-tier Expert. The highest of the four stages of Expert. Naturally, I was far beyond the level of entry or intermediate knights. Of course, the status screen from the Librarian still stubbornlybeled me an Aura User. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Aren¡¯t youing?¡± The smile had long since disappeared from my face due to exhaustion. Only a cold, venomous gaze remained. ¡°What are you doing?! Kill him!!¡± Even Vishiri Cascadia shouted with a pale face. But the intermediate Experts instinctively knew. This was a monster they could not defeat. Though they had skills reaching the intermediate level, they knew crossing that line now would inevitably lead to one of them dying. From the perspective of the mercenary forces, there was no one willing to throw away their life for Tyvel Cascadia. ¡°This is different from what we agreed on!! Nobody told us there would be someone of this caliber!!¡± ¡°Exactly! With power like that, he must be at least at the upper ranks of an expert!!¡± Asints from the mercenary knights erupted, Vishiri Cascadia gritted his teeth. If they retreated or dyed any longer, everything would fall apart. ¡°Damn bastard... How the hell did he hide his strength¡­?¡± The oppressive aura surrounding them swelled uncontrobly, growing evenrger. An aura user, especially at the lower intermediate level, could not possibly wield such a ridiculous amount of aura. [Trantor - Night] [Proofreader - Gun] That meant the person standing before them was something far beyond an ordinary aura user. Their misunderstanding deepened further. And it wasn¡¯t just that. The sound of galloping hooves echoed in the distance¡ªMelissa had already gathered the returning knights and was quickly approaching. ng! It happened at that moment. One of the knights, overwhelmed by terror, swung his sword at Vishiri Cascadia. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not dying here!! I¡¯m just a mercenary! Nobody ever said there¡¯d be a monster like that!!¡± Shouting desperately, the knight aimed for Vishiri¡¯s back. Of course, someone like Vishiri Cascadia, an intermediate-level expert, wasn¡¯t going to fall for such an attack. He swiftly dodged, drew his sword, and struck down the attacker. ¡°Trash like you¡­¡± As he spat out his rage toward those paralyzed by fear, something else happened. The remnants of my aura carved another line into the ground at Vishiri Cascadia¡¯s feet. ¡°You¡¯ve crossed the line.¡± ¡°What nonsense is this?!¡± Before he could finish speaking, I had already approached him. Both hands firmly gripped the hilt of my sword. Vishiri, unleashing his aura, frantically drew his sword to defend himself. He moved as quickly as he could, trying to counterattack, but it was as if our times were moving at different speeds. The exchange waspletely one-sided. Crack!! The sound of both his arm bones shattering rang out. Crash!! In an instant, his arms were destroyed, and my sword sliced through his neck. A spray of blood filled the air as Vishiri Cascadia¡¯s severed head fell. Intermediate-level expert. A level of skill that could earn respect anywhere¡ªbut now, he was nothing more than a headless body. ¡°W-Wait!! The cause of all this, Vishiri Cascadia, is dead! We¡¯re just mercenaries! We were only hired for the job!!¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om The remaining knights desperately tried to negotiate. ¡°Hired? Mercenaries?¡± ¡°Y-Yes, that¡¯s right. Most of the forces here are just mercenaries! With Vishiri Cascadia dead, we have no reason to fight you anymore! So, please¡­¡± ¡°If Vishiri hadn¡¯t died, he would¡¯ve turned the Count¡¯s domain into a sea of fire, wouldn¡¯t he?¡± Speaking calmly, I drew another line a few steps closer, making them recoil in terror. They had learned the hard way: anyone who crossed the line would lose their head. ¡°Let¡¯s calm down for a moment. We request that you treat us as prisoners of war!¡± The alley was narrow, leaving them with no way to retreat. They could try escaping by leaping upward, but a few who attempted that were already impaled by the daggers I had thrown to the ground. If they scattered, a few might survive. But instead of gambling with their lives, they judged that negotiation was the safer option. ng!! ¡°Wait!!¡± I drew another line closer, and the knights raised their hands in surrender, shouting. ¡°Please let us go! We won¡¯t do anything to you! Or if you¡¯re uneasy, you can capture and imprison us in the Count¡¯s domain!¡± Scratch!! ¡°W-Wait! Please, wait!!¡± This time, the line barely moved forward. ¡°We¡¯ll give you what you want! Tyvel Cascadia! If you¡¯re preparing for a civil war with Tyvel Cascadia, we¡¯ll stand at the vanguard! We¡¯ll fight as your mercenaries¡­¡± Scratch¡­ ¡°M-Money!! We¡¯ll give you money! I¡¯ll hand over all the wealth I¡¯ve umted!¡± ¡°Money? Money, you say¡­¡± As I pretended to ponder, stroking my chin, the knights frantically shouted. ¡°The universal currency of the continent!¡± ¡°The universal currency¡­¡± ¡°Yes, the universal currency. No worries about counterfeits or credit issues. If you want, I¡¯ll give it all to you.¡± ¡°Hm¡­ A reliable, counterfeit-proof currency¡­¡± I appeared to think deeply for a moment, then moved my sword. Scratch¡­ ¡°We¡¯ll give you high-grade magical equipment! Mithril-infused swords! Magical artifacts!! Things you can¡¯t buy even with money!¡± They were willing to promise anything for their survival. At that moment, one knight cautiously made a suggestion. ¡°If I return, I¡¯ll tell my lord to establish a friendly stance toward you! How about that? Having the backing of a central noble¡­¡± Scratch, scratch, scratch!! The line was drawn behind them this time. Now, they were all within its bounds. ¡°You think you can attack the Count¡¯s domain and then offer an alliance? Do you take the Cascadia family, protectors of the frontier, for fools?¡± The Count¡¯s household may have been a border noble family, but they held significant authority as a special aristocracy. Even high-ranking nobles like marquises and dukes wouldn¡¯t treat them lightly. Though the family was now split in two, and most of the knights who had once supported the former Count of Cascadia had left the territory in disappointment¡­ ¡°Damn it all¡­¡± * * * After Leon had left the Count¡¯s estate, Melissa quickly rallied the returning knights and prepared the forces for immediate action. ¡°They¡¯re rebels trying to overthrow the Count¡¯s family! Subdue them all!¡± Melissa unsheathed her sword and shouted with determination. [Trantor - Night] [Proofreader - Gun] Chapter 15 [Trantor - Night] [Proofreader - Gun] Chapter 15 "Remember, our top priority is securing Leon''s safety!!" "Mydy! Please step back! It¡¯s dangerous!" "If I don¡¯t go, who will? Stop spouting nonsense and follow me!" She swiftly entered an isted alleyway. The ce where the traces left by Leon had led was filled with the overwhelming stench of blood. Even the most hardened scoundrels would grimace and avoid entering such a scene. Thanks to that, there was no issue with the knights entering the area. "Ugh?!" How far had they ventured? Melissa, along with the knights and soldiers of the count¡¯s territory, mped their hands over their mouths, their faces stiffening. "My God¡­ What is this?" A horrific scene of helly before them. Not a single body had died peacefully; they were all brutally mutted. Everywhere was soaked in blood, and the faces of the deceased were frozen in a mixture of terror and regret. "Leon¡­ Leon!!" Ovee with fear, Melissa dashed forward, terrified that her only family, Leon, might be among the casualties. "Mydy!!" Hearing screams not far ahead, she quickened her pace even further. "Please¡­ Please!! Save me!" The anguished cries, so broken that it was impossible to discern whose they were, made Melissa tremble with fear, dreading that the owner of the voice might be Leon. Ignoring the goosebumps prickling her skin, she pressed onward. When Melissa and her party finally reached the end of the narrow alleyway, they froze in shock. sh!! Leon, drenched in blood from head to toe, was ruthlessly shing the throat of a terrified knight without hesitation. They had already encountered countless bodies on their way here. If that was the case¡­ Did Leon kill all of them himself? "Brother?" Melissa slowly approached him.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Leon''s eyes, dripping with blood from who knows whose body, looked cold¡ªfrigid, even. "Melissa." Eventually, Leon''s voice, weary and worn, reached her ears. "Huh?" "On your way here, you¡¯ll find the body of Vishiri Cascadia. Make sure to retrieve it." With those words, Leon staggered forward. "Finally¡­" Muttering nkly, Leon copsed t onto the ground without hesitation. "Ha, damn it¡­ I can finally sleep." His voice, tinged with iprehensible pain, carried an overwhelming sense of relief and happiness. For someone who had created such a horrifying scene, his tone was unnervingly peaceful. Watching Leon lie down without a care, Melissa, feeling both exasperated and bewildered, cautiously gave her orders. "Take Leon back¡­ The rest of you, stay with me to recover the bodies and search for any remaining enemies." "Yes, ma¡¯am!!" At Melissa¡¯smand, the knights, still pale with fear, began to move. How did this catastrophe happen? Did that frail young lord really kill all of these people by himself? The questions piled up like a mountain, but the one person who could provide answers was already fast asleep. * * * "Ha¡­ Hahaha¡­ Hahahahaha!!" One of the continent¡¯s greatest swordsmen, the Star of the Sword, Osberg Mielephon, burst into heartyughter. "Uh, elder?" Had anyone ever seen Osbergugh so freely? The man apanying him stared nkly at the family elder, his eyes wide with surprise. "Sir, are you alright?" "Khehe¡­ Yes, I¡¯m fine. Living long enough, you get to experience everything." "I¡¯m sorry, sir, but I don¡¯t understand what you mean." "Whates to mind when you see that boy?" At that question, the man shifted his gaze to the young boy lying t on the ground. To be honest, it was astonishing. At a nce, he appeared to be an aura user. But the fact that this boy single-handedly massacred numerous aura users and expert-level knights was hard to believe. "He¡¯s a monster." "Indeed, he¡¯s a monster. In all my years, I¡¯ve never encountered such absurd talent." An exaggeratedparison? Not at all. Though he paled inparison to Osberg, the man was a swordmaster, highly respected within the prestigious sword family of Mielephon and a key asset to the empire. Even with his level-headed analysis, the boy¡¯s existence was astonishing. "Is something like that even possible?" Aura users, experts, and swordmasters. Why do these ranks exist? Because of the umtion of aura, the mastery of swordsmanship, the enhancement of the body, and mental breakthroughs. A swordsman bes an expert and then a swordmaster when these elements build up to form a towering peak. But the boy had defied this concept from the very start. He possessed an overwhelming amount of aura that even lower-tier sword experts couldn¡¯t dream of. He fought tirelessly, his reserves of aura astonishing both men. And then¡ª "It feels as if he¡¯s a swordmaster with only the rank missing. His ability to control aura is far beyond the level of an ordinary user¡­ perhaps even¡ª" "Exactly. It¡¯s astounding, isn¡¯t it?" That was why the two were most shocked and bewildered. He was only a boy in histe teens. He couldn¡¯t even produce a proper aura de as an aura user. But the boy knew how to fight. He understood his strengths and weaknesses precisely, minimizing his ws and maximizing his advantages to overpower his opponents. It sounded simple, but even the man, when he had been an aura user, had never achieved such feats. Even he, once hailed as a genius of the Mielephon family. "Could you pull that off, sir?" ¡°Are you asking me? Haha, you rascal.¡± The old man, Osberg, chuckled heartily before slowly retracting his smile. ¡°That thing defies every theory about swords ever conceived across the continent. In the end, I¡¯m just another swordsman who¡¯s walked the pathid by our ancestors.¡± ¡°Are you saying there¡¯s no point in making theparison?¡± ¡°Exactly. From the very beginning, that boy stands out as the most naturally gifted among anyone I¡¯ve ever known.¡± The man could see the yearning in the old swordsman¡¯s eyes as he spoke firmly. The Sword Saint, who had never taken a disciple, might finally have one. Those eyes filled with desire were unmistakable¡ªa passion to teach the boy personally. There wasn¡¯t even a presumption that the boy might refuse the offer. Osberg Mielephon: the object of envy and aspiration for all swordsmen. Even nations hostile to the Empire held Osberg Mielephon in reverence. He was the kind of figure whom countless young people from both the Empire and other nations aspired to learn under. ¡°Are you nning to take that boy as your disciple?¡± ¡°Yes. At this age, I never thought I¡¯d want something this much.¡± [Trantor - Night] [Proofreader - Gun] ¡°But¡­ are you sure it¡¯s wise? It seems that boy has a hostile rtionship with Tyvel Cascadia.¡± The man¡¯s words were true. Currently, Osberg had received entry rights to the Demonic Realm under Tyvel Cascadia¡¯s authority as a count. In other words, he was working with Tyvel. In such circumstances, could the boy and girl possibly look kindly on Osberg? Not a chance. ¡°Hah. Tyvel Cascadia is said to hold countship authority, yet it seems their session is far from secure.¡± ¡°Does that mean Tyvel Cascadia deceived us?¡± ¡°Not quite. Judging by today¡¯s events, Tyvel likely intended to solidify their im to the title by pushing those two aside.¡± If Tyvel seeded in bing a border count, the granted entry rights would be legitimate rather than a deception. What mattered now was that the rights in hand might not yet be fully effective. ¡°Sir, do you think Tyvel Cascadia hopes to involve you in this matter?¡± At this, Osberg let out a short chuckle. ¡°I¡¯m merely a foreigner. There¡¯s no reason or right for me to interfere in the kingdom¡¯s affairs.¡± ¡°True, but Tyvel Cascadia might use their offered rewards as leverage to ask for your help. If that happens, both the kingdom and the Mielephon family will know of your involvement.¡± ¡°Haha. Just hearing it gives me a headache.¡± He hade to pass through quietly and intended to leave just as quietly¡ªno need to get entangled. ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Please, I beg you, refrain from causing any major incidents. If this bes an international issue, His Majesty the Emperor might decide to boil you alive.¡± ¡°What can I say? A teacher helping their student¡ªwhat¡¯s wrong with that? Besides, this was a promise I made to His Majesty.¡± ¡°That boy isn¡¯t your disciple yet. And I can¡¯t help but feel wary about the temperament of someone so ruthless.¡± Osberg chuckled at the man¡¯s remark. ¡°True, he may seem ruthless. But you never truly know someone until you meet their gaze and have a conversation.¡± ¡°Considering the adversarial rtionship, it¡¯s hard to dismiss that boy as a mere killer. Still, it¡¯s not even certain he¡¯ll ept you¡­¡± The Sword Saint, Osberg Mielephon, remained unhurried. ¡°After all, am I not one of the continent¡¯s greatest swordsmen? There¡¯s no way he¡¯d refuse¡ª¡± [I¡¯m sorry, but I must decline.] When the boy woke up two dayster, Osberg¡¯s hopes were dashed with those very words. * * * The act of sleeping itself was a source of deep trauma for me. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to sleep voluntarily. The solution was simple: First, somehow fall asleep. Second,e to terms with the fact that it¡¯s okay to sleep. Whether this would lead to aplete cure was uncertain, but with repeated attempts, progress would eventuallye. I had expected to fall into a dreamless sleep. But when I became aware after falling asleep, I found myself in the scenery of Labyrinthos. Wait¡­ this isn¡¯t right. Labyrinthos was supposed to be gone. It was said to have vanished forever, that no one could ever enter it again. My hands and feet trembled uncontrobly, and rage welled up inside me. ¡°Hey, Librarian.¡± I called out to the one I could always vent my anger on, but there was no reply. Instead¡­ Shhhhhhhh. Familiar letters of a different form and color appeared before my eyes. [Red Moon] Red Moon? Raising my head to the crimson sky at the floating words, I saw it¡ªa sinister, blood-red moon that resembled an ominous eye. It was the same grotesque moon that had never disappeared since I first came to Labyrinthos. [Prepare for the Red Moon.] ¡°What am I supposed to prepare for? What the hell is going on? Why am I here¡­?¡± [Prepare for the Red Moon.] [Prepare for the Red Moon.] [Prepare for the Red Moon.] [Prepare for the Red Moon.] The same words echoed repeatedly, filling every corner as if trying to break my mind with their unyielding repetition. Finally, after the maddening sequence: [Good luck. ^#$^#$%% This time, you must %$&$^.] With that single phrase, the surroundings instantly changed. ¡°Huh!¡± Jerking awake, I gasped for breath as I looked around at the familiar scene of my room. ¡°Hah¡­ hah¡­ What a crazy nightmare.¡± Thankfully, it wasn¡¯t the hellscape of Labyrinthos this time. ¡°Ah¡­ I want some ice cream.¡± The fatigue that had been gnawing at my mind was gone, reced by a sense of lightness and rity. At the same time, memories from both my previous and current lives grew even more vivid. [You are nearly ready to receive the memory of the Third Sanctuary.] The Third? Looking at the Librarian¡¯s words floating in the air, I debated asking about the dream but ultimately shook my head. It was probably just a random nightmare. If it wasn¡¯t, the Librarian would¡¯ve brought it up immediately. ¡°What happens when I receive it?¡± [Currently, you are not in an optimal state, so there is a risk of severe physical strain and mental fragmentation.] ¡°Then let¡¯s wait until I¡¯m fully prepared. No need to push myself to the point of breaking when I¡¯ve got plenty to handle already.¡± [Understood.] For now, my sword and fists were enough to keep me alive. Still, I felt that I could now break through the wall of Expert if I wanted. With my body now ustomed to aura and properly nourished, surpassing the Expert barrier wouldn¡¯t be difficult. ¡®If I push a little harder, I might even break through to Swordmaster¡­¡¯ [Trantor - Night] [Proofreader - Gun] Chapter 17 [Trantor - Night] [Proofreader - Gun] Chapter 17 ¡°Can you speak to the deputy Count on my behalf?¡± ¡°Understood, my lord. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you again, Deputy Count. I am Bagmut Mielephon.¡± ¡°Melissa Cascadia. It¡¯s an honor to meet the master of Mielephon.¡± Soon, the man standing beside Osberg, Bagmut, began discussing matters of the demonic realm with Melissa in ce of the Sword Saint. The content itself was nothing special¡ªa visit for a simple investigation. With the royal family already granting permission, Melissa, having no grounds to refuse, seemed poised to approve after confirming there were no issues. As the two conversed, I silently fixed my gaze on the figure before me, Osberg Mielephon. ¡°Shall we discuss a different matter? I¡¯ve heard from my younger sibling...¡± ¡°Yes. I want to take you as my apprentice.¡± ¡°I refuse.¡± There was no need to think about it. I immediately shook my head, expressing my rejection. [The opponent before you is presumed to be highly skilled.] Although the Librariran added its unnecessarymentary, my decision remained unchanged. ¡®If someone wants to be my master, they should at least be stronger than me.¡¯ It was an utterly arrogant statement. The opponent standing before me was one of the strongest on the continent, with few who could rival him. Indeed, from what I observed, his skills seemed to exceed the rumors. Nevertheless, my judgment was simple. The realm I hadpleted in the Labyrinth¡ª The tower I had built there stood far higher than anything the Sword Saint before me could construct. To put it bluntly, I had nothing to gain from him. Moreover, my criteria for seeking a master were clear¡ªsomeone far beyond my reach, from whom I could learn something valuable. Though, to date, all those who fit the criteria had fallen by my hand. ¡°Huh¡­¡± Osberg wore a momentarily dumbfounded expression at my firm response. Simrly, Melissa and the man Bagmut, who had been deep in conversation, turned to me in shock, their eyes wide with disbelief. ¡®Are you insane? Why would you refuse?! Do you even realize how prestigious it is to be the apprentice of the Sword Saint? Don¡¯t you know how countless geniuses across the continent sought him out only to be turned down?¡¯ Melissa didn¡¯t say a word, but her gaze spoke volumes. And I wasn¡¯t oblivious to her thoughts. Indeed, bing the apprentice of the Sword Saint Osberg Mielephon would bring immense benefits¡ªhonor, wealth, and strength. But my decision wouldn¡¯t waver. ¡°May we step aside for a moment?¡± When he rose from his seat, I quietly followed him to the terrace. While Melissa and Bagmut continued their discussion about the demonic realm, I stood by the terrace railing with Osberg. ¡°May I ask why?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothingplicated about it. After my father, the former Count, died in an ident, all that remains of my family is my younger sister Melissa and me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a tragic situation.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I can¡¯t leave. My sister is intelligent and talented, but she¡¯s still young. Without my support, she wouldn¡¯t be able to bear it alone.¡± It was a statement that Melissa, had she heard, would find outrageous or hurtful. But I had no intention of denying the truth. Melissa was still inexperienced. ¡°You don¡¯t trust your sister?¡± ¡°I trust her, which is why I¡¯m giving this answer. Though she may act tough, she¡¯s still tender at heart. She needs someone to support her.¡± Leaning slightly against the railing with a bitter smile, I watched as he nodded in understanding. ¡°Yes, she¡¯s still young. Too young to endure the storms of the world while holding up the family. Then, would you consider bing my apprentice once she bes a proper Countess?¡± He didn¡¯t seem ready to give up. To this, I posed a more straightforward question. ¡°My lord.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Will, Intent, Enlightenment, Reformation, Pinnacle.¡± It was an abrupt statement, and a look of bewilderment spread across Osberg¡¯s face. ¡°What¡­ are you saying?¡± ¡°Can you show me something beyond all of these, my lord?¡± At my question, he was rendered speechless. ¡®Will¡¯ is the first realization, and ¡®Intent¡¯ the realization that follows. ¡®Enlightenment¡¯ is the stage where one¡¯s ideals are projected upon the world. ¡®Reformation¡¯ is thepletion of one¡¯s ideals, bending the principles of the world to one¡¯s will. And ¡®Pinnacle¡¯ is the culmination of all these stages into a singr whole. Anyone can speak of such things in words. But someone of Osberg¡¯s caliber would have at least a faint understanding of what I meant and the weight of my words. Can you show me the entirety of swordsmanship¡ªthe ¡®Pinnacle¡¯ and beyond? To be honest, I¡¯ve reached the stage of Pinnacle, but I haven¡¯t fully made it my own yet. ¡°I¡¯m grateful for your offer, but I have my own path to follow.¡± Speaking calmly, I turned and walked away, leaving him to silently watch my retreating figure without uttering a word. * * * Walking through the quiet forest path, Bagmut Mielephon repeatedly tried to engage the old man lost in thought. ¡°My lord.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The forest of the demonic realm was cold, barren, and eerily silent. ¡°What did that boy say to leave you so troubled?¡± Having served Sword Saint Osberg Mielephon for many years, Bagmut couldn¡¯t hide his bewilderment at the current situation. Who was the Sword Saint, after all? He was hailed as the greatest swordsman on the continent, a figure respected and revered by nearly all who wielded a de. Naturally, many would even be willing to sell their families to receive training from him. Given that no one within the Mielephon family had formally learned his swordsmanship, it was even harder to grasp the intentions of Leon Cascadia, the boy who had rejected him. ¡°Troubled, you say. Hmm, you¡¯re not wrong. Reaching this stage and feeling this conflicted is a first for me.¡± Thanks to Melissa¡¯s official entry pass rather than Tyvel¡¯s forged clearance, entering wasn¡¯t an issue. Swish. Swish. -Screech!! -Kyaaaa!!n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om -Kyaaaah!! Each swing of Bagmut''s sword sent monsters copsing to the ground, spilling blood. ¡°In this world, there are those said to be blessed by the sword, or even loved by it.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°But what could you even call that child? It''s peculiar.¡± People often joke about describing prodigies of history as being one with the sword itself. Butpared to Leon, even those geniuses were mere mediocrities. Countless swordsmen gain enlightenment and forge new realms. But to Osberg, Leon Cascadia showed no signs of requiring such a process. From the very beginning, the child already held the sword with an established enlightenment. ¡°A genius? Tsk, tsk. No, you can''t call that a genius.¡± That isn¡¯t genius. It¡¯s a cmity. To those who wield swords, he¡¯s a cmity that would bring despair and force them to abandon their des. Even Osberg, renowned as the Sword Saint, felt jealousy creeping into his usually detached mind. What more can be said? [Trantor - Night] [Proofreader - Gun] A genius carves out new realms swiftly and easily, bing stronger than others. But the child, who was closer to a cmity, had no probability of failure to begin with. Why? The only thing keeping him from growing stronger wasn¡¯t enlightenment, but his body¡ªstill not fully matured. Others may not notice, but it was crystal clear to Osberg. Teaching a child like that? It¡¯s impossible to teach someone alreadyplete. The only thing that child needed was time. ¡°Bagmut.¡± ¡°Yes, master.¡± ¡°Once the investigation of the Demonic Realm isplete, return to the house and bring the sword.¡± ¡°The sword¡­ You don¡¯t mean¡­!¡± ¡°Yes.¡± At Osberg¡¯s calm answer, Bagmut¡¯s face twisted in shock. ¡°Master! That sword is one of the treasured heirlooms of Mielephon!¡± ¡°If it can be bought at that price, it¡¯s the best investment. Isn¡¯t buying at the bottom a fundamental principle of business?¡± For Osberg, who treated even a talented imperial prince with indifference, it was astonishing that he desired this connection so deeply. ¡°Instead of this, wouldn¡¯t it be better to intervene in the civil war? Even so, the heirloom is¡­¡± ¡°That would be a foolish move. Besides, don¡¯t hesitate to give it up. I assure you, it¡¯s not a loss.¡± There wasn¡¯t a trace of hesitation in Osberg¡¯s expression. He truly didn¡¯t seem to consider giving up the Mielephon heirloom sword a waste. ¡°Even so, handing it over outright is uneptable. The head of the Mielephon family would never allow it. Perhaps lending it would be more feasible?¡± ¡°Hah. You don¡¯t trust this old man¡­.¡± ¡°What on earth did you see¡­?¡± ¡°Unless an unexpected disaster urs, I guarantee that child will be the next generation¡¯s Sword Saint¡ªno, far surpass me. If I can¡¯t take him as my disciple, I must at least maintain close ties.¡± Of course, the truth was that Leon was an exceptionally slow learner. The path to mastery took him an absurd amount of time and effort. But neither Bagmut nor Osberg Mielephon could have known this. ¡°Master, all that aside, we must firstplete the investigation. Something isn¡¯t right.¡± The moment they arrived at their destination, they frowned at the sight of shattered stone boxes scattered everywhere. Around the boxesy desated corpses, their faces frozen in the expressions of their final moments, left in a grotesque state. ¡°It seems more severe than the Saintess¡¯s prophecy suggested. Something that was sealed has been unleashed.¡± ¡°It looks like someone deliberately released it. We should move quickly.¡± * * * After Osberg Mielephon departed, I could sense that Melissa and I had some things to resolve. Thud!! ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going? Come here! We have a lot to talk about.¡± As I tried to slip away, she grabbed me by the scruff of my neck and dragged me into her office. Then, she attempted to remove the ring from her finger. Oh? What¡¯s this? ¡°Stop right there. What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± ¡°What? Why?¡± ¡°Put that ring back on immediately. Who said you could give up your session rights?¡± ¡°Come on, isn¡¯t it obvious!¡± She shouted indignantly, her voice rising. ¡°You¡¯re stronger than me! Isn¡¯t that enough? And what about the pathetic disy I just put on? That¡¯s not something a frontier count, tasked with guarding the Demonic Realm, should ever show.¡± Sure, I had just defeated Vishiri Cascadia, who was stronger than Melissa, in a single strike. It¡¯s understandable she¡¯d feel that way. ¡°So what? You¡¯re still the acting count. If you¡¯re going to make decisions based on strength alone, why not hand over the ring to the Sword Saint who just visited?¡± ¡°Well, no, that¡¯s not¡­¡± ¡°Listen closely, you air-headed octopus. Do you think Father entrusted you with the title simply because you¡¯re an expert?¡± ¡°¡­Wasn¡¯t it?¡± Her expression betrayed her rare shock. ¡°No, there¡¯s another reason. So it makes no sense for you to abandon your position based on strength alone.¡± At my exnation, she fell silent, deep in thought. If I could just get her to let this go¡­ ¡°¡­You¡¯re just making excuses because you don¡¯t want to take it, aren¡¯t you?¡± Tch. I hate it when people are sharp. ¡°Think carefully. During the fight with Tyvel, I shed an unusual amount of blood. The citizens fear me. On the other hand, you¡¯ve always treated them with kindness and warmth. Do you see the difference?¡± She looked like she was almost convinced. ¡°Leon.¡± ¡°What is it, sis?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you just indiscriminately ughter Tyvel¡¯s subordinates a few days ago? And the frontier family overseeing the Demonic Realm needs to maintain strict discipline.¡± At that, she picked up a sturdy decoration nearby and hurled it at me. ¡°You little rascal, trying to trick me!¡± I tilted my head slightly, dodging the object she threw, smirking as I did. [Trantor - Night] [Proofreader - Gun] Chapter 18 [Trantor - Night] [Proofreader - Gun] Chapter 18 "What? Why? What will you do if you keep staring at me like that?" "Ugh?!" "What can you even do? Besides inheriting the title of count following your father¡¯s will, is there anything else you¡¯re capable of?" At my sarcastic remark, she ground her teeth furiously, looking as if she might explode at any moment. "Ah¡­ Ahh! My patience is wearing thin!" "Alright, enough of that. Let¡¯s deal with the Tyvel Cascadia issue first. Once we handle him, most of the problems will be resolved." I don¡¯t know much about the other kingdoms, but here in our kingdom of Bata, the royal family has an official system of recognition for noble ranks. To inherit the title of Count of Cascadia, one must at least achieve the rank of Expert as recognized by the royal family. Of course, Melissa is already a Sword Expert, so it¡¯s not a problem for her. But because of the cumbersome certification and formalities, she¡¯s still officially registered as an Aura User with the royal family. This is precisely why Tyvel Cascadia can aim for her position and try to push her out. "What apletely useless system." "Yeah, a downright absurd system." Melissa and I agreed on this point. Of course, bing an officially recognized Expert would bring definite advantages, but Tyvel had been lobbying the central nobles to hinder her certification process. Thus, there was only one option left. Tyvel¡¯s death. "With Vishiri Cascadia dead, there¡¯s a chance Tyvel will flee." Melissa knew Tyvel Cascadia well. "That¡¯s likely." "The fact that we have an unexpected force on our side, and his belief that dragging things out will favor him." As Melissa described, Tyvel Cascadia would certainly think that way. While it¡¯s possible he might trust his own strength and wage an all-out battle, that would actually make things easier for us. "We haven¡¯t heard of him leaving his estate yet, but it¡¯s only a matter of time. If we want to settle this properly, we need to act swiftly." The problem was that we, too, needed preparation. Melissa probably hadn¡¯t anticipated things escting into a full-scale conflict so suddenly. "How much time do you think we have?" "We need to move immediately. He¡¯s a sharp man; if he decides to leave, it could be as soon as today." "Alright. Then I¡¯ll assemble the troops and knights to prepare¡ª" Bang! Bang! Bang! "Miss! Miss! We have a major problem!" It was then that a knight burst in, his face full of urgency, panting heavily. "Sir Harpon? What¡¯s the matter for you to rush in like this...?" "We¡¯ve found traces of a monster that escaped the demon realm and is presumed to be hiding within the Count¡¯s territory! If we don¡¯t act quickly, there will be civilian casualties...!" "What?!" Her face turned pale. "What is this about?" "Well, that is..." I narrowed my eyes at Melissa as she faltered. A monster from the demon realm. I knew about it too. A few weeks ago, a report came in that a monster had evaded surveince in the demon realm and infiltrated the Count¡¯s territory. In response, an investigative team had been hastily dispatched to the area. Monsters from the demon realm are highly dangerous and can cause severe casualties. "You told me the monster was found and eliminated, didn¡¯t you?" "Well... about that..." "You don¡¯t mean to tell me it¡¯s still out there, do you?" At my question, she bit her lip and avoided my gaze. "Ah, what a headache." It was obvious what had happened. They had found traces of the monster but hadn¡¯t managed to catch it. To avoid creating panic in the territory, they must have covered it up. If this fact became known, the situation would spiral out of control. "...You don¡¯t have time to deal with Tyvel right now." "..." Unlike Tyvel, who at least wouldn¡¯t harm people openly, the monster was a different story. Especially one that had evaded the knights and hidden within the territory¡ªit was bound to be an even greater threat. A significant portion of the territory¡¯s forces would need to be deployed. "Split up, Melissa." "No way!" "I¡¯ll handle Tyvel. You take care of the monster¡ª" "Don¡¯t be ridiculous!!" She screamed angrily. "Are you joking?! You¡¯re nning to storm Tyvel¡¯s estate alone?!" "Yeah." "What if you get hurt?!" At her desperate cry, I hesitated for a moment, then smirked. "Hurt? Don¡¯t be absurd." "No! Absolutely not! Over my dead body¡ªugh! Put that down!" As I grabbed a handful of dirt from a nearby potted nt, pretending to throw it, she shrieked and backed away. "Recon first! Just reconnaissance! Do you hear me? Tyvel Cascadia has also lost a lot of his forces! If he tries to escape, I¡¯ll send a detachment of knights, so don¡¯t go alone. Do you understand?! This is an order!" She shouted urgently, but I ignored her nagging and slipped out of her office. * * * Melissa told me to just scout, but I had no intention of following her orders. If my instincts were right, Tyvel would either flee or attack the territory today. Of course, thetter seemed less likely, but it couldn¡¯t be ruled out.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om In some ways, the appearance of a monster that had escaped the demon realm was oddly well-timed. I donned a ck coat perfect for blending into the darkness. At first nce, it seemed to offer no protection, but in reality, it was made from the hide of a high-grade monster, providing excellent durability. Better to have it than not, and more importantly, it had the advantage of being easy to clean if stained with blood¡ªa feature I greatly appreciated. "Young master." As I was preparing to leave the estate, a familiar voice called out. Turning my head, I saw a short dwarf approaching, holding something in both hands. "Verus? I thought you¡¯d left already?" When I chuckled, he clicked his tongue in displeasure and turned his gaze away. ¡°Well, since there¡¯s no longer a reason to leave, I see no point in leaving.¡± ¡°Is that really all?¡± ¡°Geez, you¡¯re a tough one. You saved my son, so I ought to repay the favor.¡± At his words, Iughed and patted him on the back. ¡°You¡¯ve made the right decision, Verus. You won¡¯t regret it. Take good care of my sister.¡± ¡°Ugh... It¡¯s not just me. Everyone whose families or loved ones were kidnapped owes you two a debt.¡± As he spoke, he handed me something from his arms. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°A sword. I made it while the young master was asleep. I heard your swords kept breaking because they couldn¡¯t handle your aura.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s true.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a sword made with added mithril. It may notst forever, but it¡¯ll hold up for quite a while.¡± Slightly surprised, I pulled off the cloth to reveal a silver longsword. The de¡¯s sharpness was impressive, and the bnce was excellent. A high-quality item, as they say. [Trantor - Night] [Proofreader - Gun] And with mithril mixed in, it was no ordinary, cheap weapon. ¡°Where did you get this? It doesn¡¯t look like it came at a small price.¡± ¡°I had some leftover mithril. I made it myself while the young master was asleep. I couldn¡¯t put in as much time as I¡¯d like, so it¡¯s not as sturdy as it could be. If it breaks, bring it back. I¡¯ll melt it down and remake it.¡± Looking at the silver de, I could tell he had put considerable effort into it. ¡°Thanks. I needed a weapon anyway, so this works out perfectly.¡± ¡°And this is something the old man at the magic artifact shop sent.¡± It was clearly an artifact engraved with magic. ¡°He¡¯s giving something like this?¡± ¡°That miser surprised me with his generosity. And this is a stock of potions from the apothecary owner.¡± It was as if they all anticipated I¡¯d be going somewhere. ¡°They¡¯re acting like they know exactly what I¡¯m going to do.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I say? With agees insight.¡± It was their gratitude for saving their families and loved ones. Since these items were useful, I didn¡¯t refuse. ¡°I¡¯ll make good use of them.¡± ¡°Young master.¡± As I mounted my horse after epting all the items, the dwarf Verus called out to me. ¡°What now?¡± At the same time, he bent deeply at the waist, bowing to me. ¡°Thank you for saving my son¡­ and, well, I hate to say this, but¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m just going on a scouting mission.¡± ¡°To me, it doesn¡¯t look like scouting. It looks like you¡¯re going to destroy something.¡± ¡°Haha!¡± I didn¡¯t bother to refute his words, not wanting to spoil the mood. After all, it was the truth. * * * As twilight descended and the sunset faded, plunging therge mansion into darkness, someone slipped in silently. ¡°See? I knew this would happen.¡± Despite thete hour, the mansion was bustling with activity. Tyvel Cascadia had chosen to flee. And tonight, at that. It was an inevitable choice. After all, most of his forces had been annihted, and even his son had been killed. Believing that I and Melissa might have some unexpected support, he was likely hedging his bets, choosing to retreat to safety and n from elsewhere. Of course, I had no intention of letting him leave this mansion alive. Melissa had instructed me to scout, but since when did I ever follow Melissa¡¯s orders? I unsheathed the mithril-infused sword Verus had given me. ¡°From now on, your name is cknight Sword No. 1.¡± Since its debut was under the dark night sky, I figured that name would suffice. Honestly, what¡¯s in a name for a weapon? What mattered was whether it could cut well and hold up in battle. In Labyrinthos, whenever a sword broke, a new one would appear, and I¡¯d pick it up and swing it. Thanks to the endless supply of swords, I never developed much attachment to them. Fortunately, the dwarf¡¯s craftsmanship didn¡¯t disappoint, and cknight Sword No. 1 seemed to perform admirably. Shing... ¡°Huh?¡± sh! With a chilling sound of flesh tearing, one of the guards copsed, spraying blood. A guard who should have been defending the count¡¯s domain was instead protecting the private mansion. I already knew that when Vishiri kidnapped me and brought me outside the castle gates, some of the guards had aligned with Tyvel. But seeing the extent of their cooperation now left a bitter taste in my mouth. ¡°Father was always too soft on people.¡± Because he was such a good person, he seemed tock the skill to weed out scum like this. As I quietly gazed down at the guards who had died without even a scream, I took in the bustling mansion in one sweeping nce. Compared to when I visited with my father before, the mansion hadn¡¯t changed much structurally, but it exuded a much wealthier atmosphere. The extravagant decorations and the sheer number of servants spoke volumes. Tyvel Cascadia¡¯s branch family originally managed a few small businesses. Enough to sustain themselves but not enough to create such a luxurious scene. Where, then, had Tyvel Cascadia obtained this much wealth? The question didn¡¯t trouble me for long. It didn¡¯t matter in the end. [Warning: Approach detected.] At least the artifact was better than me at detecting things. ¡°Their level?¡± [One aura user. The rest are presumed to be regr soldiers.] ¡°Let¡¯s begin.¡± By the time Tyvel Cascadia realized I had infiltrated, it would already be toote to turn back. Gripping cknight Sword No. 1 tightly, I bent slightly forward. Then, I dashed forward without hesitation. * * * ¡°Well, it seems I was right to have some contingencies in ce.¡± With a grim expression, Tyvel Cascadia muttered to himself. In just a few hours, he felt as though he had aged years. [Trantor - Night] [Proofreader - Gun] Chapter 19 [Trantor - Night] [Proofreader - Gun] Chapter 19 Vishiri Cascadia. Not only had Tyvel''s first son been thoroughly defeated, but most of the forces sent topletely suppress Melissa were also reduced to nothing but bloodstains in a single day. No one knew what had happened to that powerless child. What mattered, however, was that Tyvel had lost the majority of his current forces. The borrowed reinforcements, prepared just in case of an emergency, were no small number. Although Tyvel Cascadia was also at the level of an intermediate expert, like Vishiri Cascadia, he had no intention of gambling his life in battle when even many intermediate experts had already fallen. "First, we head to the capital. Once safety is ensured, we¡¯ll n for the future." His second son, Bivel Cascadia, looked slightly dissatisfied. He was at a peak stage in his talent, and the fact that they had to flee in such a disgraceful manner did not sit well with him. "Don¡¯t worry, Father. If they push all the way into this mansion, I will cut them down in a single stroke." "Your words areforting, at least." Tyvel replied curtly, his expression firm, then shouted at the knight who entered the room after. "What about the items in the basement?" "We¡¯ve already dispatched personnel to handle them. Do not worry. We are disposing of what needs to be disposed of and securing what must be secured. No trace will be left in the mansion." Ideally, everything should have been disposed of. However, there were too many valuable items to simply discard. "Make sure the matter of the elves is never discovered. Leave no traces and burn everything to ashes." "Understood, sir. I will¡ª" It was then. The previously bustling mansion suddenly felt eerily quiet. "Hmm? Why is it so quiet? We must act quickly while Melissa is still distracted by the monster." It was unnervingly silent. The knight drew his sword, cloaking himself in aura. "Master, something is amiss. I will check the situation. Please, do not leave this ce." As the knight hurriedly departed, Tyvel, who had been seated, was enveloped by a strange unease. "Father?" "Do not worry. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s nothing." He believed that. Until he realized that even after 10, then 20 minutes, the knight had not returned. "Father, something isn¡¯t right." "..." Tyvel immediately grabbed his sword, his face hardened. "Follow me." The mansion was unnaturally quiet. No matter what, there should still be numerous servants in the mansion. And there were also knights and soldiers Tyvel had taken from the count¡¯s estate. Yet it was too silent. Something was deeply wrong. "Gasp?!" When Tyvel Cascadia and his second son, Bivel Cascadia, stepped out of the office, they were shocked to find a hallway turned into a hellscape. Everyone was dead. While the servants'' corpses were not visible, none of the knights or soldiers were alive and moving. The stench of blood enveloped everything. When did this happen? No, how did this even happen? Suppressing his chaotic emotions, Tyvel headed toward the lobby. There, he saw the knight who had gone to report lying bloodied on the floor. Beside him stood a boy with his back turned. "Tyvel Cascadia." A chilling voice filled the air, suffocating everything around. "You¡­ you, it can¡¯t be..." The boy slowly turned his head. His icy, sky-blue eyes,pletely different from his father¡¯s, exuded a sharp, frigid aura. "Leon¡­ is it you? Are you Leon?!" "Uncle, have you already forgotten your nephew¡¯s face?" "..." Leon? That was impossible. Tyvel Cascadia, his face stiff, asked: "Did you¡­ did you kill them all?" "Of course. Who else would¡¯ve done it?" "You¡­ you devil!" Tyvel roared. "To kill them all! Are you even human?!" "Oh, why such harsh words? This from someone who kidnapped his nephew, threatened him, and even oppressed innocent people. Don¡¯t worry; I left the unrted servants untouched." Leon raised his sword, a silvery de surrounded by formless, crimson aura. He had once been a talentless fool who couldn¡¯t even use aura. There was no way he could emit such overwhelming pressure. Tyvel could notprehend the current situation. Had he hidden his strength? Even so, it would have been impossible not to notice such a subtle difference. "Do you wish for death so badly? Before I drag you down formitting such heinous acts and exposing them to the world!" Tyvel released his aura in a disy of intimidation. It seemed Leon had indeed be an aura user. The pressure he emitted was surprising, but in the end, he was just an aura user. Tyvel, an intermediate expert, was not someone who could be defeated by him. Moreover, his second son, Bivel, was also brimming with talent. At that moment, Leon spoke. "You seem to have hidden something interesting in the basement." "..." "Why were you so eager to destroy all the evidence? Burn it all away, even? And yet, you call me a devil? Do you think the royal family or the nobles who support you would tolerate finding out about the elves you¡¯ve imprisoned in the basement?" "How¡­ how do you know about that?!" "If only you¡¯d been good to your people. They told me everything. To them, you were just a boss who paid wages, nothing more, nothing less." Leon smirked. ¡°They told me everything. Surely, you''re aware that very is prohibited in our Bata Kingdom. Were you nning to sell them abroad? And not just any ves¡ªelves? Are you trying to start a war with the World Tree Elves?¡± ¡°Father!¡± It was at that moment. Bivel Cascadia stepped forward to stand beside Tyvel. Though he hadn¡¯t surpassed the level of an expert, given his age, there was no doubt he was a peerless genius. ¡°I¡¯ll cut that bastard¡¯s head off.¡± The fact that the mansion¡¯s knights and soldiers had been silently killed already made it clear this wasn¡¯t a normal situation, but Bivel failed to grasp such a simple truth. All he saw was the pathetic fool in front of him, exuding aura and posing a threat. It wasughable to him. No, perhaps he realized something was wrong but found it hard to ept. Bivel raised his sword, shing a savage grin. ¡°To think I¡¯d live to see the day you run wild. But it doesn¡¯t change the fact that you¡¯re just defective goods.¡± ¡°Bivel! Stand down!!¡± ¡°Hah! Father! It¡¯s just Leon! The defective fool you always spoke of! Surely, this situation is just some kind of sorcery!¡± [Trantor - Night] [Proofreader - Gun] Bivel had a tendency to look down on the siblings of the Count¡¯s family due to his own considerable talent. While he acknowledged Melissa to some degree, Leon was another matter entirely. To think that the foolish durd, who couldn¡¯t even wield aura, was now threatening him and his father¡ªit was utterly intolerable. For years, Tyvel had ingrained in him theparison with Leon. Naturally, Bivel saw Leon as an iparable fool, someone who could never surpass him, no matter how much he struggled. ¡°I¡¯ll be generous and forgive your arrogance with just one arm, Leon.¡± Despite being younger than Melissa or Leon, Bivel had unshakable faith in his talent. As an aura user, he believed there was no way he could lose¡ªespecially since his talent was genuine, unrivaled among aura users of his level. However, Tyvel Cascadia, far more experienced than Bivel, felt an eerie unease. Even if, as Bivel imed, sorcery was involved, Leon, who had ughtered the entire force, was undoubtedly dangerous. ¡°No! Bivel!! Stop!!¡± Bivel lunged with his sword in an instant, aiming to pierce his opponent, but Leon barely moved. Tyvel, aware of the abnormality of the situation, shouted desperately. Just as Bivel¡¯s de was about to touch Leon¡ª Tyvel witnessed a horrifying sight. It was as if Leon¡¯s time elerated for a moment, his figure scattering like a shadow. In an instant, Leon appeared, severing the arm of Tyvel¡¯s precious son, Bivel. Bivel¡¯s sword shed nothing but empty air. Though Bivel¡¯s talent was exceptional, talent alone didn¡¯t equate to strength. It merely meant one could grow stronger faster. This was a mistake¡ªand arrogance¡ªthat those intoxicated by their own talent often made. ¡°AAARGH!!!¡± With a terrible scream, Bivel copsed to the ground, writhing in pain and spraying blood everywhere. ¡°You said you¡¯d forgive me with just one arm? Then should I cut off both to earn forgiveness?¡± ¡°AAARGH! Y-You cursed bastard¡­ Gah¡­?!¡± As another arm was severed, Bivel howled in pain, iling on the ground without his limbs. ¡°Stop, Leon!!¡± ¡°And if I don¡¯t? What can you do about it?¡± Leon calmly raised his gaze to meet Tyvel¡¯s. ¡°F-Father, something¡¯s wrong¡­ S-Spare me¡­¡± BOOM!!! Leon kicked the copsed Bivel, sending him flying. Unable to withstand the shock, Bivel lost consciousness. Talent, no matter how brilliant, was like an unscratched lottery ticket if it hadn¡¯t fully blossomed. ¡°Bivel!! No!! Leon! I should have killed you long ago! You should not have been left alive!¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t that you didn¡¯t¡ªit¡¯s that you couldn¡¯t.¡± ¡°You wretch! Do you even realize what enormous forces you¡¯ve provoked into fighting against you?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get one thing straight. I didn¡¯t pick this fight. You lot are the ones who came after me. So reckless.¡± With that, Leon took a step forward. BOOM!!! Simultaneously, a heavy wave of energy erupted from his feet, crushing the surroundings. The aura emanating from this so-called aura user was iprehensible. This wasn¡¯t a human¡ªit was a monster. Surely, the destruction of Tyvel Cascadia¡¯s main forces, including Vishiri Cascadia, was because of this being. Fighting him here would be unwise. But the bastard had severed his son¡¯s arms. Grinding his teeth in rage, Tyvel summoned his sword aura. ¡°Until I rip out your eyes and crush them, my fury will not subside.¡± ¡°For someone who cherishes their child so much, you sure mistreated someone else¡¯s family.¡± ¡°LEON!!!¡± Blinded by rage at his son¡¯s injury, Tyvel unleashed the full power of his sword expertise against Leon. Though Tyvel was considered near the level of a Sword Expert, Leon¡¯s physical enhancement had long surpassed normal limits. Mastering massive aura required exceptional control, but for Leon, it was no issue. A storm of swords erupted with incredible speed. ng! sh! ck-ck! sh! The swords collided rapidly, yet Leon¡¯s aura, like an unending ocean, kept replenishing itself, even as it was consumed. From an outsider¡¯s perspective, it appeared as though Tyvel was ferociously pushing forward. But in truth, his attacks were blocked or missed entirely, failing to make Leon retreat even a step. Instead, Leon¡¯s counterattacks left wounds on Tyvel. ¡°Why¡­ Why doesn¡¯t your aura diminish?! This is impossible!¡± Normally, an aura user would exhaust their energy just defending against attacks like this. Even a single sh of sword aura should drain significant reserves. This was an unchanging rule, regardless of talent or skill. Yet Leon¡¯s aura showed no sign of depletion. Meanwhile, Tyvel¡¯s aura was beginning to run dry. ¡°Die!!!¡± With a desperate scream, Tyvel deflected Leon¡¯s sword and thrust his de towards Leon¡¯s heart.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om [Trantor - Night] [Proofreader - Gun] Chapter 21 [Trantor - Night] [Proofreader - Gun] Chapter 21 As I muttered absentmindedly, the knights looked at me with puzzled expressions. "Young Master?" "Do you see that?" "Excuse me? Is there something in the sky?" It seemed that none of the knights, except me, could see the sky that had turned crimson. [The phenomenon of the red moon can only be observed by you.] [If the red moon does not disappear, everything on thend, in the atmosphere, and within the domain will be eroded.] Damn it. No matter what it is, the red moon triggers a deep-seated trauma for me. The sky over Labyrinthos also had a red moon like that. Of course, since it was merely a hallucination-like form, slicing the sky with a sword had no real effect. But what would happen if this red moon materialized? That was when the thought crossed my mind. Suddenly, a hallucination appeared before my eyes. It was... Melissa, covered in blood and on the verge of death, being grasped by a massive hand while a terrifyingly enormous shadow opened its gaping maw. "Brother..." Her weak voice called out to me, and immediately after, the monstrous shadow swallowed her whole, cutting off the hallucination. "Gasp?!" The chilling scene startled me, making me flinch. What on earth did I just see? [What you just saw is not a hallucination.] What? Are you kidding me? Then, what I just saw was¡­ [However, it is not reality either. It is the future¡ªa future that will soon unfold. If you wish to prevent it, I rmend you act quickly.] The future? So what I just saw is the future involving Melissa and me? Who gave permission for that? Sure, she''s an annoying little sister who gets on my nerves, but I¡¯ve never wished for her death. If she''s to be teased, it¡¯ll be by me. If she''s to be bullied, I¡¯ll do it myself. Who gave anyone else the right to interfere? No sense of decency at all. As the librarian¡¯s exnation ended, I instinctively stood up. I grabbed a knight¡¯s sword as if snatching it and handed him my broken ck sword, cknight No. 1. "Y-Young Master?!" "I¡¯m borrowing this sword. Take this to Verus Armory. Also, take responsibility for these captives and escort them back to the mansion." The sword in my hand was a clean, silver de. From now on, your name is cknight No. 2. Even though it was silver and had no connection to ck, that didn¡¯t matter. "Y-Young Master?!" His words never reached my ears. Because I had already kicked off the ground with an explosive burst of strength, racing at full speed toward where Melissa had been. The distance was far, but I didn¡¯t have time toin. * * * Screeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeech! With a ghastly scream, an amorphous monster darted swiftly through the dark sewers, pursued by knights running at full speed. The stench of the sewers stung their noses, but none of them stopped. Though it looked like nothing special, the monster they were chasing, Demon Slime, was an incredibly dangerous creature that should never have entered a human-inhabited area. A demon beast that resided only in the Demonic Realm, the Demon Slime. The name might sound questionable¡ªis it really that dangerous? But the moment a slime, typically a low-tier creature, has the name "Demon" attached to it, there¡¯s no doubt about its peril. Despite its small size, it contained deadly toxicity and screamed like a demon. If this thing released its poison into the water supply, hell would break loose. Fortunately, though it carried immense risks, it wasn¡¯t hard to exterminate once its location was pinpointed. "Lady Melissa! It went that way!" "Got it!" In an instant, Melissa''s sword struck with precision, its de gleaming smoothly. She lunged forward like a sh, cutting through the Demon Slime¡¯s amorphous body and destroying the solid core inside it. Screeeeeeech¡­ With a despairing scream, the creature copsed. Melissa wiped the sweat off her brow as she watched. "Well done, mydy. That was thest one." "We need to finish wrapping up. Any injuries?" "Luckily, no one has been poisoned." While dealing with this, Melissa worried about Leon possibly causing trouble. Leon, who had changed overnight, now acted like a runaway carriage without brakes. She couldn¡¯t help but worry. They had exterminated seven Demon Slimes in total. "I¡¯m not sure if leaving Leon alone is the right call." "If we had let these creatures loose, there would have been a catastrophe. Your judgment was correct, mydy. And besides, you did send some of the troops, didn¡¯t you?" BOOOOOOOM! No sooner had they exited the sewers than an enormous explosion rang out. "What was that noise?" "It seems to being from the Tyvel Cascadia estate¡­" "What?! He couldn¡¯t even wait and caused a mess already?!" Melissa couldn¡¯tprehend the situation¡ªa full-on attack without knowing what the enemy was hiding. "There¡¯s no time! All troops, move quickly to the Tyvel Cascadia estate¡­" [Trantor - Night] [Proofreader - Gun] Slice! It happened then. With a sickening slicing sound, the head of a nearby Aura User-level knight went flying through the air. "What?" The knights, all dumbfounded, turned their gazes toward their now headlessrade. And then¡­ A massive ck hand appeared out of nowhere, grabbing Melissa''s body entirely, followed by an unimaginably powerful shockwave. Caught off guard, the knights were helplessly flung aside. "Gah?!" "Arghhh!" Even the Expert-level knights couldn¡¯t withstand the immense repulsion force. Swept up by the enormous shockwave, the knights were exposed to the surrounding ck currents, which quickly sapped their consciousness and left them copsed. The situation had escted far too quickly. ¡°Grr¡­ Ugh¡­ Aaaagh!¡± Melissa, on the other hand, wasn¡¯t flung away. The massive hand had grabbed hold of her. Naturally, she couldn¡¯t help but scream under the crushing pressure. Even her extraordinary physical abilities, honed to Expert level, couldn¡¯t break free from the monster¡¯s grip. ¡°What the hell is that¡­?¡± The creature bore a shape and size roughly simr to a human. However, its entire body shimmered like a swirling ck mist, and its hands were grotesquely oversizedpared to the rest of its body. Its face was horrifying beyond words. Instead of lips, it had sharp, 10-centimeter-long teeth perfectly interlocked, and its other facial features were dominated by eerie red eyes that darted around chaotically, inducing an overwhelming sense of confusion. Boom! The creature finally flung Melissa lightly into the air. She tightened her grip on the sword in her hand, ready to slice it apart as she summoned her aura. The monster moved its enormous frame sluggishly, as though it were merely observing, offering no significant resistance. ¡°Haaah!¡± ng! ng! ng! Melissa seized the opportunity, driving her sword forward. But her de failed to pierce the creature¡¯s body. Her attack didn¡¯t leave so much as a scratch. ¡°What¡­ is this?!¡± Boom! Once againrger than her entire body, the monster''s hand came crashing down like a flyswatter, sending her flying. Momentarily unconscious from the impact, Melissa¡¯s body refused to obey her will as her senses returned. Power, speed, durability. In every way, it was a hopeless mismatch. Where had such a monster evene from? She looked around to see that nearby houses had already been reduced to rubble from the shockwaves. How many had died here? While knights of Aura User level or higher survived, many of the regr soldiers had perished. Of those still able to fight, Melissa was the only one left. But even she had been subjected to excruciating pain from that earlier blow. ¡°Guh¡­ Cough¡­ Ugh¡­¡± A painful fit of coughing forced blood to spew from her mouth. The horrifying ck monster silently stared at her before opening its massive, tooth-filled maw. Hundreds of sharp teeth filled the gaping mouth. The first emotion she felt upon seeing it was pure terror. Yet, even so, she refused to crumble. Though the evacuation was underway, if she were to die now, the monster would devour the unconscious knights and soldiers nearby, and then the entire county. As the Count¡¯s acting representative tasked with protecting thisnd, she couldn¡¯t let that happen. Summoning every ounce of strength, she drew upon thest reserves of her aura. Boom! ¡°Gah!¡± But the monster was a step ahead. It mmed her into the ground without hesitation, doing so two more times for good measure. ¡°Urgh¡­¡± Bloodied and battered, Melissa¡¯s consciousness began to fade. Only after shey still did the monster slowly lift her up, opening its mouth wide to tear into her. That was when it happened. Whizz! Bang! A well-forged steel sword flew in from somewhere, striking the creature¡¯s body and sending it tumbling backward. It was the first time the monster had reacted to an attack¡ªsomething even Melissa¡¯s aura-infused sword couldn¡¯t achieve. ¡°Hey, put her down. You may look as vicious as a tyrannosaurus, but that¡¯s my sister you¡¯ve got there.¡± As her consciousness flickered, Melissa slowly turned her head. She managed to glimpse the figure of someone walking toward them in the distance. ¡°Ah¡­ Leon.¡± The most infuriating person she knew. Yet, in this moment, his presence brought tears to her eyes. Still, she had to force out her voice, no matter how weak. ¡°You¡­ you idiot¡­ run¡­ That monster is immune to aura¡­¡± Ignoring her plea, Leon casually picked up another sword from a fallen knight. ¡°This is ck Night Sword No. 3¡­ No, wait. I only got No. 2 recently, and now I¡¯m already two-timing it.¡± At the same time, an explosive surge of aura erupted from his body. The chaotic energy, initially unrefined, began to stabilize and take on a clear, polished form. Zap! Name: Leon Cascadia Age: 17 Gender: Male Abilities: (Hall of Swords) Sword Expert (Top-tier) ¨C Acquired techniques avable for review. The pinnacle [Aura] remains preserved. (Hall of Martial Arts) Fist Expert (Top-tier) A ferocious [Aura] remains preserved. The information, visible only to Leon, confirmed the sudden changes. From Sword User to Sword Expert, and simultaneously from Aura User to Fist Expert. ¡°I was going to wait a bit longer, but I guess it can¡¯t be helped. Let¡¯s break through first.¡± The awakening of a Sword Expert. Melissa, despite her fading strength, couldn¡¯t fail to recognize the phenomenon. ¡°What the¡­¡± Her dazed expression made it clear she could only watch in stunned silence. Leon, however, calmly advanced toward the monster. ¡°That thing, Void Gluttony, right?¡± [Entity confirmed. Void Gluttony species identified.] The Librarian¡¯s voice further solidified the confirmation. Grrrr¡­ The monster flung Melissa aside with a flick of its hand and unleashed a chilling aura, focusing entirely on Leon. The suffocating pressure emanating from the creature weighed down on Leon¡¯s entire body. There wasn¡¯t even the slightest sign of defeat in the creature¡¯s demeanor. After all, it hadn¡¯t sustained even a scratch from Melissa¡¯s aura-infused strikes. [Void Gluttony has immunity to aura below Sword Aura level. The probability of victory in the current situation is extremely low.] ¡°I know. Do you know how many times I died to kill this thing?¡± Void Gluttony. By the standards of monsters emerging from the Hall of Swords, it wasn¡¯t particrly strong. But for those who wielded aura, it was nearly impossible to defeat without reaching the level of Sword Aura. Like trying to cut water with a de. Step¡­ Step¡­ With aura-infused sword in hand, Leon steadily advanced. Then, in an instant, he stomped down hard on the ground. A powerful shockwave erupted from the impact, propelling Leon forward like a sh of light, leaving afterimages in his wake. Boom! The sheer speed of his movement was almost impossible to track with the naked eye. Yet, Void Gluttony moved all the eyes on its face simultaneously, easily keeping up with him. Chomp! Its jaws, suddenly erged, snapped shut in an instant, and both hands morphed into massive, tooth-filled maws, crushing the space around them with terrifying force. [Trantor - Night] [Proofreader - Gun]n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Chapter 22 [Trantor - Night] [Proofreader - Gun] Chapter 22 Crash!!! With a chilling screech resembling the sound of hard metal being forcibly scraped, Leon slid behind the creature with an agile movement. Meanwhile, Void Gluttony, partially dissipated and swirling with ck mist, twisted its body in apparent satisfaction and let out a sinister grin. It seemed to say, "This won''t kill me." "The de''s all worn out." Though it wasn''t as fine as the first-generation cknight Sword, it had been a well-forged weapon. Thanks to the manifestation of sword energy, he thought the de wouldn''t break. But no matter how perfectly sword energy is applied, when the opponent is that tough, damage to the de is inevitable. And he didn¡¯t have a sword with special features like self-repair. Swoosh... Leon picked up the second-generation cknight Sword, which he had initially thrown away. "Guess I¡¯ll have to break through the wall one more time." * * * Leon turned his head to assess his surroundings. Copsed houses and fallen people. While many were still alive, the number of the dead was substantial. Melissa, who had been barely conscious earlier, was nowpletely still, as if she had fainted. Judging by her severe injuries, it was clear she needed urgent treatment. It was fortunate this area wasn¡¯t densely popted. Repulsion Field. Void Gluttony¡¯s signature ability, allowing it to convert everything it consumed into energy, creating a massive repulsion field. For those with resistance beyond master-level strength, the flow itself could be neutralized, but for anyone below that level, it was nothing short of hell. To be honest, Leon had no idea why this monster was here. The key point was that the sky had turned red with something called the Red Moon, and a Red eye-like moon had risen. "Librarian." [Confirmed.] "This Red Moon¡ªdo creatures like this just randomly pop up because of it?" A catastrophic monster like this, appearing in the middle of a popted domain as soon as the Red Moon rose? This wasn¡¯t a normal situation. [The Red Moon follows an inexplicable and irregr flow. However, based on current observations, it¡¯s likely that the core of the monster derived from the Red Moon had already infiltrated this domain.] "You''re saying that thing came from the core? I don¡¯t even need to guess the culprit." Tyvel Cascadia. Even in death, still causing problems. Taking a short breath, Leon realized he needed to eliminate the creature quickly. For now, it was alone. But the Void Gluttony he knew could create countless replicas of itself. It hadn¡¯t consumed much yet, so it was manageable now, but the scene in the Hall of Swords, where goblins had been devoured and turned into a nightmare, was something he never wanted to relive. "I managed to pierce through as an Expert, but I can¡¯t kill this thing with normal swordsmanship. Hmm... breaking through the Swordmaster barrier right now seems risky..." If he messed up, his body could suffer permanent damage¡ªabsolutely not an option. [Generally, Void Gluttony entities are vulnerable to sword auras and above. They are also somewhat weak to magic. I rmend retrieving the memories of the Third Hall.] "Can that be done in a short time?" [It would require considerable time to secure.] "Then forget it. Let¡¯s break through the wall again." [Continuous advancement in realms ces immense strain on both body and soul.] "Better than recalling memories." Leon drew all the explosive currents surging around him into his body. With that, the smooth flow of sword energy vanished. "Hoo..." After taking a short breath, Leon opened his eyes. The creature, sensing something ominous, rushed toward him in a panic. Its massive maw gaped wide open as if it intended to swallow him whole in one bite. And just as the creature was about to close its mouth¡ª Explosive energy surged out of Leon¡¯s body once more. Even though he had expended a massive amount of energy earlier to destroy the mansion, this much was sufficient. [Overdrive] [Awakening] * * * [Progressing toward Swordmaster Awakening.] [Failed.] [Entering Unstable Awakening State.] What is the difference between sword energy and sword aura? Simply the size? If that were the case, there would be no reason for Swordmasters to be considered strategic weapons. An Expert deals with the domain of will. A Swordmaster, on the other hand, wields the domain of intent. It is the realm where one infuses their intent into their sword, transcending mere physicality to sever even the bonds of mana. Back when Leon was still an Aura User, he had imitated something simr to sword energy. However, for an Expert to mimic sword aura, the difficulty was iparably higher, and its power far greater. Void Gluttony¡¯s mouth split into four parts, its maw fully open, ready to devour Leon in one gulp. The intent to consume him whole was unmistakable. [If consumed by Void Gluttony, death will not be merciful. Be warned.] ¡®Been there, done that.¡¯ Through forced awakening, Leon¡¯s intent fused with the sword energy. It resembled the crude sword energy he had imitated as an Aura User, but its inner structure was entirely different. The origin of his earlier mimicry was, in fact, this very state. "Do you know what this is? Honestly, neither do I." To those who had dedicated their lives to the sword, what Leon was doing now would defy all conventional understanding of swordsmanship. But Leon couldn¡¯t care less. There were countless instances where one had to draw power beyond their limits to survive. Crunch!!! The creature¡¯s gaping mouth finally mped shut. It had seemingly swallowed Leon whole. Just before its mouth closed, Leon''s sword moved in an instant. It was a counterattack technique he had long been familiar with: [One-Horned sh Strike] . However, even though it was the same [One-Horned sh Strike] , the power, speed, and intent contained within the technique were entirely different when wielded by an Aura Userpared to when used by an Expert or during his Enlightened state. sh¡­ Craaaack!!! Dark crimson sword scars appeared all over the massive body of the creature that had swallowed Leon. Sensing something was wrong, the creature iled, but its body had already ceased responding to its will. Before long, its body was shredded to pieces by the sword aura and scattered apart. Leon, who had been consumed by the creature, emerged calmly, shaking off the dark liquid clinging to his sword. Intent. Sword Aura. The realm where one imbues their will and interferes with thews of nature. Around Leon, a dark lotus-like pattern was vividly etched into the air. Despite the sword appearing light and swift, the aftermath it left behind was overwhelming. The enormous lotus-shaped pattern of sword scars radiating from Leon spanned dozens of meters, and the buildings struck by the scars were cleanly sliced apart as if by a sharp de cutting through tofu. Around the lotus-shaped mark, countless deep scars also remained. Even though Leon had focused the brunt of the impact on Void Gluttony, the aftermath had affected the entire surrounding area. However, Void Gluttony was not entirely dead. [Trantor - Night] [Proofreader - Gun] A fragment resembling an eye wriggled on the ground as if trying to escape. Leon stepped forward deliberately and raised his sword with a chilling precision. "Persistent bastard." Stab!! At that moment, the sound of someone¡¯s footsteps echoed as the second-generation cknight Sword in Leon¡¯s hand shattered into pieces. The second-generation cknght Sword was destroyed. The recoil of the [Enlightened] state was far greater than the indiscriminate release of aura he had previously employed. [That was an incredibly close call.] ¡°This was rtively spacious timing, if anything.¡± Afterward, he held the unconscious Melissa in his arms and spoke. ¡°You¡¯re a stepte, Sword Saint. What an inconvenient time to show up.¡± The presence before him carried an overwhelming aura, one that gathered immense power within its body. Having surpassed the threshold and unlocked the Enlightened state, there was no way Leon wouldn¡¯t have noticed the Sword Saint¡¯s presence. ¡°Hmm... Are you uninjured?¡± What was the intent behind that question? Leon suspected the Sword Saint might have known from the beginning. ¡°You seem to have known this monster would appear.¡± At his words, the eyes of Bagmut, standing beside the Sword Saint, widened slightly. Even so, they refrained from pressing further, as Melissa¡¯s condition was more urgent than any interrogation. ¡°It seems we have much to discuss. However, this doesn¡¯t seem to be the right time for such a conversation. Would it be eptable to postpone it?¡± The Sword Saint and hispanion were not so dull as to miss the deadly aura emanating from Leon¡¯s gaze. ¡°Elder.¡± ¡°It¡¯s understandable to draw such conclusions. Very well, Leon, let¡¯s do as you say. It seems there is much to discuss on both sides.¡± ¡°Then.¡± Leonunched a signal re while carrying the unconscious Melissa on his back and returned to the mansion. Her injuries were severe. She was still breathing, but had they been a momentter, she wouldn¡¯t have survived. ¡°This is infuriating.¡± Though this was instigated by Tyvel Cascadia, the issue extended beyond just him. Void Gluttony¡¯s appearance was a clear act of hostility. The presence of the Red Moon was something Leon hadn¡¯t ounted for in his ns. Realizing that he had nearly lost Melissa made his blood boil, something he hadn¡¯t felt in a long time. ¡°Why am I always on the receiving end of things?¡± When she wakes, he nned to teach her swordsmanship suited to her abilities. Though he couldn¡¯t teach her the techniques he used, he had discarded plenty of sword techniques and cultivation methods in the past. Traditions or not, they wouldn¡¯t matter if she were to die. The internal conflict with Tyvel Cascadia and the subsequent appearances of Void Gluttony and the Red Moon had turned the entire county upside down. It was a situation severe enough to potentially topple the entire county. The primary issue was the people Tyvel had bribed. After Leon¡¯s father passed away, his uncle Tyvel had bribed everyone from the county¡¯s guards to businessmen and even the family¡¯s retainers in an attempt to im the title of Count. Leon intended to execute those who crossed the line while exiling the rest. ¡°Librarian.¡± [Confirmed.] ¡°The Red Moon¡ªis it the same sky I saw in Labyrinthos?¡± [It is simr, but different.] ¡°How so?¡± [The Red Moon in Labyrinthos is not a real phenomenon.] In other words, the Red Moon he saw in Labyrinthos was merely an illusion. The one he encountered now was real.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om ¡°I thought it looked like an eye.¡± [Detailed information is locked and cannot be disclosed. You must uncover it yourself.] ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting much anyway. Then let me ask you another question.¡± [Confirmed.] ¡°The encroachment of the Red Moon¡ªwhere and when does it manifest?¡± This was the most critical issue. Void Gluttony was, in a sense, akin to a cmity. If Leon¡¯s assumptions were correct, this wouldn¡¯t be the end of it. If such events urred across the continent, it would plunge the entirend into chaos. [Even the Red Moon cannot encroach indiscriminately. It is expected to remain dormant for the time being.] ¡°That Red Moon¡ªI¡¯m the only one who can see it, right?¡± [That is correct.] ¡°Does that mean anything?¡± Void Gluttony was indeed dangerous, but if it had been the Sword Saint Osberg, he would have easily defeated it. However, if the issue could be resolved so easily, there would be no need for warnings about the Red Moon. It wasn¡¯t as if others couldn¡¯t see the monsters that appeared when the sky turned red. [When the Red Moon begins its encroachment, hostile entities manifest to attack living beings.] [Trantor - Night] [Proofreader - Gun] Chapter 24 [Trantor - Night] [Proofreader - Gun] Chapter 24 This wasn¡¯t just a simple preliminary investigation. For any martial artist, there is a minimum qualification: A spirit of self-improvement. Even if one were a Sword Saint, iparable to a mere Sword Master, their growth had not yet reached its end. ¡°Elder.¡± I quietly handed him a teacup and spoke. ¡°As you know, our family has many enemies at the moment.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a burden my younger sister Melissa cannot yet bear.¡± ¡°That¡¯s also true.¡± ¡°So, would the Mielephon family be able to assist us? If you pledge your support, I will hand over what you need.¡± Everything in life is give-and-take, after all. At my proposal, his eyes twitched slightly. ¡°I¡¯d like to help, but you know as well as I do. I am a noble of the Empire, not of the Bata Kingdom.¡± If he were to get involved in this matter¡­ ¡°No, it¡¯s not that. To be precise, I¡¯d only be borrowing your name. It wouldn¡¯t mean permanently tying the count¡¯s territory to your family but merely buying us some time.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hear it, then.¡± ¡°A method that wouldn¡¯t raise much fuss even between different nations: a political marriage.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± His eyes widened in surprise. ¡°If rumors spread of an engagement between the Mielephon family and the Cascadia count¡¯s family, the nobles of our small Bata Kingdom wouldn¡¯t dare act rashly against us.¡± What I proposed was simple. A fake engagement. ¡°Even just releasing a rumor of talks would be enough to intimidate them.¡± ¡°Ha¡­ hahahaha.¡± At my suggestion, he let out a hollowugh. ¡°You¡¯re bold, knowing I wouldn¡¯t be able to refuse such a fiery proposal.¡± ¡°I have no intention of inheriting the count¡¯s family anyway. Even if the engagement falls apartter, my sister won¡¯t get caught up in unnecessary rumors. Furthermore, since we wouldn¡¯t name anyone specifically to proceed with the engagement, it won¡¯t cause much trouble for the youngdies of the Mielephon family either.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡°You stand to gain much more than making me your apprentice.¡± It was, in essence, a political marriage without a target. ¡°This is purely a transaction. However, I assure you it won¡¯t be a deal where you¡¯ll suffer a loss.¡± As grand as words like "engagement" sounded¡­ In reality, all we needed to do was leverage the connection to a powerful family like Mielephon from the Empire. ¡°It¡¯s not like it¡¯s a real engagement anyway.¡± After contemting for a moment, he made his decision. ¡°Alright. If it¡¯s as you say, it wouldn¡¯t be much of an issue. That said, would you really stake your life on this for the sake of your sister?¡± ¡°She¡¯s family, even if she can be annoying.¡± At my response, he nodded. ¡°Fine. But understand this: what you¡¯ve done risks the engagement bing real. That¡¯s the nature of rumors.¡± ¡°Even if talk spreads, it¡¯ll just be rumors. The important part is that I have no intention of finalizing the engagement.¡± ¡°Well, then, I¡¯ll be expecting your answer.¡± At his words, I wrote a single sentence on a piece of paper. And I handed it to him. ¡°Elder, I don¡¯t believe what you truly want is to know how I mimicked sword energy.¡± ¡°This is¡­¡± ¡°This, I believe, is what you need most right now.¡± What I wrote was a hint about the barrier faced by Sword Masters at the very top tier. ¡°The only one who can break through it is you, Elder.¡± ¡°You¡­ just who are you?¡± ¡°Have I provided you the payment you sought?¡± It was an odd conversation to have between a Sword Saint of the continent and a boy who had only recently be an Expert. He said nothing, simply engraving the words on that paper into his mind with utmost seriousness. * * * ¡°Lord, were you able to resolve the matter?¡± ¡°Let us return.¡± As Osberg walked briskly, his face grim, his attendant, Bagmut Mielephon, tilted his head in curiosity. ¡°Elder? Did something upset you?¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Even at that question, Osberg did not answer. Instead, after some time, his expression grew somewhat satisfied. ¡°He proposed a fake political marriage with Mielephon.¡± ¡°Pardon?!¡± ¡°He said even the mere notion of such talks would reduce the pressure on his family. From the perspective of a small kingdom, it wouldn¡¯t be easy to press a family connected to Mielephon as inws.¡± ¡°A fake political marriage, meaning there won¡¯t be any actual talks? Is that why you¡¯re upset?¡± ¡°No, that matter is rather favorable. What I¡¯m pondering is the insight that boy handed me, Bagmut.¡± ¡°Insight, sir?¡± ¡°It¡¯s an opportunity, a fateful one. To think that, at my age, I would gain such a revtion from a mere boy¡­¡± ¡°An opportunity¡­ Elder?¡± ¡°Let us return to the family. We must let the rumors spread as he desires.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make the preparations.¡± ¡°Of course, that boy seems to underestimate the power of rumors, but¡­ the consequences are his to bear.¡± ¡°However, Elder¡­¡± ¡°Depending on the value this insight brings me, I will calcte the price meticulously and repay him appropriately.¡± The Sword Saint chuckled. ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s send him that ck sword we prepared earlier as a gift.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± * * * The Sword Saint, Osberg, had stared at the paper with the written sentence as if entranced. Its content wasn¡¯t anything grand. If anyone else had seen it, they might have dismissed it as nonsense. But to him alone, it was exactly what he needed most. Humans have habits. By observing the flow and operation of his aura, faint traces of unconscious habits revealed themselves. From those, I could infer what level he was at, what he was struggling with, and then I wrote a phrase to drive a wedge into that concern. Interpreting and epting it was up to him. I used to be like that, too. In that sense, Osberg Mielephon is quite simr to me. Of course, he calls himself a "Mind Master," and if this were a martial arts world, he¡¯d be knocking on the door of transcendence. That is impressive. ¡°How many times did I die to reach that level again¡­?¡± Time doesn''t flow here, so I can only count the number of deaths. [Approximately 100,000 deaths have been recorded.] Even though my survival rate improved toward the end, the total still reached six figures. ¡°That number¡ª100,000¡ªis ridiculous, you damned Librarian.¡± [Confirmed.] ¡°Even if I were to kill 100,000 enemies in one go, it would take days, weeks, or months. Now imagine experiencing that myself¡ªdying 100,000 times! It¡¯s hellish, you know? Do you get it? And it¡¯s not even about killing, it¡¯s about how many times I died!¡± The Librarian didn''t react to myint. [Trantor - Night] [Proofreader - Gun] ¡°Well, with the rumor circting in Mielephon, the royal nobles won¡¯t be able to mess with us for a while.¡± I had plenty of excuses. It was enough to say that I crossed paths with Mielephon while dealing with the monsters guing the Countdom of Cascadia. Even though it wasn¡¯t an official engagement or political arrangement, just the rumor that a swordmaster from Mielephon had chosen me as a prospective match for one of theirdies was sufficient. And Osberg kept his word. I heard from the Countdom that talks of engagement between Mielephon and me had been circting. Perhaps thanks to this, the high-ranking nobles in the royal court, who had been scheming, were now frozen in ce. Theck of interference was palpable. No, in fact, the royal court went as far as ordering Melissa to quickly obtain an Expert Certification. In the meantime, Melissa had also been busy, reorganizing businesses that had been floundering due to Tyvel¡¯s tyranny, trading for scarce supplies, and more. It took a few more days to stabilize. As for me, I spent that time periodically hunting down the wraith of that damned Tyvel Cascadia, wearing him down piece by piece. I could have fully transformed him into an undead wraith knight, which would¡¯ve made him a useful pawn. But I had no intention of granting him that honor. For now, my goal was to master necromancy up to the fifth circle. That level was roughly equivalent to a high-ranking Expert in swordsmanship. While necromancy wasn¡¯t mainstream magic, as long as I didn¡¯t use forbidden spells, it wasn¡¯t a problem. After finishing some exhausting paperwork, I headed to the kitchen to carry out a n I had been preparing. ¡°Leon! You bastard!!!¡± Melissa stormed in, furious. ¡°What is it now? Did you eat something bad?¡± ¡°You drew on my face, didn¡¯t you?!¡± ¡°¡­What nonsense is that?¡± When I awkwardly avoided her gaze, she ground her teeth. But soon, she sighed, letting it slide¡ªfor now. ¡°I won¡¯t forget this. Just wait.¡± Ah, she¡¯s definitely going to hold a grudge. I sighed involuntarily. ¡°More importantly, what¡¯s this about an arranged marriage?¡± ¡°Oh¡­ that.¡± I nced around and spread necromantic mana, creating a barrier around us. ¡°It¡¯s a lie.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I struck a deal with the elder. I answered one of his questions, and in return, I asked to borrow Mielephon¡¯s name. It¡¯s just a rumor about a political marriage¡ªthere¡¯s no specific person involved, and no real discussions are happening.¡± Melissa looked utterly baffled. ¡°And the Sword Saint epted that?¡± ¡°What could he do? The benefits are greater on their side.¡± At my answer, she looked at me like I was crazy. ¡°What kind of madman are you?¡± ¡°Why aren¡¯t you asking about the monsters that attacked you or how many of your family knights were injured?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already received all the reports. Honestly, I think it¡¯s better to give up on trying to understand you.¡± ¡°Are you sure it wasn¡¯t because you were too weak to handle it?¡± At my teasing, she grabbed a te nearby and threw it at me. Thud! Of course, I had no intention of wasting a perfectly good dish, so I caught it. For now, I set aside the small talk and focused on a more important challenge. ¡°If this seeds, we can make some serious money.¡± I kept working while addressing Melissa. ¡°As you¡¯ve seen, Tyvel is dead, the royal nobles are restrained thanks to Mielephon, and the businesses are back in operation. However, the losses were significant, and the manpower shortage is severe. That¡¯s where youe in. You¡¯ll need to handle that.¡± She sighed and nodded, seemingly resigned. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± But she averted her gaze, seemingly unhappy with her unsteady body. ¡°What are you even doing right now? Eggs and milk? And what¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Condensed milk. Take a guess.¡± ¡°Dessert? Sure, dessert businesses can make money, but thepetition¡¯s fierce. Will it even sell?¡± ¡°Delicious things always sell well.¡± This world has plenty of desserts, but there¡¯s still room for innovation in ice cream. After being trapped in the Labyrinth, I often craved something sweet and cold. Fortunately, I remembered a simple ice cream recipe from my past life. It was a shame there was no vani extract here, but luckily, this world had liquid chocte voring. ¡°Let¡¯s mix this in.¡± Adjusting between high and low heat, I whisked the ingredients together and ced the mixture into a magic tool with refrigeration properties. I added a touch of necromantic chill for good measure. Melissa, who had abandoned whatever she was working on, watched me in a daze. After some time, I removed the partially cooled mixture and stirred in the next set of ingredients, eventually creating a thick, creamy substance. ¡°What is this? Some kind of soup?¡± ¡°It¡¯s done. Now it just needs to freeze for about eight hours.¡± ¡°What? You¡¯re freezing it after making it?¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s meant to be eaten cold.¡± After cing it in the freezing artifact, I turned to her. ¡°It¡¯s not perfect, but I think it¡¯ll turn out pretty well. Look forward to it.¡± ¡°It better not taste awful.¡± Despite her words, she seemed curious and excited, clearly a fan of sweets herself. [Trantor - Night] [Proofreader - Gun] Chapter 26 [Trantor - Night] [Proofreader - Gun] Chapter 26 The royal pce of the Bata Kingdom was a ce that, whether one liked it or not, had to be visited at least once. This time, we needed to report the situation and secure the king¡¯s official approval for Melissa¡¯s formal session. While riding in the carriage, Melissa was busy sorting through documents she hadn¡¯t been able to handle back at the estate, nearly pulling her hair out in frustration. Meanwhile, I focused on creating a mana circle, the very foundation of necromancy magic. Thankfully, no one noticed the necromantic mana I was using. Highly refined necromantic mana was virtually indistinguishable from life force itself. It was like air¡ªnobody questions its presence unless something is very off. Honestly, if it were up to me, I¡¯d have stayed back in the county working on perfecting ice cream rather than making this trip to the royal pce. But there was no avoiding it. If there was a silver lining, it was that the journey to the capital went smoothly without any troublesome interruptions. Upon arriving at the capital, where the royal pce was located, the bustling energy stood in stark contrast to the rtive quiet of the county. Merchants moved in and out in droves, and the streets were packed with people. ¡°There sure are a lot more people here than in the county.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t embarrass yourself by gawking.¡± ¡°Hey, aren¡¯t you amazed? There are so many people!¡± She eximed, clearly fascinated by the capital¡¯s liveliness. But to me, it wasn¡¯t all that impressive. After all, I still remembered my previous life, where fifty million people crammed into a tinyndmass was the norm. If anything, I found the capital rTyvely sparse for what it was supposed to be. ¡°I¡¯m going to meet His Majesty the King right away and get my official Expert certification. Then, during the evening noble¡¯s banquet, we¡¯ll hold the ceremony for the transfer of the countship. Please, I¡¯m begging you¡ªdon¡¯t cause any trouble in front of the royals and all the nobles.¡± After making her point, she left for the pce with her attendants, taking only the essentials for her stay. Of course, I wasn¡¯t entirelyfortable letting her go alone, so I summoned the one wraith I still had in my possession: Tyvel Cascadia. -Grrrr¡­. Although his soul waspletely broken, his form remained intact, allowing me to turn him into an undead. Rather than a skeletal form, I maintained him in a wraith-like state. Visibly, he was amon wraith¡ªhis figure faintly glowing with a bluish hue here and there. ¡°If I leave him like this, he¡¯ll be useless.¡± At mymand, Tyvel let out a low, beast-like growl, his body swaying unsteadily. I recalled the time I first arrived at the Hall of Necromancy, where I was handed a staff to begin my training in necromancy. Seriously, I¡¯ve died a lot. At least a sword could stab and kill something; with just a staff, I had to struggle helplessly against goblins. The memory alone gave me a headache. Even though it was all in the past, the horrific memories remained vivid. ¡°Let¡¯s start by giving him physical power.¡± I wrapped Tyvel¡¯s entire body in necromantic mana, coating him like a second skin. Then I filled his core with the mana, saturating itpletely until it was as though I had dyed him in my own color. ¡°Librarian.¡± [Acknowledged.] ¡°The magic I¡¯ve mastered so far¡ªis it significantly different from traditional necromancers¡¯ techniques?¡± [It is presumed to differ in some areas.] In some cases, I had spells they didn¡¯t know, and in others, Icked spells they had. Thinking about it, I had essentially crafted my own unique style of magic. Of course, most of the ideas stemmed from my memories. After granting him physical strength, I moved on to improving his core attributes. Tyvel had been an Intermediate Expert in life, but I had torn his soul apart to the point where it was irreparably damaged. To make him effective, I needed to strengthen him my way. Even so, there was a clear limit to how much I could enhance him. The three key elements I prioritized were strength, speed, and sensory perception. If his soul hadn¡¯t been so damaged, I could have made him much stronger. But I didn¡¯t regret my actions. I cast the enhancement spells not once but two, three times,yering them like coats of paint. ¡°Hide in Melissa¡¯s shadow and remain unseen. If anyone tries to harm her, reveal yourself and protect her with all your might. Even if it destroys you.¡± Persecution for using necromancy was a thing of the past in most countries or a relic of history in a few. At mymand, Tyvel slowly phased through the wall and disappeared. ¡°Now that I think about it, there¡¯s supposed to be an underground dungeon in the capital.¡± The reason for its existence was a bit absurd, but the dungeon had been there for centuries. It was a massive dungeon that provided an incredible amount of resources, serving as the foundation of the Bata Kingdom¡¯s economy. Thankfully, monsters never left the dungeon, making it the perfect ce for explorers to venture. ¡°Hm, I¡¯ve got a few hours¡­.¡± Since the banquet wasn¡¯t until the evening, I figured I¡¯d take a quick look. I didn¡¯t need to rush to buy ingredients for ice cream or magical tools to aid my necromancy. I got up from my seat. ¡°Huh?! Young master! Where are you going?¡± Harpon asked, Melissa¡¯s knight, as he hurried to follow me. ¡°I¡¯m heading to the dungeon.¡± ¡°The dungeon in the capital? Why would you¡ª?¡± ¡°For a walk. Don¡¯t bother following me.¡± He looked at me with a conflicted expression. ¡°But Miss Melissa ordered me to guard you¡­¡± ¡°Sir Harpon.¡± ¡°Yes, young master.¡± ¡°Stay here unless you n to overpower me.¡± He shut his mouth at my question. ¡°I¡¯ll bring back something tasty on my way back, so just rx until then.¡± ¡°¡­Fine,¡± He grumbled. After shaking off Harpon, I leisurely walked to the dungeon¡¯s location. ¡°Wow¡­.¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om The dungeon¡¯s entrance resembled a massive building. Two soldiers stood guard at the entrance. ¡°What brings you here?¡± One of them asked. ¡°I am Leon Cascadia, eldest son of the Count of Cascadia,¡± I said, pulling out my identification badge. The guards immediately straightened their posture. ¡°Wee, my lord. What brings you to this ce?¡± "Not a big deal, just thought I''d take a stroll into the dungeon. Can I enter?" "Um... by yourself, sir? Ah, yes, you may proceed." When I slightly unsheathed my sword, letting the de glimmer with a sh of aura, they instinctively stepped aside. They probably didn''t want any unnecessary trouble with a noble''s child. "Thanks for your hard work." "My lord, you may freely venture up to the 5th floor, but below that requires special authorization." "Appreciate it." I wasn''t nning to go that deep anyway. * * * In dungeons, the deeper you go, the stronger the monsters you encounter. This dungeon periodically spawns monsters, and defeating them asionally drops magic stones. "Let¡¯s see... So, the end of this dungeon is still unexplored." [Trantor - Night] [Proofreader - Gun] Nobody knows what lies at the end, but something in there is clearly responsible for the continuous spawning of monsters and the magic stones they drop. Magic stones are widely used by mages or for crafting everyday artifacts by guilds. Even in our county, items like refrigerators and freezers¡ªmagical artifacts¡ªare made using such resources. Creeeak... Creak creak! When I first entered, there were quite a few people around, but as I ventured deeper, monsters began appearing one by one. Goblins, to be exact. "Goblins as the first monsters, huh..." They might seem trivial, but these creatures are cunning enough to be a nuisance. [It is presumed that such dungeons are generally avoided unless one has a clear purpose.] "That does seem to be the case." I thought about drawing my sword as usual, but then I changed my mind. After all, why had Ie to this dungeon in the first ce? The answer was to test necromancy and unbox some wraiths. A dungeon like this is the perfect ce for it. Digging up graves just to summon undead wasn¡¯t exactly an option, so I¡¯d have to settle for turning monsters into undead. After quickly scanning the area, I extended my hand toward the two goblins approaching me. [Confuse] [Paralyze] [Poison Fog] In an instant, a cloud of poisonous mist apanied by two debilitating debuffs engulfed the goblins. Confused and writhing in pain, they copsed shortly after, foaming at the mouth. "Necromancers are all about overwhelming numbers." Quantity over quality, as they say. Extending my hand toward the deceased goblins, I made a pulling motion, as if yanking something out of thin air. Screeeech! The souls of the goblins, wrenched from their bodies, were drawn to my grasp. Though they let out ear-piercing screams in defiance, they quivered in fear under the dominion of my necromantic mana. "Alright, focus here. Look closely." I then showed them my middle finger. [Dominate] sh! A dark light red from my fingertip, and the goblin souls began transforming, fully submitting to me as my undead minions. "Line up, everyone. Time for some upgrades." I coated their bodies in necromantic mana and enhanced their strength, speed, and senses, just as I had with Tyvel¡¯s wraith. Let¡¯s limit it to threeyers of enhancements for now. A proper staff would make this easier, but when have I ever relied on a staff for casting spells? In Labyrinthos, a staff was nothing more than a glorified club. With necromantic mana saturating their undead forms, the goblins now possessed physical strength, circling around me as if to guard me. Since I gave them corporeal form, they would be visible to others as well. Not that it mattered. "Now then, your job is to recruit some friends." After all, they were just monsters. "Attack anything you see." Grrr... Snarl... The undead goblins, their veins visibly bulging, charged at the other goblins appearing nearby with ferocious intensity. The greatest strength of the undead lies in their tireless nature and their immunity to most fatal blows. In other words, they are an army of immortals. Of course, my approach to handling the undead differed from the traditional method of sending skeletons to the frontlines. I primarily utilized wraith-type undead¡ªdisembodied spirits. Ordinarily, wraithsck physical power, rendering them incapable of directly breaking or cutting through objects. However, I circumvented this limitation by imbuing them with physical strength. Though slightly weakerpared to their skeletal forms, these enhanced wraiths gained significant freedom from physical constraints. Just like Tyvel¡¯s wraith lurking in Melissa¡¯s shadow. Screech! The terrified goblins tried to flee, but the horde of undead goblins relentlessly chased them down and smashed them to pieces. There was no need to arm them with weapons; they were already stronger than their living counterparts. Of course, it helped that goblins were weak to begin with. When I first became a necromancer and started working with undead, even controlling ordinary skeletons had been a struggle. Theck of dominance over them had been the issue. But now? This was apletely different story. [Trantor - Night] [Proofreader - Gun]